Milwaukee Brewers rookie Brice Turang hits first home run, which is actually a grand slam
The 2023 MLB season is already turning out to be an exciting one with Aaron Judge hitting a home run on Opening Day and the introduction of the pitch clock.
Milwaukee Brewers second baseman Brice Turang is adding his name to the list of sluggers this season. The rookie hit his first major league home run in a game against the New York Mets on Monday at American Family Field – a grand slam.
The hit came in the bottom of the fifth inning. With one out and the bases loaded, Mets pitcher Tommy Hunter wound up and threw a pitch that landed on the inside edge of the strike zone. Turang swung and sent the ball flying 417 feet out of center right field. The crowd, which included his parents, cheered as the home team went up 10-0, which was the final score as the Brewers won their home opener.
Turang also stole second base earlier in the day when he was walked in the third inning.
The 23-year-old was drafted by the Brewers in the first round of the 2018 MLB draft out of Santiago High School in Corona, California. He spent four years climbing the minor league ranks. He posted a .286 batting average last year for Milwaukee's Triple-A team, the Nashville Sounds, and also had 13 home runs.
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"We've seen him come up the system and now, last year, he really broke out," Brewers broadcaster Sophia Minnaert said in a team video highlighting its rookie class ahead of the 2023 season. "It felt like he put all of the tools together."
"He's a great teammate, but he's an even better player," Sounds outfielder Sal Frelick added. "He makes everybody around him better and he's a winner as well."