Yankees Outfielder Austin Slater Makes History on the Mound
In the world of baseball, seeing a position player take the mound typically signals a challenging situation for a team. This was the case for the New York Yankees on Wednesday night, as they faced a lopsided defeat at the hands of their opponents, falling 11-1. In an unusual twist, outfielder Austin Slater found himself on the pitching rubber, tasked with easing the burden on the beleaguered pitching staff.
A Unique Performance
Amid the chaos of the game, two remarkable feats emerged from Slater’s unexpected appearance. First and foremost, he became the only Yankees pitcher in the game who did not allow a run. In just 0.2 innings of work, he maintained a flawless earned run average (ERA) of 0.00, a stark contrast to the five preceding pitchers who all surrendered at least one run during their outings.
However, it was Slater’s pitch that truly stole the spotlight. He made history by delivering the slowest pitch ever recorded in Yankees history, a remarkable 36.4 miles per hour. This feat surpassed the previous low mark held by Isiah Kiner-Falefa, who registered a 38.5 mph pitch. While the official record only dates back to the Statcast era, initiated in 2015, it’s difficult to imagine a pitch thrown much slower than Slater’s.
A Rare Occurrence
This outing marked the second time Slater has stepped onto the mound in his career, having previously pitched for the San Francisco Giants in 2021. During that brief appearance, he also completed just one-third of an inning without allowing a run, thus preserving his perfect career ERA of 0.00.
As the Yankees navigate a challenging season, Slater’s soft-tossing performance provides a unique highlight, even in the face of a tough loss.
