Taking a look at last week’s home run stats, it’s clear there’s a slew of red-hot sluggers that approached the plate with a scoreboard-adding hit in mind. Continue reading to see which players produced the most dingers and launched the highest homers from the past week.
Where There’s Smoak, There’s Home Runs
Toronto Blue Jays first baseman Justin Smoak is finally undergoing his breakout season after achieving his first multi-homer game since last season and preventing the Jays from suffering a three-game sweep. Smoak’s home run campaign comes as a pleasant surprise to the thriving “Blue Birds,” and positions him as a viable All-Star candidate.
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Scooter Gennett of the Cincinnati Reds made history on June 6 by hitting four home runs against the St. Louis Cardinals, becoming the 17th player to tie the Major League record for most home runs in a single game. Sharing his teammate’s glory in the batter’s box, Joey Votto emerged from a hitting rut to clobber a whopping four high-fliers into the crowd during last week’s contests.
New York Yankees catcher Gary Sanchez produced two homers during the team’s June 8 meeting against their longtime rivals, the Boston Red Sox – driving in five runs and propelling the “Pinstripes” to a 9-1 victory at Yankee Stadium.
Coming In Clutch
If one thing is for certain, it is this: The fourth inning is a hub for home runs. Batters in the fourth inning were responsible for producing 41 of this week’s long balls.
While the number of homers cranked out during a regular nine-inning match is jaw-dropping, sometimes it’s the delayed dingers that create unforgettable moments and improbable comeback victories.
One of the home runs hit in the 11th inning was a Baltimore Orioles walk-off by Trey Mancini, his second of the night that sent the Pittsburgh Pirates “walking the plank.” Additionally, Robinson Chirinos came in clutch for the Texas Rangers on June 10 after belting a three-run home run into the bleachers against the Washington Nationals – claiming a 6-3 victory for the Texas-based club.
Just Your Average Long Ball
If you managed to keep up with every Major League home run last week, then we applaud you. If not, here’s everything you need to know about last week’s average long ball.
Players entered the batter’s box in a silver slugger state of mind. After compiling all home runs smacked by heavy hitters last week, we discovered the average homer had a launch angle of 28 degrees and exit velocity of 104 miles per hour, traveling an average true distance of 401 feet.
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Yankees rising rookie Aaron Judge capped the week off by hitting a season-high 496-foot long bomb off of Baltimore Orioles’ Logan Verrett in the sixth inning at Yankee Stadium. Miami Marlins power hitter Giancarlo Stanton trailed Judge’s impressive feat by launching a 465-foot tape-measure shot against the Pirates on June 9th, clearing the batter’s eye but ultimately flopping back onto the field.
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If you’re a home run hothead, be sure to check out Fanatics.com for the latest MLB fan gear in the game – from jerseys and hats to collectibles and memorabilia, no matter which team you’re cheering on.
