The Bomb Squad: The Longest Home Runs in MLB During Week-22
By Bill Felber
Kansas City Royals outfielder Alex Gordon didn’t hit any of the week’s longest home runs in MLB, but he did throw one. Matt Chapman hit a Gordon pitch 447 feet Monday night.
Kansas City Royals outfielder Alex Gordon has 185 career home runs, so it’s no surprise that his name is on the list of the week’s 25 longest bombs in MLB.
Unfortunately for Gordon, he made the list as a pitcher, not as a hitter.
Monday night, in the seventh inning of Kansas City’s 19-4 pounding at the hands of the Oakland Athletics, Gordon was summoned from the safety of left field in order to ease the load on a Royals staff that had already surrendered 15 runs and 15 hits. On the way to recording four outs, Gordon allowed three more runs including a 447-blast off the bat of Matt Chapman.
More from Call to the Pen
- Philadelphia Phillies, ready for a stretch run, bomb St. Louis Cardinals
- Philadelphia Phillies: The 4 players on the franchise’s Mount Rushmore
- Boston Red Sox fans should be upset over Mookie Betts’ comment
- Analyzing the Boston Red Sox trade for Dave Henderson and Spike Owen
- 2023 MLB postseason likely to have a strange look without Yankees, Red Sox, Cardinals
Chapman’s was the tenth longest home run struck during the week, and Gordon became the first position player this season to throw one of the week’s longest bombs.
Boston’s Jackie Bradley Jr. hit the week’s longest home run. It came Tuesday night in Colorado and traveled 478 feet at an exit velocity of 112.1 mph.
The Rockies dominated this week’s list, and mostly for the wrong reasons. Five Rockies pitchers threw homers that counted among the 25 longest, with Rico Garcia accounting for two of them. Garcia threw Bradley’s blast and also threw a 435-footer to Xander Bogaerts that same night.
One night later Wes Parsons delivered a 437-footer to Rafael Devers. On Thursday night, Pittsburgh’s Jose Osuna took Rockies pitcher Yency Almonte for 440 feet worth of home run, then on Saturday Parsons threw a pitch that Pittsburgh’s Josh Bell sent on a 452-foot ride.
Rockies batters tried to balance the scales. On Monday, Sam Hilliard hit the week’s fourth longest, a 455-footer, off Boston’s Josh Smith. On Friday, Ian Desmond produced a 454-footer against Pittsburgh’s Francisco Liriano. That same night, Trevor Story hit a 447-foot bomb off Pittsburgh’s Dario Agazal.
That means nearly one-third of the week’s 25 longest home runs in MLB involved the Rockies, either on the pitching or hitting side.
Beyond Garcia and Parsons, Detroit’s Nick Ramirez also threw more than one home run on the list. Against Cleveland on Tuesday, he threw a 436-foot bomb to Franmil Reyes and a 435-footer to Roberto Perez.
Arizona’s Christian Walker was the only player to hit two. He produced a 438-footer off Milwaukee’s Zach Davies on Sunday, and the following Saturday hit a 442-footer off Clayton Kershaw.
Next. Red Sox continue to scrounge for rotation depth. dark
The average distance of the weeks 25 longest home run in MLB was 445.6 feet. Here’s the full list.
Batter, team Pitcher, team Distance
1 Jackie Bradley Jr., Bos Rico Garcia, Col 478
2 George Springer, Hou Trent Thornton, Tor 463
3 Aaron Judge, NYY Yusel Kikuchi, Sea 462
4 Sam Hilliard, Col Josh Smith, Bos 455
5 Ian Desmond, Col Francisco Liriano, Pit 454
6 Josh Bell, Pit Wes Parsons, Col 452
7 Nelson Cruz, Min Buck Farmer, Det 450
8 Derek Fisher, Tor Chris Devenski, Hou 447
9 Trevor Story, Col Dario Agazal, Pit 447
10 Matt Chapman, Oak Alex Gordon, KC 447
11 Avisail Garcia, TB Tyler Clippard, Cle 446
12 Jonathan Villar, Bal Jalen Beeks, TB 443
13 Mitch Garver, Min Jace Fry, CWS 443
14 Mike Trout, LAA Rafael Montero, Tex 442
15 Christian Walker, Ari Clayton Kershaw, LA 442
16 Jose Osuna, Pit Yency Almonte. Col 440
17 Christian Walker, Ari Zach Davies, Mil 438
18 Gleyber Torres, NYY Tommy Milone, Sea 438
19 Jorge Soler, KC Nick Wittgren, Cle 437
20 Rafael Devers, Bos Wes Parsons, Col 437
21 Gary Sanchez, NYY Homer Bailey, Oak 436
22 Franmil Reyes, Cle Nick Ramirez, Det 436
23 Philip Ervin, Cin Kyle Keller, Min 436
24 Roberto Perez, Cle Nick Ramirez, Det 435
25 Xander Bogaerts, Bos Rico Garcia, Col 435