Top 10 MLB plays of 2018
Distilling the entirety of the 2018 season into 10 plays that best exemplify the entertainment and excitement of the year is a daunting and foolhardy exercise. So many moments - be they epic game-saving catches or unbelievable double plays - get lost in the shuffle.
As such, this collection of show-stopping sequences is but a snapshot. Perhaps your favorite play is absent, but it is a finite list; the following 10 plays are still among the 2018 season's cream of the crop.
One caveat: No player can be featured more than once. It's entirely possible that without this, it would be a highlight reel of Andrelton Simmons and we'd leave it at that.
The official list is also limited to defensive plays. Home runs are generally dull when void of context. A home run is a home run, and rarely are they rewarding outside of the first moment. That said, there were at least three long balls deserving of preserving, so we'll start with our three honorable homers:
Ohtani's answer to Tommy John
The day reports revealed Los Angeles Angels phenom Shohei Ohtani would likely need Tommy John surgery, he suited up as the team's designated hitter and went 4-for-4 with a walk, stolen base, and a pair of home runs. The Legend of Ohtani was already being written but this game could serve as the climactic scene in the eventual film based on his rookie season.
Bryce's broken-bat bomb
New York Mets ace Jacob deGrom only allowed 10 long balls all season but at least one of them - this one - shouldn't have left the yard. Bryce Harper snapped his bat low and somehow still muscled the ball over the right-field wall in this early-season showdown.
Welcome to the show, Soto
Juan Soto's fairy-tale inaugural season may not have ended with the league's top honors for a rookie, but it sure started with a bang. His first hit in his first start was a three-run home run against the San Diego Padres back in May. (he's credited with a homer in a game scheduled a few days earlier, but that blast actually occurred in June after the contest was initially suspended due to weather.)
10. Franco makes insane long throw to get Ozuna
Maikel Franco hasn't exactly blossomed into the star many in Philadelphia expected and hoped for but he has become a solid corner infielder. Watch how this play develops. The ball carries him away from the field, forcing him to turn on his heel and rip a hail mary across the diamond from foul territory. And it's an absolute dart.
9. Bader makes it look easy in center field
The crown jewel of a collection of great plays by Harrison Bader is a cruel reminder that St. Louis' newest star center fielder (shades of Jim Edmonds) was neglected come Gold Glove time. Opposing hitters will have to send the ball to the corners or smash it over his head into the stands because if it's in play, Bader is going to grab it.
8. Simmons shows superb range to kick-start double play
Andrelton Simmons is the best defensive shortstop in a walk. He covers so much ground here and somehow has the presence of mind to flip the ball out of his glove to jump-start a double play from his stomach. This one gets better every time you look at it - it's all about Simmons calmly executing every necessary movement to complete his task.
7. Wait, Wong didn't win the Gold Glove?
With all due respect to DJ LeMahieu, Kolten Wong probably deserved the Gold Glove at second base; he tallied 19 defensive runs saved compared to LeMahieu's 18 and he did it in over 200 fewer innings. The guy just doesn't make mistakes. Even when he looks like he can't complete a play, as in the above video, he has the presence and patience to make it happen. Incredible.
6. Hamilton times leap perfectly to steal HR
Billy Hamilton's speedy athleticism is usually linked to his base-stealing ability but it's doubly effective as he patrols the outfield. Here, he commits highway robbery on Matt Carpenter, perfectly reading the ball off the bat and waiting for just the right moment to use his hops at the wall. Stunning.
5. Velasquez uses left hand for out after come-backer
Imagine having the focus and general toughness to even attempt completing this play. Vince Velasquez is apparently ambidextrous, somehow dropping his glove and delivering a left-handed dart for a first-base out after a line drive rendered his right arm useless. Yes, he was forced to leave the game, but not before a miraculous defensive effort.
4. Engel saves best for last with 3rd HR robbery in 1 week
If learning that Adam Engel was a finalist for the American League Gold Glove for center field left you asking, "who?" then allow the above video to serve as your introduction. His defensive prowess is unreal and he should become a household name for that skill alone. Few outfielders manage to steal even one home run in a season. Engel did it three times in a single week.
3. Another year, another ridiculous catch from Pillar
Just when you think Kevin Pillar has shown his best, he pulls this out of his pocket. Detroit Tigers outfielder Nicholas Castellanos can't even be mad (the 9-1 lead at the time probably helped) as he gives the outfielder a round of applause.
2. Laureano's cannon arm powers double play of the year
Oh man, what a hose. Oakland Athletics outfielder Ramon Laureano, running away from the direction of his eventual throw, makes a catch on the move. He then stops and launches the ball incredible distance to land square in Mark Canha's glove. Canha doesn't even have to move. How on earth does Laureano do this?
The catch on its own is impressive, if not really top-10 worthy. But it's the totality of the catch and doubling up on Eric Young Jr. from an absurd distance that makes this one of the season's more memorable plays.
1. Benintendi ends Game 4 of ALCS with spectacular catch
Game 4 of the ALCS between the Boston Red Sox and Houston Astros was an outstanding game with an even better ending. There were lead changes and rallies, a clutch home run, and one of the most staggering game-ending catches in recent memory. The bottom of the ninth kicked off with the Red Sox leading by two runs. Closer Craig Kimbrel, in his second inning of work, loaded the bases with three walks to bring Alex Bregman to the plate.
Cue Andrew Benintendi, who robs Bregman on a hard-liner with a marvelous diving catch. At the very least, a hit would have tied the game, potentially changing the course of history if the Astros had wound up winning. The win gave the Red Sox a 3-1 series lead - they'd go on to take Game 5 en route to a championship.
(Videos courtesy: MLB.com)