Giants' longest home runs of Statcast era

January 8th, 2021

If Statcast had been around during the playing days of legendary Giants sluggers like Willie Mays, Willie McCovey and Barry Bonds, their names would likely feature prominently on the leaderboard for longest home runs in franchise history. Alas, the tracking technology wasn’t introduced until 2015, leaving many fans to wonder about the extent of their prodigious power.

Since its inception, Statcast has helped eliminate the guesswork and provided fans with another tool to appreciate the feats of current Giants power hitters. Here’s a look at the club’s five longest home runs in the Statcast era, the first four of which took place at the notoriously hitter-friendly Coors Field:

1. Alex Dickerson -- Sept. 1, 2020 at COL
Distance: 480 feet

Dickerson launched a down-and-in changeup from Rockies right-hander Jon Gray all the way to the third deck in right field at Coors to set a new Giants record with a mammoth, 480-foot blast. It marked the beginning of a historic offensive performance for Dickerson, who crushed three home runs to lead the Giants to a 23-5 rout of the Rockies. Dickerson tallied 16 total bases after finishing the night with three homers and two doubles, tying Hall of Famer Mays for the most in a game in franchise history.

“That's by far the best game I've had in my life,” Dickerson said.

2. Brandon Belt -- May 22, 2015 at COL
Distance: 475 feet

Dickerson broke the mark previously held by Belt, who also reached the third deck at Coors with his 475-foot homer in 2015. Still, Belt might not be ready to concede bragging rights to Dickerson, as the veteran first baseman has maintained that his drive actually traveled farther than Statcast’s projection.

3. Mike Yastrzemski -- Aug. 2, 2019 at COL
Distance: 472 feet

Yastrzemski hit 21 home runs during his breakthrough rookie campaign with the Giants, including this 472-foot shot off Rockies right-hander Peter Lambert. Yastrzemski’s blast hit the top of the upper deck at Coors and bounced into the Rockies’ bullpen, marking the longest home run by a Giant in four years.

“I have to hit a ball twice usually to get it that far,” Yastrzemski said.

4. Chris Shaw -- Sept. 3, 2018 at COL
Distance: 468 feet

Shaw’s first Major League hit was a sight to behold. The former first-round Draft pick deposited a hanging slider from Rockies right-hander Seunghwan Oh to the upper deck at Coors for a pinch-hit, 468-foot home run that briefly gave the Giants a late-inning lead. Despite his impressive power, Shaw didn’t produce as expected in his limited big league opportunities and was designated for assignment in November.

5. Mac Williamson -- April 23, 2018 vs. WSH
Distance: 464 feet

Williamson saw just one pitch from Nationals reliever Shawn Kelley and crushed a 464-foot home run to the deepest part of Oracle Park. The opposite-field shot remains the longest homer hit by a Giant at Oracle Park in the Statcast era. A third-round pick of the Giants in 2012, Williamson sustained a concussion the next day when he tripped over the bullpen mounds in foul territory and crashed into the left-field wall while tracking a fly ball. He batted just .187 in 23 games the rest of the season and was outrighted in 2019.