‘It Was Kind Of A Dream Of Mine’: How Zack MacEwen’s Second-Deck Blast Stole The Show At Maple Leafs’ Rogers Centre Outing

Zack MacEwen didn’t just take part in the Blue Jays day at the ballpark, he was the star of the show.

The 6-foot-4, 226-pound winger became the story of the afternoon by launching a batting-practice home run into the second deck, a display of raw power that even Auston Matthews made a point of highlighting afterward.

“It was unreal,” MacEwen said of clearing the fence. “All I wanted to do that day, I hope we get up to a plate and actually try and get a few strokes. It was just a super cool experience. Just crazy what it feels like to have had that.”

MacEwen has long been open about his affection for the Blue Jays. He said his mother rarely misses a game and that the family’s baseball roots run deep. 

“I grew up in kind of a baseball family. My dad was a good ball player. My mom played, my dad played Canada Games baseball. And my mom and dad, they put me on a ball field.”

He said he played competitively into his mid-teens at the triple-A level and was named to PEI’s Canada Games team as an underage player, before stepping away around age 15 or 16 to focus fully on hockey. He continued occasional slow-pitch and charity tournaments in the summers, but the priority had long been clear.

So when did he make the decision of pursuing hockey over his talent in baseball?

“I think since I was like three years old, probably,” MacEwen said. “Baseball was something I did in the off-season to get away from hockey. And then as I got older, I started enjoying hockey more. I always enjoyed baseball, but I think I was a little bit better at hockey, too.”

Matthews, who grew up playing competitive baseball himself, was among those who took notice of the blast. The reaction from teammates and the sheer novelty of the setting turned MacEwen into the unexpected star of the day.

“It was kind of a dream of mine to do that,” MacEwen said. “I was having fun with it.”

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