World's Longest Home Run (The "Mad Batter" Machine) - Smarter Every Day 230

Summary by Krater

SmarterEveryDay attempts to hit a baseball further than the MLB home run record using a motorized mechanical apparatus holding a bat spinning at high speed, ultimately achieving 717 feet.

From the video

Answers: Can a mechanical apparatus beat the MLB home run record?

• baseball home run distance records
• motorized bat spinning apparatus
• three-phase electrical power
• exit velocity vs incoming ball speed
• impact stress concentration on baseball bats

What it concludes

• The mechanical bat apparatus achieved a home run distance of 717 feet, surpassing the recorded MLB home run record.
• Three-phase power provides constant torque compared to single-phase power which drops to zero torque during sine wave dips.
• Improper bat attachment and single-bat imbalance on the shaft caused structural damage to the test machine.
• Htting a baseball off the bottom or top of the barrel versus the center results in dramatically different ball trajectories and velocities.