Giancarlo Stanton crushed a 504-foot home run at Coors Field
Giancarlo Stanton and Coors Field are two of baseball’s most combustible elements. When they came together on Saturday, they created an explosion so large it nearly broke the system designed to measure their power.
For the ninth time in his career, Stanton launched a home run at the home of the Colorado Rockies. Many of those before Saturday had traveled distances rarely seen in baseball’s most hitter-friendly ballpark. However, Saturday’s homer sailed beyond them all, traveling an estimated 504 according to MLB’s data tracker Statcast.
That would make it the longest home run ever hit at Coors Field. It’s also the longest home run in MLB this season, and the longest recorded since Statcast data become publicly available in 2015.
For a little perspective, the longest home run previously recorded by Statcast was a 495-footer from Kris Bryant on Sept. 6, 2015. The longest in MLB this season was a 491-foot blast by Rangers rookie Nomar Mazara. Stanton’s previous long was 484 feet at Marlins Park on April 4, 2014.
It’s not just the distance that’s impressive though. It’s the incredible force behind the swing.
Holy moly… Stanton just hit a HR projected at 504ft… Longest recorded by @statcast. 115.8 MPH, launch angle 18 degrees
— Daren Willman (@darenw) August 7, 2016
That’s not hitting just the ball on the sweet spot, it’s hitting the sweet spot with authority.
Of course, there will be some debate on the estimated distance. There always is.
Statcast is saying Stanton's shot went 504 feet. Not too sure about that. But that's what they're saying.
— clarkspencer (@clarkspencer) August 7, 2016
ESPN Stats and Info has Stanton's HR at 495 ft — a difference of 9 feet. That matches the record for the longest HR hit over past 8 seasons
— clarkspencer (@clarkspencer) August 7, 2016
Some are also noting that 1997 Mike Piazza Coors Field home run appeared to travel a lot farther than Stanton’s.
That may be true, but it would be difficult to retroactively put a distance on it. With that said, we’re not about to question the Statcast reading, nor are we going to volunteer to stand in front of a Stanton home run to get a more accurate reading.
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Mark Townsend is a writer for Big League Stew on Yahoo Sports. Have a tip? Email him at [email protected] or follow him on Twitter!
