Carlos Gomez robs Matt Duffy with fantastic leaping catch at the wall
The Houston Astros may have been overshadowed by the Toronto Blue Jays at the trade deadline, but it would be foolish to forget about them. Toronto may have picked up the two best players on the market, but there’s a strong argument to be made that the Astros got the third.
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For a few years now, Carlos Gomez has been a monster at the plate. After a slow start to his career, Gomez has turned into a legitimate 30-30 threat.
Gomez’s offense hasn’t been as strong this season, but that hasn’t impacted his value all that much. That’s because Gomez is regarded as one of the best defensive center fielders in the league.
He proved as much Tuesday against the San Francisco Giants. In the bottom of the first inning, Matt Duffy smashed what should have been, at the very least, an extra base hit out to center field.
Had another player been patrolling the outfield, Duffy might have come away with that hit. Instead, he was robbed in a spectacular way.
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Gomez ranged all the way back to the wall in AT&T Park. As he hit the warning track, Gomez jumped and, while turning his body, made a catch over his head as he made contact with the wall. The ball was caught at the highest part of the padding, so it’s possible Duffy would have had a home run if Gomez had not made the play.
Gomez’s play highlights the reason the Astros were willing to part with four players for the 29-year-old. As he’s shown this season, Gomez can still provide value even when he slumps at the plate.
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The Gomez deal may not have received the attention it deserved at the deadline, but people are going to take notice when he’s making these types of catches in October.
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Chris Cwik is a writer for Big League Stew on Yahoo Sports. Have a tip? Email him at [email protected] or follow him on Twitter! Follow @Chris_Cwik
