Alonso, Belli and the best bat flips of the season

December 24th, 2019

Bat flips are fun. Really fun. So not only do we want to relive the best examples from the 2019 season, we ranked them. The creativity, emotion and flair with which the top 40 bat flips in baseball this year were displayed are ingenious and memorable -- here's a look at them from 1-40.

1. Mark Canha vs. Angels -- March 30
Canha announced the start of bat-flipping season with a monster home run off the Angels' Felix Peña in Oakland's second game of the season, actually saying the words, "It's bat-flip season, baby" after connecting.

2. Bryce Harper vs. Nationals -- April 2
In his third game as a member of the Phillies, Harper gave us an incredible bat flip to remember, particularly since it was pinwheel style and came on a homer against the only Major League team he had known prior to signing with Philadelphia.

3. Pete Alonso vs. Braves -- Aug. 24
How do you tie your franchise's single-season home run record in style? You bat-flip, of course. And that's exactly what Alonso did when he smashed a go-ahead, three-run homer to dead center field for his 41st of the season. He would end up with an MLB rookie-record 53 on the year.

Yadier Molina vs. Braves -- Oct. 7
Who says you can only bat-flip on homers? Don't tell that to Molina, who walked off Atlanta in NLDS Game 4 with a 10th-inning sacrifice fly. After watching Kolten Wong score, Molina added a unique touch, flinging his bat into right field.

5. Cody Bellinger vs. D-backs -- July 3
Bellinger has one of the most violently beautiful swings in the game, and on this occasion, he punctuated another massive cut with flair, flipping his bat out in front of the plate as he watched his 10th-inning walk-off home run sail over the right-field wall to beat Arizona.

6. Ronald Acuna Jr. vs. Reds -- Aug. 4
Acuna smashed a game-tying homer vs. Cincinnati and knew it off the bat, turning to his dugout and thumping his chest before flipping the bat.

7. Tim Anderson vs. Tigers -- April 26
Anderson launched a walk-off homer and followed it with an overhand bat flip to end a wild one on the South Side.

8. Alex Bregman vs. Rays -- Oct. 5
Bregman belted a home run on Oct. 5 for the third straight year, this time against the Rays in the ALDS.

9. Josh Donaldson vs. Indians -- April 21
The Bringer of Rain brought it -- and a bat flip -- twice on this day in Cleveland.

10. Gary Sanchez vs. Astros -- June 21
El Gary garnished this 481-foot blast with an epic bat flip worthy of the monster homer.

11. Max Muncy vs. Giants -- June 9
"Get it out of the ocean." We'll remember that line from Muncy to Madison Bumgarner for a long time.

12. Kevin Kiermaier vs. A's -- June 10
Kiermaier can dazzle with the glove, but don't forget about his bat-flip skills, on full display here against Oakland.

13. Max Muncy vs. Nationals -- Oct. 4
Muncy delivered again, this time under the bright lights of October against the Nationals in NLDS Game 2.

14. Nicholas Castellanos vs. Brewers -- Aug. 30
Castellanos crushed the second of two homers in the first two innings at Wrigley Field, punctuating it by spiking the bat with two hands.

15. Juan Soto vs. Astros -- Oct. 29
Soto pulled one-fourth of a Pedro Cerrano by carrying his bat all the way to first base while watching his homer off Justin Verlander in World Series Game 6.

16. Avisail Garcia vs. A's -- Oct. 2
Garcia added to the Rays' lead in the AL Wild Card Game at the Oakland Coliseum with a 437-foot homer followed by a bat flip toward his dugout.

17. Yasiel Puig vs. Giants -- May 12
Puig added a chapter in his rivalry with Madison Bumgarner, getting the best of the big lefty this time before admiring his home run.

18. Xander Bogaerts vs. Rangers -- June 13
Bogaerts connected for a go-ahead homer against the Rangers in the seventh inning at Fenway Park, which proved to be the difference in a 7-6 Boston victory.

19. Pete Alonso wins Home Run Derby -- July 9
Alonso had an incredible debut season, not only setting a rookie record for single-season homers by hitting 53, but also winning the Home Run Derby in style with a flip to end it on his 23rd homer of the contest.

20. Didi Gregorius vs. Red Sox in London -- June 30
"Absolute box office." That's how the call went on the BT Sport broadcast of the Yankees' big win over the Red Sox across the pond. Gregorius added some flair with a flip after lift-off.

21. Adeiny Hechavarria vs. Giants -- June 5
Hechavarria has become a bat-flip connoisseur, and demonstrated his skills again with this fantastic flip against San Francisco.

22. Carlos Correa vs. Yankees -- Oct. 13
Correa ended ALCS Game 2 with a flourish and a flip, turning toward his dugout with emotion before the home run ball landed well beyond the right-field wall.

23. Todd Frazier vs. Rockies -- June 9
Frazier let out some emotion following a cathartic swing against Colorado at Citi Field.

24. Eddie Rosario vs. Brewers -- May 28
Rosario finished in style after smashing a two-run homer off Junior Guerra to pad Minnesota's lead.

25. Ian Kinsler vs. Pirates -- May 16
Kinsler may be old-school, but he definitely had a bat flip in him for this homer.

26. Pete Alonso vs. Padres -- May 7
Alonso let this one fly -- the baseball, yes, but the bat, too -- straight up in the air as he watched his long homer sail over the left-field wall at Petco Park.

27. Yandy Diaz vs. Athletics -- Oct. 2
Diaz launched a pair of homers against Oakland in the AL Wild Card Game, each with a sweet bat flip after silencing the crowd of 54,000.

28. Mike Ford vs. Athletics -- Sept. 1
Ford became the latest rookie hero for the Yanks with a pinch-hit homer to walk-off Oakland in a 5-4 comeback win.

29. Kurt Suzuki vs. Mets -- Sept. 3
Suzuki capped an incredible seven-run ninth inning with a walk-off three-run homer against New York.

30. Bryce Harper vs. Cubs -- Aug. 15
Harper completed a Phillies comeback with a mammoth walk-off grand slam and sprint around the bases.

31. Willson Contreras vs. Mariners -- Sept. 3
Contreras launched a 450-foot shot more than halfway up the left-field bleachers at Wrigley.

32. Albert Almora Jr. vs. Brewers -- July 27
Almora broke a 2-2 tie with a solo homer to left-center field in the top of the 10th at Miller Park.

33. Mitch Garver vs. Royals -- Sept. 19
Garver crushed a game-tying homer to dead-center field in the fifth inning at Target Field.

34. Max Muncy vs. Blue Jays -- Aug. 21
It was Maximum Muncy with his patented bat flip and walk-into-trot to walk-off the Jays.

35. Yasiel Puig vs. Brewers -- June 21
Puig obliterated a Corbin Burnes pitch for his 15th homer of the season.

36. Tim Beckham vs. Athletics -- March 20
Beckham opened the MLB regular season in style with a long homer in Tokyo, followed by a pinwheel bat flip.

37. Didi Gregorius vs. Tigers -- Sept. 10
Gregorius launched a go-ahead homer to break a 10-10 tie in the seventh inning at Comerica Park.

38. Willson Conteras vs. White Sox -- June 19
Contreras lined an absolute missile to left field for a first-inning grand slam, one of two homers on the night against the South Siders.

39. Franmil Reyes vs. Brewers -- June 19
Reyes launched a go-ahead three-run homer off Jeremy Jeffress in the seventh inning for his 20th of the year.

40. Giancarlo Stanton vs. Blue Jays -- June 24
Stanton belted a no-doubter to center field at Yankee Stadium for his first home run of the season after coming off the injured list.