If you’ve ever thought that you could hit major league pitching, think again.
Perhaps the only decent feature of ESPN’s Sunday Night Baseball broadcasts is the ump cam, which brings viewers a behind-the-plate view of the game that allows them to get a sense of what it would be like to stand in the batter’s box against a big leaguer.
ESPN went to the behind-the-plate angle after Dodgers starter Bobby Miller froze Giancarlo Stanton with a 100 mph fastball at the knees in Sunday night’s game, and the view shows just how challenging it is for even the best hitters to catch up with a pitch like that.
Bobby Miller, 100mph at the knees (home plate view) pic.twitter.com/V6EG0o6zeB
— Rob Friedman (@PitchingNinja) June 5, 2023
For comparison, here’s what the pitch looked like from the normal broadcast angle. It was right over the heart of the plate and well above Stanton’s knees, but he still didn’t stand a chance.
Miller, the No. 2 prospect in the Dodgers’ system, was making his third start as a big leaguer and had the best outing of his young career. He went six innings and allowed just one hit (a fifth-inning single to Anthony Volpe) with seven strikeouts. After issuing two first-inning walks, he didn’t walk another batter the rest of the way. It’s easy to see why scouts are so high on him—and easier to see when you can get the same view as a hitter.
