Statcast of the Day: Stanton's record-setting HR

477 feet is farthest hit at SunTrust Park; slugger homers again in 6th

August 5th, 2017

ATLANTA -- Check SunTrust Park off the list for Marlins right fielder .
In the fourth inning of Friday's 5-3 loss to the Braves, Stanton crushed a 78-mph knuckleball from right-hander R.A. Dickey a projected 477 feet, making it the farthest-hit ball at SunTrust Park. The four-time All-Star pounded out two long-distance home runs, collecting two of Miami's thee hits off Dickey over six innings.
According to Statcast™, the 477 feet easily surpasses the previous long of 447, set by Atlanta's on April 15. The exit velocity was 115.5 mph, and the drive to center had a launch angle of 25 degrees.
Stanton had never homered off a knuckleball until he connected on his record-setting shot in the fourth.
"It's just [a pitch] you can't always be on time for, I guess," Stanton said. "It's not going to hit your barrel every time. You just have to see one up, try to get underneath it."
The Marlins were hitless entering the fourth inning when Dickey left a knuckleball up, and Stanton smashed it to center. took a couple of steps backward while looking forward, and the ball smacked off the batter's eye, just below the opening for the camera well.
"That was pretty good, I'd say," Stanton said.
Stanton added a two-run shot off Dickey in the sixth to give him 35 on the season, surpassing for most in the Majors. Statcast™ projected that moonshot at 424 feet, with an exit speed of 107 mph and a launch angle of 33 degrees.

Stanton had success against Dickey, but the Marlins didn't do much otherwise.
"It was impressive what he did," catcher J.T. Realmuto said of Stanton. "We needed more guys to take the approach he did tonight, square that knuckleball up a little more."
Stanton now has eight multi-homer games this season, and 26 in his career. Stanton's season high for homers is 37, done twice, and most recently in 2014.
"I've kept him in the yard for about six years, so he's probably due," Dickey said. "I've had pretty good success against him as far as damage is concerned over the last little bit. He's good. The way I feel about it is like Shaquille O'Neal, in that he better be able to dunk it. This guy better be able to hit homers. He's a specimen. I was hoping for a little better success against him, but overall, I felt pretty good about the outing."
The 27-year-old has also gone deep in 27 of the 33 parks he has played in. His first home run of the night is the longest by a Marlins player this year. He and each reached 468 feet. Stanton also has five home runs projected farther than 475 feet, the most of any player since Statcast™ started in 2015.
The Marlins have played four times at SunTrust Park, and Stanton is still getting a feel for the new venue.
"This one, I'm still figuring out," Stanton said. "You're used to seeing a park on TV and being in it so often. I still feel like it's new."