Andrew Benintendi makes sure you’ll know his name after this insane catch
Boston Red Sox rookie Andrew Benintendi has already announced his presence in the big leagues, hitting .322 in 18 games since his call-up from Double-A. But his everybody-look-at-me moment came Monday night in the Red Sox’s game against the Tampa Bay Rays at Tropicana Field.
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Benintendi — a 22-year-old drafted in the first round in 2015 — made one of the best catches you’ll see this season, which also happens to be the best play he’s made so far in his young MLB career. Steven Souza Jr. hit what looked like a two-run homer to left field but Benintendi gave chase and didn’t stop.
He jumped against the wall, half of his body extended over it, and reeled in the homer for an out. It wasn’t the difference in Boston’s 6-2 win over the Rays, but it certainly helped David Price and the boys, who were up 3-0 at the time.
We’ve seen a lot of “Catch of the Year” contenders lately — from Anthony Rizzo’s wall hop to Brett Gardner’s robbery act — but Benintendi ranks right up there with them.
Even if it doesn’t prove to be the “Catch of the Year,” there’s a really good chance this becomes the highlight we associate with Benintendi, much like we do Mike Trout’s homer-stealing catch against the Orioles.
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Mike Oz is the editor of Big League Stew on Yahoo Sports. Have a tip? Email him at [email protected] or follow him on Twitter! Follow @MikeOz