Spring training is supposed to be for fringe players to catch on, starters to loosen up and stars to have fun. However, for Arizona Diamondbacks aspiring star Peter O’Brien, spring training is all about showing off his power.
On Wednesday, O’Brien went crazy and cracked a meat pitch an estimated 461.6 feet, leaving his bat at one of the fastest recorded speeds ever, 119.5 miles per hour. It not only was hit fast and deep, it actually is the hardest hit home run of the Statcast era in baseball.
Just how hard was it hit? It’s in the top 0.002 percent of the more than 92,000 tracked balls in play from last year. So, Giancarlo Stanton, step aside, there’s a new king of crushing home runs these days.
Perhaps we should’ve all seen this coming though, as O’Brien was named the Diamondbacks’ Minor League Hitter of the Year last season.
Ironically, O’Brien’s home run would end up as the biggest moment in a strange occurrence — a 7-7 tie between his Diamondbacks and the San Francisco Giants. His three-run home run actually tied it all up at 7-7.
A tie? In baseball?
Who knew that was possible?
Stanton, your move. O’Brien just punked you out.
[MLB.com]
