Major League Baseball’s (MLB) monster rookie Eli De La Cruz, 21, of the Cincinnati Reds, has broken the record for the fastest home run by an infielder.
De La Cruz set a new record for the fastest throw by an MLB infielder when he threw a 160.6-mile-per-hour ball to home plate from his shortstop position during the Reds’ home game against the San Francisco Giants at Great American Ball Park in Cincinnati, Ohio, on Sunday (Sept. 21).
“After topping his previous best with a 157.55 mph throw on July 17, Cruz surpassed it in just four days,” MLB.com wrote, noting that it was “the best fastball throw since 2015.”
Crews, who started at shortstop in the leadoff spot, made a spectacular play at second base in the top of the fourth inning with a 2-0 lead.
Cincinnati gave up a double to Luis Matos over the left field fence, allowing first baseman Wilmer Flores to rush home from second and third.
Meanwhile, Cincinnati left fielder Will Benson threw a ball to Cruz at shortstop, who immediately made a hard throw to home plate with his right hand.
The ball traveled at a whopping 160.6 kilometers per hour before reaching the catcher on a one-bounce. Cincinnati catcher Luke Mail tagged the runner out to end the inning.
160.6 kilometers per hour is the speed of an MLB fastball pitcher’s hard-hitting, wind-up fastball.
In the Korean Baseball Organization (KBO), Moon Dong-ju of the Hanwha Eagles threw a 160.1-kilometer fastball in April, becoming the first Korean player in the KBO to hit 160 kilometers per hour.
That gives you an idea of how fast De La Cruz’s fastball is.
Since making his big league debut last month, de la Cruz has been dazzling fans with his power.
On March 8 against the Los Angeles Dodgers, he hit a triple and reached third base in just 10.83 seconds, the fastest triple of the season.
He also set a franchise record by stealing second, 먹튀검증토토사이트 third, and home in the same inning against Milwaukee on April 9.
Cruz, a right-handed switch-hitter from the Dominican Republic, is hitting .279 with four home runs, 16 RBIs and 17 stolen bases this season.
In today’s game, he went 1-for-4 with a double and a walk in a 5-1 win.