The 6 Longest Home Runs of the Minnesota Twins' 2026 Season

[Matthew Taylor]

Image courtesy of Erik Williams-Imagn Images

The 2026 season didn’t end the way Twins fans had hoped, but now that the season is officially in the books, there’s still plenty to look back on and remember fondly. There were big wins, breakout performances, unexpected contributors, and, of course, plenty of home runs.

Everyone loves a good home run, but there’s something especially fun about watching one absolutely disappear. The Twins had one of the better offenses in the American League this season, finishing third in runs scored. They didn’t rank quite as highly in home runs, but they still finished 12th in baseball with 187 long balls. So, as we put a bow on the 2026 season, let’s take a look back at some of the biggest blasts of the year. Here are the five (technically six) longest home runs hit by a Twins player in 2026, based on projected distance.

5. Ryan Kreidler, 438 feet
April 13 vs. Boston Red Sox

When the Twins claimed Ryan Kreidler off waivers over the offseason, they did so primarily for his glove, not his bat. While that assessment turned out to be mostly accurate, Kreidler still managed to hit a career-high eight home runs during the season. None traveled farther than his solo blast against the Boston Red Sox on April 13.

Kreidler came to the plate in the second inning with the Twins already holding a commanding 10-0 lead. He added to it in a hurry, launching a ball 438 feet for his third home run of the season and pushing the lead to 11-0. The Twins went on to win the game 13-6. It wasn't exactly a high-leverage home run, but it showcased what Kreidler is capable of, including some things he wasn't capable of before. He swung the bat at a lightning-fast 77.6 miles per hour, and the ball jumped off it at 109 MPH, with a 29° launch angle.

5. Byron Buxton, 438 feet
April 14 vs. Boston Red Sox

Kreidler wasn't the only Twin to hit a 438-foot home run in 2026—or even in that series. Byron Buxton did it one day later, also against the Red Sox.

Buxton had the third-highest home run total of his career this season, and none traveled farther than his third home run of the season. Facing Boston's Jack Anderson (who later became a teammate), Buxton took a 2-0 slider that was well below the strike zone and somehow turned it into a 108-MPH, 438-foot blast. It was as close to a carbon copy of Kreidler's dinger as any ball can be of another, down to the launch angle and bat speed.

It was part of arguably Buxton's best game of the season. He went 4-for-5 with two home runs and scored four runs as the Twins rolled the Red Sox. Unfortunately, injuries once again derailed Buxton's season, but when he was healthy, he remained one of the most impactful players in baseball.

4. Josh Bell, 442 feet
June 7 vs. Kansas City Royals

Josh Bell had a knack for hitting the ball a long way in 2026, and his first appearance on this list came during a ninth-inning rally against the Kansas City Royals on June 7. The Twins entered the ninth trailing 6-1, but after a walk and a single to open the inning, Bell stepped to the plate with an opportunity to bring the Twins back into the game. He did exactly that, launching a 442-foot blast into the right-field concourse at Target Field. Suddenly, the Twins were within two runs, and what had looked like a blowout was turning into a potentially dramatic comeback. It was a missile, launched such a long distance because it wasted no time rising or falling. A 78-MPH swing produced a 112-MPH exit velocity, at a frozen-rope 25° launch angle.

The Twins scored another run later in the inning, but couldn't quite finish the job and fell 6-5. 

3. Royce Lewis, 444 feet
June 10 vs. Detroit Tigers

Royce Lewis's 2026 season was a roller coaster, with a demotion to the minors, a red-hot return to Minnesota and a difficult finish to the season. Along the way, there were plenty of reminders of why the Twins have been so excited about Lewis throughout his young career. One of those came on June 10 against the Detroit Tigers. Lewis took left-hander Framber Valdez deep in the second inning, sending a solo shot 444 feet into the left-center-field seats. It was an impressive display of power against a typically stud pitcher. Lewis's bat speed fluctuated as he worked through mechanical issues, but on this offering, he got off an 81-MPH 'A' swing and connected cleanly enough to hit it 108 MPH at a 32° launch angle.

Lewis finished the year with 15 home runs, the second-highest total of his Twins career. While the season didn't go exactly as he or the Twins would have hoped, blasts like this one showed the offensive upside that remains in his bat.

2. Josh Bell, 452 feet
July 1 vs. Houston Astros

Bell makes another appearance near the top of the list, this time with a 452-foot blast against the Houston Astros on July 1. He hit his 11th home run of the season that night, launching a ball over the batter's eye in center field at Daikin Park. It was another example of Bell, who's just a huge guy with a great feel for hitting, really, getting just enough air under one to send it soaring. He swished the stick at 78 MPH, launched it at 26°, and got a whopping 113 MPH of exit velocity behind it.

Bell would finish the season with 21 home runs, fourth-most on the Twins in 2026. Three of those home runs ended up among the five longest blasts of the season. Wait, three? But that means...

1. Josh Bell, 460 feet
September 4 vs. Chicago White Sox

And finally, we have the longest home run hit by a Twin in 2026, and fittingly, it's another one from Bell. He launched a ball 460 feet into the right-center-field concourse, giving the Twins their longest home run of the season by a considerable margin. MLB's Statcast data measured the blast at 114 MPH off the bat. He swung the bat a little slower than on his other ferocious blasts (76 MPH), but connected more cleanly, and putting just a little more air under it (30°) let it carry farther than any of his other shots this year.

And there you have it. Bell accounted for three of the five longest blasts, while Lewis, Buxton and Kreidler each contributed impressive ones of their own. The season may be over, but these are some of the moments that are fun to look back on. Which of these home runs was your favorite?

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[Saxophone Joe]

Bell's homer against Atlanta that went way deep into the right-center upper deck should've made the cut. Even Morneau was blown away by how far that one went. StatCast says it traveled only 434 feet. My eyes tell me that one was close to 500 ft, at least 450. Has anyone seen a homer go that deep (five rows in the upper deck) in right-center at Target Field? 

https://www.mlb.com/video/josh-bell-homers-17-on-a-fly-ball-to-right-center-field-ryan-jeffers-scor

[terrydactyls]

My favorite homerun was the bases loaded, two out, walk off homerun.  I don't remember the distance, swing speed, exit velocity, or launch angle.  And, to be honest. I don't care if it cleared the batter's eye or just squeaked into the first row of seats just inside the foul pole.  It was meaningful.  Except for the Josh Bell homeruns, all the others were two out, no one on base, solo shots.

[Saxophone Joe]

10 minutes ago, terrydactyls said:

Except for the Josh Bell homeruns, all the others were two out, no one on base, solo shots.

I never saw the final numbers, but it's safe to assume we led MLB with the highest percentage of homers that were of the solo variety. I'm guessing around 70% of our homers were solo. 

[wesnewy]

I wouldn't mind seeing Josh Bell be back next year even if it's just a part time DH role. His clutch batting and leadership in the locker room was obvious, and those are key things for what looks like is going to be a super young Twins team next year.