6-foot-7 prospect drills 119.8 mph (!!), 450-foot walk-off homer

A 6-foot-7 player in the Pirates' organization posting eye-popping exit velocities? That sounds pretty familiar.

Meet Tony Blanco Jr., the Pirates’ No. 25 prospect, who has been displaying shades of Oneil Cruz as of late with his laser home runs.

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The 20-year-old first baseman/outfielder, standing at the same height as the Pirates' center fielder, has played just seven games in a Statcast-equipped ballpark and he’s already launched two homers over 118 mph. His latest feat came on Saturday night, when he drilled a 119.8 mph walk-off moonshot -- the hardest hit ball in the Minors this season, per Statcast. (To note: Statcast data is available at all Triple-A ballparks and in the Single-A Florida State League; it is not available in other leagues.)

Blanco Jr.'s wallop, which narrowly eclipsed a 118.9 mph homer he crushed on Wednesday, traveled 450 feet into the night sky and vaulted Single-A Bradenton to a 6-5 win over Clearwater at LECOM Park.

The son of a baseball journeyman bearing the same name (who spent a brief stint with the Nationals in 2005), Blanco Jr. signed with Pittsburgh for $900,000 in January 2022. The 243-pounder flashed his massive power potential over three Rookie-ball seasons, earning a spot in Single-A upon his return from a leg injury this year.

In the seven contests for Bradenton, Blanco Jr. sports a .292/.419/.542 slash line with six walks compared to 10 strikeouts.

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Pittsburgh fans -- and the baseball world as a whole -- have witnessed the physical triumphs of Cruz for a few years now. From his Stacast Era-best 122.9 mph big fly on May 25, to his throws at and over 100 mph, Cruz’s name is peppered across the Statcast leaderboards.

If Blanco Jr. continues on the pace he's begun to set this week, he may one day give the Pirates' center fielder a run for his money when it comes to being a metric marvel.