The Bomb Squad: The Longest Home Runs in MLB During Week-17
By Bill Felber
Twins slugger’s three-homer night includes the week’s longest plus another among the top 25 in MLB. Yankee pitchers surrender five longer than 430 feet.
There wasn’t any doubt who won the battle of the three-homer games. It was Nelson Cruz. Four MLB players hit three home runs in a single game this past week. Robinson Cano did it for the Mets on Tuesday, Paul DeJong for St. Louis Wednesday, Cruz for Minnesota Thursday and Mookie Betts for Boston Friday.
But Cruz alone among those four belted one far enough to make the list of the week’s 25 longest. Cruz placed two of his on the list, including the week’s longest, a 473-footer. His shortest, at 430 feet, missed the top 25 by the length of a gimme putt.
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All of Cruz’s came against Chicago White Sox starter Lucas Giolito, making Giolito one of two pitchers to deliver two of the top 25 bombs. Cruz’s 433-footer ranked 19th.
The other pitcher to throw two was Masahiro Tanaka, who surrendered a 451-footer to Xander Bogaerts and a 437-footer to Rafael Devers.
Those were two of five long home runs thrown by Yankee pitchers, four of them to Boston Red Sox hitters. James Paxton and C.C. Sabathia both threw 430-foot-plus home runs to J.D. Martinez. Minnesota’s Miguel Sano touched Zack Britton for a 457-footer on Tuesday.
Cincinnati’s Eugenio Suarez joined Cruz and Martinez in authoring two of the week’s 25 longest.
The average distance of the 25 longest was 443.2 feet.
Here’s the full list of the 25 longest home runs in MLB during week-17 of the season.
dark. Next. It's time the Yankees take this strategy to a new level
Date Batter, team Pitcher, team Distance
1 July 25 Nelson Cruz, Sea Lucas Giolito, CWS 473
2 July 24 Josh VanMeter, Cin Jhoulys Chacin, Mil 463
3 July 23 Nomar Mazara, Tex Tommy Milone, Sea 458
4 July 23 Miguel Sano, Min Zack Britton, NYY 457
5 July 22 Robel Garcia, Chc Shaun Anderson, SF 454
6 July 23 Mike Trout, LAA Kenta Maeda, LA 454
7 July 25 Xander Bogaerts, Bos Masahiro Tanaka, NYY 451
8 July 21 Alex Avila, Ari Brandon Woodruff, Mil 448
9 July 27 Ronald Acuna Jr., Atl Zach Eflin, Phi 447
10 July 25 John Hicks, Det Wade LeBlanc, Sea 447
11 July 27 Shohei Ohtani, LAA Aaron Brooks, Bal 441
12 July 21 Aaron Hicks, NYY Scott Oberg, Col 439
13 July 21 Lourdes Gurriel Jr., Tor Shane Greene, Det 438
14 July 24 Paul Goldschmidt, Stl Jordan Lyles, Pit 437
15 July 25 Rafael Devers, Bos Masahiro Tanaka, NYY 437
16 July 22 Justin Smoak, Tor Mike Clevinger, Cle 435
17 July 24 Nick Williams, Phi Jordan Zimmerman, Det 435
18 July 24 Trey Mancini, Bal Taylor Clarke, Ari 435
19 July 23 Lucas Duda, KC Anthony Swarzak, Atl 435
20 July 23 Roman Quinn, Phi Matthew Boyd, Det 434
21 July 25 Nelson Cruz, Min Lucas Giolito, CWS 433
22 July 26 J D Martinez, Bos James Paxton, NYY 433
23 July 22 Eugenio Suarez, Cin Jeremy Jeffress. Mil 433
24 July 27 J D Martinez, Bos C C Sabathia, NYY 432
25 July 27 Eugenio Suarez, Cin Chi Chi Gonzalez, Col 432