Alex McCoy gave Peoria a jolt even in defeat Thursday, launching a 435-foot home run at 118.5 mph during the Javelinas’ 8-5 loss to Scottsdale at Peoria Sports Complex. The Padres’ No. 26 prospect put himself near the top of the Arizona Fall League’s Statcast record book with one thunderous fourth-inning swing.
Key takeaways
- McCoy’s 118.5 mph homer is the fourth-hardest ball tracked in Arizona Fall League play since Statcast arrived in 2015.
- The right-handed hitting outfielder drove a first-pitch, 89.3 mph sinker from Rays right-hander Marcus Johnson.
- San Diego signed the 24-year-old as an undrafted free agent out of Hofstra in July 2024.
- McCoy hit .278/.355/.467 with 19 home runs and 24 stolen bases across High-A and Double-A during the summer.
- He opened his Fall League stint 6-for-25 with two homers and 11 strikeouts.
A desert shot with rare company
Johnson’s sinker drifted into the middle of the plate, and McCoy did not miss it. He had been working to get his timing out front after finding himself late against fastballs, and he said his only thought in the box was to be ready early. The result was a swing with plenty of room to spare.
His teammates quickly made him aware of the reading. McCoy said they told him it was “crazy,” an assessment he shared after seeing the number attached to the ball.
Only three Arizona Fall League hitters have produced a higher exit velocity in the Statcast era: Tony Blanco Jr. at 120.4 mph in 2025, Kemp Alderman at 119.5 mph in 2024 and Eloy Jiménez at 119.4 mph in 2016.
The raw force is not entirely new for McCoy. He registered a 119.5 mph ground-ball out for High-A Fort Wayne on April 12, and his top exit velocity with Single-A Lake Elsinore in 2025 reached 118 mph. At 6-foot-5, McCoy carries the kind of strength that can make a routine mistake from a pitcher look very small very quickly.
His Fall League blast also held up against Major League contact this season. Only Oneil Cruz, at 119.0 mph, hit a ball harder in the Majors, while Yordan Alvarez matched McCoy’s 118.5 mph figure twice.
More work left in Peoria
McCoy played at Hofstra under former Major Leaguer Frank Catalanotto before joining the Padres organization. In his second full professional season, he tied for the most home runs in the San Diego system with 19 while playing 123 games between High-A and Double-A.
His assignment with the Javelinas is not an injury rehabilitation stop or an attempt to rescue a lost season. It is an opportunity to face stronger competition, continue building his offensive approach and see whether his considerable power can become more frequent game production.
Thursday showed both sides of that development. McCoy struck out in his other three trips to the plate after the home run, leaving him at .240 through 25 Fall League at-bats. Still, with four weeks remaining in the desert, there is time for more loud contact.
Asked whether he might top the 118.5 mph mark before leaving Arizona, McCoy kept it simple: “We’ll see what happens.”
