Watch: Kyle Lewis puts M’s on board with 111 mph HR off Justin Verlander
Jul 24, 2020, 6:53 PM | Updated: 7:53 pm
(AP)
Any doubt about whether or not Kyle Lewis’ hot Summer Camp that saw him hit four home runs in Mariners intrasquad action would carry over to the regular season were quickly dismissed. The former first-round draft pick promptly hit a long home run in his first at bat of the 2020 season.
Related: A Mariners ROY candidate? What insiders are saying about Kyle Lewis
Facing off against 2019 American League Cy Young Award winner Justin Verlander for the very first time in the second inning, Lewis took the second pitch he saw – a 1-0, 95 mph fastball over the middle of the plate – deep to left field for a long and loud home run, as shown in the video below.
That didn't take long. @KLew_5 | #TrueToTheBlue pic.twitter.com/5Qwbkapd8x
— Seattle Mariners (@Mariners) July 25, 2020
According to Statcast, the baseball that Lewis bullied went 438 feet and was 111 miles per hour off of the bat.
Mariners fans have seen Lewis do this in meaningful games before, as he hit six home runs in his September callup last year. In fact, Lewis hit home runs in each of his first three MLB games, becoming just the second player in MLB history to do so, joining Colorado Rockies All-Star shortstop Trevor Story.
Lewis was the star of Seattle’s Summer Camp over the last few weeks, hitting the most home runs on the team in intrasquad action, as well as driving the ball during live batting practice against the Mariners’ pitchers. He made his first opening day start Friday night, starting in center field and hitting fourth for Seattle.
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