One of the great things about modern technology is that you can easily know how far a home run was hit. MLB’s Statcast data allows fans to contextualize feats of strength like never before. But Statcast uses estimated distances. It calculates how far a ball would have traveled given the launch angle, exit velocity and atmospheric conditions. If a player hits a towering shot into the upper deck, Statcast might calculate that it went 430 feet even if it landed in a seat just 370 feet from the plate.
Because MLB stadiums are so big, you don’t usually get to see long home runs travel their full distance. But the minors are different. On Tuesday, Amarillo Sod Poodles infielder Deyvison De Los Santos hit a colossal homer that landed well into the parking lot.
Heads up in the parking lot!
— Minor League Baseball (@MiLB) July 19, 2023
Fourth-ranked @Dbacks prospect Deyvison De Los Santos demolishes a reported *486* ft. tater for the @sodpoodles: pic.twitter.com/C2pxrDdDoc
Isn’t that just so satisfying to watch? You get to see De Los Santos’s moonshot all the way until it hits the ground. After watching it in slow motion several times, I’m pretty sure it flew over the white car driving through the parking lot.
Statcast isn’t in use in Double A but De Los Santos’s homer flew an estimated 486 feet. The corner infielder just turned 20 last month and is one of the top prospects in Arizona’s system. His MLB.com scouting report says he has “the near-top-of-the-scale raw power that ranks among the best in all of the minor leagues.” He sure does.
