These are the fastest pitches hit for a home run in the pitch-tracking era

Throwing a triple-digit heater is impressive. How about hitting one over the fence?

In the pitch-tracking era -- which began in 2008 -- there have been 85 pitches thrown 100-plus mph that have been hit for home runs (playoffs included). That includes 22 home runs against pitches thrown 101-plus mph and eight against 102-plus mph heaters.

Here are the fastest pitches hit for a home run in the pitch-tracking era.

1. Ian Happ, Cubs: 103.2 mph vs. Mason Miller on Sept. 17, 2024

Happ hit a rare home run off the flamethrowing Miller at Wrigley Field, going the opposite way to cut the Cubs' two-run deficit in half in the ninth inning. The Chicago outfielder went yard on a 103.2 mph four-seam fastball from the electric A's closer, the fastest pitch hit for a homer in the pitch tracking era. Happ became one of seven players to homer against multiple pitches tracked at 100.0 mph or faster, having gone deep on a 100.7 mph fastball from the Cardinals' Ryan Helsley on May 26, 2024.

2. Josh Bell, D-backs: 102.9 mph vs. Aroldis Chapman on Aug. 2, 2024

After homering from the left side of the plate earlier in the game, Bell bashed another homer as a righty against Chapman. Coming in at 102.9 mph, Bell crushed Chapman’s offering 370 feet the other way (100.0 mph exit velocity), giving Bell the second-fastest pitch hit for a home run in the pitch-tracking era. Bell did so in his first game as a D-back after spending the beginning of the season with the Marlins.

3. Rafael Devers, Red Sox: 102.8 mph vs. Aroldis Chapman on Aug. 13, 2017

What would you expect from a 20-year-old rookie facing a flame-throwing left-hander who regularly hits well above 100 mph with his fastball? In a high-leverage situation in the ninth inning, no less? Certainly not what Rafael Devers did in that situation -- with the Red Sox trailing, 2-1, in the top of the ninth at Yankee Stadium, Devers drilled a 102.8 mph fastball from Chapman in a 1-2 count for a game-tying home run. When the ball went over the wall in left-center field, Devers became the youngest player to homer off Chapman and just the second lefty to take Chapman deep.

4. Kurt Suzuki, Twins: 102.6 mph vs. Aroldis Chapman on June 18, 2016

Suzuki carved out a 16-year career as a catcher and crushed 143 home runs. Perhaps no long ball was more impressive than this 102.6 mph fastball from Chapman that Suzuki blasted over the left-field wall. What makes Suzuki’s home run even more impressive is it was his only career home run against a pitch 100-plus mph and he also did so as a pinch-hitter. Suzuki had three home runs against 98-plus mph fastballs in his career (99.9 mph and 98.1 mph).

5-T. Julio Rodríguez, Mariners: 102.5 mph vs. Mason Miller on June 5, 2024

This was a sheer battle of power against power, with one of baseball’s top players going up against a lights-out closer. Miller -- owner of one of baseball’s most electric fastballs -- delivered a 102.5 mph heater that Rodríguez had no issue crushing over the center-field wall. Making this home run even more incredible is Miller located this fastball at the top of the zone, a location that has produced plenty of whiffs on his consistent triple-digit heater.

5-T. Chas McCormick, Astros: 102.5 mph vs. Ben Joyce on June 3, 2023

Joyce put himself on the baseball scene when he hit 105.5 mph as a flamethrowing closer for Tennessee in 2022. After being drafted by the Angels that summer, Joyce was in the Majors a year later and immediately began pumping 100-plus mph fastballs, including this one to McCormick in his third career game. McCormick took a middle-middle 102.5 mph fastball the other way for a 381-foot home run at Minute Maid Park.

7. Jeimer Candelario, Tigers: 102.1 mph vs. Jordan Hicks on Sept. 7, 2018

Candelario’s homer off Hicks in this game was not only impressive because of the velocity of the pitch, but because the two-run shot won the game for the Tigers against the Cardinals. With the game tied, 3-3, in the bottom of the ninth inning at Comerica Park, Candelario smashed the first pitch he saw from Hicks, a 102.1 mph fastball, and deposited it over the left-field wall for an opposite-field walk-off homer.

8. Tyler O’Neill, Cardinals: 102.0 mph vs. Jhoan Duran on Aug. 1, 2023

Duran has thrown hundreds of 102-plus mph fastballs in his time as a dominant reliever for the Twins. Only O’Neill can say he’s had the luxury of taking one of those pitches deep. As with many other pitches on this list, O’Neill took Duran’s fastball the other way for a 374-foot home run.