You Won’t Believe How Much the Wind Screwed Ian Happ on Opening Day
Sure, it came in garbage time, but it doesn’t make it any less annoying for Ian Happ, who absolutely crushed a ball in the ninth inning against the Washington Nationals on Opening Day. The Chicago Cubs lost 10-4, and this fly ball from Happ’s bat was only going to pad his stats, but it’s still insane how much yesterday’s wind at Wrigley Field affected this ball.
This wasn’t only supposed to be a home run, but you’re looking at Happ hitting a blast onto Waveland. Left-handed pitcher Cionel Perez left a 96mph fastball right down the middle of the plate, and Happ didn’t miss it. The Cubs’ left fielder crushed it, 108.5mph exit velocity, with a 31-degree launch angle.
The wind was blowing in from left field on Thursday, and unfortunately for Happ it got up to 30mph when he came to the plate in the ninth inning. You saw everyone’s reaction; it was crushed, but then James Wood started to fade back in after returning from the warning track.
All Happ could do was shake his head, grind his teeth, and trot back to the dugout. Meanwhile, Wood and Perez were laughing at how incredibly lucky they got.
Since 2024, there have been 27 batted balls hit between 108-109 mph at a 32° LA.
— Carson Wolf (@TheWrigleyWire) March 27, 2026
25 of those 27 went for HR and they averaged 419 ft.
Yesterday, Ian Happ hit a ball 108.5 mph at a 32° LA, but it only went 320 ft. The wind was not friendly at Wrigley on Opening Day. pic.twitter.com/9Scxckt525
That was a guaranteed home run off the bat, but according to MLB.com’s Mike Petriello, the wind cost Happ 113 feet of distance. So, instead of a 435-foot home run out of Wrigley Field and onto the street, it was a flyout that only went 322 feet.
Yesterday, Ian Happ hit an absolute tank for a home run. 109 off the bat. 32 deg LA.
— Mike Petriello (@mike_petriello) March 27, 2026
.. except, he didn't. Thanks to our friends at @WeatherApplied, we know that the wind cost him *113 feet* of distance — which is now the largest stop in the data.
–> https://t.co/pTKQnRH2FP pic.twitter.com/A8ciftmKD7
According to the data available, no other flyout has ever been affected as much as that ball hit by Happ.