Home runs came in bunches last week as everybody seemed to be seeing the ball well (even the pitchers!). And of course, with great power comes great responsibility (to flip bats to the moon), so we saw an abundance of great celebrations of all forms as baseball’s most exciting players teed off around the league. Will one of these monster home runs turn out to be our best bat flip of the year? Read on and find out!
Presenting the Best Bat Flips of Week 6!
6. Jack Flaherty vs. Austin Gomber
https://gfycat.com/ethicalcloudyisabellineshrike
5/7/2021 — COL @ STL
416ft, 106.2 mph, 26º LA
Jack Flaherty receives the rare distinction of becoming the first pitcher ever (well, non-Ohtani at least) to be featured in our Best Bat Flips series. He shows a little bit of prowess at the plate to help himself out here, and demonstrates that even pitchers can pimp homers if given the opportunity (and enough at-bats). Flaherty even gives us a cute little wrist flick when he knows it’s gone. Not too shabby for someone with only 19 plate appearances in the last year and a half.
Style: 7
Rotation: 120°
Element of Surprise: 9
5. Adolis García vs. Anthony Misiewicz
https://gfycat.com/ickywelcomefawn
5/8/2021 — SEA @ TEX
431ft, 107.5 mph, 26º LA
Adolis García continues to take Texas baseball by storm with another booming drive to dead center field, this time against Anthony Misiewicz and the Seattle Mariners. This bomb tied the game at 7-7 in the bottom of the eighth, and was one of six home runs in a back-and-forth dogfight between the two teams. García got appropriately amped here, tossing away his bat in an effort to will his team back into the game. It must have worked, as the Rangers completed their late-game comeback to win 9-8.
Style: 7.5
Rotation: 180º flat spin
Theatrics: 8.5
4. Austin Slater vs. Nabil Crismatt
https://gfycat.com/majesticimpracticalboutu
5/8/2021 — SD @ SF
456ft, 107.6 mph, 32º LA
Austin Slater has one of the more slept on follow-throughs in baseball these days, but got a chance to show it off last Saturday with this brilliant shot to center off of San Diego’s Nabil Crismatt. With a twirl of his wrists, he sent his bat softly spiraling away, a subtle finish to a no-doubt blast. Chef’s kiss.
Style: 8
Rotation: 430º
Elegance: 8
3. Gavin Lux vs. Rafael Montero
https://gfycat.com/remotewarpedbluetonguelizard
5/11/2021 — SEA @ LAD
413ft, 106.5 mph, 32º LA
Gavin Lux seemed to release a few weeks’ worth of frustration for the Dodgers Tuesday night, when he crushed a 97mph fastball to clear the bases and help the team break through their struggles hitting with runners in scoring position. The bat flip itself was more of a drop here, an understated roll from Lux’s fingers as he knew he got every stitch of Montero’s pitch. It was a nonchalant contrast to Lux’s electric scream at his bench, pounding his chest as he yelled out the three magic words everyone longs to hear.
Style: 8.5
Drop: More of a roll, really
Electricity: 8.5
2. Kyle Schwarber vs. Domingo Germán
https://gfycat.com/disguisedsecondaryblacklab
5/9/2021 — WSH @ NYY
387ft, 103.3 mph, 37º LA
Kyle Schwarber finds himself on the Best Bat Flip list for the second week in a row, this time showcasing his range with a graceful bat drop rather than the wicked spinning flip that we spotlighted last time. This may have been in part due to uncertainty over whether or not Schwarber’s ball off of Domingo Germán would veer foul, but that doubt was erased quickly when the ball found its way into the home run seats. The pink-kitted Schwarber then gave us a cool hybrid celebration, as he briefly tossed his bat up before letting it drop straight down into the clay.
Style: 8.5
Height: 74 inches
Je ne sais quoi: 9
1. Odúbel Herrera vs. Brad Hand
https://gfycat.com/exemplarycautiousgrison
5/12/2021 — PHI @ WSH
414ft, 105.1 mph, 24º LA
Odúbel Herrera burned Washington’s Hand with a game-tying home run last Wednesday night, his second of the week. He recognized the key moment with a textbook bat flip, sending his lumber floating away behind him as the ball disappeared into the night sky. It was a great bat toss based on both its impressive height and time in the air, and takes the top spot as the best bat flip of the week.
Style: 8.5
Rotation: 360º
Hangtime: 9
Photo by Dustin Ian D’Andrea/Flickr | Adapted by Doug Carlin (@Bdougals on Twitter)