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During Monday night’s national championship game between LSU and Florida, fans got a glimpse into mind of a hitter. A home plate view showed just how impossible it is to hit a 99 MPH fastball coming from the mound.
Making things more difficult, the camera angle showed the pitch coming in while shadows covered the infield grass in a lefty-lefty matchup between Jac Caglianone and Tre’ Morgan.
Caglianone is a known commodity in college baseball. The dual threat talent mashed 33 home runs at the dish and went 7-4 as a starting pitcher.
The sophomore is considered one of the top players in the 2024 MLB Draft class according to Future Star Series, coming in at No. 1 in their list of top 200 eligible prospects.
Caglianone is possibly the most decorated and talented two-way player college baseball has seen in a very long time. Offensively he possesses immense hand and bat speed allowing the 6-foot-5-inch lefty to get into double-plus raw power… On the mound, he’s been up to 99 and will flash an above average slider that’s really come on of late… Caglianone is a legitimate pitching prospect, though there is a bit of reliever risk due to command concerns and his ability to repeat his operation deep into starts.
As you’d imagine, making contact off the superstar has proven difficult.
LSU first baseman Tre’ Morgan got a first-hand look at that level of difficulty, as did the rest of the baseball world.
Jac Caglianone, 99mph Bohemian Rhapsody Fastball. ⚰️🪦
Mama, he just killed a man. pic.twitter.com/5cYa3mPxrb
— Rob Friedman (@PitchingNinja) June 26, 2023
On a first inning fastball, Morgan was fooled, pulling the trigger on a pitch up and out of the zone. In fact, it nearly hit him in the jaw.
A look from behind the dish showed just what Morgan was dealing with.
Not only did the fastball have a ton of run, but it crossed into the shadows on the infield just before reaching the plate. After initially reacting to the 99 MPH pitch, he couldn’t help but swing through despite falling down in the batter’s box.
This video is the PERFECT example of why hitting with shadows sucks.
This is a 99mph fastball up and in that just disappears when it enters the shadow
— Ben Verlander (@BenVerlander) June 26, 2023
Fans were quick to comment.
One follower wrote, “He was literally just swinging to keep the ball from hitting him! Nasty.”
Someone else said, “That’s absolutely brutal.”
This social media user posted, “I watched this on repeat a dozen times and I have no idea where the ball is. Makes the catcher look like a wizard for catching it.”
This just confirms what most already know. Baseball is hard.