Ronald Acuña Jr. wowed the MLB world with his blistering 121.2 mph home run against the Dodgers

The hardest-hit ball of the MLB season.

While Shohei Ohtani seems to be the runaway leader in the American League MVP race, the National League is enjoying one of the more competitive MVP battles we’ve seen in years with Ronald Acuña Jr. and Mookie Betts using this weekend’s series as a showcase to voters.

And just when Betts took the lead in some betting markets, Acuña Jr. had himself an “I took that personally” kind of series.

On Thursday, Acuña became the first player in MLB history with at least 30 home runs and 60 stolen bases in the same season. He followed that up with another home run on Friday. But come Saturday, he wasn’t done.

Batting in the third inning with a 3-0 count against Dodgers rookie Emmet Sheehan, Acuña demolished a fastball to straightaway center field. And when I say demolished, I’m not kidding.

According to Statcast, Acuña hit a 454-foot home run with an exit velocity of 121.2 mph (and a 19-degree launch angle!). It was the hardest hit ball by any player this MLB season, and it was the sixth-highest EV in the Statcast era. Out of home runs, only Giancarlo Stanton has hit a ball harder (he has home runs of 121.7 mph and 121.3 mph).

Acuña knew he had to make a statement this weekend to recapture the lead in the MVP race, and it’s safe to say that he exceeded even the loftiest of expectations at Dodger Stadium. Fans were in complete awe of that home run.