A 594-foot homer in Japan? Not so fast. Plus: Baseball Card of the Week returns
Fact-checking is important, no matter how fun the lie would be.
Plus: Notes from Ken on the Dodgers and Luis Robert, we spotlight a couple stories on lesser-known subjects, and it's the grand return of the Baseball Card of the Week! I'm Levi Weaver, here with Ken Rosenthal — welcome to The Windup!
I am sorry to do this, but I'm about to wreck your fun.
With no MLB games happening over the last few days, I think we collectively got a little antsy. So when the posts began circulating Wednesday night claiming that former Rockies corner infielder Elehuris Montero had hit a 594-foot home run off Trevor Bauer in Japan, it really took off. The claim and video were reposted and shared widely across social media. Take a look.
【6回裏】＼＼＼欲しかった一発／／／#モンテロ がレフトへ特大ホームラン💥久々の打線爆発で気持ちいい✨ #carp #カープ
–✅7/17(木) 『カープ県LIVE』開催！–#緒方孝市 元監督とカープファン限定スペースで生中継観戦🎏詳しくは https://t.co/LlLKboBAzK pic.twitter.com/KcxqxEbh68
— 【公式】カープ県@7/28(月)21時〜生配信 (@sptvcarp) July 16, 2025
And hey, I get it: I think we're all a little on edge these days, wondering when karma is going to catch up. It really increases the temptation to believe things that feed our sense of schadenfreude — and nobody invites schadenfreude quite like a former big-leaguer with Bauer's history telling the world that there are only 'like 20 hitters on the planet that are true competition' for him — then being sent to the minor leagues in Japan while he goes 4-7 with a 4.06 ERA.
Advertisement
But … come on. 594 feet?! Surely not, right? That would be — and some of the posts explicitly made this claim — the longest recorded home run in history, edging out a 582-foot blast hit by Joey Meyer as a minor leaguer in 1987. That record-holder happened in the altitude of Denver, Colo. (Side note: Denver is also where Montero hit the longest home run of his big-league career — it went 449 feet.)
This stadium in Hiroshima is basically at sea level. This story was quickly falling apart.
One problem: There's no publicly listed home run distance tracker for NPB games. So I did the next-best thing: I e-mailed Montero's team, the Hiroshima Carp!
Here's their response:
'As far as we have checked the local news paper company's information, recent Montero's homer again(st) Bauer says 120 meters (that is about 393 feet). We believe the information you found on online posts are wrong.'
People were mad at me for posting this (I think they were joking. Probably.) So if — as one reply suggested — 'it still went 594 feet in our hearts,' you're certainly free to feel however you like.
But in Hiroshima, it only went about 393 feet.
From my latest notes column:
Dodgers seeking pitching: So much for the Los Angeles Dodgers building enough depth to make their team deadline-proof.
After investing a combined $107 million in free-agent relievers Tanner Scott, Blake Treinen and Kirby Yates, the Dodgers are expected to pursue bullpen help, according to sources briefed on the team's plans.
Part of the Dodgers' motivation stems from Scott's struggles — he has allowed eight homers with a 4.09 ERA, compared to three homers with a 1.75 ERA last season for Miami and San Diego.
Part of it also stems from injuries. While some of the Dodgers' injured relievers are projected to return, the production they will provide is not certain.
Dodgers president of baseball operations Andrew Friedman hates overpaying at the deadline, and constructed his 2025 roster with the express purpose of avoiding such a fate.
Looks like he'll be shopping again, anyway.
What will be with the LVP: In his recent midseason awards column, The Athletic's Jayson Stark named Chicago White Sox center fielder Luis Robert his Least Valuable Player.
Advertisement
'He has one job — to get himself traded,' Stark quoted a friend as saying. 'And he's failing!'
The problem for the White Sox is they might face little choice but to move Robert anyway. There seems virtually no chance of the team exercising Robert's $20 million option for 2026. A trade would be the only way for the team to get something back, however meager.
Robert's .190 batting average is the second lowest among qualifiers after Michael Conforto's .184. He has struck out nearly twice as many times (93) as he has hits (51). His offense is so bad, his bWAR is at replacement level and his fWAR is just slightly above, even though he has stolen 22 bases in 28 attempts and rates above-average in center.
Perhaps a team such as the San Diego Padres would take Robert if the White Sox included a portion of his remaining salary, something the team has indicated a willingness to do. But even then, the White Sox could not count on getting much of a return. Robert's value keeps sinking, and time is running out.
Some of my favorite sports stories are ones that go extremely in-depth on a subject I don't know much about. We have two of them for you today:
In his last full MLB season — 2016, with the Brewers, Carter led the NL in home runs, with 41. That offseason, he was non-tendered. Blum spoke to Carter about that, and much more, as the real-life 'Crash Davis' passed the milestone.
Both stories are worth your time even if — no, particularly if — you're unfamiliar with Carter or Kemp.
Can I admit something? I meant to start doing this every Friday when the regular season began, and I just … forgot. Didn't even think about it. But one of our editors dropped me a message this week and said people miss it.
Oh, right! I was going to do that. So we're bringing it back for the second half.
This week's card features a callback to our first story today: Before this week's viral moment, Elehuris Montero's biggest claim to fame was probably being part of the trade from the Cardinals to the Rockies for this guy.
So why this card, instead of any of my other Arenado cards? Eh, I just think it's cool he's blowing a bubble in the middle of a play.
It has been a while since I put my hand over my mouth while reading a story. Today's from Larry Holder — about an FBI bust of a memorabilia counterfeiter, and how Fanatics aided the investigation — did the job.
It feels fated at this point, but Richard Deitsch asks the question: How much longer until the World Series is exclusively broadcast via streaming?
Advertisement
Dan Brown got the backstory on the viral photo of Henry Aaron's widow watching the All-Star Game tribute to the home run king.
Here's a wild question: How much longer does Aaron Judge need to stay healthy and productive to become the greatest Yankee of all time?
What a year of ups and downs for Diamondbacks infielder Ketel Marte. The latest: His home was burglarized while he was playing in the All-Star Game.
Dr. David Altchek, Mets medical director and one of the game's pre-eminent elbow surgeons, died yesterday at 68 years old.
Jim Bowden suggests the trade deadline should be moved back to Aug. 15. I gotta admit: He makes some compelling points.
Our bold predictions for the second half include two different teams reuniting with Eugenio Suárez. Meanwhile, we have an All-30 with one defining stat for each team.
Keith Law's division-by-division draft class review wraps today with the AL Central and AL East.
On the pods: On 'Rates & Barrels,' Stephen Nesbitt joined DVR to preview second-half bounce-back candidates and the highs and lows of the All-Star break.
Most-clicked in our last newsletter: Nesbitt's story that asked if MLB should expand the All-Star Game swing-off to the regular season.
📫 Love The Windup? Check out The Athletic's other newsletters.
(Photo of Bauer in 2019: Kareem Elgazzar / The Enquirer / USA Today Network via Imagn Images)
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Yahoo
20 minutes ago
- Yahoo
Big Dumper's big year: Cal Raleigh's 'staggering' season leads an offensive surge by MLB catchers
Seattle's Cal Raleigh — better known by the catchy nickname 'Big Dumper' — has lived up to the moniker, dropping baseball into the outfield seats all over the big leagues this season. Manager Dan Wilson has been in awe of his talents. 'That's what you get from Cal," Wilson said. 'Night in, night out, blocking balls, calling the game, leading a pitching staff, throwing runners out — that's what Cal does and he does it very well.' Oh ... wait a second. Wilson obviously wasn't taking about Raleigh's prodigious power — he's talking about how the 28-year-old handles the most demanding defensive position on the baseball field: Catcher. Raleigh has smashed 42 homers this season, putting him on pace for 60, with a chance to catch Aaron Judge's American League record of 62. That would be fun to watch under any circumstance. The fact that the All-Star and Home Run Derby champion is also responsible for guiding the Mariners' pitching staff on most nights makes it even more impressive. Seattle is currently in the thick of the American League playoff race with a 60-53 record, and the Mariners are relying on Raleigh's bat and his brain to try and make the playoffs for just the third time since 2001. There's the mental side of the job — meetings, film study, calling pitches — but there's also the wear and tear of the physical side. The 2024 Gold Glove winner is also squatting, handling the run game, taking painful foul tips off all parts of his body, putting his 6-foot-2, 235-pound frame through the ringer four or five nights a week. All while hitting those homers. Catching is demanding and can wear on power hitters The fact that it took Raleigh a few years in the big leagues to emerge as a true superstar — this is his fourth full season with the Mariners — isn't surprising. The learning curve for young catchers can be severe and the defensive part of the job takes precedence. There's a long list of backstops who couldn't hit a lick yet carved out long MLB careers. Raleigh is a man of many talents and his power was always evident. He hit 27 homers in 2022, 30 in 2023 and 34 last season. Now he's on pace for 50 long balls and maybe more. There are only five other players in big league history who have hit at least 40 homers while primarily playing catcher: Salvador Perez, Johnny Bench (twice), Roy Campanella, Todd Hundley and Mike Piazza (twice). Bench, Campanella and Piazza are Hall of Famers. It's evidence of a player at the top of his game — and one who has come through plenty of experience. 'I don't think I'm trying any harder or doing any more than I have in the past,' Raleigh said. 'Maybe a little more focused on the right things, and not constantly trying to tweak or change something that I have been in the past. So, I think that's been the biggest part to the success, and just trying to keep that consistent and steady.' Wilson was more direct, putting into perspective what Raleigh has accomplished through the first four months of the season. 'It's pretty staggering,' Wilson said. Raleigh's big numbers are part of an offensive surge for MLB catchers: Will Smith, Hunter Goodman, Logan O'Hoppe, Shea Langeliers, Alejandro Kirk, Salvador Perez and William Contreras are among roughly a dozen at the position who are more than holding their own at the plate. Veteran catcher Carson Kelly is on pace to have his best offensive season in the big leagues at 31, batting .272 with 13 homers and 36 RBIs for the Chicago Cubs. He's been in the big leagues for 10 years and said the balance between offense and defense is tough for young players. 'It's almost like you're drinking from a firehose with how much information you have,' Kelly said. 'And I think, as you see catchers, as the years go on, you get smarter. 'You get smarter in your routines. and you're able to focus on the little details,' he continued. 'When you get called up as a young guy, there's so much going on. And as the years go by and as the days go by, you get more comfortable. 'OK, I know this, I know that, how do I really funnel this down into a couple points?' "I think that's, you know, when you see catchers kind of take off.' Some adjustments are helping catchers stay fresh One major factor for the increased offensive production for catchers could be the one-knee down defensive stance that's been adopted by nearly every MLB catcher over the past five years. The argument for the stance is its helpful for defensive reasons, including framing pitches on the corners. But there's also the added benefit that it's a little easier on the knees than squatting a couple hundred times per game. 'A hundred percent," said Goodman, the Rockies primary catcher who is hitting .279 with 20 homers. 'You think about back in the day when everybody was squatting … being in a squat for that long can be can be hard on your legs. Getting on a knee gives your legs a little bit of rest for sure.' Statistical trends suggest he has a point. Catchers have accounted for 12.2% of all MLB homers this season, making a slow climb from 10% in 2018. Raleigh's been the best of the bunch and fans — along with his catching peers — are noticing. 'It just seems like on both sides of the ball, when he's behind the plate he's really focused on his pitchers and calling a good game and all the things that a catching position entails, and then when he comes up to the plate, he can do damage," Kelly said. ___ AP Baseball Writers Mike Fitzpatrick and Jay Cohen, along with AP freelancer Jack Magruder, contributed to this story. ___ AP MLB:
USA Today
21 minutes ago
- USA Today
Brandon Lowe Player Props: August 4, Rays vs. Angels
Brandon Lowe is trying to build on a one-hit performance in his most recent game (1 for 4). His Tampa Bay Rays take on Yusei Kikuchi and the Los Angeles Angels on Monday at 9:38 p.m. ET on MLB Network, FDSW and FDSSUN. Find odds, stats, and more below to make your Brandon Lowe player prop bets. Lowe has 12 doubles, 19 home runs and 25 walks while hitting .271. In MLB action, Lowe ranks 36th in homers and 73rd in RBI. Watch tonight's Rays game on Fubo! Brandon Lowe Prop Bets and Odds How to Watch Tampa Bay Rays vs. Los Angeles Angels Brandon Lowe vs. Yusei Kikuchi Brandon Lowe prop bet insights MLB odds courtesy of BetMGM Sportsbook. Odds updated Monday at 1:24 p.m. ET. For a full list of sports betting odds, access USA TODAY Sports Betting Scores Odds Hub. Brandon Lowe stats against the Angels Angels starter: Yusei Kikuchi
USA Today
21 minutes ago
- USA Today
Jose Altuve Player Props: August 4, Astros vs. Marlins
Jose Altuve will try to improve on a one-hit showing in his last game (1 for 4). His Houston Astros take on Sandy Alcantara and the Miami Marlins on Monday at 6:40 p.m. ET on FDSFL and SCHN. Find odds, stats, and more below to make your Jose Altuve player prop bets. Altuve is hitting .280 with 17 doubles, a triple, 18 home runs and 39 walks. Among hitters in MLB play, Altuve ranks 45th in home runs and 57th in RBI. Watch tonight's Astros game on Fubo! Jose Altuve Prop Bets and Odds How to Watch Houston Astros vs. Miami Marlins Jose Altuve prop bet insights MLB odds courtesy of BetMGM Sportsbook. Odds updated Monday at 1:24 p.m. ET. For a full list of sports betting odds, access USA TODAY Sports Betting Scores Odds Hub. Jose Altuve stats against the Marlins Marlins starter: Sandy Alcantara
