Sanchez lines into 121.1 mph out

The good news for Gary Sánchez in the fourth inning on Tuesday night at Yankee Stadium was that he hit a baseball about as solidly as anyone can hit one.
The bad news was that the result was just one out on an 0-for-4 night that dropped his season average to .191. But as Statcast™ underlines, the Yankees catcher certainly deserved a better fate.
When Sanchez squared up a pitch from Mariners lefty Marco Gonzales and lined it to left field, the ball jumped off his bat at 121.1 mph. It was the highest exit velocity recorded by any player this season and tied for the hardest-hit non-grounder that Statcast™ has tracked since it came online in 2015. Last season, Sanchez's teammate, Aaron Judge, crushed a 121.1 mph home run.
Unfortunately for Sanchez, he didn't get quite enough lift on the ball to drive it out of the ballpark, with a 13-degree launch angle. Instead, he drilled it straight at Rays left fielder Denard Span, who secured the out.
Here are other standout Statcast™ plays you should know from Tuesday's action:
Jackie Bradley Jr., Red Sox
The Boston center fielder unleashed one of the best outfield throws you will ever see in the bottom of the eighth inning at Target Field. With the Twins' Robbie Grossman on third and one out, Bradley camped under a fairly deep fly ball from Ehire Adrianza and let loose with a strike that hit catcher Sandy León on the fly from 290 feet away. At 103.4 mph, it was the fourth-hardest throw and third-hardest assist that Statcast™ has tracked since it came online in 2015, and the hardest throw so far in '18. The record still belongs to the Yankees' Aaron Hicks, who hit 105.5 mph on an assist to home on April 20, 2016.

Delino DeShields, Rangers
After making a 5-star catch on Monday night, DeShields came back with a 4-star grab on a similar play Tuesday. When the Royals' Whit Merrifield crushed a deep fly ball to center in the fifth, DeShields used his elite sprint speed (30.5 feet per second) to cover 111 feet in 5.4 seconds. He converted the 29 percent catch probability just shy of the track. DeShields entered the day ranking first in the Majors this season with 11 Outs Above Average.

Matt Carpenter, Cardinals
Carpenter came up huge in a dramatic St. Louis victory, ripping a 98.1 mph fastball from the Phillies' Seranthony Domínguez just inside the right-field foul pole for a go-ahead solo shot in the top of the ninth inning. Carpenter's 108.2 mph exit velocity was his highest on a home run since June 10, 2016, and the pitch is the second-fastest that Carpenter has taken deep in his career.