"The whole stadium knew instantly it was gone" "Thanks Yanks!" - Los Angeles Dodgers fans praise ex-Yankees slugger Joey Gallo for his 437-foot moonshot against the Arizona Diamondbacks

Joey Gallo was the player that the New York Yankees fostered the highest expectations for going into the 2022 season. Gallo had played 6 years in Texas for the Rangers, during which time he collected an All-Star recognition and a Golden Glove Award.

"JOEY GALLO HOLY SH*T" - @ Blake Harris

It is for these reasons that the Yankees acquired Gallo at the 2021 trade deadline. The New York Yankees knew that Gallo could hit and thought that he would be a perfect match for the hitter-friendly environment at Yankee Stadium.

Joey Gallo redeems himself with an absolute moonshot for his new team

Unfortunately for the Yankees, Joey Gallo would never hit his stride in the pinstripes. After hitting only .160 in 58 games with the Yankees in 2021, it was "do or die" for Gallo in 2022.

But alas, 2022 saw no such improvements. Joey Gallo hit only .159 with 24 RBIs in 233 plate appearances when the Yankees shipped him to the Los Angeles Dodgers last month.

Since then, it has been a long, hard road to redemption for the former All-Star. Gallo again failed to even hit his weight in a Dodgers uniform.

However, last night as the Dodgers were playing host to the Arizona Diamondbacks at Dodger Stadium, Gallo gave fans a glimpse of his former self.

In the bottom of the second, in a scoreless game facing D-Backs pitcher Merrill Kelly, Gallo knew what to do. On a 1-1 count, it was the vintage Gallo laid back and smacked the fastball high and deep to right field.

Joey Gallo's oonshot was recorded at 437 feet. He could be seen smiling as though he had waited all season for that kind of success. Dodgers fans, who are happy to see their team in the NL's top spot by a mile, gave Gallo the credit he was due.

The road to redemption will be paved with many more showings like that from Gallo. He knows as well as anyone what a nightmare the past couple of seasons have been for him and how he needs to improve his numbers.

However, with the Los Angeles Dodgers poised to make a deep playoff run, we can be sure that Gallo will have his own part to play. Even if he has not been himself lately, everybody knows that deep inside Gallo is a world class player seeking to break out once again.