Being a fan of the Chicago Cubs, and thus covering them far more closely than I do any other team, I was not aware of a layout peculiarity at Camden Yards in Baltimore.
Thus, when Jason Heyward went nearly full speed into what looked to be the right field corner in the 9th inning, I thought to myself, “Oh crap, he’s going to smash face first into that wall.”
But then, instead, Heyward simply disappeared.
Turns out, there’s a carveout there in the outfield that allowed Heyward to go the necessary extra 10 feet to make an incredible catch (via @MLB):
Jason Heyward isn’t fair. pic.twitter.com/EGvSWqzpbI
— MLB (@MLB) July 15, 2017
That’s such a “what did I just see?” kind of catch. The placement and the timing had to be perfect for Heyward to even have a chance in the first place, and then he had to maintain elite concentration to catch the ball while not plowing into the wall (which is, eventually, there).
Heyward had a good night at the plate, though he still has a way to go to regain the offensive form he had before joining the Cubs last season. The glove, however, has never slumped.