MLB: The 20 Most Violent Swings in Baseball History

When I say violent sports, what comes to mind?

Football and hockey for sure.

Soccer, lacrosse, MMA and even pro wrestling aren't too far behind.

Way down at the bottom of the list we'd find baseball.

But everything about baseball is inherently violent. From the movement of a pitcher's arm to the impact when a ball and bat meet—there's nothing tame about America's pastime.

Over the course of history, thousands of players have stepped to the plate to swing the bat, some with more effort than others.

Let's take a look at 20 players (in no particular order) who swung the bat with a tenacity that, whether it was based on the power they generated or the fact that you feared that they may have injured themselves trying to hit the ball, had some of the most violent swings of all time.

*I've only selected players whom video clips of their swings were available for so that we can see the force they swung the bats with.*

Prince Fielder

A big man known for big hits, Prince Fielder crushes the ball when he makes contact.

When he swings and misses, however, the violent nature of his swing becomes more evident as you fear for his safety—and the safety of the catcher and umpire behind him—as the bat swings behind him and reaches his back.

Jeff Francoeur

He's settled down since his days with the New York Mets, but Jeff Francoeur used to look like he was going to seriously injure himself with his backswing anytime he swung a bat.

Maybe it was a case of pressing too hard, maybe it was a case of trying to literally hit the cover off of the ball, but whatever the case, watching Frenchy at the plate was always an adventure.

Alberto Gonzalez

You wouldn't expect to find a utility infielder with a .242 average and three home runs for his career to have a violent swing, but as you can see, Alberto Gonzalez packs a big punch in his wiry frame.

Babe Ruth

The greatest player who ever played the game, Babe Ruth also had one of the most violent swings the game has ever seen.

As the Sultan of Swat explains, it wasn't by accident:

"

"How to hit home runs: I swing as hard as I can, and I try to swing right through the ball...The harder you grip the bat, the more you can swing it through the ball, and the farther the ball will go. I swing big, with everything I've got. I hit big or I miss big. I like to live as big as I can."

"

Grantland Rice, the legendary sportswriter who came to fame in the early 1900's, says that Ruth's appeal wasn't only his home run hitting prowess: "To watch Ruth go down swinging, often sprawling from the violence of his cut, was almost as exciting as seeing him blast one out of the park."

Gary Sheffield

Whether it's the incessant waggle of the bat before the pitch arrives or the sheer force of his swing once his arms are in motion, there's no mistaking when Gary Sheffield stepped to the plate.

The amazing thing about Sheffield is that for as violent as people thought his swing already was, his surly personality and demeanor only made it seem even more aggressive.

Dan Uggla

The more muscle Dan Uggla adds to his frame, the harder he swings.

The harder Dan Uggla swings, the quicker he gets the bat through the zone.

The quicker he gets the bat through the zone, the more force he creates.

More force equals even bigger hits...and even bigger misses.

Ryan Howard

Like most sluggers, Ryan Howard generates a ridiculous amount of power with his swing.

When he makes contact, the ball explodes off of the bat. When he swings and misses, the breeze it generates can cool multiple sections of the ballpark.

Mark Reynolds

Mark Reynolds has one of the most violent swings in the game today, a swing that generates impressive power as evidenced by the 141 home runs he has hit over the past four seasons.

Over that same period of time, Reynolds has led the league in strikeouts each season, racking up a total of 834.

Vladimir Guerrero

One of the best players the game has seen over the past 20 years, Vladimir Guerrero generated an insane amount of torque and power with his swing.

Unlike most power hitters, Vlad wasn't a big-time strikeout artist, finishing his career with just over 200 more strikeouts (985) than walks (735), and drawing more walks than strikeouts in four seasons.

Carlos Pena

As we've seen with other sluggers on this list, it's either hit or miss with Carlos Pena.

That is, either he hits the ball into the stands or strikes out—but regardless of the outcome, Pena's swing generates a lot of torque and power, which leads to some violent explosions off of the bat and even more violent looking strikeouts.

Giancarlo Stanton

One of the young stars in the game today, Giancarlo Stanton has massive strength and quick hands that allow him to get the bat through the zone quickly.

Sometimes too quickly, leading to some epic strikeouts that are painful to watch. But when he makes contact, he hits prodigious home runs that are things of beauty.

Adam Dunn

Adam Dunn has enjoyed a solid career as a big-time slugger who can lead the league in home runs and/or strikeouts in any given season.

More often than not, he ranks amongst the leaders in long balls but is the unquestioned leader in strikeouts. In 2011, Dunn finished the season with more strikeouts (179) than total bases (119).

Juan Uribe

From the slow-motion video, it looks like Juan Uribe could tip over as he brings the bat through the zone.

In real-time, it becomes even more amazing that he doesn't end up falling down more often than not due to the torque that his swing generates.

Bryce Harper

How can someone who's yet to take his first major league at-bat be on this list?

When it's Bryce Harper, it's easy.

Harper generates so much power from his swing, it's easy to see why most consider him to be the best hitting prospect the game has seen in years.

Harmon Killebrew

One of the game's all-time great sluggers, Harmon Killebrew hit more than 30 home runs 10 times during his 22-year career.

His swing produced incredible power, leading Orioles manager Paul Richards to remark: "Harmon Killebrew can knock the ball out of any park, including Yellowstone."

Jose Bautista

Before arriving in Toronto in 2009, Jose Bautista was a mediocre player with middling power but a violent swing.

Once he tweaked his approach at the plate, Bautista has turned into one of the premier players in the game today, leaving a path of crushed pitcher egos in its wake as he crushes pitches with regularity.

Jeff Bagwell

Jeff Bagwell had a unique batting stance, but one that allowed him to generate immense torque and power when he swung the bat, leading to a violent collision between wood and ball.

Bagwell finished his career with nearly as many walks (1401) as strikeouts (1558).

Hanley Ramirez

Even after a miserable 2011 campaign, Hanley Ramirez remains as one of the best players in all of baseball.

The torque and power that he generates with his swing forces him to use the bat to regain his balance and keep from falling over when he fails to make contact.

Frank Thomas

A massive human being, Frank Thomas was built like a NFL linebacker, yet he played baseball.

One of the most prolific players the game has seen in the past 30 years, fans and opposing players alike needed to be on their toes when Thomas stepped into the batter's box. The raw power that he generated with his sweet swing led to long home runs and screaming line drives that sailed around the ballpark with reckless abandon.

Frank Robinson

There may not have been a more feared hitter in the game from the mid-1950's through the mid-1970's than Frank Robinson, the only man to win MVP awards in both leagues.

Robinson was an intimidating presence at the plate, and he hit the ball with a ferocity that resulted in nearly 600 home runs and a place in Cooperstown.