New York Yankees slugger Giancarlo Stanton returned to hitting baseball hard, this time against the Houston Astros, hitting the hardest pitch of the 2024 MLB season.
It was in the bottom of the third inning that Stanton caught a 1-2 breaking ball from Astros rookie starting pitcher Spencer Arrigetti, and the ball rocketed off his bat toward left field. The issue was not whether the ball would go out, but rather whether it would remain fair.
The ball stayed in fair area and Stanton began trotting around the bases, and Stanton’s solo home run made the game 5–1. Stanton hit back-to-back with Aaron Judge, who hit a shot to right-center field in his previous at-bat, and Juan Soto also took an early lead with one out in the first inning.
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New York Yankees No. 27 Giancarlo Stanton hits a double in the 9th inning against the Detroit Tigers on May 3, 2024 at Yankee Stadium in New York City. (Jim McIsaac/Getty Images)
Statcast measured Stanton’s batted ball and it was measured to have an exit velocity of 199.9 mph, making it the fastest ball in the league this season.
This happened after Stanton hit a 447-foot home run off Justin Verlander on Tuesday night, hitting 118.8 mph off the bat in a 10-3 win.
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It is not uncommon for Stanton to break his radar gun when he comes into contact with a baseball. In fact, this solo was only his third most powerful home run of the Statcast era, which began in 2015.
On May 5, 2024, during the game against the Detroit Tigers at Yankee Stadium in New York City, No. 27 Giancarlo Stanton of the New York Yankees breaks his bat and connects with a single in the 7th inning. (Jim McIsaac/Getty Images)
Stanton’s highest home run speed was in 2018, when he hit a 191.7 mph home run against the Texas Rangers. He also hit a 191.3 mph home run against the second-place Washington Nationals in July 2020.
The Yankees only hope that Stanton can stay healthy through the 2024 season. Pitchers fear Stanton’s ability to break up games with his power.
He’s been plagued by injuries in recent seasons, and even when he’s playing, fans have complained about his lack of activity around the bases.
New York Yankees No. 27 Giancarlo Stanton celebrates in the dugout after hitting a solo home run in the bottom of the third inning against the Houston Astros on May 8, 2024 at Yankee Stadium in the Bronx, New York City. (Sarah Steer/Getty Images)
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But Stanton is just trying to stay available so he can do what he did Wednesday night, which is his biggest asset.
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