© Eric Canha/Imagn
Boston Red Sox shortstop Trevor Story hit a 306-foot home run in the team’s 6-4 victory over the Cleveland Guardians on Monday. That alone isn’t news. After all, it was Story’s 23rd home run of the year.
But the mystery lies in how exactly Story hit a home run that, according to the numbers, couldn’t possibly be a home run in any of the 30 Major League Baseball ballparks. And that includes two temporary Minor League parks this season!
Trevor Story just hit a home run that would’ve been a home run in 0 of 30 ballparks pic.twitter.com/4spdnHKi8a
— Dan (@dano708) September 1, 2025
Trevor Story Got An Incredible Assist On His Physics-Breaking Home Run
According to MLB’s Statcast, Story’s home run would not be a home run in any ballpark, including Fenway Park, where he actually hit the home run. Story hit the ball just 94.5 miles per hour and with a launch angle of 42 degrees. In most parks, that is a routine fly out.
Once again, according to Statcast, Story’s home run had an expected batting average of just .010 when it came off his bat! So, how in the world did this end up a home run?
It’s called the Pesky Pole for a reason!
Trevor Story lines this ball down the right field line for a home run! pic.twitter.com/4mZTytrbWx
— MLB (@MLB) September 1, 2025
The answer lies with Fenway Park’s iconic “Pesky Pole,” named for Red Sox legend Johnny Pesky. Because of the shape of Fenway Park’s right field, the front of the foul sits about a foot or two inside the stated dimensions of the ballpark.
When Cleveland Indians right fielder Jhonkensy Noel went to attempt to catch the ball, it grazed off the outside of the foul pole. Story initially stopped at second base, believing he had a double. But upon review, umpires realized that the ball struck the pole before Noel could get his glove on it, and awarded Story the home run.
Baseball is full of strange plays, and this probably does not even scratch the surface of the strangest of all time. But it is probably one of the only (traditional) home runs to have a zero percent chance of leaving the park off the bat.