Odds Favor Another Home Run Topping 501 Feet Hit in 2019
By Daniel Coyle in MLB Baseball
Published:
- Just two home runs measuring over 501 feet have been hit over the past three MLB seasons
- Coors Field provided the backdrop for the last two home runs hit over 500 feet
- NL parks led the way last season, with four of the 10 longest balls of 2018 getting hit at Chase Field and Wrigley Field
A home run measured at over 500 feet has been hit in two of the past three MLB seasons, and that trend is expected to continue during the upcoming campaign, with the odds of the longest dinger of 2019 measuring OVER 501 feet pegged at a short -120 on the MLB season props at BookMaker.
2019 Longest Home Run Distance Odds
| Longest Home Run Distance During 2019 MLB Season | Odds at BookMaker |
|---|---|
| Over 501 feet | -120 |
| Under 501 feet | -110 |
Coors Field Lives Up to Reputation as Hitter’s Ballpark
Colorado shortstop Trevor Story launched the longest home run of the 2018 in early September, connecting on an Andrew Suarez pitch that traveled 505 feet into the stands at Coors Field to lead the Colorado Rockies to a 5-3 victory over the visiting San Francisco Giants.
WATCH: Rockies’ Trevor Story hits 505-foot home run, the longest in Coors Field history: https://t.co/5vk7dTg62u
— Denver Post Rockies (@DPRockies) September 6, 2018
Story’s blast, the first of three in that contest, marked the first home run to travel beyond 500 feet since Giancarlo Stanton connected on a 504-foot bomb in the Miami Marlins’ 12-6 loss to the Rockies on August 6th, 2016. Coors Field also provided the backdrop for Stanton’s moon shot, further extending a trend that saw eight of the 10 longest home runs of 2018 hit at National League parks.
Longest Home Runs of 2018 MLB Season
| Date | Player | Team | Opponent | Stadium | Distance |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| September 5 | Trevor Story | Rockies | Giants | Coors Field | 505 ft. |
| April 20 | Franchy Cordero | Padres | Diamondbacks | Chase Field | 489 ft. |
| August 23 | Javier Baez | Cubs | Reds | Wrigley Field | 481 ft. |
| April 3 | Avisail Garcia | White Sox | Blue Jays | Rogers Centre | 481 ft. |
| April 3 | Marcell Ozuna | Cardinals | Brewers | Miller Park | 479 ft. |
| May 1 | Christian Walker | Diamondbacks | Dodgers | Chase Field | 479 ft. |
| August 5 | Franmil Reyes | Padres | Cubs | Wrigley Field | 477 ft. |
| May 31 | Matt Olson | A’s | Rays | Oakland Coliseum | 475 ft. |
| May 4 | Bryce Harper | Nationals | Phillies | Nationals Park | 473 ft. |
| June 5 | Carlos Gonzalez | Rockies | Reds | Great American Ball Park | 473 ft. |
Most 2018 Long Balls Hit Out of National League Parks
While it is unlikely to surprise baseball fans that Coors Field has been the site of the last two dingers hit longer than 500 feet, Chase Field and Wrigley Field are the only stadiums to appear more than once on the last year’s hit parade.
San Diego Padres outfielder Franchy Cordero finished second to Story with a 489-foot long ball at Chase Field in a 4-1 win over Arizona on April 20th, while Diamondbacks infielder Christian Walker followed up just 10 days later on a pinch-hot blast that traveled 479 feet.
All hail Franchy Cordero, San Diego's dong-smashing superhero: https://t.co/oQlCvkmW0E pic.twitter.com/NyRZkcfyzd
— Deadspin (@Deadspin) April 29, 2018
The Padres got back into the action on August 23rd, with Franmil Reyes going 477 feet in San Diego’s 10-6 win at Wrigley Field, while Javier Baez hit the season’s third-longest home run at 481 feet in a 7-1 home victory over Cincinnati on August 23rd.
Seven of last season’s 10 longest home runs were hit by June 5th.
If any player is to join the 500-foot club in 2019, it looks increasingly likely it will happen early in the season. Seven of last season’s 10 longest home runs were hit by June 5th, with five of those being recorded by May 5th.
Rockies, Cubs Strong Candidates to Lead Hit Parade in 2019
With the Rockies and Cubs both poised as strong contenders to return to the MLB Postseason again this season, balls may fly out of both Coors Field and Wrigley Field. Story, Nolan Arenado, and Charlie Blackmon combined to hit over 100 home runs last season, and lead a Rockies squad pegged as a -130 bet to win over 84.5 games this season.
Blake St. Ball: Projecting the Colorado Rockies’ best 2019 lineup #Rockies https://t.co/PLNpRjfBFZ pic.twitter.com/aPbCZWTIKO
— Rockies Report (@rockies_fanly) March 8, 2019
Following an injury-plagued campaign in 2018, the Cubs will benefit at the plate from the healthy return of slugger Kris Bryant, and are a threat to return to the top of the NL Central standings.
Still a Rare Feat, 500-foot Home Run Remains Unlikely in 2019
But even with the debate continuing over whether juiced balls are producing more long balls, and more than 5,500 home runs being hit in each of the past three MLB season (including a record 6,105 in 2017), hitting a home run that travels over 500 feet is a rare feat.
These home runs were absolute crackers💥- Are they the longest in @MLB history?
WATCH: https://t.co/QSyW8Q1WIc #MLB ⚾️
— Killer Odds (@MyKillerOdds) May 15, 2017
As a result, a -110 wager on the longest home run of the season measuring UNDER 501 feet likely provides the most value heading into the new season.
Sports Writer
Daniel has been writing about sports and sports betting for over 23 years. The seasoned pro has contributed to the likes of Sports Illustrated, Sportsnet, NESN, Bleacher Report, OddsShark, the Globe and Mail, and The Nation magazine.
