Milwaukee Brewers Year in Review: Longest Home Runs

Despite an offense that could legitimately be called historically bad, the 2020 Milwaukee Brewers still hit their fair share of home runs.

Brewers batters hit 75 homers in the shortened season, ranking 16th in the majors. Two players — Christian Yelich and Keston Hiura — hit double digits.

But it’s not always the total number of home runs that catch the eye and stick in our memory, but how far they fly. So as part of our year in review, here’s a look back at the Brewers’ biggest and most memorable blasts in 2020.

1. Christian Yelich

Date: August 29th
Distance: 460 feet
Pitcher: JT Brubaker
Exit Velocity: 112 mph
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Andy Haines is hitting coach for life because of this home run. Just ask Brad.

Yes, yes he is.

Haines spent hours working with Yelich before this game, trying to figure out whatever had been ailing his swing throughout the season. Whatever they talked about pregame appeared to work — at least for this at-bat. It was both the longest home run and the hardest-hit home run of the year for the Brewers, clearing the second deck in right field.

2. Keston Hiura

Date: September 2nd
Distance 438 feet
Pitcher: Spencer Turnbull
Exit Velocity: 109.6 mph
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The Brewers spent a good amount of time hitting around Tigers pitching in 2020, and this blast helped the Brewers close the gap on an early 4-0 deficit as Hiura hit this one over the head of the camera guy in centerfield.

3. Daniel Vogelbach

Date: September 20th
Distance: 429 feet
Pitcher: Brad Keller
Exit Velocity: 106.9 mph
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Big Dan actually had a longer home run than this in 2020 when he was still with the Mariners — a 441-foot moonshot against old friend Jordan Lyles — but this ranks as his longest home run as a Brewer. Like Hiura, Vogelbach also put this one into the centerfield camera area.

4. Avisail Garcia

Date: August 11th
Distance: 427 feet
Pitcher: Tyler Clippard
Exit Velocity: 106.8 mph
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Avi Garcia may not have hit for as much power as the Brewers hoped, but he got a hold of one for his first homer of the year. He led off a game against the Twins with this frozen rope off of Clippard, who was pitching as an Opener for Minnesota and hung a breaking pitch at the top of the zone.

5. Ryan Braun

Date: September 12th
Distance: 426 feet
Pitcher: Kyle Hendricks
Exit Velocity: 106 mph
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It’s fitting that Braun cracks the top 5 in what might end up being his last season in Milwaukee. And also fitting, this was an opposite field shot on an offspeed pitch. Even in his old age, he managed to torment the Cubs this year. This was his 4th home run of the season, putting him halfway to his eventual season total.

Honorable Mention

Christian Yelich

Date: July 25th
Distance: 425 feet
Pitcher: Brad Wieck
Exit Velocity: 109.6
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A few Brewers hit the 425-foot mark this year, but we’ll add this one from Yelich to the list since it was his first of the year — and it would be his only hit on the season for the team’s first 6 games, as he went 1-for-27 to start the year. This was also tied for the longest home run the Brewers hit on the road this year.

Christian Yelich

Date: August 9th
Distance: 410 feet
Pitcher: Joel Kuhnel
Exit Velocity: 110.6 mph
Watch it Here

I’m a sucker for the thud of balls hit off the Miller Park scoreboard, and this was the second-hardest hit Brewers home run of the year.

Ben Gamel

Date: August 21st
Distance: 425 feet
Pitcher: Chad Kuhl
Exit Velocity: 106.2
Watch it Here

One of the players to also hit the 425-foot mark, anytime you hit the ball into the river in Pittsbugh (even on a bounce), it’s memorable.

Data courtesy of Statcast/Baseball Savant