Cody Bellinger vs. Padres and the Greatest Catches in Recent MLB Playoff History

Los Angeles Dodgers outfielder Cody Bellinger set the baseball world on fire Wednesday night by making a sensational catch to rob San Diego Padres star shortstop Fernando Tatis Jr. of a home run.

The catch elicited an immediate reaction from relief pitcher Brusdar Graterol and the rest of the dugout, even leading to a war of words with Padres third baseman Manny Machado.

The play is already one of the enduring images of this season, and it also brings to mind some of the other great catches in recent postseason history.

How does Bellinger’s catch stack up against the rest? Here are the 10 best playoff grabs of the last 20 years.

*These plays were ranked using factors such as the difficulty of the catch as well as the stakes of the play, with the situational aspect weighing slightly more heavily.

10. Aaron Judge vs. Houston Astros: Game 3, 2017 ALCS

Judge is still mostly known for his towering home runs and sheer size, but he is arguably the best defensive right fielder in baseball.

The former AL Rookie of the Year showcased his defensive prowess with a pair of sensational plays against the Houston Astros in the 2017 ALCS, with the first coming in Game 3.

New York faced what amounted to a must-win contest in Game 3, trailing the Astros 2-0 in the series. The Yankees led Houston 3-0 in the fourth inning when Astros first baseman Yuli Gurriel ripped one toward the wall in right field.

Judge, who had been playing Gurriel to pull, raced over toward the fence and made a spectacular leaping grab before colliding with the wall.

Judge was hardly done flashing the leather in this series. He also made a ridiculous grab to rob Gurriel of a homer in Game 7. But the amount of ground he had to cover and the timing needed on the jump (especially considering the ball was tailing away from him) gives this play the nod.

9. Josh Reddick vs. Oakland Athletics: Game 4, 2020 ALDS

Ashley Landis/Associated Press

Bellinger's tremendous glove work was apparently a sign of things to come in the 2020 playoffs, with the next outstanding grab coming just one day later.

The Houston Astros had the chance to close out the Oakland Athletics and advance to their fourth consecutive American League Championship Series on Thursday.

But things looked bleak when Astros starter Zack Greinke gave up a three-run homer to A's center fielder Ramon Laureano in the second inning. They appeared to get worse when first baseman Matt Olson launched a deep fly ball to right in the fourth.

However, Reddick had other things in mind. He raced over to the right field barrier to make a leaping catch, robbing Olson of a homer and keeping the Astros' deficit at three runs.

The play totally changed the momentum of the game. Houston scored five runs in the bottom of the frame on homers by Michael Brantley and Carlos Correa. The Astros would eventually stampede to a Game 4 victory, clinching their fourth straight ALCS berth. 

It is hard not to look back on Reddick's catch as the singular moment that turned the tide. He had to contend with the sun and the short wall in right field and still made a momentous play to give the Astros energy.

8. Curtis Granderson vs. San Francisco Giants: 2016 NL Wild Card Game

The advanced metrics paint Curtis Granderson as a polarizing defender.

He finished his career with 29 defensive runs saved (DRS) in the outfield, per FanGraphs, but he also had 14 DRS in two separate seasons with the Detroit Tigers early in his career.

Needless to say, Granderson was capable of Gold Glove-caliber play, and he showed as much on the playoff stage as a member of the New York Mets.

The UIC product made a catch Willie Mays would likely be proud of in the 2016 NL Wild Card Game against the San Francisco Giants, robbing first baseman Brandon Belt of extra bases with a running, over-the-shoulder grab in center field.

Granderson was on a dead sprint to the wall almost as soon as the ball was hit, and the presence of the barrier did not stop him from running the ball down. The catch also kept the score tied, though the Mets would go on to lose the game.

Still, the amount of ground covered and the willingness to give up the body makes this an all-timer from the "Grandy Man," even in a losing effort.

7. Cody Bellinger vs. San Diego Padres: Game 2, 2020 NLDS

First, we should assess the context of Bellinger's magical play from Wednesday. 

The Padres scored first for the second straight game, but the Dodgers responded with four unanswered runs of their own. Los Angeles seemed to be cruising toward a 2-0 advantage with Clayton Kershaw settling into a groove on the mound.

But the complexion of the game changed with two big swings. Machado and Eric Hosmer hit back-to-back homers off Kershaw in the top of the sixth, giving the Friars life and ultimately knocking the three-time Cy Young Award winner out of the game.

The first two Padres hitters went quietly to start the seventh, but Blake Treinen hit Trent Grisham to bring Tatis to the dish. Dave Roberts countered by bringing the rookie Graterol into the game.

It looked like a losing move after Tatis pounced on the first pitch, lifting a high drive to center. But Bellinger tracked the ball as he sprinted back to the wall, feeling for the fence the whole way before perfectly timing his leap to rob Tatis of a home run.

Globe Life Field is a big park. Had this game been played at Dodger Stadium—as it otherwise would under normal circumstances—that ball is likely gone. 

But the dimensions and the height of Tatis' drive allowed Bellinger to create one of the fantastic moments of this postseason.

6. Cody Bellinger vs. Milwaukee Brewers: Game 4, 2018 NLCS

Before he became a staple in L.A.'s outfield, Bellinger was transitioning from his natural first base position.

He had played a decent amount of center field during the 2018 campaign, but he had played just 11.1 innings in right field during the regular season. Naturally, the 2017 NL Rookie of the Year found himself in right in extra innings in a practical must-win for the Dodgers in the NLCS. 

Los Angeles and Milwaukee were tied at one run apiece when Brewers center fielder Lorenzo Cain hit a sinking line drive into right-center to start extras. Bellinger, who has tremendous speed, covered tons of ground before laying out with full extension to make the catch.

It was potentially a series-altering grab. Cain has tremendous speed, and the Brewers could have put things in motion with that year's MVP, Christian Yelich, hitting behind Cain.

But rather than having the leadoff man on and nobody out, the Brewers had to start from scratch against Dodgers closer Kenley Jansen.

Interestingly enough, it was Bellinger himself who later delivered the walk-off hit in the bottom of the 13th inning. But he might not have even had the opportunity were it not for this flying grab.

5. Jim Edmonds vs. Houston Astros: Game 7, 2004 NLCS

Edmonds is one of the best defensive center fielders ever. He won eight Gold Glove awards, including six in a row between 2000 and 2005 as a member of the St. Louis Cardinals.

The four-time All-Star also had himself quite the NLCS in 2004.

Edmonds clubbed a walk-off home run in Game 6 to send the series to Game 7. Just one day later, he made a run-saving catch to keep the Astros in check early in the winner-take-all contest.

Houston got off the blocks quickly against Cardinals starter Jeff Suppan, as Craig Biggio launched a leadoff homer to give the Astros an immediate lead. They threatened again at the top of the second after Jeff Kent walked to start the frame and Jose Vizcaino later singled him to second base.

Suppan really seemed to be in trouble when Brad Ausmus lined one into the gap in left-center field. The ball looked headed for the alley, which might have even scored two runs. Instead, Edmonds went on a full sprint to his glove side and dove to make an unbelievable catch.

The Astros might have buried St. Louis with two more early runs. Instead, the Cardinals would eventually rally to earn a trip to the Fall Classic.

Edmonds was one of the best in the business in terms of turning and locating the ball when behind him. He had phenomenal range for someone who did not have much speed, as evidenced by his almost routine appearances in the top 10 for Range Factor and Total Zone Runs.

4. Chris Taylor vs. Milwaukee Brewers: Game 7, 2018 NLCS

As good as Bellinger's play in Game 4 of this series was, Taylor's absurd running grab in Game 7 was that much better. 

The Dodgers led the Brewers 2-1 in the bottom of the fifth inning when Yelich stepped to the plate with two outs and a runner on second. Yelich lined an 0-2 pitch off Julio Urias into the gap in left-center, sending Taylor and Bellinger sprinting toward it.

Taylor made the catch, sliding just in front of the wall to save a run and preserve L.A.'s lead.

It is hard to exaggerate just how good a play Taylor made. For starters, even though the ball is in the gap, it is also tailing away from Taylor off the left-handed bat of Yelich. The tail forces the last-second adjustment when Taylor has to reach over his head. 

Then there is also the fact that Taylor has to be aware of Bellinger all while gauging for where the wall is ahead of his slide. 

Like some of the other catches on the list, Taylor's catch galvanized the Dodgers. Los Angeles scored three runs in the next half inning, as Yasiel Puig clubbed a three-run homer off Jeremy Jeffress. 

Puig's shot staked a four-run lead as the Dodgers advanced to the World Series, but Taylor's sliding catch preserved the lead and altered the course of the game.

3. Endy Chavez vs. St. Louis Cardinals: Game 7, 2006 NLCS

Both Mets plays on this list came in losing efforts. But Chavez’s catch might have gone down as the greatest catch in postseason history, if things had broken differently.

Chavez was a productive player for the 2006 club. However, he was mostly a platoon player, and hardly of the same caliber as guys like Carlos Beltran, Carlos Delgado, David Wright and Jose Reyes. However, Chavez made the biggest play when it mattered most.

New York and St. Louis battled to a seventh and final game in the 2006 NLCS. The game was tied at one apiece when Cardinals star third baseman Scott Rolen stepped to the plate with a runner at first base.

Rolen jumped on the first pitch from left-hander Oliver Perez, sending it deep into the Queens night. The ball was destined for the bleachers. 

Only, Chavez somehow leaped into the air to make a snow cone grab to pull the ball back. He then gunned the ball back into the infield, and the Mets completed an inning-ending double play.

The live shot does not do the play justice, but the replays show just how precise Chavez had to be in timing his leap while getting full extension.

He takes off essentially at the start of the warning track. He also hits the wall just before the ball enters his glove, which in part explains how his wrist bends all the way back at the apex of his leap. It is almost a miracle the ball did not come out of his glove.

Chavez had an enormous 39.9 ultimate zone rating (UZR) over 150 in left field for the Mets that season. Looking back at his defensive metrics, he seemed very capable of a play like this one.

But considering the moment, it is one of the most memorable defensive plays in MLB history.

2. Michael Brantley vs. New York Yankees: Game 6, 2019 ALCS

Joe Buck might have said it best when he called this “one of the greatest double plays in ALCS history.” In fact, it probably is the greatest double play in ALCS history.

The Astros were just one win away from their third World Series appearance in three years as they took on the Yankees in Game 6, and they took an early lead on Gurriel's three-run homer in the bottom of the first.

But the Yankees hung tough. They trailed 4-2 heading into the seventh inning, and Aaron Judge singled to start the frame. A Gleyber Torres pop-up then brought Aaron Hicks to the dish.

Houston played Hicks (batting left-handed) to pull, but he instead floated one into left field between Alex Bregman and Michael Brantley.

Brantley was practically outstretched before he even went into his dive, barely making the grab before the ball hit the ground and firing a strike back to Gurriel to double off Judge at first.

This would be a tremendous play from any outfielder. But it was especially surprising coming from Brantley, who ranked 192nd in outs above average (OAA) in 2019, per Baseball Savant. The throw makes the play even better, because Brantley throws a one-hop laser to get a good runner in Judge.

Yes, the Yankees would eventually tie the game before Jose Altuve's walk-off homer. That said, Brantley's catch belongs near the top because of the unexpected element of the guy making the play, as well as the gravity of the moment.

1. Andrew Benintendi vs. Houston Astros: Game 4, 2018 ALCS

It is fair to wonder if the Boston Red Sox would have won the World Series had Benintendi not made this game-ending grab.

Boston led the Astros 2-1 in the ALCS and also led Houston 8-6 when Craig Kimbrel came on for his second inning of work. 

Kimbrel had bent but not broken in the eighth, giving up one run on two hits. But he faced more adversity in the ninth. Kimbrel got Gurriel to pop out to start the inning, but he conceded back-to-back walks to Reddick and Correa.

A Brian McCann fly gave Kimbrel his second out, but he then walked Tony Kemp to load the bases and bring Alex Bregman to the dish.

Bregman lined the first pitch he saw into left field, where Benintendi came on and sold out to make a stunning diving catch to end the game.

Benintendi's catch tops the list because of what it meant going forward. Had he missed the ball, Houston would have cleared the bases and won the game to even the series. The Astros also had Game 5 at home, giving them all the momentum.

Of course, the Red Sox wound up winning Game 5 and defeating the Dodgers in the World Series. But do they even get to the Fall Classic if not for Benintendi?

We will never know the answer to that question, but it is hard to overstate just how important that play was for Boston in its championship season.

All stats obtained via Baseball Reference or FanGraphs, unless otherwise noted.