Oneil Cruz of the Pittsburgh Pirates made headlines by hitting the two hardest-hit balls of the 2024 MLB season in a single game against the San Francisco Giants. On May 21, Cruz hit a single with an exit velocity of 120.4 mph, which was the hardest hit ball of the season at that time. Later in the same game, he surpassed his own record with a 121.5 mph double, tying the game in the ninth inning. Cruz's performance also marked him as the first player in the Statcast Era to have two batted balls exceed 120 mph and three exceed 115 mph in the same game. His remarkable feat underscores his exceptional hitting power and has set a new benchmark for exit velocities in MLB.
Hardest-hit baseballs in MLB this season: 1. Oneil Cruz - 121.5 MPH (just now) 2. Oneil Cruz - 120.4 MPH (earlier tonight) 🎥 @MLB https://t.co/CFn53u7Sq5
Oneil Cruz becomes the first player in Statcast history with two batted balls at 120+ MPH and three at 115+ MPH in the same game. (H/T: @SlangsOnSports) https://t.co/rTvLiQxjKY
Oneil Cruz exit velocity in this game: - 121.5 MPH - 120.4 MPH - 116.3 MPH This one tied the game up 🔥 https://t.co/2oDZ7Cifo0
Oneil Cruz after hitting a baseball 120+ MPH: https://t.co/dwyhjuEPBz https://t.co/VXsjm3tClK
Oneil Cruz becomes the first player in the Statcast era with two 120+ MPH batted balls as well as three 115+ MPH batted balls in the same game (h/t @SlangsOnSports) https://t.co/iXtDUNT1wK
121.5 MPH. 🤯 Oneil Cruz ties the game in the ninth with a ROCKET off the bat! https://t.co/qcJykGrvvK
Hardest-hit balls this season: Oneil Cruz, 121.5 MPH (tonight) Oneil Cruz, 120.4 MPH (earlier tonight) (via @MLB) https://t.co/OB8yEeI45l
ONEIL CRUZ TIES IT WITH A 121.5 MPH DOUBLE! He has the two hardest hit balls in MLB THIS SEASON just tonight! https://t.co/HQiU4FDx05
With that 121.5 mph double, Oneil Cruz has the two hardest-hit balls in MLB this season, 3 of the top 4 and 4 of the top 8.
121.5 MPH off the bat of Oneil Cruz 😳 Tie game. https://t.co/RqEDJuiwW1
Oneil Cruz has a dropped pop-up and also hit the two hardest hit balls of the entire season in MLB tonight. You may not like it but this is how baseball returns to cultural prominence
Oneil Cruz tops his own MLB-best with a 121.5 MPH double to tie the game! Pirates have scored four in the 9th! https://t.co/nGDjliAxrU
120.4 MPH off the bat. There will not be a harder hit ball this season! https://t.co/H5CSkRJrzN
That seeing-eye double from Oneil Cruz only went 116.3 mph. Bat must've cracked or something.
Some numbersa on that Cruz single: Exit velo of 120.4 mph Hardest by an MLB player this season. Cruz has 2 of top 3 in 2024 and 3 of the top 7 (all since 5/11) Second hardest-hit ball by a Pirate in the Statcast Era (2015-present), trialing his 122.4 mph single on 8/24/22.
Oneil Cruz’s 120.4 mph single came on a 84.5 mph swing he entered the day with 18 swings this season at 84+ mph only Giancarlo Stanton (24) had more…and nobody else had more than 9
This ball came off the bat of Oneil Cruz at 120.4 mph, the hardest hit ball of the season. RIPPED it 😳 🎥: @MLB https://t.co/nbdVu9qwJ2
Note from Pirates' PR: Oneil Cruz’s single in the first inning had an exit velocity of 120.4 mph, the hardest hit ball by a Major League player this season.
Oneil Cruz with a LASER of a single. 🔥 At 120.4 mph, it is the hardest hit ball in MLB this season. 🤯 https://t.co/FNZLop6akq
ONEIL CRUZ JUST HIT A 120.4 MPH BALL FOR THE HARDEST HIT BALL OF THE SEASON. 😱 (🎥: @MLB) https://t.co/ZowZBYSY5X
That’s a 120.4 MPH hit for Oneil Cruz Yes 120.4 mph https://t.co/CxnyxziDLP
Oneil Cruz just hit the hardest ball of the season. 120.4mph It was a single. https://t.co/CBRdTlm3fR
Oneil Cruz just hit a ball 120.4 MPH. 😳 That’s the hardest hit ball this season!https://t.co/2hen6izEcA
ONEIL CRUZ 120.4 MPH SINGLE! 🚀 Makes up for the dropped pop fly with the hardest hit ball in MLB this season 🔥 https://t.co/0E7P2pgT6S
😮NEIL CRUZ. 120.4 MPH FOR THE HARDEST-HIT BALL OF THE SEASON 😳🔥 (via @MLB) https://t.co/j84HkhmNv7
This Oneil Cruz single traveled 120.4 MPH, the hardest hit ball in MLB this season https://t.co/Y0qzPpOdD5
120.4 mph ‼️ Oneil Cruz lashes the hardest-hit ball of the year. https://t.co/3FhLB8gnrY
Oneil Cruz drops a pop fly that could’ve gotten the Pirates out of the inning and the Giants get two runs in the inning because of it! https://t.co/pSPCLV1UPZ
The Fastest Bat Speeds of the 2024 Season so far…every swing with a 87mph + Bat Speed 👀🤔 #batspeed #the108way https://t.co/IdYAcQb1ZS