MLB Players Who Have Been Going Deepest Most Frequently
By Bill Felber
MLB players are hitting the ball farther than ever in 2019; a look at the guys who are going very, very deep
It’s a great year for sluggers. Already this season, 16 MLB players have hit at least nine home runs. Teams are averaging 1.3 dingers per game, well ahead of last season’s pace. They’re not only hitting more home runs, but those home runs are also flying farther.
The most prolific power-hitting MLB players this season are averaging more than 400 feet of carry per home run. Of the 153 measured home runs struck by the 16 most frequent home run producers, nearly 60 percent have traveled more than 400 feet and only three have flown less than 350 feet.
There are various theories for this expansive flight path. Some suggest the ball is changed, although the ball is manufactured within certain specifications. Many believe that adjustments to MLB players’ swing arcs are resulting both in more and longer home runs. It’s also possible that pitching simply isn’t as good.
The two major league home run leaders, Cody Bellinger of the Dodgers and Christian Yelich of the Brewers, are the faces of this movement. Both have already hit 14 home runs. Curiously, though, neither Yelich nor Bellinger stands out as particularly remarkable for either the exit velocity or the carry of their home runs. They hit a lot of home runs, but they don’t hit memorable ones.
Some do.
Among the most prolific power-hitting MLB players this year, the exit velocity leader this season is pushing 110 mph. Here’s a breakdown of the 16 home run leaders pegged not merely to the frequency with which they hit bombs but also with the distance those bombs carry and the speed with which they leave the bat.