Exit velocity masters: MLB's 12 hardest-hit balls of 2022's first half

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As the unofficial second half of the 2022 MLB season approaches and the All-Star Game is now in the rearview mirror, it’s a good time to look back at the first 92 games or so of the season and see which players had the highest exit velocity during their at-bats.

For this article, we will use Statcast numbers, which are based on the official MLB definition of exit velocity as, “Exit Velocity measures the speed of the baseball as it comes off the bat, immediately after a batter makes contact.”

Which MLB players posted exit velocity numbers that made the top 10 during the first half of the 2022 season?

Number 10

We will start our list at number 10 with a three-way tie between Avisaíl Garcia of the Miami Marlins, Matt Olson of the Atlanta Braves, and Giancarlo Stanton of the New York Yankees. The trio of players each registered an exit velocity of 116.8 mph to form the deadlock.

Let’s start with Garcia and his 116.8-mph single against the Braves on April 23.

Speaking of the Braves, take a look at this 116.8-mph double off the bat of Olson on April 27 against the Chicago Cubs.

Finally, there’s Stanton, a name you will see plenty of throughout the list. The Cubs were also a victim of his on June 12 when he roped this 116.8-mph RBI double to right-center.

SEATTLE, WASHINGTON – MAY 29: Yordan Alvarez #44 of the Houston Astros reacts after his single that scored Aledmys Diaz in the eighth inning against the Seattle Mariners at T-Mobile Park on May 29, 2022 in Seattle, Washington. (Photo by Steph Chambers/Getty Images) /

Number 9

Coming in at number 9 on our list is Yordan Alvarez of the Houston Astros, who smashed a 117.4-mph single against the Chicago White Sox on June 17. While we could not find a video of the hard-hit single, take a moment to savor the majesty of this home run off the bat of Alvarez during the same contest.

Number 8

Speaking of home runs, the next hard-hit ball on our list is a deep shot off the bat of Jorge Soler of the Miami Marlins. This homer came on April 29 against the Seattle Mariners and was not only hit hard, but also had quite the launch angle on it as well, carrying it an estimated 468 feet.

Number 7 (tie)

A pair of players from the American League East have registered a hit of 117.9 mph this season, with Franchy Cordero of the Boston Red Sox and Vladimir Guerrero Jr. of the Toronto Blue Jays each reaching that exit velocity this season.

We’ll kick off the tie with Cordero, who roped a single to right against the Detroit Tigers on June 20.

Guerrero Jr. entered the All-Star break with 20 home runs. That number includes this 117.9 mph home run against the Texas Rangers on April 10, which was his first round-tripper of the year.

May 16, 2022; Arlington, Texas, USA; Los Angeles Angels designated hitter Shohei Ohtani (17) hits a two-run double during the first inning against the Texas Rangers at Globe Life Field. Mandatory Credit: Kevin Jairaj-USA TODAY Sports /

Number 5

The top five MLB exit velocity numbers for the first half of the 2022 season belong to just two players — Shohei Ohtani of the Los Angeles Angels and Giancarlo Stanton of the New York Yankees.

We’ll kick off the top five at number five with Ohtani’s home run against the Seattle Mariners on June 25, which traveled 462 feet and left the bat at 118.0 mph.

Number 4

Stanton makes his second appearance on our list so far (and one of his four overall appearances on the list) with this single on May 10 against the Toronto Blue Jays with a single that recorded an exit velocity of 118.3 mph.

Number 3

The third-highest exit velocity of the season so far is also the only one our list that did not result in a hit. Stanton’s out against the Tampa Bay Rays on June 16 left the bat at 118.8 mph. It’s interesting because the exit velocity is so high while Stanton did not pull the ball.

Number 2

We’ve now crossed over into balls that came off the bat at more than 119 mph, and our first entrant into that list comes from Ohtani, who logged a hard-hit ground rule double against the Houston Astros on April 10. It was his first double of the season.

Number 1

The hardest-hit ball of the 2022 season so far comes off the bat of Stanton, who launched a home run against the Chicago Cubs on June 11 that left the bat at 119.8 mph.

As a note, the pitch that Stanton hit that hard came off the hand of Cubs pitcher Matt Swarmer at 81.4 mph, showing just how much bat speed Stanton generated with this home run.

Notice also the look on Swarmer’s face as he watches this pitch leave Yankee Stadium.

Next. The exit velocity kings of the 2021 season. dark

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