If you watch a Major League Baseball game today, you will most certainly see a graphic showing homerun distance. This tool is called “Statcast” data. Our fanbase today is fascinated by homerun power and velocity. Many wonder, how far can a baseball be hit?
A baseball can be hit as far as 575 feet or slightly further, but excluding strange weather conditions, a baseball can be hit approximately 550 feet.
This can only be done by the most powerful and best contact hitters.
The reason that only the best all-around hitters can hit a baseball 550 – 575 feet is that it not only takes great power, but it takes perfect contact. It requires a pitch with high enough speed to counteract the collision of the bat.
Even the Homerun Derby each year has certain bonuses for hitting both the furthest homerun and the fastest exit velocity. There’s more emphasis on power with today’s baseball players. Arguably the most strength baseball has had since the steroid era.
Launch angle, exit velocity, point of contact, and weather conditions all play a role in the distance of hitting a baseball.
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What is the farthest a baseball has ever been hit?
There are many stories of legend in Major League Baseball’s history for what is the farthest baseball ever hit.
Baseball is in an era of technology and Statcast data where we can calculate the distance of a baseball hit and exit velocity. Less than just 25 years ago, we could only estimate how far a baseball traveled.
The farthest verifiable and confirmed baseball has ever been hit is 560 feet by Babe Ruth in center field at Tiger Stadium in 1921. It’s no surprise that one of baseball’s All-Time Homerun leaders, and the legendary Home Run King, that Babe Ruth is at the top of the list.
There are many accounts of baseballs being hit further than Babe Ruth’s verified 575-foot blast. None of which have been verified or made official. Many have since been corrected due to previous exaggerated estimations and outdated technology. We now can now calculate the distance of past home runs more accurately.
Many home runs that have been part of stories of legend from past eras have since been debunked or corrected using ESPN’s Home Run Tracker or Statcast Data.
For a list and background of some of baseball’s furthest baseballs ever hit, see “The Longest Home Runs in MLB History”
How far does a baseball travel?
When it comes down to physics, the collision of a bat and baseball lasts about 1/1000 of a second. Meaning there is very little time to hit the ball perfectly. Other factors play a role in distance: physics, weather conditions, humidity, and geography.
For example, launch angle is emphasized more than ever. It’s a term that we barely heard of just 10 years ago. Today, launch angle is all you hear about with homeruns.
To hit a ball the maximum possible distance, the launch angle should be 35-45 degrees. You would also want zero head wind or wind going against the baseball. You also need a great deal of bat speed to result in high exit velocity.
To calculate how far a baseball travels, you must also include every factor such as wind, sea level, air density, humidity, and geography.
Comparing a homerun ball hit at sea level in San Francisco on a foggy windy night is not the same as a ball hit on a humid day game in Colorado. In Colorado, they play at 5200 feet above sea level. Even if bat speed, exit velocity, and point of contact are all the same, the difference in geography will result in a different distance of how far the baseball traveled.
Can a baseball be hit 600 feet?
One of the greatest legends in baseball is Mickey Mantle famously hit a 600-foot homerun at USC in 1951. Mickey Mantle is known throughout baseball as one of the great homerun hitters and longball hitters to have ever played.
It’s said that the ball went over the wall at the 344-foot distance sign and kept traveling until it landed in the middle of the football practice fields. Many assumed that it was at least 600 feet. Since then, it has been measured and reviewed many times for true distance. It now has an exact distance of 536 feet. Still an absolute epic homerun, nonetheless.
With what we know now when it comes to physics and all other factors when calculating a baseball’s distance of being hit, it’s safe to say that a baseball cannot be hit 600 feet.
With ESPN’s Home Run Tracker and Statcast Data Technology, the limit of to how far a baseball can actually travel is somewhere just above 500 feet.
Other factors, as mentioned before, can increase this maximum distance, especially wind, humidity, and thin air due to distance above sea level.
Here are the furthest Homeruns in the modern era that have been tracked by Statcast:
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- Jo Adell, 514 feet
- Nomar Mazara, 505 feet
- Giancarlo Stanton, 504 feet
- Jesus Sanches, 496 feet
- Aaron Judge, 495 feet
- Miguel Sano, 495 feet
Jo Adell’s 514-foot HR is the longest hit in both @MiLB and MLB this season. 😮
It’s also longer than any MLB homer tracked by Statcast. pic.twitter.com/TdLs5jRIrm
— MLB (@MLB) June 21, 2023
How far can the average person hit a baseball?
The average person versus the average baseball player is a huge difference when wanting to know how far someone can hit a baseball.
The average person cannot hit a baseball. And if they could, it’s very unlikely they would make solid contact or have significant bat speed.
An average baseball player can have a gauge to how far they should be able to hit a baseball. However, a lot of factors still come into play as mentioned previously.
We include certain variables when calculating distance of baseballs hit by Professional Baseball Players. But that’s from the best baseball players in the world. When discussing average baseball players, we must also include other items. What level of baseball they are playing in? What is the players age? How about their physical size and strength? What is an “average” person?
It takes significant force, hand eye coordination, and bat speed to hit a baseball. There is no true measurement of how far an average person can hit a baseball. This is due to the abundant amount of variables involved and no true definition of “average”.
How far can an average 12-year-old hit a baseball?
Let’s assume the average 12-year-old in this sample is a Little League Baseball Player. The most common distance of an outfield fence to home plate in Little League is 200 feet down the left and right field lines and 250 feet to center field.
We can assume that a 12-year-old with enough strength and ability to hit a baseball would need to hit a ball on average over 200 feet to have a shot at a home run.
But how far can the average 12-year-old hit a baseball? Some 12-year-olds are much bigger or smaller than the average 12-year-old. Overall they are close enough to get a gauge on how far someone at that age should be able to hit a baseball.
Rapsodo is the leader in sports, particularly baseball, softball, and golf, regarding velocity and distance data. They have done numerous studies calculating average distance of baseballs hit based on the player’s age.
For 12-year-olds, the average distance a baseball is hit is about 100 feet. The numbers hover in the 100-105 feet range. That means that the average 12-year-old can hit the ball beyond the infield dirt but less than a homerun.
For more information on hit baseball distance by age, see Rapsodos studies.
How far can an average high schooler hit a baseball?
As youth get older, they also get stronger. Their hand eye coordination improves, and their baseball athleticism is more in tune. With all those factors improving, so will their distance of a baseball hit.
The average high schooler is between 15 and 18 years old. Baseball fields at that age have 90 feet base paths. On average, the fence is 300 feet down the left and right field lines and anywhere between 375 and 400 feet to center field.
Rapsodo calculated the high school players’ average distance of baseball hit and found progressive results as expected. 15-year-old players hit on average about 140 feet. 16-year old’s at 150 feet. 17 year old’s at 165 feet. And 18 year old’s at 175 feet.
Again, many factors are at play here. High Schooler baseball players bodies are growing and maturing. To hit the ball further, it comes down to how hard a player is working on their strength, athleticism, and ability to make good contact.
Obviously, if a high school player can hit home runs, then they are hitting the ball 300-400 feet. On average, depending on age, a high schooler hits the ball between 140 and 175 feet.
Final Word
Having a lot of strength doesn’t mean you can hit the baseball further. To hit a ball far, you must have a combination of power, bat speed, point of contact, and launch angle.
If someone has plenty of strength but struggles to hit the ball with a solid point of contact, the ball will not travel far. On the flip side, physically small players can also hit the ball. This is due to mastering the ability of making solid contact, bat speed, and launch angle.
Calculating and comparing how far a baseball can be hit is tricky in part because of the physical traits of a person, weather factors, and geographical location.
When just looking at Major League Baseball Players, we can conclude that the maximum distance a baseball can be hit is approximately 550 feet. And the longest verified ball hit being 575 feet.
To hit the ball far, work on all the factors discussed, not just your physical strength. Bodybuilders aren’t playing baseball for a reason because it takes more than just pure strength.
If we look at the list of players with the longest home runs ever hit, most of them are also incredible contact hitters. Many with high batting averages. This is proof that hitting a baseball far also means having the ability to hit the baseball consistently.
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