When it comes to baseball, there aren’t many moments more exciting than a home run that leaves no doubt. The 450-footers that leave no doubt can both electrify and silence a crowd of any size.
When it comes to distance, they have been some insanely long bombs throughout the MLB’s history but we haven’t seen a 500-foot home run since C.J. Cron hit a 504-footer for the Colorado Rockies in 2022.
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Let’s take a look at three active sluggers that could be the next to reach that coveted distance.
Kyle Schwarber, Philadelphia Phillies
This one should be a no-brainer. At first in the MLB this season with 20 homers and counting, Schwarber has established himself as one of the best hitters in baseball.
He’s currently in the top five percent in both average and max exit velocity. Most importantly, he has the third-longest homer this season at 460 feet, giving him all the tools to be a major candidate for the next 500 blast.
Munetaka Murakami, Chicago White Sox
When it comes to the best of the best, Munetaka Murakami is right up there with Schwarber. He’s been near the top of the home run race all season and currently sits at second place with 17 and counting.
The White Sox rookie has been tearing it up at the plate, and not with some near-miss homers that barely scratch 400 feet. He’s in the top one percent in exit velocity with a season-long homer of 450 feet. To put it simply, he’s in the 90th percentile or better in virtually every metric related to hard hitting and has a real chance at cracking 500 feet this season.
Oneil Cruz, Pittsburgh Pirates
After an ugly 2025 campaign that saw him finish near the bottom in many hitting metrics, Oneil Cruz has come alive in a big way for the Pirates this season. He’s already racked up 10 home runs while boasting the second-best adjusted exit velocity in all of baseball.
Crus has been putting on a display of power at the plate this season and could blast a 500-footer this season if he keeps it up.
In 2025, Athletics first baseman Nick Kurtz had the MLB-high with a 493-foot bomb, so the feat is definitely in the realm of possibility this season. It just may boil down to who can do it first.
James Parker is a sports writer for Ball Exclusives, follow him on X @TheJames_Parker
