Opening Week Recap: Who hit the most home runs?

Well the first week of baseball is in the books. We’ve had some hot starts (Mark Trumbo) and some not so hot starts (Royals, Yankees).

Through Sunday, Major League Baseball has hit 159 home runs. The National League is currently out-slugging the American League 87 home runs to 72, and the San Francisco Giants are the only team with double digit home runs (11). There have already been a few surprises to start the season: the Houston Astros lead the American League with nine home runs, the Yankees only hit their first home run yesterday, and White Sox outfielder Alejandro De Aza, not known for his power, is tied for the AL lead with three home runs.

Your 2014 home run leaders through Sunday:

Yankees break through to get their first home run of the year

Yankees outfielder Brett Gardner homered in the fourth inning against the Blue Jays today, giving New York its first home run of the season.

It took the Yankees six games to get their first homer of the season. It was the longest it has taken for the Yankees to get their first home run since 1998, when it took them four games to get their first homer. The Yankees had hit a home run in every opening day game from 1999-2012, but now it has been two consecutive opening days without a home run for New York.

Now that the Yankees have their first home run, the Kansas City Royals are the only remaining MLB team to have not hit a home run.

Milestones galore through the first nine games today

If you weren’t sure, baseball is definitely back, and the players are crushing it! We already have some notable home runs through today’s first nine games:

• HEEEEEE’S BAAAAACK: Red Sox outfielder Grady Sizemore made his major league return, starting in center field in his first regular season game since September 22, 2011. Sizemore went 2-4 in the loss to Baltimore, including his first regular season home run since July 15, 2011 also against the Orioles.

• GRAND OLD TIME: Phillies shortstop Jimmy Rollins hit his 200th career home run in a 14-10 slugfest win over the Rangers. With two out in the second inning, Rollins crushed a grand slam home run off Texas starter Tanner Scheppers to give Philadelphia the 6-0 lead. According to ESPN:

What to look forward to this year at Long Ball Stats

We have entered year two at Long Ball Stats, and I am making some new changes.

1. New Data: I’m adding several new categories to this year’s spreadsheet. I’ll be tracking pitch speeds, home runs by inning, as well as career milestones.
2. All Star and Postseason Home Runs: Beginning this year, I’ll be inputting data on home runs hit during the postseason and the All Star Game. Be sure to look for special coverage just before the ASG and the postseason begins.
3. Weekly and Monthly updates: On top of any posts that are made throughout the week, I will be posting weekly recap/update posts on home runs hit, and I will post an update once a month that includes my full spreadsheet of data.

Hopefully this year will be even better than last year! If you ever want to know a specific fact (Who has hit the most home runs on 2-2 count this year?, Who has hit the most walk off home runs?), send me a tweet at @longballstats

Two games, two home runs: Opening Series 2014

Credit: Major League Baseball

Welcome back baseball! With the Dodgers-Diamondbacks Opening Series doubleheader in Australia, we have our first two home runs of the 2014 regular season.

Happy New Year! A look back at the 20 longest home runs of 2013.

I found this great video highlight on YouTube the other day. Got some HUGE homers on this.

Congratulations to Frank Thomas, Greg Maddux, and Tom Glavine

Tom Glavine (Photo by Steven R. Schaefer/AFP/Getty Images), Greg Maddux (Photo by Chris Trotman/Getty Images), Frank Thomas (Photo by Jonathan Daniel/Getty Images)

Congratulations to the Hall of Fame Class of 2014. Without a doubt, these three players were the faces of the game throughout the 90s. With their election into the Hall, the trio adds a combined 1,230 home runs to Cooperstown. Maddux and Glavine surrendered 353 and 356 home runs respectively through their careers, while Thomas hit 521. Here are some quick, Hall of Fame home run facts.

• With Frank Thomas’ election, 12 of the 20 players in MLB history to hit at least 520 home runs are in Cooperstown.
• Maddux and Glavine didn’t just give up home runs, they also hit a few. Maddux hit five home runs through his career, while Glavine hit one.
• Most home runs hit by a Hall of Fame pitcher? 37. Hit by Cleveland pitching great Bob Lemon.
• 242 Hall of Famers have hit a total of 32,493 total home runs. 71 Hall of Fame pitchers have given up a combined 13,156 home runs.
• Managers Bobby Cox, Joe Torre, and Tony La Russa were elected to the Hall of Fame in December by the Veteran’s Committee. These three former managers combined to hit a grand total of 261 homers; Torre with 252, Cox with nine, and La Russa with zero.