The final home run in the bottom half of the Top 10 of the Cincinnati Reds 10 longest home runs hit during the 2021 season is upon us. Eugenio Suárez waited until September to turn things up a notch during the season and it’s also when he hit his longest homer of the year when he took Jon Lester’s cutter well beyond the fence.
The Video
The Metrics Behind The Blast
Jon Lester went with the ole reliable cutter, but the lefty didn’t fool Eugenio Suárez with the 85 MPH pitch that caught too much of the plate, running into the barrel of the Reds third baseman and was sent to the stands at 111 MPH. It was the 26th homer of the season for Suárez and nearly made it to the arch.
Distance Metrics
Distance: 452 Feet
Reds Rank: 6th
Major League Baseball Rank: 137th
Eugenio Suárez Rank (2021): 1st
Other Metrics
Launch Angle: 28°
Exit Velocity: 111.0 MPH
Reds Exit Velocity Rank (home runs only): 12th out of 222
MLB Exit Velocity Rank (home runs only): 379th (tie) out of 5935
The Story Behind The Blast
The Cincinnati Reds and St. Louis Cardinals were both attempting to chase down a wild card spot with a few weeks left in the season. Cincinnati had a 2 game lead over St. Louis entering the day. In the second inning the Reds grabbed a 1-0 lead when Jon Lester’s cutter ran back over the plate and Eugenio Suárez tattooed it deep into left-center. It was the third homer of the month for Suárez and he’d add five more before the season was over.
The Reds would win the game 4-2. Unfortunately that was the last game that the St. Louis Cardinals would lost for the next three weeks as they ran off a 17-game winning streak and left Cincinnati in their dust for the final wild card spot.
You can follow along the entire series here
Always fun to hit one out against the WLB’s, especially at their park.
Hoping we get to see this version of Geno and actual baseball in 2022.
Seconded. This Geno over a full season would obviously be huge to the potential success of this Reds club.
It would be nice but it’s not something I’d wager on. Remember he had a decent September 2020 also. We can hope but I’m not counting on it. Nor for that matter, JV repeating his last year, Naquin or Senzel either playing in 100 games, possibly not combined. The list of low expectations for the Reds is seemingly endless.
I’m not wagering on it either, LDS. In fact, I’m also sticking to my pessimistic over/under of July 4th before we see MLB games. I didn’t go see any MiLB contests last season, so I’m thinking that will change.
Yeah, I’m not impressed by the lack of urgency shown by the two sides. Seems like short sightedness, not considering the impact on the fan base in their pursuit of a few more dollars.
I’m surprised there isn’t more debate on Suarez (and Moustakas, Barrero, and Farmer). The left side of the infield will be a key to the Reds success – or failure – in 2022. If Suarez hits more like September Geno, and less like flailing Geno, that’s a huge boost for the offense. Especially given their struggles against lefties. And if Barrero plays shortstop and matures at the major league level into anything like the dominance he showed at AA and AAA, then you have a big double upgrade at 3B and SS. But if the Suarez / Moustakas tandem struggles (assuming they can’t move Moose), and Farmer plays ahead of Barrero – either because Jose struggles, or because management is short sighted – then those slots continue to be a drag and the Reds will likely struggle as a whole.
There are questions of course about the makeup and durability of the outfield, Votto’s resurgence, India’s year two, Stephenson’s durability, and the annual questions of health vs. injuries but the left side of the infield, especially which Suarez shows up, is for me the key issue that will dictate the success or lack for the 2022 offense.
Suarez is playing 3b come hell or high water. Its a Suarez problem. Is he committed to being the player from 2017-19 and hitting the ball the opposite way and hard and getting on base at .350/.360. Or …. Is it pull hitter fly ball hitter strike out hitter Suarez who really personifies all that is wrong with mlb hitting.
Barrero Farmer SS has been debated at infinitum
Ive been staunchly from day 1 on the Winker Mahle Castillo Garrett Senzel India Stephenson Antone Barrero Gutierrez Santillan side. Move over 30 somethings.
Garrett didnt work out and Antone is facing an uphill battle. Ill still support Senzel and believe he comes back .
+100 (my first award of 2022)
I’m in line with this way of thinking. Now we just need a start date.