Johan Mieses needed only one swing to make a name for himself on the international stage.
The Boston Red Sox minor leaguer obliterated a home run Tuesday for the Dominican Republic at the Tokyo Olympics. The D.R. was trailing Israel 6-5 in the ninth inning when Mieses blasted a solo home run so far it nearly left the ballpark.
Mieses’ moon-shot tied the game, and the Dominican Republic went on to win 7-6 in a walk-off. The result eliminated Israel, and set up a United States versus Dominican Republic matchup, which will take place Wednesday.
Mieses has played 23 games each for the Double-A Portland Sea Dogs and Triple-A Worcester Red Sox in 2021. He’s batting a combined .281 with 15 home runs and 35 RBIs with a .979 OPS.
While his minor-league exploits haven’t garnered much attention, his Olympic-sized homer certainly has. Fans certainly will take notice if he continues to hit bombs when he returns to Polar Park after the Tokyo Games.
