Ever since AT&T Park opened in 2000, the stadium has boasted one of baseball’s most picturesque settings along McCovey Cove. And with that, batters had the opportunity to actually hit home runs into the ocean.
But in those 25 seasons, splash-down home runs have exclusively been a feat for left-handed batters. Entering Sunday, there had been 104 splash-down homers, and all of them had been hit by left-handed batters (many of which by this guy).
That changed on Sunday.
With the Giants down a run in the ninth inning against the Padres, outfielder Heliot Ramos barreled a 100.2 mph fastball from Robert Suarez and became the first right-handed batter to ever hit a home run into McCovey Cove.
Heliot Ramos becomes the first right-handed batter to mash a Splash Hit 🤯 pic.twitter.com/C69BpDBbqw
— SF Giants on NBCS (@NBCSGiants) September 15, 2024
How about Heliot Ramos with the first-ever splash into McCovey Cove by a right-handed hitter yesterday!?#MLBCentral pic.twitter.com/TKcJIYVG1g
— MLB Network (@MLBNetwork) September 16, 2024
It was bound to happen at some point, especially given the velocity from today’s pitchers. But it’s difficult to overstate how impressive that 394-foot, opposite-field home run was.
MLB fans loved that it finally happened for a right-handed batter.
This was how Twitter/X reacted
THIS IS BASEBALL HISTORY. DO YALL UNDERSTAND HOW HARD THIS IS?! https://t.co/raC6RcvW2e
— IcyVert (@IcyVert) September 15, 2024
i feel like no one is talking about this enough https://t.co/z4eq8X4e6E
— Kayla O’Sullivan (@kaylaosullivann) September 16, 2024
HELIOT
FIRST RHB SPLASH HIT!
IN CLEMENTE'S 21
AFTER ARRIVING IN A CLASSIC CEPEDA HAT
— Sarah Langs (@SlangsOnSports) September 15, 2024
People don’t realize how amazing this really is https://t.co/3ocITQtVIf
— Roy Drones Jr (@chiweethedog) September 16, 2024
Can't believe we got a right handed splash hit before we got GTA VI https://t.co/OK1rwlFq7x
— Walkoffstudios (@walkoffstudios) September 15, 2024
2-1 game.
21st homer of the year.
Wearing 21.
Right handed Puerto Rican hitter.
Unbelievable. https://t.co/eXau2oxqAE
— Austin Oravec (@AustinOravec) September 16, 2024
Might be the most exciting moment of the 2024 season for this team. https://t.co/Bmds4vU01Y
— Geoff Schwartz (@geoffschwartz) September 16, 2024
