Paced by Ketel Marte’s 486-footer, here’s the “Bomb Squad,” the 25 longest home runs hit in MLB during the first week of June.
The average MLB home run carries about 400 feet. But there was nothing average about these bombs, the 25 longest of the week, each of which flew at least 429 feet.
Leading the parade was Ketel Marte, who led off for the Arizona Diamondbacks against Steven Matz and the New York Mets last Sunday in the grandest possible style. Arizona’s first hitter pounded a 2-0 fastball onto the concourse in deep left center at Chase Field for a 482-foot home run, setting the path for an eventual 7-1 victory.
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It was an especially wondrous week for Cleveland catcher Roberto Perez. Renowned as a defensive specialist but an offensive lightweight, Perez muscled up in a major way this past week.
On Tuesday, he delivered a 439-footer off Twins rookie Devin Smeltzer. Then on Saturday, Perez went even deeper, this time a 447-footer off Yankee pitcher Jonathan Holder. They were respectively the 12th and sixth longest blows of the week.
Perez was the only player to author two of the week’s longest bombs.
Colorado’s Jeff Hoffman enjoyed the week far less than Perez. In the fifth inning of Tuesday’s game in Chicago, Hoffman delivered a 3-2 pitch that Kyle Schwarber nearly sent onto Sheffield Avenue. The shot carried 467 feet, making it the week’s third-longest home run in MLB last week.
One inning later, Hoffman served up a first-pitch meatball to Javier Baez that flew 440 feet, the week’s eighth longest.
That made Hoffman the trigger behind 917 feet worth of home runs in the span of just four batters.
The week’s hardest hit home run? That belonged to Colorado Rockies catcher Chris Iannetta. On Sunday, Iannetta turned around an Aaron Sanchez pitch at 113.1 mph, sending it on a 476-foot flight to the farthest reaches of Coors Field.
At least Sanchez still has a job. On Friday, three days after Smeltzer served up the first of Perez’s two massive taters, the Twins sent him back to Triple-A.
For the record, the average distance of the 25 rockets making this week’s list was in excess of 443 feet.
From longest to “shortest,” here are the 25 longest bombs for the week of June 2 through 8. In the case of ties, exit velocity is the tie-breaker.
Rank Player Team Pitcher Team Date Exit velo. Dist.
1 Ketel Marte Ari. Steven Matz NYM 6-2 111.9 482
2 Chris Iannetta Col. Aaron Sanchez Tor. 6-2 113.1 476
3 Kyle Schwarber Chc Jeff Hoffman Col. 6-4 111.2 467
4 Yoan Moncada CWS Stephen Strasburg Was. 6-4 112.5 458
5 Garrett Cooper Mia. Chase Anderson Mil. 6-4 106.8 447
6 Roberto Perez Cle. Jonathan Holder NYY 6-8 105.8 447
7 Brian Anderson Mia. Jimmy Nelson Mil. 6-4 111.1 446
8 Nelson Cruz Min Blaine Hardy Det 6-8 108.3 445
9 Edwin Encarnacion Sea. Brady Rogers Hou. 6-5 111.2 442
10 Javier Baez Chc Jeff Hoffman Col. 6-4 107.3 440
11 Wil Myers SD Jake Arrieta Phi. 6-4 105.5 440
12 Roberto Perez Cle. Devin Smeltzer Min. 6-4 109.1 439
13 Christian Yelich Mil. Caleb Smith Mia. 6-6 108.1 439
14 Josh Donaldson Atl. Geoff Hartleib Pit. 6-4 104.8 439
15 Hunter Pence Tex. Brett Anderson Oak. 6-7 106.4 439
16 Franmill Reyes SD Edgar Garcia Phi. 6-2 111.1 438
17 Pablo Sandoval SF Zack Wheeler NYM 6-6 108.3 438
18 Marcus Semien Oak. Lance Lynn Tex. 6-7 104.4 438
19 Marcel Ozuna Stl. Jon Lester Chc. 6-8 109.5 437
20 Luke Voit NYY David Price Bos. 6-5 104.5 436
21 Vlad Guerrero Jr. Tor. Zack Britton NYY 6-5 109.9 434
22 Tim Federowicz Tex. Ryan Dull Oak. 6-8 103.6 434
23 Nolan Arenado Col. Justin Shafer Tor. 6-2 105.0 432
24 Jorge Soler KC Adrian Sampson Tex. 6-2 110.5 430
25 Mike Trout LAA Yusei Kikuchi Sea. 6-8 110.3 429