Elly De La Cruz Threw 102 MPH From The Outfield and The League Has Never Seen Anything Like It

Elly De La Cruz just dropped jaws at Dodger Stadium, firing a 102 mph laser beam to the plate that absolutely cut down Teoscar Hernandez. This isn’t some normal throw, folks, not even after MLB’s official tracker downgraded the velocity. This raw power was the highest-velocity throw by an infielder for an assist since Statcast started tracking way back in 2015, and the first to even hit triple digits. That’s a new era for defense right there!

The Human Glitch, Straight Up

Seriously, how wild is it when a player throws so hard the tracking system breaks? That initial Statcast reading flashed 105.3 mph before they pulled it down for verification. This isn’t a one-off, either; it’s the second time the system has declared an error on an initial reading of his throws! Two years ago, it said he threw a ball over first base at 109 mph. Reds manager Terry Francona couldn’t help but ask, “The thing break?” Reds broadcaster Jim Day has dubbed De La Cruz “the human glitch” for how he just bedevils the technology. His teammate Eugenio Suárez simply calls him “amazing.” Downgraded velocity or not, De La Cruz was the absolute buzz of the clubhouse and the ballpark the next day. The dude owns the top six spots on the highest-velocity infielder throws list. That’s not just talent, that’s something else entirely.

Trevino Couldn’t Believe It Either

And talk about impact! Catcher Jose Trevino was on the receiving end of that cannon shot, short-hopping the throw, then turning around to wait for the runner. His reaction was probably just like the 48,000 other people in the building: pure disbelief. Trevino admitted that only maybe two *pitchers* he’s ever caught have thrown a ball harder to him: former Yankees teammate Aroldis Chapman, who routinely hit 103 mph, and former Rangers teammate Emmanuel Clase, who topped out at 102.7 mph. Think about that: an infielder throwing as hard as elite closers! The throw itself came from deep, well into the outfield, maybe 200 feet or more from the plate. It denied Hernandez an inside-the-park home run by “way more than a step.” Trevino’s only surprise? That the play wasn’t even closer.

De La Cruz is a two-time All-Star for a reason. He’s an absolute force of nature out there. What a talent to watch in this league right now!

This article was created with AI assistance and published under Seattle On Tap’s editorial standards. See our Editorial Policy.

Originally reported by Yahoo Sports.