The velocity matched the volume, which is why Minnesota catcher Bobby Wilson was not surprised that Mike Trout's game-ending line drive to shortstop Gregorio Petit on Friday night left the bat at 118.0 mph, the hardest-hit ball by an Angel since Statcast began tracking exit velocity in 2015.
Only 18 balls have been recorded with exit velocities of 118 mph or more since 2015; Trout's was the first to be recorded for an out.
"There are only a couple of guys when I've been behind the plate who can make that kind of sound with a ball coming off the bat, and that's David Ortiz, Alex Rodriguez and Trout," said Wilson, a 35-year-old in his 10th big league season.