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 Rodr¨ªguez, 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 Rodr¨ªguez 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.