Watch: Mets prospect hits home run that's never been seen by Statcast
MLB.com does a fantastic job of providing information about the league, its games, and its players — perhaps better than any other sport.
And its MLB Statcast is a great service that tracks home run distances. pitch velocities and other interesting statistics.
But sometimes we get stats that are a little excessive. For example, at the MLB’s Futures game, which is part of All-Star week at Nationals Park, produced a statistical first from Statcast that was extremely specific.
The MLB’s All Star Futures game, played Sunday, is a showcase for young prospects who aren’t yet in the majors. It features top prospects from the USA going against top prospects from other countries around the world.
One of the prospects from Team USA, Peter Alonso — who plays for the Mets Triple-A affiliate — blasted a majestic and impressive two-run homer in the bottom of the seventh that put Team USA up 9-6 on their way to a 10-6 win.
It was a thing of beauty.
Peter Alonso (#Mets): No doubt about it. pic.twitter.com/zBqfQpm41I
— Today in MLB (@Todayin_MLB) July 15, 2018
It was a towering drive deep into the left field bleachers that traveled 415 feet, according to Statcast.
Statcast also said it was the first home run ever hit that traveled faster than 113 mph at a 40-degree launch angle.
That’s really diving deep into the minutiae. Not to mention, there are a lot of “first ever” occasions for statistics such as launch angle and exit velocity that weren’t measured until 2015.
There has NEVER been a home run of 113+ mph with a 40+ degree launch angle measured by @statcast. Until @Mets No. 2 prospect Peter Alonso did this in today's #FuturesGame: https://t.co/TnRERMFTjb pic.twitter.com/QHwdW49QFI
— MLB Pipeline (@MLBPipeline) July 16, 2018
That aside, it was an impressive homer and Alonso, 23, is an impressive prospect. The first baseman is the second ranked prospect in the Mets farm system and 69th ranked prospect in the majors.
“Oh my god. It felt like a lightning bolt hit the tip of my bat. That was awesome,” said Alonso, according to the New York Post.
https://twitter.com/PeterAlonso20/status/1018654745328848901
“I just think that, for me, I try to block everything out … I do want to be in the big leagues. Everyone here wants to be. … That’s what we’re all working for. It’s a dream and it’s a goal, but it’s a day-to-day thing that I just need to stay locked in on a daily basis,” Alonso said.
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