2:01 PM ET
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Associated Press
Pittsburgh – if swinging the bat target It was hitting the ball hard, and then O’Neal Cruz did it better than anyone.
The Pittsburgh Pirates’ rookie recorded the worst ball in seven years for MLB’s measured ball speed, whipping a 122.4 mph Wednesday at 14-2 Lost to Atlanta in the game out of control.
Cruz went one in and two out in the third quarter against Warriors starter Kyle Wright. He opened a 91-mph fastball and knocked it down on Clemente Wall 21 feet in right field.
New York Yankees slugger Giancarlo Stanton previously set the record for the worst hit, hitting 122.2 mph again in 2017 and again last year. Major League Baseball has been tracking this metric since 2015.
“At the moment, I don’t even think I hit the ball that hard,” Cruz, 23, said. “When I got into the dugout, some of my teammates shared with me that I hit the ball at 122 (mph). I laughed, but deep down I thought, ‘Wow, I really hit the ball hard. ‘” Now, it means a lot to me to find out that I’ve broken a record. That’s a positive from today’s game. “
Cruz initially thought the ball would go over the fence. Instead, it was drawn by Atlanta right fielder Ronald Acuna Jr., and Cruz (Cruz) No shot in overtime. If first baseman Matt Olson had been covering the bag, Acuna might have had an outside field goal in the first place to get Cruz.
” Honestly, I did think it was going to work but I did notice it started going down and was about to hit the fence and that’s when I started running harder,” Cruz said. “But I do hope it goes away. I didn’t expect it to hit the wall and come right back. “
The Buccaneers are going through a massive overhaul, one that’s relying on the 6-foot-6 Cruz. He made a brief cameo at the end of last season, then in June Arrived in the majors on the 20th. He hit .199 with 10 homers and 30 RBIs.
Despite his early struggles, Cruz’s tools gave Atlanta manager Brian Impressed by Snitek, he said he was glad the ball hit the wall instead of going over it and could hurt someone.
Cruz has been a Statcast darling in his debut. The shortstop hit 97.8 mph across the diamond zone on July 14 for the toughest assist ever recorded by an infielder.
“He has skills, my god,” Sniteke said. “You start grading tools, you know, for a big guy, it’s off the charts. I mean, it’s going to be fun. “
