This Week in GIFs: Top Angel Home Runs of 2012

In honor of Halloween next week, this edition of GIF's of the Week features 10 monster home runs hit by Angel batters. These aren't the top 10 longest home runs, that list would consist mainly of Trumbo dingers as he has 5 of the top 10 longest homers. Rather, this is a list of the longest home runs hit by 10 players, and all greater than 400'.

The complete list can be found here: HOME RUN TRACKER

So what do you say Rev, is it gone?

459'

Mark Trumbo - June 10 @ Colorado

It's probably no coincidence that the top home run was hit by Mark Trumbo in Colorado. This 3-run bomb hit off of Christian Friedrich was the first of two hit that day and came during a 28-game stretch that saw the Halos go 20-8 fueled by Trumbo's 13 home runs and 34 RBI.

in 2012, Trumbo hit 23 home runs of 400' or more, with his top five being 441', 448', 451', 457', and this blast of 459':

457'

Torii Hunter - June 8 @ Colorado

Torii Hunter gets all of this one, putting his entire body into the swing as he slightly stumbles after crushing an Alex White's pitch at Coors Field. Hunter hit 10 dingers of 400' or more, but none were hit with as much authority as this 457' bomb:

445'

Mike Trout - August 28 @ Anaheim vs Boston

Check out this home run by Mike Trout and then look again at Hunter's swing in the GIF above. It's amazing how much power Trout is able to generate with such a short, compact swing. Hunter's swing is smooth, with a long follow-through, while Trout's is quick to the ball with hardly any follow-through at all.

Over half of Trout's 30 home runs traveled over 400', as his compact swing was able to belt 18 far into the seats. This one against Boston's Clay Buchholz went 445':

441'

Kendrys Morales - June 6 @ Anaheim vs Seattle

After missing all of the 2011 season recovering from a broken ankle, little was know as to what to expect from Morales in 2012. Would he be able to return to his MVP-type season of 2009, or would taking a year off to recover prove to be too much for him to overcome.

The switch hitting slugger spent the season as the left-handed half of Mike Scioscia's DH platoon (and part-time 1B). Morales hit 22 homers in just 134 games (522 PA) while finishing fourth on the team in slugging (.467). Of his 22 home runs, 12 went further than 400', with this one off of Mariners' Hector Noesi traveling 441':

437'

Vernon Wells - May 13 @ Texas

Pay no attention to the score of this game, and no comments about another meaningless late-inning home run by Wells. Just relish in the glory of Wells hitting a 437' home run off of Mark Lowe in Arlington.

When Wells did hit a homer, he didn't get cheated, as out of the 11 home runs he hit in 2012, none traveled less than 370' and seven were greater than 400' (two were just under at 398' and 397'). Here's the longest:

437'

Howard Kendrick - April 14 @ New York

After hitting double-digit home run totals the previous three seasons, Kendricks' eight home runs in 2012 were somewhat a disappointment. Kendrick's slugging percent of .400 was his lowest ever, while his strike out rate was the second highest in his 7-year career. However, this 437' bomb off of Yankee starter Phil Hughes early in the season showed that Howie has the potential:

437'

Chris Iannetta - September 3 @ Oakland

Iannetta missed 69 games after breaking his wrist in May, but after his return July 28th, he went on a tear for 26 games where he hit .325/.387/.554 slugging 5 home runs. He finished the season with 9 homers, with this shop off of Oakland's Dan Straily landing in the center field seats 437' feet away:

428'
Albert Pujols - July 15 @ New York

In Albert Pujols 12-year major league career, he has never hit less than 30 home runs. In 2012 he hit exactly 30, but not before giving Angels fans a scare when he went a career-worst 116 plate appearances before finally hitting the first one. By the time he hit this one off of Ivan Nova in New York he was half way to his season total. Although Pujols' longest home run of the season ranks 8th on this list, 18 of Albert's 30 dingers went further than 400', giving him the second highest total of longest long balls on the club. Here's his longest:

414'

Erick Aybar - July 8 @ Anaheim vs Baltimore

Erick Aybar spent 15 days on the disabled list in July, but before fouling off a pitch and fracturing his toe, Aybar launched this shot into the rock pile off of Baltimore's Wei-Yin Chen. Upon his return from the DL, Abyar went on a tear until the end of the season. In his last 50 games of 2012, Aybar's slash line was .347/.374/.495

Here's his longest of his eight 2012 home runs:

413'

Peter Bourjos - June 24 @ Anaheim vs LA Dodgers

Peter Bourjos hit three home runs last season, and has hit 21 in his career, but after he yanked this Aaron Harang pitch over the bullpens in left field, he flips his bat like a guy who hits them out all the time.

Four hundred and thirteen feet of pure awesome:

With Halloween being next week, the following GIF shows what happens when you test urban legends. The myth is if you look into a mirror and say the name "Tony Reagins" three times, a scary, murderous beast will appear:

This post is sponsored by Jack in the Box.