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MLB: The 10 sweetest right-handed swings, RANKED

By Travis Koch

TORONTO, ON - JUNE 19: Mike Trout #27 of the Los Angeles Angels of Anaheim hits a grand slam home run in the fourth inning during MLB game action against the Toronto Blue Jays at Rogers Centre on June 19, 2019 in Toronto, Canada. (Photo by Tom Szczerbowski/Getty Images)
TORONTO, ON - JUNE 19: Mike Trout #27 of the Los Angeles Angels of Anaheim hits a grand slam home run in the fourth inning during MLB game action against the Toronto Blue Jays at Rogers Centre on June 19, 2019 in Toronto, Canada. (Photo by Tom Szczerbowski/Getty Images) /
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MLB: The 10 Sweetest Right-Handed Swings

7. Nolan Arenado

Nolan Arenado is a bit more fidgety at the plate compared to the other players I’ve mentioned. He likes to keep his hands and legs busy at setup, but he uses the busyness as a rhythm to his swing.

The four-time Silver Slugger holds his head on the ball for as long as I’ve seen with any hitter. He also extends his arms well through contact. These are characteristics you might see from a professional golf swing as well. They certainly work for Arenado.

Critics like to slight Arenado’s talent, claiming he’s a major beneficiary to hitter-friendly Coors Field. But that beautiful swings plays everywhere.

He’s collectively hitting .295 with 227 home runs and a .897 OPS seven years into his career. Five of those years have resulted in all-star bids and top-eight finishes in MVP voting. Arenado hasn’t accomplished all of that because he plays well 81 times a year at his home stadium. He’s accomplished all of that because he plays well 162 times a year – home and away.

#6 Derek Jeter

I’m not sure I’d consider Jeter’s swing graceful, but it sure was effective for 20 years. The Yankee Captain notched eight 200-hit seasons and finished his career with 3,465 hits. He more than earned the accolade as the Yankees’ all-time hits leader, having to surpass the likes of Micky Mantle, Babe Ruth, and Lou Gehrig.

Derek Jeter is famous for his inside-out swing. He kept his hands through the zone in remarkable fashion, able to guide the ball in the direction is was pitched almost exclusively. He was as good at that as probably anyone in MLB history. It’s rare to come across a player that can hit a baseball anywhere between the left-field chalk and right field chalk.

Furthermore, Jeter’s swing is iconic. I’m not even a Yankees fan, yet I can recall at least three Jeter hits like they happened yesterday: His opposite-field home run against the Orioles in the 1996 ALDS; his 3,000th career hit off David Price that reached the Yankee Stadium bleachers; and his vintage line-drive single to right to walk-off the final home game of his career. He recorded 200 base-knocks over 16 postseason appearances for crying out loud!

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