Down on the Farm - 5/10/23

Elly De La Cruz (CIN) goes off, Jose Peroza (NYM) hits 3 homers, Dominic Perachi (PIT) strikes out 9, Henry Davis (PIT) hits a pair of homers, Gabriel Hughes (COL) makes a strong start

The Rundown ⭐️

Exit velocity isn’t everything. Despite it being what Statcast and some data-driven analysts focus on the most, EV alone isn’t going to make or break a player’s future MLB chance for success. That having been said, Elly De La Cruz (21) - CIN (AAA) had himself a game. Yes, two homers and a double is impressive under any circumstances, but EDLC’s exit velocity was, simply, unmatched. His third-inning double registered at 118.8 mph, a number that simply doesn’t get touched all that often at any level of pro ball, and the biggest number in Triple-A OR the majors this season. Then he went 456 feet to center field with a monster, 116.6 mph drive two innings later in the fifth. Then, in the sixth, he switched to the left side of the plate and blasted another homer, a 117.1 mph drive. No MLB team in the Statcast era has ever recorded three hits of that exit velocity in a single game before, and De La Cruz did it all by himself. Of course, later in the game De La Cruz’s incredible power paid off in a different way, as he walked it off for the Bats, drawing a four-pitch walk with two outs in the bottom of the ninth to send Lousiville home as winners over Columbus, 10-9.

Who else showed out with some big power on Tuesday? Henry Davis (23) - PIT (AA) had two homers, as did A’s prospect (and Cole Irvin trade return) Darrell Hernaiz (21) - OAK (AA), Thomas Gavello (21) - SFG (Low-A), and former MLBer Kole Calhoun (35) - NYY (AAA). Mets farmhand Jose Peroza (22) - NYM (AA) one-upped them all, though, going 4-for-4 with three home runs and a walk in Binghamton’s loss to Hartford.