Welcome back to another week of chronicling the best bat flips and drops from around the league. Last week, we saw plenty of big flies paired with even bigger bat flips, from both superstars and bench players alike. There were walk-offs, grand slams, and even one-eyed home run trots as players finished up their first month, providing the newly returned fans with cause to cheer. Let’s get to it.
Presenting the best bat flips from MLB’s fourth week:
5. Fernando Tatís Jr. vs. Trevor Bauer (1)
https://gfycat.com/jaggedsillycollie
4/24/2021 — SD @ LAD
383ft, 103.7 mph, 35º launch angle
Bat flip paragon Fernando Tatís Jr. enjoyed a scorching weekend in Los Angeles as he crushed a remarkable five home runs in the Padres’ four-game set with the Dodgers. Two of them came against drone enthusiast Trevor Bauer, for whom he forwent a traditional flip and prepared his own special celebration when cornering first base. Midway into his trot, Tatís turns around to face his teammates and covers an eye with his hands as a callback to Bauer doing the same in a spring training matchup earlier in the year. Why Bauer closed an eye, we’ll never know, but Tatís made him look foolish here with this taunt. Maybe Bauer ups the ante next time and closes both of his eyes.
Style: 7
Rotation: N/A
Bauer: Poutage
4. Raimel Tapia vs. Héctor Neris
https://gfycat.com/shortvainchick
4/24/2021 — PHI @ COL
379ft, 95.5 mph, 36º launch angle
Raimel Tapia probably isn’t the first name that comes to mind when you think of the words “longball threat,” but he more than came through for the Rockies in the bottom of the ninth last week. Tapia sent both teams to the showers after lifting this fly ball just enough to clear the wall in right, and for not being much of a power hitter, he looked like a natural with the bat drop right after. Tapia was incredibly confident in a ball with a .150 expected batting average, and dropped the bat like a microphone as he walked it off for Colorado. Well done.
Style: 7.5
Drop: 8
Height: 75 inches
3. Fernando Tatís Jr. vs. Trevor Bauer (2)
https://gfycat.com/remarkablegloriousislandcanary
4/24/2021 — SD @ LAD
414ft, 105.2 mph, 28º launch angle
Tatís continued his torment of Trevor Bauer with this missile to left-center in the sixth inning. After taunting him with the “one eye open” jab in his first trip around the bases, Tatís hit him with a classic bat flip as he strolled up the first base line. It’s actually kind of hilarious how far he walks before breaking into his trot, as if he was just going to strut his way all the way to first. And check out the sweet hesitation step as Tatís rounds third and heads for home. Now he’s just having fun with it. Bonus points for the camera catching Bauer mid-nose pick too.
Style: 8.5
Rotation: 900º
Bauer: Digging for gold
2. Rougned Odor vs. Logan Allen
https://gfycat.com/thesedearcaudata
4/23/2021 — NYY @ CLE
385ft, 103.1 mph, 31º launch angle
Rougned Odor lit up Twitter with this powerful bat flip off of Logan Allen last Friday, when he took the southpaw halfway up into the right field bleachers for a two-run shot. Odor’s flip was so powerful it just bounced right back up off of the ground, providing punctuation on the mammoth blast. You can also pretty much watch the blood drain from Allen’s face as soon as he sees the ball hit the bat, as if Odor’s flip took away his soul in some sort of Shang Tsung-esque finishing move.
Style: 9
Rotation: 180º
Bounce: 24 inches
1. Trevor Story vs. David Hale
https://gfycat.com/miniaturesnivelingeyas
4/25/2021 — PHI @ COL
433ft, 104.2 mph, 33º launch angle
Trevor Story reclaimed his best bat flip crown this week with this titanic grand slam off of Philadelphia’s David Hale, which flowed into a spinning bat flip out of his backswing. The slow-motion shot of Story twisting around to fire up his dugout could go on a billboard, and the sea of purple bleachers rejoices. It’s an absolute missile, and another example of Story having one of the smoothest bat flips in baseball. Err, I mean, “Coors” or something.
Style: 9
Rotation: 450º
Grace: 9.5
That’s all for this week! Be sure to tune in on Monday for our first reader vote on the best bat flips from April! See you then!
Photo by Dustin Ian D’Andrea/Flickr | Adapted by Doug Carlin (@Bdougals on Twitter)
Happy to see Odor here, just a shame there was no audio because that would have made it clear how hard he slammed that sucker down.