Megan Grant’s towering home runs tend to steal the show, and that was no different at MLBx Durham this weekend.
Grant teamed up with former MLB shortstop José Reyes and East Carolina baseball player Davin Whitaker in the three-versus-three home run derby at Durham Bulls Athletic Park. Grant was more than familiar with the MLB legend captaining her squad.
“I played MLB The Show when I was a kid – still now – and I would play against him or hit with him a lot,” she said of Reyes. “So it’s just a really full-circle moment to now be teammates with him.”
MLB The Show is a video game that features real teams, ballparks, and athletes. Players collect digital baseball cards in MLB The Show’s Diamond Dynasty mode to build their ultimate team. Reyes’ cards, like the 97 OVR Signature Series card, feature maxed-out speed and stealing attributes. He’s often considered one of the game’s most exciting and valuable shortstops.
That video game character came to life for Grant, and the four-time MLB All-Star couldn’t have been more stunned by her, too.
“Unbelievable,” Reyes said about Grant. “Unbelievable talent. [To] just go out there on that stage and hit so many homers, so relaxed – she’s got everything.”
Teams at MLBx earn points for home runs, defensive catches, and bonus targets, with a five-swing “Hot Streak” that doubles the potential for points. Each athlete takes swings from a platform in the infield to hit the ball into the designated home run area. A fan told Grant he wouldn’t be surprised if she hit one off the apartment buildings in right field. She laughed, but it wouldn’t have been surprising.
During her rookie season, Grant set the new AUSL record for the longest home run in league history, blasting a 313-foot homer in her professional debut.
In the first round, Grant hit for 20 points off of 13 homers. She bested that number with another 20+ point round in the finals.
Reyes best described Grant’s ability to hit the long ball as “tanks.”
“We almost won it all… we made it to the final because of her,” Reyes said. “I told her already… she is the best.”
Savanna Collins is the Senior Reporter for the AUSL. You can follow her on Instagram @savvyco.