Jesús Sánchez talks about hitting the longest MLB home run of 2022

DENVER — Of all of the players on all of the teams to hit the longest MLB home run of 2022, you might not have expected Jesús Sánchez of the Miami Marlins to be standing on top of the leaderboard. However, after sending a pitch where no other left-hander has hit one at Coors Field in Denver, Sánchez not only took his place as the MLB home run distance leader in 2022, but also among the longest of the long balls ever hit in downtown Denver.

Jesús Sánchez of the Miami Marlins discusses hitting the longest MLB home run of 2022

In the top of the second, Sánchez turned on a 2-2 pitch from Rockies starting pitcher Ryan Feltner and hit a 496-foot moonshot that went over the third deck of seats at Coors Field. It was not only the longest home run of the 2022 MLB season so far, but also the second-longest home run hit in the history of Coors Field.

Watch the titanic home run from Sánchez below and note where it lands.

Need a better perspective on just how far that ball flew? Check out the picture below from MLB.com’s Manny Randhawa.

“I hit it right there, in the sweet spot,” Sánchez said through an interpreter after the game. “It felt great, just incredible.”

Sánchez then went on to say that he was working most on maintaining his timing of hitting fastballs. It’s been an important point of emphasis for the 24-year-old outfielder as he has struggled at the plate in recent games. Including the massive home run on Monday, Sánchez is slashing .158/.238/.368 over his last seven games, and the solo homer is his only RBI during that stretch.

The irony, however, is that it wasn’t a fastball that Sánchez sent flying 496 feet. It was actually a slider, a point that brought a big smile to his face in the visitor’s clubhouse after the game.

“I was looking fastball but then I saw the slider and was able to get the sweet spot on it,” Sánchez said.

So was that the longest home run Sánchez has ever hit?

“No,” he said with a grin, recalling the 508-foot home run he hit for the Jacksonville Jumbo Shrimp, Miami’s Triple-A affiliate, last year.

“Hopefully I can hit more of those. I feel strong and believe I can do that,” Sánchez said. “But I have to put the ball in play and get on base.”