San Francisco Giants outfielder Mac Williamson has made waves this season.
After posting ridiculous numbers in Triple-A Sacramento, Williamson was called up by the Giants in an effort to energize their club, which had a 7-11 record and was tied for dead last in the major leagues in runs scored.
Since his call-up, Williamson has hit two mammoth home runs, both to the opposite field, and the Giants have gone 3-1. His 464-foot shot to right-center Monday night at AT&T Park powered the Giants to a 4-2 win over the visiting Washington Nationals, the presumptive favorite in the NL East.
Giants play-by-play broadcaster Duane Kuiper joined Murph & Mac Tuesday morning, and discussed the rare company that Williamson placed himself in with his blast Monday night.
“Where that ball landed, Bonds has hit balls there, but of course he was a left-handed hitter,” Kuiper said. “So you just don’t see right-handed hitters do that. And we also made the point on the wrap that there hasn’t been any right-handed hitter in the history of that ballpark that has hit one in the water. And you know, we’ve always had a short list of guys that could potentially do it, but, you know, he’s added to the list now. He has a shot at doing it. And his two home runs this year have both come basically in the same spot, right-center field.”
He further expanded on how Williamson’s power plays to all parts of the ballpark, even at AT&T Park, which has long been regarded as a hitter’s nemesis due to its deep fences, cold climate and swirling winds, as well as how Williamson’s new swing enables him to utilize his strength more effectively.
“It doesn’t really matter where he makes contact and what part of the ballpark it’s headed to, he’s just got so much power that it doesn’t matter,” Kuiper said. “So we’re all hoping that this swing change that he made is going to stick with him. And he’s showing signs that it certainly is. A lot of his balls that he used to hit, he’s hit just as hard. I mean, 110, 115-mile exit velocity, but they were ground balls. And now since his swing change, a lot of those balls that he hit on the ground are now hit in the air, and for other teams, that’s deadly, because he’s just got–he’s got as much power as Stanton. And I don’t think you can say that about a lot of guys.”
Listen to the interview below. To hear Kuiper on Williamson, skip to the 1:00 mark.
