At a Glance: An out-of-the-park home run happens when a player hits the ball completely beyond the stadium’s structure and grounds. It’s much rarer than a standard home run and represents one of the most powerful moments in baseball, showcasing strength, precision, and timeless highlights in baseball history.
There are moments in baseball that make even casual fans stop and stare. The sound of the bat, the rise of the crowd, and a baseball soaring higher than anyone thought possible. Then, the impossible happens. The ball clears the right field stands, sails over the roof, and disappears into the night sky.
For players, this is more than a home run. It’s a lasting mark on a major league team, the kind of play that defines stadiums and turns ordinary games into unforgettable memories. Let’s look back at the rare times hitters sent the ball completely out of the park and into legend.
The Power and Rarity Behind These Shots
In the long history of the game, true out-of-the-park home runs are incredibly rare. Most fly balls die in the deep outfield or hit the scoreboard. To clear the entire park, a hitter needs immense bat speed, perfect contact, and the right environmental conditions.
Stadium design also plays a big role. Older ballparks like Tiger Stadium or Yankee Stadium had angles and wind patterns that helped powerful hitters. Modern parks rely on Statcast data to measure exit velocity, showing how much precision it takes to leave the baseball diamond entirely. These moments are the hardest hit homers in professional baseball and remain some of the most exciting for any baseball fan.
Notable Out of the Park Home Runs in MLB History
Legendary home runs have been recorded through eyewitness accounts, newspaper stories, and field measurements from real life baseball games across the United States, with fans and historians piecing together distances from scorecards, landmarks, and stadium archives to capture the sport’s most powerful moments.
-
Mickey Mantle (April 17, 1953 – Griffith Stadium): Mantle’s 565-foot blast in Washington cleared the entire park and set a record that still inspires debates on baseball reference boards.
-
Babe Ruth (July 18, 1921 – Navin Field, Detroit): Reports from the early years of baseball claim Ruth’s homer left the park grounds completely, adding to his mythic status.
-
Willie Stargell (August 5, 1969 – Dodger Stadium): The first player ever to hit a ball out of Dodger Stadium, setting the standard for power hitters in the National League.
-
Willie Stargell (May 8, 1973 – Dodger Stadium): Stargell did it again four years later, proving his dominance over one of baseball’s toughest venues.
-
Glenallen Hill (May 11, 2000 – Wrigley Field): Hill’s home run landed on a rooftop across the street from Wrigley Field, making Chicago White Sox and Cubs fans alike remember the feat.
-
Reggie Jackson (1971 All-Star Game – Tiger Stadium): Although his ball hit the light tower before leaving, the sheer distance makes it one of the hardest-hit homers of the historical league.
-
Mark McGwire (1999 – Busch Stadium): Known for raw power, McGwire’s homer cleared the stadium façade and became one of the defining moments of late 1990s baseball.
-
Dave Kingman (May 17, 1979 – Wrigley Field): Kingman’s prodigious blast flew over the left-field fence, cleared Waveland Avenue, and came to rest on the porch of the third house along Kenmore Avenue.
-
Daryle Ward (2002 – PNC Park): The first player to hit a home run into the Allegheny River on the fly during a major league game.
-
Barry Bonds (Multiple Years – Oracle Park): Barry Bonds owns 35 official Splash Hits into McCovey Cove, the most by any player. Each ball cleared Oracle Park on the fly, making Bonds synonymous with out-of-the-park power in San Francisco.
-
Adam Dunn (August 10, 2004 – Great American Ball Park): Dunn launched a 535-foot drive that left the stadium completely, landing on Mehring Way and bouncing toward the Ohio River.
-
Sammy Sosa (1998 – Wrigley Field): Sosa crushed a homer off Jerry DiPoto that broke a window in an apartment across the street behind the left-field bleachers.
-
Giancarlo Stanton (May 12, 2015 – Dodger Stadium): Stanton’s 475-foot home run flew over the left-field pavilion and completely out of the stadium.
-
Fernando Tatis Jr. (September 30, 2021 – Dodger Stadium): His shot cleared the same pavilion roof and added a new chapter to modern major league home games.
-
Kyle Schwarber (October 8, 2025 – NLDS Game 3 at Dodger Stadium): Another moonshot out of Dodger Stadium, marking one of the most recent postseason highlights in baseball.
-
Shohei Ohtani (October 17, 2025 – NLCS Game 4 at Dodger Stadium): Ohtani’s two-way stardom reached new heights when he cleared the right field pavilion in the playoffs.
-
Pedro Álvarez (2015 – PNC Park): Followed in Ward’s footsteps with another river shot that thrilled Pittsburgh fans.
-
Josh Bell (2019 – PNC Park): Bell hit not one but two on-the-fly river shots in the same season, each ball leaving the park entirely.
-
Oneil Cruz (2024 – PNC Park): His blast joined the short list of baseballs that reached the Allegheny, proving the tradition continues.
-
Melky Cabrera (July 28, 2014 – Fenway Park): Playing for the Blue Jays against the Red Sox, Cabrera crushed a three-run homer over the Green Monster that shattered a car windshield on Lansdowne Street.
-
Ryan Braun (May 25, 2015 – Miller Park): Braun launched a 474-foot home run that cleared the left-field bleachers, marking the longest homer ever hit by a right-handed batter at Miller Park.
Ballparks Known for Out of the Park Home Runs
Dodger Stadium (Los Angeles)
Only a handful of players have ever cleared Dodger Stadium, making it one of the most iconic venues for power hitting in Major League Baseball. Stargell, Stanton, Tatis Jr., Schwarber, and Ohtani all belong to this exclusive club.
Oracle Park (San Francisco)
Home of the splash pad known as McCovey Cove, Oracle Park gives fans on kayaks a chance to catch history. Since opening in 2000, Oracle Park has become famous for home runs that reach beyond the right field wall. As of 2025, there have been over 150 baseballs that have splashed into the Cove, with 108 official “Splash Hits” by Giants players.
PNC Park (Pittsburgh)
Since opening in 2001, PNC Park has seen 84 home runs reach the Allegheny River, though only six have made it there on the fly. The shortest path from home plate to the water is 456 feet down the right field line, making each out-of-the-park blast a true show of power.
Tiger Stadium (Detroit, Historic)
From Babe Ruth to Reggie Jackson, Tiger Stadium hosted some of the most famous blasts in baseball history and remains one of the most talked-about historical baseball parks.
Wrigley Field (Chicago)
The sight of a ball landing on Waveland Avenue outside Wrigley Field has thrilled generations. For park baseball fans, it’s the perfect mix of old-school charm and modern-day power hitting.
Fenway Park (Boston)
Opened in 1912, Fenway Park is one of the oldest and most beloved ballparks in the United States. Many home runs have cleared the Green Monster in left field, but only a select few have completely left the park, flying over the buildings on Lansdowne Street. From Boston Red Sox legends to visiting sluggers, these shots have turned the historical league’s smallest park into one of its most unforgettable.
Great American Ball Park (Cincinnati)
Despite being a newer stadium, Great American Ball Park has quickly earned a reputation for producing long home runs. Its hitter-friendly dimensions and open-air design make it a favorite for major league power hitters aiming for out-of-the-park shots.
Hit it out of the Park with BRUCE BOLT
If you dream of hitting the hardest homer of your life, it starts with the right gear. Bruce Bolt’s Premium Batting Gloves are made from the highest-quality Cabretta leather, offering unmatched grip and comfort at home plate. Whether you’re swinging in minor leagues or practicing with your baseball team, these gloves combine strength, control, and craftsmanship worthy of major league players.
Bruce Bolt designs every glove with attention to fit and feel, so you can play every inning with confidence and precision. Trusted by professionals across the United States, these gloves bring durability to every swing. Shop Bruce Bolt to elevate your game and step up to the plate like a pro.
