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Everybody loves the long ball. The most exciting play in baseball is the home run, and hitting the baseball over the fence just so happens to be arguably the most important skill set in modern MLB.
The best power hitters currently in the league are squaring off in the 2025 Home Run Derby, a contest that, this year, will feature fan favorites and an exciting wave of the next generation of superstars.
Byron Buxton, Junior Caminero, Jazz Chisholm Jr, Oneil Cruz, Matt Olson, Cal Raleigh, Brent Rooker, and James Wood will be showing off their power prowess with hits that go well past the outfield walls.
Many great home run hitters have come before, though, and while all home runs count the same, the further a deep ball is, the more impressive and eye-opening it is. So what are the longest home runs in MLB history and in the Home Run Derby?
Longest home runs in MLB history: Statcast era (2015-present)
Statcast, which is an automated tool that tracks player and ball movement, was implemented by all teams in 2015. Baseball data has become a lot more reliable since Statcast was implemented, so each of the following home run distances are much more precise than tracking was before Statcast.
1: Nomar Mazara, Texas Rangers, 2019 – 505 feet
Nomar Mazara isn't as big of a superstar as most of the other hitters on this list. He lasted just seven years in the majors, playing for four different teams during that span.
He was good for around 20 home runs in each of his four seasons with the Texas Rangers, though. One such home run in his last season with the Rangers is the longest officially recorded home run ever at 505 feet.
2 (tied): C.J. Cron, Colorado Rockies, 2022 – 504 feet
2 (tied): Giancarlo Stanton, Miami Marlins, 2016 – 504 feet
In addition to Mazara, C.J. Cron and Giancarlo Stanton are the only Statcast era players with homers longer than 500 feet. Cron was a good power-hitting first baseman, but he may have gotten a little bit of a boost from hitting his home run at Coors Field. The Rockies' ballpark is the most hitter-friendly stadium in baseball due to the higher altitude at which Denver is located.
Stanton is one of the best power hitters in recent memory, but 2016 wasn't actually his best year despite the fact that he hit a 504-footer. Stanton would go on to belt 59 homers and win the MVP the season after he hit his longest home run ever.
4: Christian Yelich, Milwaukee Brewers, 2022 – 499 feet
5 (tied): Jesus Sanchez, Miami Marlins, 2022 – 496 feet
5 (tied): Miguel Sano, Minnesota Twins, 2019 – 496 feet
5 (tied): Aaron Judge, New York Yankees, 2017 – 496 feet
Longest home runs in MLB history: Pre-Statcast era
Before Statcast, measuring home runs was more of a guessing game. The furthest long ball ever, in particular, is highly questionable to some.
1: Babe Ruth, New York Yankees, 1921 – 575 feet
Babe Ruth is viewed by many as the greatest MLB player of all time. His career statistics are quite impressive. He had a career batting average of .342, with 2,873 career hits, including 714 home runs, which ranks third all time. Clearly, he knew how to hit the long ball, and Ruth was certainly ahead of his time.
Even so, players are a lot bigger, faster, and stronger now than they were 100 years ago, so it is fair to question if Ruth's record 575-foot home run is reality or a legend. Two years prior, while still playing for the Boston Red Sox, Ruth reportedly hit a 587-foot home run in a preseason game.
2: Mickey Mantle, New York Yankees, 1953 – 565 feet
Mickey Mantle's 565-foot home run was smashed out of the entire Griffith Stadium in Washington, D.C. The New York Yankees have had baseball's best power hitters throughout their existence. Mantle was certainly one of the best ever, and his longest deep ball led to the creation of the term “tape-measure” home runs.
3: Reggie Jackson, Oakland Athletics, 1971 – 539 feet
4 (tied): Adam Dunn, Cincinnati Reds, 2004 – 535 feet
4 (tied): Willie Stargell, Pittsburgh Pirates, 1978 – 535 feet
6: Dave Kingman, New York Mets, 1976 – 530 feet
7: Darryl Strawberry, New York Mets, 1988 – 525 feet
The 6-foot-6 Darryl Strawberry had a long, looping swing. When he made contact, the ball soared through the air, evidenced by his 525-foot long ball in 1988 with the New York Mets.
8: Jim Thome, Cleveland Indians, 1999 – 511 feet
9: Mo Vaughn, New York Mets, 2002 – 505 feet
10 (tied): Joe Borchard, Chicago White Sox, 2004 – 504 feet
10 (tied): Adam Dunn, Arizona Diamondbacks, 2008 – 504 feet
The only player who appears twice inside of the list of the longest pre-Statcast era home runs ever is Adam Dunn. He was a pure power hitter who had little desire to hit for contact. His batting average was regularly in the low .200s, and he even batted .204 in a season where he made the All-Star Game.
Dunn was respected because he could smash shots over the fence anytime that he made contact. In addition to his 535-foot home run with the Cincinnati Reds in 2004, Dunn hammered a 504-footer in 2008 when he played for the Arizona Diamondbacks.
Longest home runs in Home Run Derby history: Statcast era
The Home Run Derby is a time for power hitters to swing away without having to worry about what pitches are coming and at what locations. The format has changed frequently since MLB created it in 1985. All of the furthest long balls throughout the history of the event have come since MLB did away with outs and instead utilized a time limit.
1: Juan Soto, 2021, Coors Field – 520 feet
As mentioned above, Coors Field is a hitter's dream, and the 2021 Home Run Derby proved that the ball flies farther a mile above sea level. Each of the four farthest homers ever in the Derby occurred in 2021 when the Rockies hosted All-Star Week at Coors Field in Denver. Juan Soto's longest hit was better than any of his peers, as he hit a 520-foot home run.
Trevor Story, Shohei Ohtani, and Pete Alonso are also atop this list from their 2021 performances. Story played for the Rockies at the time, and Alonso won the event. Alonso also has 207 total Home Run Derby homers, which is by far the most in the history of the event and makes him arguably the greatest contestant ever.
2: Trevor Story, 2021, Coors Field – 518 feet
3: Pete Alonso, 2021, Coors Field – 514 feet
4 (tied): Shohei Ohtani, 2021, Coors Field – 513 feet
4 (tied): Aaron Judge, 2017, Marlins Park – 513 feet
The only non-Coors Field Home Run Derby performance inside of the top five belongs to Aaron Judge. The Yankees star broke onto the scene in his first full season as he blasted 52 regular-season homers. He also hit four Home Run Derby homers greater than 500 feet that year at Marlins Park.
6: Aaron Judge, 2017, Marlins Park – 507 feet
7: Aaron Judge, 2017, Marlins Park – 504 feet
8: Aaron Judge, 2017, Marlins Park – 501 feet
9: Giancarlo Stanton, 2016, Petco Park – 497 feet
