The hardest hit ball in the Statcast era was Oneil Cruz's single in the third. There is a time and a place.
The hardest-hit batting ball in a Major League Baseball game during the Statcast era was hit by Oneil Cruz of the Pirates.
Cruz hit a three-run home run off Kyle Wright in the bottom of the third to give the Pirates a 4-3 lead.
The liner was so hard that Cruz was limited to a single by Ronald Acuna Jr., who recovered the ball and relayed it back to the infield.
The 17th batting ball with an exit velocity of at least 120 mph was tracked by Statcast. Cruz's shot was the 16th hit of the previous 16 and it was the hardest-hit ball of the season.
Cruz has been a bright spot for the last-place Pirates this season, wowing fans with his power at the plate and strong throwing arm.
Since being promoted to the Pirates last October, the lefty hitter has hit two balls with exit velocities of at least 118 mph, and he threw out the fastest infielder in the Statcast era.
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