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)
Left-handed hitters often prevail in the “sweet swing” category, but there are some beauties from the right batter’s box, too. Let’s rank the top 10 right-handed cuts in MLB.
Why is it that left-handed hitters get all the love? I agree, left-handed home run king Ken Griffey Jr. sets the bar for the sweetest MLB swing ever, but there are plenty of right-handed cuts that fall close behind. Let’s shine a light on those – for once.
When I think of a pretty swing, effortlessness and balance come first to mind. I also think about approach and plate coverage. Such qualities inspired my list of the 10 sweetest right-handed swings in MLB; eight of them are still in action, while the other two have recently retired.
Let the countdown begin.
10. Nelson Cruz
Smooth but violent, Nelson Cruz‘s swing can club the ball 400+ feet in any direction. He eats fastballs and will send a hanging breaking ball into orbit.
Cruz is without question a top three home run hitter in Major League Baseball. We’re talking at least 40 homers in four of his last six seasons, and 379 bombs over 10 seasons. He’s averaged 38 home runs a season since 2009. Incredible.
He starts with an open stance and relies on a traditional short stride. What stands out to me is he gets his front foot down earlier than most hitters. The thing is, Cruz is so strong that he can afford to lose a little momentum in his motion resulting from an earlier stride. He lets his hands and hips do the work, and that’s led him to 401 career home runs.
He’ll turn 40 years old in July; I don’t expect his power to regress one bit.
MLB: The 10 Sweetest Right-Handed Swings
9. Mike Trout
Have you seen a more compact swing in your life? It’s seriously like Mike Trout is waving a lightsaber at the plate. He may have the quickest hands in baseball, and those hands generate tremendous bat speed. His leg kick is calm and under control; he has no wasted movements. You wouldn’t think a short, compact cut like his could produce so many home runs of such great distances, but it does. He possesses a very quiet swing that makes a ton of noise.
Like so many great hitters, Trout prides himself in a right-center approach from the batter’s box. He keeps his hands inside as well as anyone and can sting the ball anywhere from right-center to down the left-field line.
His ability to evolve and adjust has made him the greatest hitter in MLB. The three-time MVP used to expand the strike zone, chasing breaking balls in the dirt and high fastballs. Though, according to Fangraphs, Trout’s chase percentage declined from 30.6% in 2011 to 20.5% in 2019. Now, a pitcher’s lucky to see him swing outside the zone once a game.
8. Ryan Braun
It seems like Ryan Braun has had the same swing his entire career. That would make sense, as he’s been one of the most consistent hitters in the game for 13 seasons.
His hacks have a lot in common with Trout. He has a similar leg kick, swing path, and gap-to-gap approach. He also thrusts his entire weight forward as his bat goes through the zone, just like Trout does. Braun’s swing is longer; he starts with his hands higher and has a more extreme load. Though, when you’re compared to Mike Trout in any way these days, you’re doing something right.
Braun has a pretty two-hand follow-through, which has become somewhat rare among MLB hitters. He covers the zone as well as any batter, and swings as under control as any batter. His career .298 batting average and 344 home runs speak for themselves.
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!
MLB: The 10 Sweetest Right-Handed Swings
5. J.D. Martinez
J.D. Martinez‘s swing may be the best one going in today’s game. But it took a while to find. His first three big league seasons amounted to 24 home runs, a .251 batting average, and a .687 OPS. He was a jumpy hitter with poor balance and an uncomfortable double-tap as a stride.
That all changed when he went from Houston to Detroit, where he broke out to the tune of 23 homers, a .315 batting average, and a .912 OPS. Martinez’s mechanics suddenly clicked. He began to let the ball get deep before driving it out of the zone, plus he quieted his hands and his stride.
Today, he’s making right-center field of Fenway Park seem tiny. Rather than getting lured by the Green Monster, Martinez sustains a right-center approach that has led to 79 home runs in two years with the Red Sox.
Since leaving Houston in 2013, the Grade-A slugger has hit .307 with 207 home runs and posted a .954 OPS. He is one of the few challenging Nelson Cruz as the top power hitter in MLB.
4. Evan Longoria
He might be past his prime, but I’d still watch Evan Longoria swing a baseball bat any day of the week. He’s always been so smooth and effortless in the batter’s box, from his stand-up stance to his long, lean-back follow through. Everything about his swing is quiet, except for the part where he explodes through the hitting zone.
Longoria was among MLB’s most feared players during his time with Tampa Bay Rays. He won Rookie of the Year in 2008 and earned MVP votes in each of his first four seasons. He’s the Rays’ franchise leader in home runs, doubles, RBI, and total bases.
The man could hit, and he looked good doing it.
Of all the right-handed hitters in the history of the game, Longoria, along with the player that will soon top my countdown, were my favorite to imitate with a bat in my hands.
MLB: The 10 Sweetest Right-Handed Swings
3. Miguel Cabrera
An obvious pick for the list, Miguel Cabrera has floored us all with his swing for 17 years. His flawless cut has connected for 477 home runs and 1,694 RBI. He’s a 13-time all-star, 2-time MVP, 7-time Silver Slugger, and one of 12 players in MLB history to hit for the Triple Crown (the only since Carl Yastrzemski in 1967).
Cabrera’s swing likens a brand new car: Every part is in place and operating to perfection. His balance at the plate is pristine. He has a big load and a big leg kick, yet he’s always on time at contact.
He’s spent nearly his whole career hitting in one of the biggest parks in MLB, but it hasn’t slowed him one bit. He’ll crush a ball to left, center, or right, and he prefers hitting homers on a line rather than an extreme angle. Everything about Cabrera’s swing and plate approach is perfect.
2. Albert Pujols
Of course, “The Machine” makes the list of sweetest right-handed swings. The pure strength, torque, and speed displayed in his cuts go practically unmatched.
Albert Pujols is one of a kind, that’s why his swing is so difficult to emulate. His stance looks tight and uncomfortable; amazingly, he appears so fluid from load all the to follow through. His crouch helps with balance, and every aspect of his swing is level.
The Pujols swing has produced 656 home runs and driven in 2,075 runs. He’s a lifetime .300 hitter, even after five consecutive seasons of sub-.270 batting averages.
Three MVPs, four-time MVP runner-up, six Silver Sluggers, Rookie of the Year… Pujols is the greatest hitter of the century. You could easily argue that he’s on Mount Rushmore of the greatest hitters in MLB history.
MLB: The 10 Sweetest Right-Handed Swings
1. Alex Rodriguez
Alex Rodriguez delivered the easiest power I’ve ever seen from the right side. There appeared to be no stress to his swing. It didn’t even look like he swung hard, but the ball never lied.
He’d pop moonshots to dead-center and line shots to left and right. He put the ball in play, took his walks, and hit for high averages. For 15 years, A-Rod was the toughest out in baseball.
He had such swagger at the plate. I loved the controlled wiggle of his bat at set-up, along with his left toe tap, and slight knee bend. He always looked very relaxed as he was getting ready to hit.
Then he’d explode through the hitting zone. He had the modest leg kick and got such great extension on basically every hack. Rodriguez seemed to open his front hip earlier than a lot of hitters, but that never affected his balance or plate coverage.
His timing was impeccable; it was incredibly rare that he’d look silly in the batter’s box.
A-Rod finished his 22-season career with .295 batting average, 696 home runs, 2,086 RBI, and a 117.5 WAR. He was a three-time MVP, 10-time Silver Slugger, and 14-time all-star.
Next. The call stands for Armando Galarraga. dark
Controversy and hypocrisy will long surround his name, and steroids will tarnish his production. I will not defend his actions or character, but I will say that his swing was a thing of beauty, steroids or not.
