The Best Home Run Swings in Major League Baseball

Let's forget about the steroids and admire the swing for a second.

The short, compact cut of Tony Gwynn, the smooth sweep of John Olerud, and David Justice's 9-iron shot are three swings I miss terribly.

Butch Huskey (pictured to the left, to the left) had a back-breaking power hack I loved to watch growing up. Even Mark McGwire's effortless (keep it to yourself) slash remains vivid in my memory.

Though these liaisons of the lumber won't be seen on "Touch 'Em All" any time soon, here are some of my favorite home run swings in the game today.

I was going to create the obligatory "Honorable Mention" slide, but as I got about eight names into it, I realized it would go on for way too long for fear of leaving a pretty swing out.

Apologies to Big Papi, Travis Hafner, and the like.

No. 10: Carlos Lee

El Caballo is at No. 10 on my list because Lance Berkman (from the left side) is most likely at No. 11. It might be the other way around if Berkman wasn't on the Mendoza line here in the middle of May.

I'd love to have either one of them in the middle of my lineup, so the Astros should feel blessed to have both sluggers in there.

Lee has a fairly compact swing compared to the other right-handers on this list, but he certainly gets his money worth with each cut.

He has been consistent with his home run production in his 10 seasons, averaging 31 jacks per 162 games, and never straying by more than seven homers in either direction.

No. 9: Jim Thome

Get out the measuring tape.

Thome either gets a hold of the ball or he doesn't with a long, accentuated swing where he rears back and gives it all he's got.

545 career home runs and 2218 (and counting) career strikeouts will attest to that.

Thome's big years came in Cleveland, where he played with the likes of Manny Ramirez, Juan Gonzalez, and Albert Belle. I'm not insinuating anything.

Thome is atop Cleveland's list of long ball providers with 334.

No. 8: Gary Sheffield

It starts with the waggle and evolves into an explosion of power. It's not as aesthetically pleasing as most, but it's equally, if not more, effective.

Suffice to say, not many players in the game today have a faster swing than Sheff.

Never in my life have I gone from hating someone with such a passion to loving them semi-unconditionally until the Mets signed Sheffield.

Such a low risk, high reward situation really helped me enjoy his 500th home run. I used to detest his laser beams into the stands when he was in the Bronx, but now I fully welcome the notion.

That's the beauty of the hired gun.

No. 7: Alfonso Soriano

I love this swing.

Soriano strikes out a lot, but the kid loves to swing—regardless of pitch location.

A long, fluid motion, Soriano is getting better at controlling the bat when he fully extends his arms.

When healthy, he's a 40/40 threat, already having joined the club in 2006 with Washington. Soriano previously missed the milestone by one homer in 2002 with the Yankees, only his second full season in the bigs.

No. 6: Manny Ramirez

If this were a list of home run trots, Manny would be No. 1 without a shadow of a doubt. Since it's about the connection, he'll have to settle for No. 6.

Manny has been getting some bad press these days (remember his Cleveland roots?), but let's try to focus on the good for a little while—he's broken the Yankees' hearts 55 times, just by being Manny.

He's also a .315 hitter, seventh in the Majors among active players.

Come on, look at that mug. You can't stay mad at him, can you?

No. 5: Vladimir Guerrero

This picture speaks volumes.

If Alfonso Soriano were Venus Williams, Vladdy would be Serena. I know that analogy is really, really backwards. Don't worry about it, it's fine.

Coming from the school of "swing at everything," Vlad has perfected the art.

For every 36 homers he hits, Guerrero averages just 75 strikeouts, and even more ridiculous, 62 walks. Still, he's a career .322 hitter with a .389 on-base percentage.

He has hit over .300 since you were knee-high to a grasshopper.

Give me one good reason not to love Vladdy.

No. 4: Ryan Howard

Even as a Mets fan, I can appreciate this swing.

Howard starts in a slight crouch, standing up straight and extending fully, generating massive power as the pitch comes to the plate.

What I love most about Howard is his willingness and ability to take the ball to left field with authority. There isn't a lefty in the game with as much opposite field power as the Phillies' first baseman.

He's on pace to strike out about 14 million times in his career. Correct me if I'm wrong...but it's worth it.

No. 3: Albert Pujols

Nobody in the game generates more power via the legs than Prince Albert.

In history, only Jeff Bagwell had a more effective push-off.

Speaking of the Astros, remember the 2005 NLCS? Game 5? Down three runs? Brad Lidge on the mound?

That ball could have gone 500 feet.

Even though he's no Ted Williams, Hank Aaron, or Lou Gehrig, Pujols is a menace at the plate. He hasn't struck out 70 times in a season since his rookie campaign, and averages 42 homers and a .335 average.

Player of the decade? You bet.

No. 2: Carlos Delgado

When Delgado gets a hold of the ball, he gets a hold of it. The 400-plus foot jacks to right-center never get old.

Delgado has an aura about him, Tino Martinez-esque, which creates monumental problems for pitchers when he's on fire. You can't pitch to him unless it's up and in or nowhere near the strike zone.

Though his better days have passed, he's still got the bat speed of a man in his 20s. Anything on the lower-inside half of the plate is as good as gone, and most other strikes are in jeopardy, too.

The long uppercut is a beautiful swing to behold, and his monumental blasts will always be among my favorites.

No. 1: Who else?

Griffey, Griffey, Griffey.

If you don't love the kid, at least love the swing. But seriously, how can you not love the kid?

Any of the swings previously mentioned, past or present, pale in comparison to the legendary cut of Junior.

Even if he's grounding out to second, it's still the most beautiful swing in the game.

Griffey is 613 homers deep into his career, and who knows where he would be if he didn't spend so many seasons on the disabled list.

He's never in trouble, plays the game the right way, and he's pretty much the only active home run hitter whose rookie card is still worth something.

Griffey.