Making a diving catch on a drive about 400 feet away from center field is worthy of a gold star on its own merits.
But doing it while climbing a hill in the process? Well, that deserves a little something extra:
.@RaimelTapia folks. He is very good at baseball. pic.twitter.com/J1pXRO7WpV
— Albuquerque Isotopes (@ABQTopes) April 7, 2017
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Meet Raimel Tapia, the 23-year-old Colorado Rockies farmhand who started the season at Triple-A Albuquerque and started the season with a bang by making a highlight-reel catch in the Isotopes’ season opener. Tapia tracks down this Kaleb Cowart rocket to center, climbs the hill, falls, and still makes the play.
If Tapia feels a bit of deja vu, it’s because he did this in 2016:
@BBTN We've got #WebGem number 1 and #WebGem number 2 for you on back-to-back plays by Raimel Tapia! pic.twitter.com/lp8FhXbchr
— Albuquerque Isotopes (@ABQTopes) August 21, 2016
Nothing like navigating a hill located more than 400 feet from home plate.
Tapia’s catch will be a tough act to follow and is an early frontrunner for catch of the year, along with this barehanded double play by West Virginia pitcher Alex Manoah. Good luck to all the other defenders out there. You’ll have your work cut out for you.
And apologies to Houston Astros outfielders, who will be ineligible because of your organization’s fun-hating decision to get rid of Tal’s Hill.
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