Rangers rookie Nomar Mazara crushes longest homer of the year
Talk about a long shot. If the Major League Baseball season ended today, Texas Rangers rookie Nomar Mazara would finish the year with the longest home run of the season.
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Mazara accomplished the feat Wednesday against the Los Angeles Angels. In the top of the second inning, Mazara belted an 83 mph cutter from Angels starter Hector Santiago deep into the upper deck in right field for a solo shot. The ball traveled an incredible 491 feet, making Mazara’s blast the longest hit this season.
It’s early, of course, and Mazara could eventually lose this accomplishment. That said, hitting a ball 491 feet is no easy task. And while Mazara has proven himself to be a tremendous player thus far, the odds that he would hit the longest home run of the season had to be astronomical.
That last point can’t really be argued, at least, not in a world where Miami Marlins slugger Giancarlo Stanton exists. Not to mention guys like Bryce Harper, Jose Bautista or Edwin Encarnacion, who routinely send baseballs a long way. Though he might be a considered a reach, the fact that Mark Reynolds is playing half his games in Coors Field could have made him a dark horse for the feat.
Even if you had the audacity to pick a rookie who didn’t even open the season in the majors, you would have probably picked Mazara’s former teammate Joey Gallo. Gallo not only has major-league experience, but is well-known for having some of the best raw pop in the game.
Mazara is more known for his well-rounded play as opposed to his power. He’s known for making things look easy on the field, which has earned him the nickname “The Big Chill.” That’s not exactly the type of guy you might expect to see unleash a 491 foot bomb.
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At the same time, Mazara’s no stranger to surprising people with his play. The 21-year-old is hitting a strong .318/.364/.500 on the season, and has put himself in strong consideration for the Rookie of the Year award.
Whether or not Mazara finishes with the longest home run of the season won’t impact that race, but it’s another impressive accomplishment by one of the game’s most promising players.
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Chris Cwik is a writer for Big League Stew on Yahoo Sports. Have a tip? Email him at [email protected] or follow him on Twitter! Follow @Chris_Cwik
