The Bomb Squad: The Longest Home Runs in MLB During Week-16
By Bill Felber
Yordan Alvarez and Pete Alonso produce the week’s two longest home runs, both traveling more than 470 feet. Here are the longest HRs in MLB during week-16.
Fifty years ago, America put a man on the moon. This week, the best of MLB tried to hit some baseballs there.
In the first post-All Star week, hitters lathered up. The average distance of the weeks 25 longest was a mind-blowing 450.4 feet. Two players went beyond 470 feet.
Nobody celebrated the anniversary of Apollo 11 with moon shots quite like the Mets’ Pete Alonso. On Wednesday, he hammered a Matt Magill pitch 474 feet, officially landing only at No. 2 on the week’s list because its 110.9 mph exit velocity didn’t quite match the 112.2 mph exit velocity of Yordan Alvarez’s 474-footer off Mike Minor Friday.
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Then on Saturday afternoon, almost concurrent with the 50th anniversary of the moment when Apollo 11 landed on the moon, Alonso launched a 444-footer off Derek Holland in San Francisco. He didn’t reach the Sea of Tranquility – or McCovey Cove, for that matter. But the ball did land about 10 rows deep in dead center field. It was not, however, the week’s hardest-hit home run among the top 25. That distinction goes to Minnesota’s Miguel Sano, whose 443-footer Saturday off Oakland’s Brett Anderson left the bat at 113.8 mph.
Toronto’s Teoscar Hernandez also made the weekly list twice. Hernandez hit a 441-footer off new Boston starter Andrew Cashner on Tuesday, then one night later nailed a 442-footer off Eduardo Rodriguez.
Pity the poor Giants, whose pitchers gave up four of the 25 shots. In addition to Alonso’s blast off Holland, they included Ramiel Tapia’s 440-footer off Jeff Samardzija on Monday, Ian Desmond’s 467-footer off Will Smith Tuesday, and Trevor Story’s 458-footer Wednesday.
The list is based on the 25 longest home runs hit during the week as measured by Statcast. Ties are broken by exit velocity.
Here’s the full list of the 25 longest home runs in MLB during week-16 of the season.
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Date Batter, team Pitcher, team Distance
1 July 19 Yordan Alvarez, Hou Mike Minor, Tex 474
2 July 17 Pete Alonso, NYM Matt Magill, Min 474
3 July 20 Fernando Tatis Jr., SD Jose Quintana, Chc 468
4 July 16 Ian Desmond, Col Will Smith, SF 467
5 July 20 Avisail Garcia, TB Lucas Giolito, CWS 459
6 July 19 Christian Yelich, Mil Matt Andriese, Ari 459
7 July 16 Bryce Harper, Was Walker Buehler, LA 458
8 July 17 Trevor Story, Col Andrew Suarez, SF 458
9 July 17 Kevin Cron, Ari Adrian Sampson, Tex 453
10 July 15 Jeimer Candelario, Det Adam Plutko, Cle 449
11 July 19 Josh Naylor, SD Pedro Strop, Chc 448
12 July 16 Hunter Dozier, KC Josh Osich, CWS 447
13 July 19 Victor Robles, Was Luke Jackson, Atl 446
14 July 20 Pete Alonso, NYM Derek Holland, SF 444
15 July 20 Miguel Sano, Min Brett Anderson, Oak 443
16 July 16 Juan Soto, Was Asher Wojciechowski, Bal443
17 July 15 Brandon Crawford, SF Jesus Tinoco, Col 443
18 July 17 Teoscar Hernandez, Tor Eduardo Rodriguez, Bos 442
19 July 17 Stephen Vogt, SF Jon Gray, Col 442
20 July 20 Vlad Guerrero Jr., Tor Gregory Soto, Det 441
21 July 19 Daniel Vogelbach, Sea Jaime Barria, LAA 441
22 July 16 Teoscar Hernandez, Tor Andrew Cashner, Bos 441
23 July 16 Brian Anderson, Mia Logan Allen, SD 440
24 July 16 Max Muncy, LA Vince Velasquez, Phi 440
25 July 15 Raimel Tapia, Col Jeff Samardzija, SF 440