Longest Home Run Ever- What Are The Longest Home Runs In MLB History?
8 minutes
Last Updated: May 24, 2024
Pinpointing the longest home run ever is hard. While the legend of Babe Ruth lives on, there’s not a lot of proof matching modern standards of precision. The truth is, this is not as easy as concluding the highest scoring MLB games.
So how do we find out who really knocked it out of the park the furthest? Well, there are a few criteria to go by. According to many reports, the longest home run ever didn’t even happen in the major leagues.
But it’s easy to hand out the title to someone who sent it into orbit playing in the smallest MLB field. What do the numbers and computers say? Let’s find out!
Longest Home Run Ever
According to most sources online, the legendary Babe Ruth is still the owner of the longest home run ever. On April 4, 1919, in a spring training game against the New York Giants, Babe Ruth hit pitcher George Smith’s 3-1 fastball 587 feet from Plant Field’s home plate.
When the ball landed, the legend of Babe Ruth was born. For years, historians and sports analysts have debated over the validity of this claim. While most of the newspapers at the time put the distance between 550-560 feet, Boston Globe’s Mel Webb did the dirty work and measured the distance himself.
From the home plate to where the ball landed, he measured 179 strides or 551 feet as an average of 3 attempts. 29 years later, historians Bill Jenkinson, Tim Reid and their crew, would go on to publish their findings in the New York Times.
They measured 552 feet and 8 inches, using centuries-old periodicals to locate the exact site of Plant Field where the ball landed. While the University of Tampa’s football stadium sits there today, their estimates are as good as it gets.
The Plant Field plaque that still stands today to commemorate Babe Ruth’s home run exaggerates the actual account by more than 30 feet. But then again, a 552-footer is still a rocket launcher.
Ruth’s legend persists solely because if there was ever a person capable of doing it, it would be him. That same year, the 24-year-old Ruth went on to break baseball’s single-season record for home runs with 29.
He hit 54 homers the next season and 59 the year after that, but he never pitched full-time in the big leagues after 2019. There was no such thing as a hard pitch to hit for Babe Ruth.
Longest Home Run in MLB History Statcast
According to Statcast, Jo Addel’s 2023 home run against the Sugar Land Space Cowboys is the longest home run in MLB history. We know how imprecise measurements prior to the Statcast era can be, but this is as real as it gets.
The big asterisk here is that this shot was made in the MiLB, not the MLB. While it’s one tier below the highest level of competition, all of these teams and players are within the MLB structure.
If we’re looking strictly at the longest home runs in official MLB games during the Statcast era, Nomar Mazara’s 505-foot rocket in 2019 takes the top spot. In a game against the Chicago White Sox, the Texas Rangers right fielder set the record for the longest home run of 2019.
01. Jo Addel, Los Angeles Angels, 514 feet (157 meters), 2023
Adell was one of the top prospects for the 2017 Major League Baseball (MLB) draft, which was why he was selected by the Los Angeles Angels with the tenth pick. On August 4, 2020, the Angels promoted Adell to the major leagues and he’s been with them ever since.
02. Nomar Mazara, Texas Rangers, 505 feet (153.9 meters), 2019
Nomar Mazara is a Dominican-American professional baseball outfielder. He made his MLB debut in 2016 after 5 years in the minor leagues. He played for the Texas Rangers, Chicago White Sox, Detroit Tigers, and San Diego Padres before moving to the Sultanes de Monterrey of the Mexican League in 2022.
03. C.J. Cron, Colorado Rockies, 504 feet (153.6 meters), 2022
Christopher John Cron Jr. is an American professional baseball first baseman and designated hitter in the Boston Red Sox organization. Cron played in the minor leagues from 2008 to 2014, when he made his MLB debut with the Los Angeles Angels.
04. Giancarlo Stanton, Miami Marlins, 504 feet (153.6 meters), 2016
Giancarlo Cruz-Michael Stanton made his MLB debut in 2010 as a member of the then-Florida Marlins, with whom he played until the end of the 2017 season. Stanton has led the National League (NL) in home runs twice and is one of the biggest MLB players.
The current designated hitter and outfielder for the New York Yankees of Major League Baseball (MLB) bats and throws right-handed.
05. Christian Yelich, Milwaukee Brewers, 499 feet (152.1 meters), 2022
The Marlins selected Yelich in the first round of the 2010 MLB draft. He made his MLB debut for the Marlins in 2013 and was traded to the Brewers in the 2017-18 offseason. As of 2024, he’s still with them, playing as a left fielder.
06. Jesús Sánchez, Miami Marlins, 496 feet (151.2 meters), 2022
Jesús Enrique Sánchez, born October 7, 1997, is a Dominican professional baseball outfielder for the Miami Marlins in the MLB. Sánchez signed with the Tampa Bay Rays as an international free agent in 2014 and made his MLB debut in 2020 with the Marlins.
07. Miguel Sanó, Minnesota Twins, 496 feet (151.2 meters), 2019
Minnesota Twins legend Miguel Ángel Jean Sanó holds one of the longest MLB home runs. He currently plays for the Los Angeles Angels organization in the minor league. Sanó made his MLB debut on July 2, 2015, and was an All-Star in 2017. He played his entire major and minor league career for the Twins, playing third base, first base, and outfield.
08. Aaron Judge, New York Yankees, 496 feet (151.2 meters), 2017
New York Yankees outfielder Aaron Judge is one of the hardest hitters in the MLB. In 2022, he set the AL record for most home runs in a season with 62, breaking the 61-year-old record held by Roger Maris, and winning the AL Most Valuable Player Award. He’s also a 5 time All-Star and was Rookie of the Year, among many other accolades.
09. Ryan McMahon, Colorado Rockies, 495 feet (150.8 meters), 2022
Ryan Patrick McMahon is an American professional baseball infielder for the Colorado Rockies who made his MLB debut in 2017 and has been with them ever since.
10. Miguel Sanó, Minnesota Twins, 495 feet (150.8 meters), 2021
Sanó makes another appearance on this list, this time with a home run in 2021. Minnesota natives have become accustomed to his vicious swings that regularly send balls to the stands and beyond.
Top 10 Longest Home Runs of All Time
01. Babe Ruth, New York Yankees, 575 feet (175.3 meters), 1921
George Herman “Babe” Ruth affectionately known as “the Bambino” and “the Sultan of Swat” was born on February 6, 1895. He played in the MLB for 22 seasons, from 1914 through 1935. Starting his career as a star left-handed pitcher for the Boston Red Sox, Ruth achieved his greatest fame as a slugging outfielder for the New York Yankees. Ruth is regarded as one of the greatest sports heroes in American culture and is considered by many to be the greatest baseball player of all time. In 1936, Ruth was elected into the Baseball Hall of Fame as one of its “first five” inaugural members.
02. Mickey Mantle, New York Yankees, 565 feet (172.2 meters), 1953
Mickey Charles Mantle, nicknamed “the Commerce Comet”, was an American professional baseball player who played his entire MLB career (1951–1968) with the New York Yankees, primarily as a center fielder. Mantle is regarded by many as being one of the best players and sluggers of all time. He won the AL MVP award three times and was inducted into the Baseball Hall of Fame in 1974.
03. Reggie Jackson, Oakland Athletics, 539 feet (164.3 meters), 1971
Reginald Martinez Jackson was a 14-time All-Star, won 5 World Series championships, won 2 Series MVPs, and won the AL MVP award in 1973. This legendary right fielder played 21 seasons for the Kansas City / Oakland Athletics, Baltimore Orioles, New York Yankees, and California Angels before being inducted into the National Baseball Hall of Fame in 1993.
04. Mark McGwire, Oakland Athletics, 538 Feet (163.9 meters), 1996
Mark David McGwire, nicknamed “Big Mac”, played 16 seasons in the MLB. He played as a first baseman from 1986 to 2001 for the Oakland Athletics and the St. Louis Cardinals. He won two World Series championships, one with Oakland as a player in 1989 and one with St. Louis as a coach in 2011. McGwire was one of the most prolific home run hitters in baseball history, hitting 583 home runs during his career and making 12 All-Star appearances.
05. Adam Dunn, Cincinnati Reds, 535 feet (163.1 meters), 2004
Two time MLB All-Star, Adam Troy Dunn, played left fielder and first baseman for the Cincinnati Reds, Arizona Diamondbacks, Washington Nationals, Chicago White Sox, and Oakland Athletics.
06. Willie Stargell, Pittsburgh Pirates, 535 feet (163.1 meters), 1978
Pittsburgh Pirates legend, Wilver Dornell Stargell, spent all of his 21 seasons in the MLB with the team. Nicknamed “Pops” later on in his career, he played left fielder and first baseman, and was known as one of the most feared power hitters in baseball history.
07. Dave Kingman, New York Mets, 530 feet (161.5 meters), 1976
David Arthur Kingman, nicknamed “King Kong”, was an American former MLB left fielder, first baseman, third baseman, and designated hitter who made three MLB All-Star appearances.
As a power hitter, Kingman led the National League in home runs twice and was known for his long home runs. That focus on power meant that he posted a low batting average and on-base percentage. His 1,816 strikeouts was the fourth-highest total in MLB history at the time of his retirement.
08. Darryl Strawberry, New York Mets, 525 feet (160.0 meters), 1988
Darryl Eugene Strawberry was one of the most feared sluggers in the sport, known for his powerful home runs. He played as a right fielder for 17 seasons, winning RoY, making 8 All-Stars, and winning 3 World Series.
09. Jo Addel, Los Angeles Angels, 514 feet (157 meters), 2023
Adell was one of the top prospects for the 2017 Major League Baseball (MLB) draft, which was why he was selected by the Los Angeles Angels with the tenth pick. On August 4, 2020, the Angels promoted Adell to the major leagues and he’s been with them ever since.
10. Jim Thome, Cleveland Indians, 511 feet (155.8 meters), 1999
James Howard Thome was a professional baseball corner infielder and designated hitter, who played for 22 seasons (1991–2012) in the MLB. He made 5 All-Star teams playing for six different teams throughout his career, most notably the Cleveland Indians. A prolific power hitter, Thome hit 612 home runs during his career—the eighth-most all time.
