Although there are many different swings in the sport of baseball they all seek one common goal, to hit homeruns. However, hitting homeruns is not near as easy as it may appear. For most players it takes an almost perfect hit, with the pitch being thrown with the right spin to benefit their particular swing. Many players throughout the history of baseball have mastered the art of a homerun, which led the MLB to in 1985 establish the Home Run Derby.
Image via Bleacher Report
The Science of Homeruns:
All players work daily on technique in the batters box. They need to know how to hit every type of pitch that is thrown at them. It is proved that a curveball is actually more commonly hit for homeruns than any other pitch. This is caused by beneficial topspin that pitches such as fastballs and knuckleballs have. Also against the common knowledge of many, faster pitches are easier to hit far. This is dependent on the skill of the hitter but a 100 MPH pitch has much more kinetic energy being transferred than and 80 MPH changeup. Many scientists believe the perfect launch angle to be somewhere between 25 and 30 degrees, the rest depends upon the batter in the box. A more powerful swing leaves room for a higher launch, while those not as strong must acclimate by playing on the bottom of the ideal range.
Image via ESPN
However, the batter may hit a perfect ball and it may not leave. This is because of external factors. Elevation plays a huge roll in distance because the air is thinner at higher altitude. That is why the 2021 Home Run Derby was entertaining and why the longest field goal in football was made at Mile High Stadium, because Denver is a hub for long shots in all sports. Warmer temperatures also help, as hotter temperatures have thinner air causing balls of all sports to travel farther than usual. The most important external factor is wind. This is important because a strong headwind will cause long balls to balloon in the air and turn into routine flyballs. Meanwhile, a tailwind can carry ball far longer than they may seem. An infield pop-fly will become one handled by the outfielders and warning track shots turn into bombs into the second deck.
Image via ESPN
Players To Watch:
Three players highlight this list and all three are recognizable for different reasons.
The first player is Juan Soto. This year's Home Run Derby champion is one of the most sought after players in the MLB right now. As of July 29, 2022, he is set to become an unrestricted free agent after turning down a megadeal from his own team, the Washington Nationals. The 23-year old has the majority of his career ahead of him and his superstar abilities has him set to make over $30,000,000 per season. The deal he turned down from the Nationals was 15-years and worth $440,000,000, an annual salary of about $29,300,000. The young star has big hitting abilities and will have a successful career.
Image via Los Angeles Times
The next player is Julio Rodriguez. The player with unmatched potential was the runner-up at the 2022 Home Run Derby. In the end, he fell just short but shocked the crowd and will seek to take the crown next year in his team's town of Seattle. Rodriguez plays centerfielder for the Mariners and is currently at the ripe young age of twenty-one. Although he on playing on the highest rookie wage ever, Rodriguez comes as a bargain for the Mariners. His crazy superstar potential is yet to be completely revealed, but he has shown enough to earn more than his minimal $700,000 salary.
Image via AP News
The final player on this list was the most missed this year at the Home Run Derby. Aaron Judge is the strongest of three big hitters on the Yankees, the others being Giancarlo Stanton and Anthony Rizzo. Judge is the strongest and most athletic on this list and it shows on his season stats. Just after the All-Star break, he has hit 39 homers, which is on pace to break the single season record of 73 set by Barry Bonds. Judge, however, plays on a shorter field at home. The commentators and sports analysts have noticed this. During a recent away game one even said, "high flyball to right... a homerun in Yankee Stadium, but not here." Nevertheless, it is an impressive feat and Judge has proved his dominance at the plate.
Image via New York Times
Throughout the evolution of baseball, one thing has remained constant, the striving towards perfection of hitting homeruns. The hitters have trained through the sciences of how to do it better while the pitchers work to change that everyday. In the end, homeruns are some of the most interesting plays in baseball and the sport would be nothing without them.
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