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What is the hardest hit ball in MLB history?

Author

Emily Sparks

Published Jan 12, 2026

Holding records.

1, 2017. While with the Marlins that day, Stanton hit a 122.2mph single off of Braves pitcher Max Fried. As for hardest-hit home runs, Stanton holds that record too. He crushed a ball 121.7mph for a solo home run with the Yankees back in 2018.

Who hits the ball hardest in MLB?

Giancarlo Stanton, September 21 vs. Texas Rangers, 118.5 mph. The first home run on our list, Stanton takes an 0-1 slider from Texas pitcher Dane Dunning over the left field wall. It doesn't take long for the ball to travel 415 feet.

What is the farthest hit baseball ever?

On June 2, 1987, Denver Zephyrs slugger Joey Meyer hit a ball into the second deck of the old Mile High Stadium. The home run was measured as having landed an improbable 582 feet from home plate. If accurate, it stands as the longest homer in professional baseball history.

What is the hardest ball to hit in baseball?

Without further ado, here are the five toughest pitches to hit in baseball, based on Fangraphs data compiled in 2020.

  1. Dinelson Lamet's slider.
  2. Adam Wainwright's curveball. ...
  3. Zach Davies' changeup. ...
  4. Dallas Keuchel's cutter. ...
  5. Marco Gonzales' fastball. ...

What is the fastest ball ever hit in baseball?

As a result, Aroldis Chapman is credited with throwing the fastest pitch in MLB history. On Sept. 24, 2010, Chapman made MLB history. Then a rookie relief pitcher for the Cincinnati Reds, the fireballer unleashed a fastball clocked at 105.1 mph by PITCH/fx.

19 related questions found

Did Nolan Ryan throw 108 mph?

1. Nolan Ryan. There have been pitchers who can throw harder than Ryan's 100.9 mph fastball. But there will never be another strikeout pitcher who played as long as Ryan did (27 seasons) for as well as he did.

What was the slowest pitch in MLB history?

Utility player Brock Holt used a few eephus pitches during a relief appearance for the Texas Rangers on August 7, 2021, one registering the slowest MLB pitch for a called strike since at least 2008 (the pitch-tracking era) at 31.1 miles per hour (50.1 km/h).

What is the rarest baseball pitch?

Definition. A screwball is a breaking ball designed to move in the opposite direction of just about every other breaking pitch. It is one of the rarest pitches thrown in baseball, mostly because of the tax it can put on a pitcher's arm.

Who has the fastest bat speed in MLB?

Giancarlo Stanton, 2019, 120.6 MPH. Giancarlo Stanton, 2018, 121.7 MPH. Gary Sanchez, 2018, 121.1 MPH.

What pitch is faster 2 seam or 4 seam?

Definition. A two-seam fastball is generally one of a pitcher's fastest pitches, although it doesn't have quite the same velocity as a four-seam fastball. A two-seam fastball is one of the most frequently thrown pitches in baseball.

Who is the greatest hitter in baseball history?

Ted Williams and the 10 Greatest Hitters That Ever Lived

  1. Ted Williams. It was Ted Williams who once said, "All I want out of life is that when I walk down the street, folks will say, 'There goes the greatest hitter that ever lived. ...
  2. Ty Cobb. ...
  3. Rogers Hornsby. ...
  4. Stan Musial. ...
  5. Tony Gwynn. ...
  6. Rod Carew. ...
  7. Shoeless Joe Jackson. ...
  8. Honus Wagner.

Who hit the longest homerun in MLB history?

In 1987, Joey Meyer, playing for the Triple-A Denver Zephyrs, launched this ball an astonishing 582 FEET! Meyer technically holds the verifiable record for the deepest home run ever hit, but a look at MLB's record books and archives points us to some Hall of Famers delivering epic moments that we never got to witness.

Who is the real home run king?

1. Barry Bonds – 762 home runs. The controversial Bonds — who is not in the Hall of Fame — sits atop the list for most home runs in a career (762) and most in a single season (73 in 2001). The seven-time MVP is also the all-time leader in walks (2,558) and led the league in on-base percentage 10 times.

What is the hardest hit home run ever?

Statcast: Stanton's 119.3-mph HR

Stanton's hardest tater in a Marlins uniform was majestic in every sense of the word. Hit up toward the glass windows at the back of Marlins Park, Stanton's shot off the Cardinals' Carlos Martinez went a projected 479 feet.

Who has the hardest swing in baseball?

Miami's home-run hero Giancarlo Stanton has the most powerful swing in baseball. There are a few things worth knowing about Giancarlo Stanton, the enormously powerful, absurdly wealthy and still single 26-year-old Miami Marlins right fielder.

Who has the sweetest swing in baseball?

Ken Griffey Jr.'s swing, 30 years after we first saw it, remains the sweetest in MLB history.

What pitches are illegal in baseball?

This seems to meet the definition of "illegal pitch" in the MLB rulebook, which reads, "An ILLEGAL PITCH is (1) a pitch delivered to the batter when the pitcher does not have his pivot foot in contact with the pitcher's plate; (2) a quick return pitch. An illegal pitch when runners are on base is a balk."

Are there any illegal pitches in baseball?

An illegal pitch may be quick pitch (i.e. a pitch made before the batter is properly set in the batter's box), a pitch made while the pitcher is not in contact with the pitching rubber, or one in which he takes an extra step while making his delivery.

What's a breaking ball in baseball?

From BR Bullpen. A breaking ball (aka breaking pitch) is a pitch in which the pitcher snaps or breaks his wrist to give the ball spin and movement. This includes the curveball, slider, and slurve, but not the various kinds of fastball and change-up or trick pitches like the knuckleball.

How long does it take a 100 mph fastball to reach the plate?

A 100-mph fastball takes roughly 375-400 milliseconds to reach the plate. For reference, the blink of an eye takes 300-400 milliseconds.

Who threw the first curveball in baseball?

Cummings is often credited with being the first pitcher to throw a curveball, reportedly in 1867 at Worcester, Massachusetts while playing for the Brooklyn Excelsiors; some sources say later with the Brooklyn Stars. It was not until the Stars acquired catcher Nat Hicks that Cummings was able to use his curveball.

Has there ever been a 27 pitch baseball game?

On May 13, 1952 while pitching for the Class-D Bristol Twins, Ron Necciai tossed a no-hitter, striking out 27 in nine innings!

How fast can Babe Ruth throw?

To gauge power, Ruth swung a 54-ounce bat 75 mph, a measure that flabbergasted researchers.

How fast did Sandy Koufax throw?

100-mph. Koufax was an American baseball legend. He possessed a 100-mph fastball and what announcer Vin Scully called a twelve-to-six curveball since it started at 12 o'clock then dropped to 6 o'clock.

How fast would Randy Johnson throw?

Randy Johnson was known for throwing a fastball that could reach over 100 mph. It's not every day you see a dove explode in front of home plate, and this was all caught on camera.