Los Angeles Dodgers outfielder Teoscar Hernandez almost had an inside-the-park home run Tuesday night. Almost.
He probably would have gotten it too, if anyone other than Cincinnati Reds’ shortstop Elly De la Cruz hadn’t been the relay man on a throw to the plate.
In the bottom of the third inning of the Dodgers’ 3-2 victory over the Reds, Hernandez hit a fastball from pitcher Nick Lodolo to center field. Reds outfielder Dane Myers made a valiant effort, diving but failing to catch the ball. Because he missed it completely, the ball rolled slowly to the center field fence.
Seeing his opportunity for a rare inside-the-park home run, Teoscar Hernandez turned on the jets rounding first base. As he was doing so, J.J. Bleday raced over from left field, retrieved the ball, and fired to De la Cruz, who was positioned in shallow center.
After receiving the ball, Elly De la Cruz threw it to home plate at a speed of 105.3 mph. The throw was so hard that a stunned Hernandez ended up being out by several steps.
“I think he’s the only one who can throw me out in that situation,” Teoscar Hernandez said after the game. “Him, or somebody close to him with the strength in his arm. But we got to respect him.”
Elly De la Cruz’s throw was a record-breaker
According to Statcast, Elly De La Cruz’s throw surpassed New York Mets rookie outfielder Carson Benge’s 103.9 MPH rocket as the hardest throw made by a fielder this season.
It also set a new Statcast record as the fastest throw ever recorded by an infielder, besting, well, himself. On July 20, 2023, De La Cruz made the fastest recorded throw by an infielder at 99.8 MPH. In fact, at the time of that throw, he had four of the five fastest-tracked assists by infielders under Statcast.
Elly De La Cruz’s throw just barely edged out a 105.2 MPH toss by Pittsburgh Pirates outfielder Oneil Cruz in 2025 for the third fastest ever recorded by a position player.
Outfielder Aaron Hicks, then with the New York Yankees, is in second place with an April 20, 2016 throw measured at 105.5 MPH.
Brenton Doyle, then with the Colorado Rockies, holds the record with a 105.7 MPH throw that he uncorked on September 3, 2023.