Washington Nationals' CJ Abrams Blasts Cartoonish Home Run to Make Statcast History

CJ Abrams crushed a historic go-ahead homer on a pitch that was 4.42 feet off the ground, helping the Washington Nationals run away with an 11-5 victory over the San Francisco Giants.

Aug 6, 2024; Washington, District of Columbia, USA; Washington Nationals shortstop CJ Abrams (5) jogs around the bases after hitting a three run home run against the San Francisco Giants during the second inning at Nationals Park. / Rafael Suanes-USA TODAY Sports

The Washington Nationals found themselves in a hole early on in Tuesday's showdown with the San Francisco Giants, but it only took a few swings to get them back into it.

One swing, especially, made quite the impact on the scoreboard, the highlight reel and the history books.

The Giants went up 4-0 in the top of the first inning thanks to home runs from Heliot Ramos and Michael Conforto. The Nationals didn't have an answer until the bottom of the second, when James Wood led things off with a triple.

After a groundout and single made it a 4-2 ballgame, CJ Abrams stepped up to the plate with one out and two men on. Abrams took ball one from Hayden Birdsong, then fouled off three pitches in a row to stay alive.

Birdsong let his next pitch, a 96.4 mile-per-hour fastball, get away from him, sending it well above the strike zone. Abrams was dead set on swinging, though, and he made that swing count.

Abrams somehow crushed the ball 387 feet to right for a go-ahead, three-run home run.

CJ Abrams for the lead!

After starting the inning trailing 4-0, the @Nationals are up by one! pic.twitter.com/FxZdLe0ekB

— MLB (@MLB) August 6, 2024

As wild as the play looks in real time, historical context makes it appear even more insane.

The pitch was a whopping 4.42 feet above the ground when it reached home plate. According to MLB.com's Sarah Langs, that made it the fourth-highest pitch hit for a home run since the Statcast era began in 2015.

It was also the highest pitch hit for a home run by a Nationals player in the Statcast era.

CJ Abrams!

At 4.42 feet above the ground, this was the 4th-highest pitch hit for a home run under Statcast (2015), behind only:

6/12/22 Kyle Higashioka: 4.61 ft
5/8/17 Mark Trumbo: 4.57 ft
5/22/18 Colin Moran: 4.45 ft https://t.co/VxeDbKb2xS

— Sarah Langs (@SlangsOnSports) August 7, 2024

Abrams finished the night 2-for-5, while the Nationals went on to win 11-5. The 23-year-old shortstop, who was named an All-Star for the first time last month, is now batting .252 with 17 home runs, 57 RBI, 20 stolen bases and a .776 OPS on the season.

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