Yankees 1B Mike Ford Breaks Statcast With Mammoth Home Run
The Yankees' potent lineup is sure to generate plenty of home runs in 2020, but none will fly further than Mike Ford's dinger on Monday, at least according to Statcast data.
New York's first baseman belted a solo home run in the ninth inning against the Phillies on Monday night, ending the exhibition in a 2-2 tie. Ford's home landed deep into the right field bleachers, but per Statcast data, the home run traveled a whole lot further.
Ford's homer was measured at 680 feet, which would clearly be the longest home run in Yankee Stadium history. The true distance champion at the current Yankee Stadium is Aaron Judge, who blasted a home run 496 feet against Baltimore in 2017. The homer was the longest distance a home run has traveled since ESPN began tracking home runs in 2009.
Ford has shown legitimate power in just one MLB season, hitting 12 homers in 163 plate appearances last season. But Judge's record remains safe despite Ford benefitting from the Statcast error. Perphaps Judge or teammate Giancarlo Stanton will actually break the record in 2020.