MLB's 10 Best Outfield Plays of the 2012 Season

With just over a month standing in the way of playoff baseball, teams everywhere are working harder and harder to eliminate mistakes and work their way into a position to contend.

Outfielders have a tall task anytime they take the field, as they're covering more ground than anyone else out there and have little room for error.

Whether it's a diving play, a home-run-saving catch or a bullet towards home plate to throw out a potential game-tying run, defensive-minded outfielders are an invaluable part of a team's success.

With that in mind, here are MLB's 10 best outfield plays of the 2012 season.

Ben Revere

Having watched Torii Hunter make play after play, fans in Minnesota are definitely used to seeing solid defense in the outfield.

They now have a chance to see a budding star in Ben Revere, who lacks power but is invaluable in the field and on the basepaths.

Brennan Boesch

Judging the depth of a pop fly is definitely harder than it looks, and if you're not headed in instantly, you can leave yourself a lot of work on the shallow fly balls—much like Brennan Boesch does here at 0:25.

Bryce Harper

Bryce Harper has come back down to earth a bit since his stellar debut in the major leagues early this spring, but it's still clear that he'll be headed for big things in this league, both with his bat and his arm.

Gregor Blanco

The diving catch Gregor Blanco made in San Francisco earlier this season would have been really impressive no matter what, but when you consider the fact that the catch preserved Matt Cain's bid for a perfect game, it becomes that much more impressive.

Hunter Pence

Before making the move across the country to San Francisco, Hunter Pence made many big plays for the Philadelphia Phillies this spring.

He flashes some leather in the highlight reel here, with stellar defensive plays at 0:22 and 2:05 especially sticking out.

Michael Cuddyer

Michael Cuddyer's 2012 season may be over depending on how he recovers from his strained oblique, and while the Rockies aren't in a position to contend this season, they'll certainly miss defensive gems like the one we see here at 1:05.

Mike Trout

It may be an understatement to say that Mike Trout has taken the league by storm in 2012.

In the batter's box, he's put up the best average in the league. On the basepaths, he steals bases as much as anyone else out there.

And in the outfield, he's capable of making plays that other fielders can only dream of.

Nick Swisher

Nick Swisher may end up testing the waters in free agency, and if he does indeed end up leaving New York, fans in Yankee Stadium will no longer have the opportunity to watch a solid player who looks like he's having about as much fun as a person can have while in the field.

His catch at 2:50 is just a glimpse of some of the highlight-worthy plays he's made in a Yankees uniform.

Quintin Berry

Target Field has gained a bit of a reputation as a pitcher's ballpark with the expansive gaps on both sides of center field.

Quintin Berry, however, takes care of business in Minneapolis, covering a great deal of ground and making one of the best plays you'll see.

Rajai Davis

Anytime a player robs a home run from an opposing team, fans and teammates alike can't help but get amped up.

In Toronto, it's an even more impressive feat, as the high fences make bringing baseballs back into play a tall task, so to speak.