Where Matt Wallner's rocket ranks in hardest-hit homers in Twins history

Wallner's 116.7 mph laser tied the game in the seventh inning.

Sep 18, 2023; Cincinnati, Ohio, USA; Minnesota Twins left fielder Matt Wallner (38) walks off the field after striking out in the seventh inning against the Cincinnati Reds at Great American Ball Park. Mandatory Credit: Katie Stratman-USA TODAY Sports / Katie Stratman-USA TODAY Sports

Matt Wallner's return to the Minnesota Twins after re-finding his swing at Triple-A has yielded immediate results. The former Minnesota Mr. Baseball winner from Forest Lake doubled in his first at-bat against the White Sox Monday night and then ripped a screaming line driver homer into the right field bleachers to tie the game in the seventh inning.

Oh, Matt Wallner is *back* back.

116.7 mph destruction off the bat. Tie game. Phew. pic.twitter.com/X5EIUbaQOr

— Do-Hyoung Park (@dohyoungpark) July 9, 2024

Wallner's homer had an exit velocity of 116.7 mph, making it the second hardest-hit home run by any Twins player in the Statcast era. The only Twin to hit a homer harder is Ryan Jeffers, who hit a 117.4 mph blast on May 29, 2023 against the Astros

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Wallner's shot is actually tied with a pair of Miguel Sano homers from the 2021 season at 116.7 mph. Sano clubbed equally-hard homers on Aug. 9 and Aug. 25 that season.

Nelson Cruz owns the next two hardest-hit homers at 116.6 mph and 116.5 mph, respectively. Those were both during his lone season in Minnesota in 2021.

The only other 116+ mph homers in Twins history (since Statcast came around in 2015) are by Trevor Larnach (116.0 mph on July 3, 2021) and Kennys Vargas (116.0 mph on June 10, 2017.

Matt Wallner's game-tying homer had a 116.7 mph exit velocity, his second straight game hitting a ball that hard.

The list of players with multiple balls at 116 mph this year: Oneil Cruz, Giancarlo Stanton, Vlad Guerrero Jr., Shohei Ohtani and Wallner. https://t.co/PqxNMFdEL5

— Bobby Nightengale (@nightengalejr) July 9, 2024

You can see all of the hardest-hit homers by the Twins via Baseball Savant right here.

Wallner is now 3-for-5 at the plate since being recalled after spending three months with the St. Paul Saints.