MLB First Half Review: The 10 Players Who Hit the Longest Average Home Runs

Baseball's most exciting play, without question, is the home run. And, despite a general lack of hitting this year, the league's top sluggers have not failed to provide us with four-baggers. Jose Bautista leads his fellow ballplayers with 31 home runs through the All-Star break, and each of the next 10 major league leaders in the category can claim at least 20.

However, a home run that barely clears Yankee Stadium's shallow right field wall does not impress quite like an upper-decker does in right center at Minute Maid Park. Using ESPN's Home Run Tracker, founded by Greg Rybarczyk, we can determine which sluggers are averaging the farthest home runs this season. The results may surprise you, as only three of the top 10 leaders in home runs make this list.

Note: All statistics are through Sunday, July 10. A minimum of 10 home runs this year is necessary to be considered for this list.

10. Prince Fielder

The Prince of Milwaukee holds claim to the longest bomb of the year—a 486-foot shot at Minute Maid Park in Houston off Brett Myers.

Number of HRs: 22

Average Distance (ft): 407.8

 Fielder's Top 5:

1. 486 ft. off Brett Myers (HOU) - Minute Maid Park
2. 443 ft. off Zach Duke (PIT) - Miller Park
3. 427 ft. off Tim Stauffer (SD) - Miller Park
4. 427 ft. off Chris Carpenter (STL) - Miller Park
5. 422 ft. off Felipe Paulino (COL) - Miller Park

9. Michael Morse

The Nationals offense has been boosted by Morse's big bat since his arrival in 2009. The 29-year-old left fielder and first baseman had 15 home runs through the All-Star break and four of these traveled 440 feet or more. Do we have a future Derby participant in Morse?

Number of HRs: 15

Average Distance (ft): 410.0

Morse's Top 5:

1. 454 ft. off Joe Paterson (ARI) - Chase Field
2. 446 ft. off Yovani Gallardo (MIL) - Miller Park
3. 445 ft. off Ryan Franklin (STL) - Nationals Park
4. 444 ft. off Brian Bruney (CWS) - U.S. Cellular Field
5. 419 ft. off Mat Latos (SD) - PETCO Park

8. Josh Hamilton

Anyone who witnessed Hamilton's 2008 Derby display should not be surprised at his inclusion on this list. Josh possesses incredible bat speed, which results in balls jumping off his bat at an average speed of 106.4 mph.

Number of HRs: 11

Average Distance (ft): 410.6

Hamilton's Top 5:

1. 459 ft. off Andrew Bailey (OAK) - Rangers Ballpark
2. 449 ft. off Fausto Carmona (CLE) - Jacobs Field
3. 442 ft. off Nick Blackburn (MIN) - Target Field
4. 435 ft. off Randall Delgado (ATL) - Turner Field
5. 431 ft. off Sergio Escalona (HOU) - Rangers Ballpark

7. Matt Kemp

Matt Kemp did not have the greatest performance in the Home Run Derby this year, yet the statistics of his homers this season would tell you he had an off night. Kemp is currently tied with Fielder for second most home runs in the NL.

Number of HRs: 22

Average Distance: 411.4

Kemp's Top 5:

1. 458 ft. off Matt Belisle (COL) - Coors Field
2. 449 ft. off Phil Dumatrait (MIN) - Target Field
3. 444 ft. off Ryan Franklin (STL) - Dodger Stadium
4. 438 ft. off Ubaldo Jimenez (COL) - Coors Field
5. 427 ft. off Logan Ondrusek (CIN) - Great American Ballpark

6. Torii Hunter

Of Hunter's 11 home runs, seven have been hit at Angels Stadium and just four have been on the road, all at Kansas City's Kauffman Stadium. In fact, his three longest shots have been at Kauffman. Kansas City must be his home away from home.

Number of HRs: 11

Average Distance: 413.6

Hunter's Top 5:

1. 461 ft. off Luke Hochevar (KC) - Kauffman Stadium
2. 457 ft. off Kyle Davies (KC) - Kauffman Stadium
3. 437 ft. off Everett Teaford (KC) - Kauffman Stadium
4. 427 ft. off Charlie Furbush (DET) - Angels Stadium
5. 417 ft. off Josh Beckett (BOS) - Angels Stadium

5. Mike Stanton

When Stanton gets a hold of one, it's going a long way. Only three of his 18 home runs failed to measure 400 feet. He's also homered against every NL team except for the Padres and Dodgers, and he has not even faced the Padres yet.

Number of HRs: 18

Average Distance: 414.0

Stanton's Top 5:

1. 465 ft. off Mike Pelfrey (NYM) - Citi Field
2. 437 ft. off Livan Hernandez (WAS) - Nationals Park
3. 432 ft. off Nick Masset (CIN) - Great American Ballpark
4. 431 ft. off J.A. Happ (HOU) - Sun Life Stadium
5. 428 ft. off Andy Sonnanstine (TB) - Sun Life Stadium

4. Nelson Cruz

Cruz, the second Ranger to crack this list, started off the season with home runs in four straight games. His third, off Boston's Clay Buchholz, traveled 447 feet to right field, landing in the upper home run porch at Rangers Ballpark. That shot marked only the second time that a right-handed hitter has ever reached the upper home run porch. Fellow Ranger Chad Curtis did it in 2000.

Number of HRs: 20

Average Distance: 415.5

Cruz's Top 5:

1. 459 ft. off Fausto Carmona (CLE) - Jacobs Field
2. 453 ft. off Nick Blackburn (MIN) - Target Field
3. 447 ft. off Clay Buchholz (BOS) - Rangers Ballpark
4. 447 ft. off Charlie Furbush (DET) - Rangers Ballpark
5. 440 ft. off Brett Myers (HOU) - Rangers Ballpark

3. Mitch Moreland

Moreland's addition to the list brings the Ranger total to three. This is not only a testament to the Rangers team power, but also an advantage at playing in Arlington, where winds aid many fly balls in their travels toward the outfield. However, most of Moreland's bombs would fly out anywhere, as he has hit eight that have measured more than 420 feet. His 472-footer off Mark Melancon is the fourth longest home run hit all year and the longest in Arlington.

Number of HRs: 11

Average Distance (ft): 422.3

Moreland's Top 5:

1. 472 ft. off Mark Melancon (HOU) - Rangers Ballpark
2. 453 ft. off Trevor Cahill (OAK) - Rangers Ballpark
3. 433 ft. off Michael Pineda (SEA) - Safeco Field
4. 428 ft. off Nate Adcock (KC) - Rangers Ballpark
5. 425 ft. off Sean O'Sullivan (KC) - Rangers Ballpark

2. Alex Gordon

Gordon's home-run tally sits at 11 through baseball's first half. Every one of them has measured 400 or more feet, with Gordon's "weakling" measured at 403 feet. Five reached 430 feet or more.

Number of HRs: 11

Average Distance (ft): 424.5

Gordon's Top 5:

1. 444 ft. off Greg Reynolds (COL) - Coors Field
2. 442 ft. off Gavin Floyd (CWS) - Kauffman Stadium
3. 438 ft. off Brian Tallet (STL) - Kauffman Stadium
4. 437 ft. off Ervin Santana (LAA) - Kauffman Stadium
5. 430 ft. off Jim Hoey (MIN) - Kauffman Stadium

1. Justin Upton

Chase Field is a hitter's ballpark, and no one has a valid argument otherwise. But so many of Upton's shots there are what ESPN's Greg Rybarczyk labels "no-doubters," eight to be exact. His 478 homer off Chris Carpenter in April is just one of FOUR home runs that Upton has hit beyond 450 feet—that's incredible power.

Number of HRs: 15

Average Distance: 424.7

Upton's Top 5:

1. 478 ft. off Chris Carpenter (STL) - Chase Field
2. 464 ft. off Madison Bumgarner (SF) - Chase Field
3. 457 ft. off Mike Dunn (FLA) - Chase Field
4. 455 ft. off Carlos Zambrano (CHC) - Chase Field
5. 438 ft. off Carlos Carrasco (CLE) - Chase Field

Notable Omissions

Wily Mo Pena leads the group of players who did not make the cut in the list. Why? None of the following players totaled more than eight home runs in baseball's first half. Undoubtedly, it's harder to hit more home runs and maintain such a high average distance, so I left these guys off for not reaching the minimum 10.

	Number of HRs	Average Distance
Wily Mo Pena	5	425.4
Lyle Overbay	6	419
Pablo Sandoval	8	416.6
Brad Hawpe	4	415.8
Ike Davis	7	411.1