Outfielder’s remarkable play is Catch of the Year candidate

When the 2024 MLB season is over and we’re trying to figure out who made the best catch of the season, one that Houston Astros right fielder Joey Loperfido made during Friday night’s game against the Minnesota Twins will have to be in the discussion.

With nobody out and a runner on first base in the eighth inning, Minnesota’s Willi Castro turned on a ball and sent it deep to right field. The ball wasn’t hit far enough to clear Target Field’s 23-foot right field wall but it looked like Castro would have extra bases. Loperfido thought differently.

Loperfido leaped and while he couldn’t catch the ball with his glove, he kept it from hitting the wall. Then, before the ball could hit the ground, Loperfido grabbed it with his bare hand.

The initial ruling was that the ball hit the wall and therefore wasn’t a catch — a ruling that could have led to some confusion. After catching the ball with his bare hand, Loperfido came up and threw to first base, trying to double off Minnesota’s Christian Vázquez. Vázquez beat the throw back but Castro, also thinking the ball was caught, did not run to first. The Astros did throw to second but by that point, Castro would have been forced out at first and Vázquez no longer had to go to second.

The play was reviewed and it was ruled that the ball never hit the wall. So, Loperfido got credit for an incredible catch instead of a weird 9-3 fielder’s choice that didn’t advance a runner.

Loperfido’s catch wasn’t just a cool Web Gem. It ended up being a big play in the outcome of the game, even if it didn’t look like it would be at the time. Houston was leading 10-5 at the time of the catch and added three runs in the top of the ninth. The Astros, though, barely held on as the Twins scored seven times in the bottom of the ninth and Houston came away with a narrow 13-12 victory.

[Photo Credit: Space City Home Network]

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