Bradley covers ground
Pedroia wasn’t going to get to the bloop fly ball in shallow center, which left it up to Jackie Bradley to handle. Despite that he had been playing deep in the outfield, Bradley managed to race in to make the shoestring catch before tumbling forward into a flawless somersault.
Bonus points for popping right back up and flipping the ball nonchalantly to Pedroia, as if the catch was no big deal. It may seem routine for one of the best defensive outfielders in the game, but the rest of us remain amazed.
JBJ has a habit of making diving catches, but what makes this one impressive is the amount of ground he was able to cover. Bradley topped out at just north of 20 mph on his route, covering over 47 feet to get to that sinking pop fly just in the nick of time.
Boston would end up losing the game in Toronto 3-2, but Bradley’s catch makes the list simply because very few outfielders in the game are capable of making this play. He’s not the fastest center fielder in the game, but he reads the ball off the bat as well as anyone, allowing him to get a great jump on the route that he runs with elite efficiency.