When Pitcher List referred to Tampa Bay Rays Brandon Lowe’s blast as a “true unicorn,” they weren’t exaggerating.
At first glance, George M. Steinbrenner Field in Tampa seems innocuous. Its dimensions mirror those of Yankee Stadium. But the field itself carries a secret edge.
According to Pitcher List, the outfield isn’t entirely level, causing the balls to carry more easily, making the walls effectively lower.
This magical moment came during a fifth inning already loaded with narrative. In that same frame, Josh and Brandon Lowe–brothers in the Rays’ lineup–delivered back-to-back home runs against the Astros.
Josh connected first, and Brandon followed with the now-famed “true unicorn” shot. It was the kind of sequence that feels scripted: two brothers going yard in succession, capped off by a homer that wouldn’t have cleared most MLB parks.
A statistical outlier wrapped in family history and perfect timing.
What Makes a “True Unicorn” Home Run?
So what truly qualifies a home run as a “unicorn”? It’s the combination of statistical improbability, environmental irregularities, and perfect timing. The odds–roughly 1 in 30–are telling.
In a sport where elite power hitters homer in about 5% of their plate appearances, this was rarer still. It wasn’t simply a matter of raw strength or pristine mechanics.
The sloped terrain at GMS Field is especially intriguing. It’s not a defect so much as a characteristic–one that subtly tilts the game in a hitter’s favor, even if only in specific zones.
Watching the ball barely clear the wall was like watching a golf shot ride a gust of wind just far enough.
“Lowe’s wasn’t the first 1/30 this year, and I’m sure it won’t be the last, but it has the lowest xBA so far, at a mere .010,” Pitcher List said.
“And every 1/30 this year for GMS (I guess not every 1/30 can be hit there, but let’s be real) is different from your usual Yankee Stadium porch job in that in 2026, that ball will no longer be a homer anywhere.”
Breaking Down the Swing
The launch angle was likely in the ideal 25 to 30-degree range, with exit velocity over 110 mph–strong enough to make the most of a low wall and a favorable breeze.
Add in Tampa’s heavy, humid air which can sometimes enhance ball carry, and you have the perfect cocktail for a unicorn event.
It’s also probable that Lowe had the count in his favor, ready to attack a fastball over the plate.
A League of “Unicorns”
Lowe’s home run isnt the only unicorn play in the league. One of the most iconic? Fernando Tatis Sr. hitting two grand slams in the same inning in 1999—both off Chan Ho Park.
No one else in baseball history has done it. Nearly as surreal was Bartolo Colón’s first (and only) career home run in 2016. At 42, the beloved pitcher known more for grit than bat speed launched a shot that instantly went viral.
Then came the players who made the impossible routine. Shohei Ohtani is the face of this new frontier. With 44 home runs and a 3.14 ERA in the same 2023 season, he rewrote the blueprint for what a single athlete can do on a baseball field.
Even an elbow injury couldn’t dim his shine–he signed a $700 million deal with the Dodgers and remains the sport’s ultimate unicorn.
Now, prospects like Jurrangelo Cijntje are trying to follow in those footsteps. A true switch-pitcher who can touch the mid-90s from the right and high-80s from the left, Cijntje is a one-of-one talent.
Still developing offensively, he’s being given the rare opportunity to pursue both sides of the game.
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