Did Ty France’s Roof-Cable Drive Have Home Run Distance?

A Rare Roof-Cable Encounter

As someone who has been a fan of baseball for as long as I can remember, I don’t recall another time when a ball hit a roof cable or another part of a roof while possibly headed out. Shohei Ohtani once hit a ball through the roof of the Tokyo Dome in Japan, but that’s another story. Tyler Lawrence France—Ty France for short—hit this ball at 105.3 mph with a 49-degree launch angle. Statcast’s park comparison said its recorded 325-foot result would have been a home run in only one MLB park: Daikin Park, home of the Houston Astros.

What the Statcast Numbers Show

The ball struck a roof cable over fair territory, which altered its flight before Brewers left fielder Jackson Chourio caught it near the left-field warning track. Statcast recorded the play at 325 feet; the publicly reported figures don’t establish a separate 342-foot distance or an exact point where the unobstructed ball would have landed. A 49-degree launch angle is exceptionally steep. Matt Olson did homer at that angle during the 2026 season at Truist Park in Atlanta, driving a 109.8-mph ball a projected 354 feet to right field. MLB reported that only three over-the-fence home runs in the Statcast era had a launch angle higher than Olson’s, so it’d be inaccurate to say his was the only known homer at exactly 49 degrees without a complete database count. Olson’s hit also benefited from wind at the open-air Truist Park. By comparison, American Family Field’s roof was closed for France’s ball, but an indoor setting doesn’t automatically make a ball travel farther because temperature, air density, and wind conditions all affect carry. France and Brewers catcher William Contreras believed the ball was going out, while Brewers manager Pat Murphy and closer Trevor Megill thought it was heading foul.

Why a Home Run Remains Uncertain

Because most MLB ballparks are open-air and balls struck at such a steep angle rarely become home runs, France’s play has few close comparisons. When a baseball hits a stationary cable, it generally loses speed and changes direction as energy is transferred through deformation, vibration, heat, and sound. That means the ball likely would have traveled farther without hitting the cable, but the available measurements do not show how much speed it lost or prove that it would’ve remained fair and cleared the fence. The reported 325-foot distance and one-park Statcast estimate support the more cautious conclusion that a homer was possible but far from certain. The strongest questions remain: how much did the cable alter the ball’s speed and direction, and where would the unobstructed flight have ended? I still think the visual evidence makes a case that it might have gone out, but the statistics do not establish that it would’ve been a home run at American Family Field. This will continue to be a highlight for years to come. Unbelievable!

Padres Face Elimination After Another Heartbreaking Loss

To make matters worse, the San Diego Padres lost game 2 in the ninth inning, suffering two heartbreakers, as they fall behind the two-game series 0-2. It’s heartbreaking. They are down, but not out. Facing elimination, the San Diego Padres must find themselves and win three straight games. In game 3, Nick Pivetta, must pitch his best game in order to slow down a Brewers team that’s now filled with all the confidence in the world.