Tampa Bay Rays outfielder Randy Arozarena launched himself to a ridiculous height to make a truly outrageous diving catch against the Boston Red Sox.
It’s just five days into April and baseball already has an incredible Catch of the Year candidate courtesy of Randy Arozarena.
The Rays outfielder just couldn’t wait to stick rockets on the bottom of his shoes and fly across the field to make a diving catch.
Here is the catch in all its glory, from one stunning angle to another:
How does a human manage to do that? It’s not just the height Arozarena had to hit, but to keep the ball in his glove while tumbling to the ground at full speed takes impressive body control.
Randy Arozarena’s highlight catch was improbable
According to MLB Stats, he had just a 30 percent chance to make that catch. When you have hops like that and are willing to put your body on the line, you can throw statistics out. It’s all about guts and heart.
Arozarena is just beginning his third season in the MLB. Last year, he took the league by storm with seven home runs in just 23 games. He was even better in the postseason, launching 10 home runs. He was the star of the ALCS for the Rays, taking home MVP honors and hit three homers in the World Series against the Dodgers.
He has time to prove his batting performance was no fluke, but he’s already left no doubt as an outfielder.
It’ll be tough to outdo that catch at any point this season, but why bet against Arozarena at this point? He’s just getting started.