Blue Jays’ Kevin Kiermaier Perfectly Foreshadowed Dramatic Home Run Robbery
The Blue Jays made some adjustments at the Rogers Centre this offseason, including lowering the height of the center field wall.
Ahead of Toronto’s home opener, center fielder Kevin Kiermaier, who joined the team this offseason, expressed his excitement over the new outfield dimension. In doing so, the 32-year-old almost perfectly foreshadowed his home run robbery against the Tigers during the second inning of Tuesday’s game.
“I know they lowered the wall in CF, I’m really excited about that. Hope to get opportunities to make plays out there,” Kiermaier said over the weekend, via Shi Davidi of Sportsnet.
Fast forward a few days, and Kiermaier emphatically stole a home run from Detroit’s Kerry Carpenter, making the most of the newly sized outfield wall.
Kerry Carpenter's fly ball came off the bat at 103 mph, producing a .660 xAVG, but that wasn't enough to keep it away from Kevin Kiermaier. #BlueJays pic.twitter.com/FpM0M83BrF
— Thomas Hall (@ThomasHall85) April 11, 2023
One of the game’s best defensive center fielders, Kiermaier showcased exactly why the Blue Jays pursued him this offseason with his electric web gem in Toronto’s home opener. He tracked the ball to perfection and timed his jump with precision as he reached over the Rogers Centre wall to rob Carpenter of four bases.
Kiermaier played the first 10 seasons of his MLB career with the Rays, but he didn’t waste any time adapting to his new surroundings in Toronto.