It was an Opening Day to forget for the Cubs on Thursday as they allowed the Nationals to roll into town and put together a 10-4 victory at Wrigley Field. Major League Baseball allowed the Cubs to host a game on March 27, which ensured hot chocolate sales would be sky-high and the forecast could be adventurous.
As it turns out, things weren't all that bad on Chicago's North side. The game time temperature was 49 degrees with a wind clocked at 22 mph. Certainly nothing people who have been operating in worse conditions over the past few months couldn't get past with enthusiasm for a new year and a libation or two.
The late-March wind did play a major role in the game, though, when Cubs' Ian Happ absolutely crushed a ball deep in the ninth inning that resulted in ... a harmless flyout that fell far short of the warning track.
Check out this footage.
Since 2024, there have been 27 batted balls hit between 108-109 mph at a 32° LA.
— Carson Wolf (@TheWrigleyWire) March 27, 2026
25 of those 27 went for HR and they averaged 419 ft.
Yesterday, Ian Happ hit a ball 108.5 mph at a 32° LA, but it only went 320 ft. The wind was not friendly at Wrigley on Opening Day. pic.twitter.com/9Scxckt525
If something about that doesn't look right, that's for good reason. Based on exit velocity and launch angle, Happ's ball should have gone a lot longer. Mike Petriello from MLB.com got a big chart out and calculated that the wind cost Happ 113 feet of distance on the drive.
Yesterday, Ian Happ hit an absolute tank for a home run. 109 off the bat. 32 deg LA.
— Mike Petriello (@mike_petriello) March 27, 2026
.. except, he didn't. Thanks to our friends at @WeatherApplied, we know that the wind cost him *113 feet* of distance -- which is now the largest stop in the data.
--> https://t.co/pTKQnRH2FP pic.twitter.com/A8ciftmKD7
That's pretty crazy. By the pure math and also on vibes. Anyone who has been to Wrigley understands it takes a bit of a blast to get a ball out on Waveland. For one to sail all the way back to moderately deep left field doesn't make much sense. But the numbers don't lie.
Not getting rewarded for absolutely plastering a ball is a tough pill to swallow. Happ can rest a bit easier knowing that it wouldn't have changed the final score and that there will be plenty of days when the wind is blowing out at Wrigley. Perhaps the wind will add 113 feet to one of his home runs at some point this year.
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This article was originally published on www.si.com as Cubs' Ian Happ Got Absolutely Robbed of Home Run by the Cruel Chicago Wind.
