Oneil Cruz Pittsburgh Pirates MLB home run hardest hit ball 2024 MLB season Texas Rangers baseball records

Major League Baseball features 30 teams that play a combined 2,430 games each summer. Daily action includes ground balls turned into double plays, eight-game losing streaks, and towering home runs. While these moments are common, Wednesday’s game delivered something truly unique.

In the top of the ninth inning, the Pittsburgh Pirates led the Texas Rangers 5-4. With runners on first and second, Oneil Cruz stepped to the plate. The 6-foot-7 shortstop watched an 80 mph cutter cross the plate—either a mistake or a golden opportunity.

Cruz, known for his lightning-fast hands and flat bat path, unleashed a swing that sent the ball rocketing off his bat at 116.9 mph. This blast became the hardest-hit home run of the 2024 season so far. The ball soared into right field, its trajectory curving ever closer to the foul line with each passing second.

Would the ball stay fair? Cruz stood in the batter’s box, tracking its path, perhaps silently willing it to stay within the field of play. His hopes were answered by the narrowest of margins.

Source: Defector
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