Greatest Catches in MLB History

These electric moments are why we love the game.

Greatest Catches in MLB History

What makes a great baseball catch?

For some, a great grab is when a fielder reaches over the wall or does an acrobatic move. For others, it’s the situation. Saving a perfect game or no-hitter. Securing a pennant or even the World Series. Sometimes, it's a combination of all of the above.

Since baseball was first transmitted to film, we’ve been able to enjoy highlight catches and the legends that grow out of these moments.

Check out the greatest catches in baseball history.

30. Air Billy Does It Again

Player: Cincinnati Reds center fielder Billy Hamilton

Opponent: St. Louis Cardinals

Venue: Busch Stadium (St. Louis)

Date: July 13, 2018

Game situation: Seventh inning, 8-1 Reds, two outs, no runners on

Bottom line: This was the third home run-robbing catch of Reds center fielder Billy Hamilton’s career, and it was another reminder of the explosive athlete he’s been throughout his career.

Hamilton does a decent job of tracking the ball and doesn’t give away what a difficult catch he’s about to try and make.

Once he starts going up the wall to grab the ball hit by Matt Carpenter, you’ll get it. Watch

29. The Reach of Brian

Player: Pittsburgh Pirates left fielder Brian Giles

Opponent: Cleveland Indians

Venue: PNC Park (Pittsburgh)

Date: June 21, 2003

Game situation: Eighth inning, 5-4 Indians, one out, runner on first

Bottom line: Brian Giles’ catch wasn’t just tricky — he puts a foot into the wall and still reaches into the second row.

It was also clutch as he robbed Cleveland’s Brandon Phillips of a home run with the Indians up 5-4.

The Pirates rallied to win, 7-6, in 15 innings, and the spectacular catch ended up being the difference. Watch

28. Shuck and Awe

Player/position: Los Angeles Angels left fielder J.B Shuck

Opponent: Toronto Blue Jays

Venue: Angel Stadium of Anaheim (Anaheim, California)

Date: Aug. 2, 2013

Game situation: Fourth inning, 1-0 Blue Jays, no outs, runner on first

Bottom line: Angels outfielder J.B. Shuck robbed Toronto’s Jose Bautista of a two-run home run, going up and over the short porch in left field and landing in the laps of fans.

It's Rule 7.04c that states catches can be legal even when players go into the stands.

Shuck also went 3-for-4 at the plate and delivered the game-tying triple in a 7-4 win for the Angels. Watch

27. Joba Turns on the Juice

Player: New York Yankees pitcher Joba Chamberlain

Opponent: Cleveland Indians

Venue: Progressive Field (Cleveland, Ohio)

Date: June 1, 2009

Game situation: Fifth inning, 1-1, no outs, runners on first and second

Bottom line: Cleveland’s Kelly Shoppach executed what looked like a perfect bunt down the third-base line. He just didn’t account for the all-out effort from Yankees pitcher Joba Chamberlain.

Chamberlain’s leaping grab for the out was followed by a turn-and-fire to second base for the double play, and he picked up the win in the Yanks' 5-2 victory. Watch

26. Ward Goes Through the Wall

Player: Pittsburgh Pirates right fielder Turner Ward

Opponent: Los Angeles Dodgers

Venue: Three Rivers Stadium (Pittsburgh)

Date: May 3, 1998

Game situation: Sixth inning, 9-0 Dodgers, two outs, runners on first and third

Bottom line: Pirates outfielder Turner Ward didn't think he needed to slow down while tracking a laser shot from the Dodgers slugger Mike Piazza to the right-field wall at Three Rivers Stadium.

"I thought since it was padded, it was going to be OK," said Ward, who hit the wall going full speed. It most definitely wasn’t OK.

Ward made the catch as he busted through the wall, smashing through the padding and fiberglass support as he tumbled onto the concrete. Watch

25. Gionfriddo vs. The Yankee Clipper

Player: Brooklyn Dodgers left fielder Al Gionfriddo

Opponent: New York Yankees

Venue: Yankee Stadium (New York)

Date: Oct. 5, 1947

Game situation: Sixth inning, 8-5 Dodgers, two outs, two runners on (World Series Game 6)

Bottom line: Little-used Brooklyn Dodgers outfielder Al Gionfriddo ended up on the hero side of one of the greatest plays in World Series history.

With Game 6 of the 1947 World Series on the line, Gionfriddo robbed Yankees great Joe DiMaggio of a possible three-run home run.

The normally unflappable DiMaggio kicked up dirt in frustration — an indelible image in baseball history — but the pinstripes still won the title in seven. Watch

24. Torii Hunts Down a Bonds Blast

Player: American League All-Star center fielder Torii Hunter

Opponent: National League All-Stars

Venue: Miller Park (Milwaukee)

Date: July 9, 2002 (All-Star Game)

Game situation: First inning, 0-0, two outs, no runners on

Bottom line: The 2002 All-Star Game is remembered for Torii Hunter’s robbery of a hulked-out Barry Bonds home run in the first inning — and for ending in a 7-7 tie. Hunter’s look of surprise after making the catch is perfect, as is Bonds’ reaction.

Hunter, one of the greatest defensive center fielders of all time, won nine consecutive Gold Glove Awards at one point in his career. Watch

23. Trout Makes the Amazing Look Easy

Player: Los Angeles Angels center fielder Mike Trout

Opponent: Seattle Mariners

Venue: Angel Stadium of Anaheim (Anaheim, California)

Date: Sept. 26, 2015

Game situation: Fourth inning, 2-1 Mariners, no outs, runners on first and second

Bottom line: Mike Trout’s catch took away a three-run home run from Seattle’s Jesus Montero, and the Angels rallied for a 3-2 win.

What’s remarkable about Trout’s catch is the ease with which he climbs the wall and makes the grab.

It's due to Trout’s freakish strength, but still. Watch

22. Are You Kidding Us, Gary Matthews Jr.?

Players: Texas Rangers center fielder Gary Matthews Jr.

Opponent: Houston Astros

Venue: Ameriquest Field (Arlington, Texas)

Date: July 1, 2006

Game situation: Eighth inning, 5-0 Astros, two outs, runner on third

Bottom line: Texas outfielder Gary Matthews Jr. looked like he had rocket boosters in his shoes to get up and go over the wall to rob a home run from Houston’s Mike Lamb.

Lamb, who already had a double, triple and a home run in the game, stood at the plate and applauded Matthews Jr. after the grab. Watch

21. Kid Meets World

Player: Seattle Mariners center fielder Ken Griffey Jr.

Opponent: New York Yankees

Venue: Yankee Stadium (New York)

Date: April 26, 1990

Game situation: Fourth inning, 6-1 Mariners, two outs, no runners on

Bottom line: This home run-robbing catch was the first of many in Ken Griffey Jr.'s career, and it occurred in almost in the same spot at Yankee Stadium where his father, Ken Griffey., made a similar grab in 1985.

Take extra note of the look of disbelief on the face of Yankees batter Jesse Barfield, who was rounding second before he realized Junior made the catch on what would’ve been his 200th career home run. Watch

20. Ichiro the Wall Crawler

Player: Seattle Mariners right fielder Ichiro Suzuki

Opponent: Los Angeles Angels

Venue: Safeco Field (Seattle, Wash.)

Date: May 2, 2005

Game situation: Seventh inning, 5-0 Angels, one out, runner on second

Bottom line: Seattle outfielder Ichiro Suzuki robbed batters of home runs his entire career, but this might be his masterpiece.

Ichiro somehow gets the entire top half of his body above the right-field wall in Seattle and snags what would have been a two-run home run by Los Angeles batter Garrett Anderson.

How’d Ichiro do it? Only a slo-mo replay from a reverse angle gives the full scope of his magnificent play. Watch

19. Berkman Conquers Tal’s Hill

Houston Astros left fielder Lance Berkman

Player: Houston Astros center fielder Lance Berkman

Opponent: Pittsburgh Pirates

Venue: Minute Maid Park (Houston, Texas)

Date: May 18, 2002

Game situation: Second inning, 1-0 Astros, no outs, no runners on

Bottom line: Now-extinct Tal’s Hill was a center-field incline leading up to the wall at Minute Maid Park.

Houston center fielder Lance Berkman made perhaps the most memorable catch on it, running straight up the hill in pursuit of a long fly ball hit by Pittsburgh’s Rob Mackowiak — then somehow adjusting sideways, stumbling and still making the catch.

The hatless, befuddled Berkman’s look after he makes the grab is awesome. Watch

18. The Silver Fox Still Has Got Grit

Player: Los Angeles Dodgers second baseman Chase Utley

Opponent: Pittsburgh Pirates

Venue: PNC Park (Pittsburgh)

Date: Aug. 23, 2017

Game situation: Eighth inning, 0-0, no outs, no runners on

Bottom line: At 38 years old, Chase Utley made a play that defied time in keeping Dodgers pitcher Rich Hill’s perfect game alive.

With no outs in the eighth, Utley swoops in from second base to intercept a line drive headed into shallow right from Josh Bell. Utley snags the ball at full extension for the out.

Hill kept the no-hitter until giving up a solo home run to Josh Harrison in the 10th. Watch

17. Chavez Executes the Old Slide and Snag

Oakland Athletics third baseman Eric Chavez

Player: Oakland A's third baseman Eric Chavez

Opponent: Atlanta Braves

Venue: Oakland-Alameda County Stadium (Oakland, California)

Date: June 10, 2003

Game situation: Third inning, 1-0 A’s, no outs, no runners on

Bottom line: Oakland third baseman Eric Chavez gave his team a 1-0 lead over the Braves in the second inning with a solo home run, and in the third, he was out to do anything to protect it.

Chavez tracked a foul pop-up by Rafael Furcal into foul territory, sliding toward the barrier and making the catch just as he crashed into the A's dugout. Watch

16. Nixon Presents No-Look Thievery

Player: Atlanta Braves center fielder Otis Nixon

Opponent: Pittsburgh Pirates

Venue: Atlanta-Fulton County Stadium (Atlanta)

Date: July 25, 1992

Game situation: Ninth inning, 1-0 Braves, one out, runner on first

Bottom line: Atlanta center fielder Otis Nixon went up and robbed Pittsburgh batter Andy Van Slyke of a two-run home run to protect a 1-0 Braves lead.

Nixon doesn’t even appear to be looking at the ball when he sticks the grab.

The play, which has become known as "The Catch" to Braves fans, extended the team’s winning streak to 13 games. Watch

15. Junior Dives Feet First

Player: Seattle Mariners center fielder Ken Griffey Jr.

Opponent: Texas Rangers

Venue: Kingdome (Seattle)

Date: May 25, 1991

Game situation: Fifth inning, 2-1 Rangers, two outs, no runners on

Bottom line: Mariners center fielder and Hall of Famer Ken Griffey Jr. had wall awareness that borders on superhuman spidey sense.

It was never on better display than when Griffey Jr. snagged a long line drive by Ruben Sierra at full speed, jumped and planted both feet into the Kingdome padding and turned himself into a human accordion.

What looks like a possible terrible injury at first, he shakes off in about 30 seconds. Watch

14. Jim Edmonds Earns His Wings

Player: St. Louis Cardinals center fielder Jim Edmonds

Opponent: Houston Astros

Venue: Busch Stadium (St. Louis)

Date: Oct. 21, 2004

Game situation: Second inning, 1-0 Astros, one out, runners on first and second (NLCS Game 7)

Bottom line: It speaks to what kind of career St. Louis center fielder Jim Edmonds had that the catch that helped seal a trip to the World Series isn’t even the top grab of his career.

Edmonds' flying grab against the Astros prevented them from taking a 3-0 lead early, and the Cards rallied for a 5-2 win. Watch

13. Donaldson Says Personal Safety Be Damned

Player: Toronto Blue Jays third baseman Josh Donaldson

Opponent: Tampa Bay Rays

Venue: Tropicana Field (St. Petersburg, Florida)

Date: June 24, 2015

Game situation: Eighth inning, 0-0, no outs, no runners on

Bottom line: This foul-ball catch was one of the great highlights from Toronto third baseman Josh Donaldson’s American League MVP season in 2015.

Donaldson makes the play with such total disregard for his own safety, that even the patrons who catch him after he flies into the stands seem surprised he can get up and walk away so easily. Watch

12. A Walk in the Park for Bo

Player: Kansas City Royals center fielder Bo Jackson

Opponent: Baltimore Orioles

Venue: Memorial Stadium (Baltimore)

Date: July 11, 1990

Game situation: Third inning, 5-2 Royals, no outs, no runners on

Bottom line: This Bo Jackson catch isn’t remarkable in itself.

What's amazing is how fast Jackson is moving when he catches the fly ball hit by Baltimore’s Joe Orsulak to deep left-center field.

And what Jackson does after he catches the ball, when he walks straight up and across the padding on the outfield wall, creates the legend. Watch

11. Kirby Creates Metrodome Magic

Player: Minnesota Twins center fielder Kirby Puckett

Opponent: Atlanta Braves

Venue: Metrodome (Minneapolis)

Date: Oct. 26, 1991

Game situation: Third inning, 2-0 Twins, one out, runner on first (World Series Game 6)

Bottom line: The Minnesota Twins returned home for Game 6 of the 1991 World Series trailing the Atlanta Braves 3-2 in the series.

Kirby Puckett put the team and the city on his back from the start, leaping up the wall to rob Ron Gant of an extra-base hit in the third.

Puckett also homered twice, including a walk-off shot in the 11th, and the Twins won in seven games. Watch

10. Super Sandy Alomar Jr.

Player: Cleveland Indians catcher Sandy Alomar

Opponent: Detroit Tigers

Venue: Jacobs Field (Cleveland)

Date: Aug. 2, 1994

Game situation: First inning, 0-0, two outs, no runners on

Bottom line: This one highlight tells you everything you need to know about why Cleveland Indians catcher Sandy Alomar Jr. was regarded as one of the greatest catching prospects of all time and had a dominant stretch in the mid-late 1990s.

After Detroit’s Cecil Fielder sends a pop fly behind the backstop, Alomar puts the entire top half of his body over the backstop to make the catch, somehow teetering on the top of the wall and not going in headfirst. Watch

9. Leaping Kenny Lofton

Player: Cleveland Indians center fielder Kenny Lofton

Opponent: Baltimore Orioles

Venue: Jacobs Field (Cleveland)

Date: Aug. 4, 1996

Game situation: Eighth inning, 3-2 Indians, one out, runner on first

Bottom line: Cleveland center fielder Kenny Lofton's catch robbed Baltimore batter B.J. Surhoff of a two-run home run with the Indians leading 3-2 in the eighth and sparked a 14-2 win.

Lofton’s leap and grab should be seen in the proper context. The longtime MLB star was a high-flying guard for the University of Arizona and played in the 1988 Final Four before switching sports. Watch

8. Miraculous Met Ron Swoboda

Player: New York Mets right fielder Ron Swoboda

Opponent: Baltimore Orioles

Venue: Shea Stadium (New York)

Date: Oct. 15, 1969

Game situation: Ninth inning, 1-0 Mets, one out, runners on first and third (World Series Game 4)

Bottom line: Mets outfielder Ron Swoboda didn’t even play in the NLCS sweep of the Braves, but came up big in helping lead his team to one of the biggest upsets in World Series history.

His diving, inches-off-the-ground catch of a Brooks Robinson line drive saved Game 4. Then, Swoboda had the game-winning RBI in Game 5. Watch

7. Steven Souza’s Historic Save

Player: Washington Nationals left fielder Steven Souza

Opponent: Miami Marlins

Venue: Nationals Park (Washington D.C.)

Date: Sept. 28, 2014

Game situation: Ninth inning, 1-0 Nationals, two outs, no runners on

Bottom line: Jordan Zimmermann was ready to kiss his no-hitter hopes goodbye in the night sky, with two outs in the ninth inning of the Nationals’ regular-season finale against the Marlins.

But like some kind of crazy, no-hitter-saving superhero, Nats left fielder Steven Souza Jr. came flying in to make the diving catch and seal the first no-no in franchise history. (Watch)

6. Kevin Mitchell Doesn't Need a Glove

Player: San Francisco Giants left fielder Kevin Mitchell

Opponent: St. Louis Cardinals

Venue: Busch Stadium (St. Louis)

Date: April 26, 1989

Game situation: First inning, 1-0 Giants, one out, no runners on

Bottom line: It’s been three decades since San Francisco outfielder Kevin Mitchell snagged a foul fly ball by St. Louis shortstop Ozzie Smith out of the air with his bare hand, and the legend of the play continues to grow.

One thing to consider — playing devil’s advocate — is that Mitchell only tried the barehand grab because Smith was not exactly noted for his power hitting. Not trying to hate. Just saying. Watch

5. 'The Best Play I Ever Made'

Player: Seattle Mariners center fielder Ken Griffey Jr.

Opponent: Detroit Tigers

Venue: Tiger Stadium (Detroit)

Date: Aug. 9, 1998

Game situation: Seventh inning, 6-3 Mariners, no outs, no runners on

Bottom line: How do we know this was Seattle center fielder Ken Griffey Jr.’s greatest catch?

Because he wrote an excellent piece for The Players’ Tribune on robbing Detroit’s Luis Gonzales of a home run entitled "The Best Play I Ever Made."

In true baseball fashion, Griffey Jr. felt like the catch was the baseball gods shining down on him because he played the game the right way. Watch

4. Edmonds Livin' on a Prayer

Player: Anaheim Angels center fielder Jim Edmonds

Opponent: Kansas City Royals

Venue: Kauffman Stadium (Kansas City)

Date: June 10, 1997

Game situation: Fifth inning, 1-1, two outs, runners on first and second

Bottom line: This play jump-started the first of two Gold Glove campaigns for Angels outfielder Jim Edmonds and is almost identical to the famous catch made by Willie Mays in the 1954 World Series.

The Angels went on to win the game 5-2, but it is Edmonds' catch that’s still shown on highlight reels over 20 years later. (Watch

3. Wise Move Completes a Perfect Game

Player: Chicago White Sox center fielder Dewayne Wise

Opponent: Tampa Bay Rays

Venue: U.S. Cellular Field (Chicago)

Date: July 23, 2009

Game situation: Ninth inning, 5-0 White Sox, no outs, no runners on

Bottom line: Chicago White Sox outfielder Dewayne Wise’s catch is always in the discussion for the most clutch of all time.

Wise was brought in as a defensive replacement in center field in the ninth with a perfect game for Mark Buehrle on the line.

All Wise did was rob a home run from the first batter up, Gabe Kapler, by going over the wall and making a bobbling catch to preserve the perfecto. Watch

2. Jeter Into the Stands

Player: New York Yankees shortstop Derek Jeter

Opponent: Boston Red Sox

Venue: Yankee Stadium (New York)

Date: July 1, 2004

Game situation: Twelfth inning, 3-3, two outs, bases loaded

Bottom line: Yankees shortstop Derek Jeter’s catch has taken on its own mythology over the years, but like the old saying goes: "When the legend becomes fact, print the legend."

In this case, the truth of it is that Jeter made an extremely clutch catch in the 12th inning of a game against the Red Sox.

More truth? He probably didn’t have to go into the stands. Watch

1. Say Hey to the Catch Heard 'Round the World

Player: New York Giants center fielder Willie Mays

Opponent: Cleveland Indians

Venue: Polo Grounds (New York)

Date: September 29, 1954

Game situation: Eighth inning, 2-2, no outs, runners on first and third, no outs (World Series Game 1)

Bottom line: Straightaway center field at Polo Grounds was something to behold — either 475 or 483 feet out to dead center, according to who you ask.

New York Giants outfielder Willie Mays had to use every inch of it to catch a long fly ball by Cleveland’s Vic Wertz over the top of his head, then spin and deliver a throw to the infield to hold both runners on base.

The Giants went on to win the game 5-2 in 10 innings and sweep the series. Watch