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CINCINNATI – Francisco Mejia Back to the home page of the Great Hall of Fame on the first day of the season. Major League home runs in the first two of the game against the Reds starter Luis Castillo in a 6-2 San Diego victory.
Mejia took a 96-mph fastball from Castillo over the left-field-field to the Padres ahead, 1-0, in the third inning. The homer came after Castillo retired the first six San Diego hitters he faced. Mejia's first homer had an exit velocity of 103 mph and traveled a projected 395 feet, according to Statcast ™.
CINCINNATI – Francisco Mejia Back to the home page of the Great Hall of Fame on the first day of the season. Major League home runs in the first two of the game against the Reds starter Luis Castillo in a 6-2 San Diego victory.
Mejia took a 96-mph fastball from Castillo over the left-field-field to the Padres ahead, 1-0, in the third inning. The homer came after Castillo retired the first six San Diego hitters he faced. Mejia's first homer had an exit velocity of 103 mph and traveled a projected 395 feet, according to Statcast ™.
According to Elias, Mejia is the first Padres player to homer in his first two at-bats in his first start.
The 22-year-old's second-in-a-row home runner-up, leaving the bat at 100 mph and a projected 387 feet. It increased the Padres' lead to 5-0, after Hunter Renfroe clubbed a solo shot, his 20th of the season, earlier in the inning.
Video: SD @ CIN: Renfroe belts his 20th homer of 2018
Mejia homered on 97.4- and 96.3-mph pitches, making it to the third player in the majors this season to hit multiple homers off two pitches faster than 96 mph in the same game. The others were Brett Gardner and Ian Desmond.
Video: SD @ CIN: Mejia crushes his 2nd homer, has 3-run jack
Mejia, recalled from Triple-El Paso on Tuesday, made his Padres debut that night as a pinch-hitter. He is ranked as the No. 21 overall prospect and the top-ranked catcher MLB Pipeline, and is the Padres' No. 3 prospect.
"I'm really excited to catch my first game here," Mejia said. "My family is really excited."
Mejia is expected to share duties with Austin Hedges for the rest of the season mentored by veteran A.J. Ellis.
"I feel good about it," Mejia said. "I've heard only positive stuff, that's going to be in a rotation, and they've explained it to me."
Mejia caught Thursday's starter, Eric Lauer, during one of the left-hander's rehab starts with El Paso on Aug. 24. Lauer threw 3 1/3 scoreless innings that night.
"There's an upside down we're caught before," Padres manager Andy Green said. "He's got a little familiarity with how to get Lauer wins." Lauer threw the ball well in El Paso for him.
Jeff Wallner is a contributor to MLB.com based in Cincinnati.
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