For some, Cleveland’s Progressive Field might not immediately come to mind during a discussion of hitter-friendly big league stadiums, but data suggests that the ballpark favors hitters. In the seven seasons from 2015 to 2021, the Cleveland ballpark had a park factor of more than 100 on five occasions; anything over 100 indicates a hitters’ park.
In this list, we’re counting down the 10 longest home runs at Progressive Field through the 2021 season. It’s important to note that these home runs are only from 2015 onward, when MLB’s Statcast began to officially track the distance of each MLB home run. This list includes an unlikely candidate who makes two appearances, a memorable first career MLB home run and one of the most popular Cleveland players in recent years. (All videos below courtesy of MLB.)
Here’s a look at the 10 longest home runs at Progressive Field in Cleveland.
10. Alex Gordon — 455 feet
Kansas City’s Alex Gordon gets our list started with a 455-foot blast against Trevor Bauer during an early-season matchup on April 28, 2015. Gordon drove a 2-0 changeup onto the concourse behind Progressive Field’s right field seats — a spot that baseballs rarely reach, even during batting practice. The home run had an exit velocity of 109.3 mph and was his third of a 19-home run season.
9. Francisco Lindor — 456 feet
With two outs in the bottom of the seventh inning and a man on base, Cleveland’s Francisco Lindor turned around a changeup from Houston’s Chris Devenski and drove the ball 456 feet into the center field bullpen area. The April 27 home run was Lindor’s sixth of the 2017 season and had an exit velocity of 107.5 mph.
8. Bobby Bradley — 457 feet
Cleveland 1B/DH Bobby Bradley’s first career MLB home run came in grand style. On July 13, 2019, in his 13th career big league game, Bradley hit a Tyler Duffey fastball 457 feet deep into the right field seats. The homer had an exit velocity of 113.5 mph and was Bradley’s lone big league bomb of the season.
6 (t). José Abreu — 458 feet
Lots of home runs at Progressive Field enter the left field bleachers, but it takes a powerful shot to land in the bleachers’ upper half. That’s exactly where a long ball from José Abreu landed on April 20, 2021. The ChiSox slugger crushed a Zach Plesac fastball 458 feet with an exit velocity of 115.6 mph (highest on this list), with the baseball landing about 3/4 of the way up the bleachers.
6 (t). Adalberto Mondesi — 458 feet
Seven months before he served up Abreu’s 458-foot shot, Cleveland’s Plesac was on the mound for another home run of the same length. This time, Kansas City’s Adalberto Mondesi muscled a Plesac fastball into the right field seats at Progressive Field in the seventh inning of a contest on September 7, 2020. The home run, which had an exit velocity of 109 mph, was Mondesi’s first in a pandemic-shortened MLB season and was hit with no fans in the stadium.
5. Mike Napoli — 460 feet
Facing a 3-2 count against Yankees starter Chad Green, Cleveland’s Mike Napoli teed off on a 95.5-mph fastball and launched a home run to the top of the bleachers in left center field. The 460-foot shot on July 8, 2016, was Napoli’s 18th dinger of the season during a year in which he hit a career-high 34 long balls. The baseball left Napoli’s bat with an exit velocity of 106.6 mph.
4. Avisaíl García — 464 feet
Sliders that hang in the middle of the strike zone don’t generally end well for pitchers, and that’s what happened with a Bryan Shaw pitch against Avisaíl García on a September 12, 2021 game. The Milwaukee slugger punished the pitch 464 feet with an exit velocity of 113.2 mph for his 27th home run of the season.
3. Bradley Zimmer — 465 feet
Former first-round pick Bradley Zimmer has struggled to hit for average so far during his short career, but he’s had a few notable long balls. Facing Jordan Lyles in the bottom of the first on August 26, 2021, Zimmer timed up an elevated fastball and drilled it 465 feet into the seats at the back of the second deck. The ball had an exit velocity of 113.9 mph and was Zimmer’s sixth big fly of the campaign.
2. Jeimer Candelario — 467 feet
Detroit infielder Jeimer Candelario teed off on a fastball from Cleveland’s Adam Plutko during the sixth inning of a July 15, 2019 contest, driving the ball 467 feet to straightaway center. The home run had an exit velocity of 107.9 mph and nearly soared over the visitors bullpen — something that you seldom see at Progressive Field.
1. Bradley Zimmer — 471 feet
It’s impressive when one player has two list appearances, especially when he’s not exactly a prolific home run hitter. On August 9, 2021, a couple of weeks before hitting the home run that ranks third on this list, Cleveland’s Bradley Zimmer swung himself into the top position. On the first pitch of his at-bat in the bottom of the seventh inning, Zimmer pummeled cut fastball from Cincinnati’s Justin Wilson 471 feet with an exit velocity of 111.6 mph — the longest home run at Progressive Field in the Statcast era.
The 10 Longest Home Runs at Progressive Field are:
1. Bradley Zimmer — 471 feet
2. Jeimer Candelario — 467 feet
3. Bradley Zimmer — 465 feet
4. Avisaíl García — 464 feet
5. Mike Napoli — 460 feet
6. Adalberto Mondesi — 458 feet
7. José Abreu — 458 feet
8. Bobby Bradley — 457 feet
9. Francisco Lindor — 456 feet
10. Alex Gordon — 455 feet