As part of our celebration of America 250, MLB's content team has created 25 top 10 lists that capture the plays, people, rituals and moments that made baseball America’s game. We’ll be revealing five lists per week over the course of five weeks.
1. Mays makes "The Catch," preserves Game 1 tie
1954 World Series Game 1 vs. Cleveland
Willie Mays was patrolling the cavernous center field of the Polo Grounds in Game 1 of the 1954 World Series -- top of the eighth, game tied at two, two men on base -- when Cleveland's Vic Wertz crushed a ball that drove the future Hall of Famer all the way to the warning track, where he made his iconic grab. With that immense boost, the Giants escaped the jam and were set up for a 10th-inning walk-off (and an eventual series sweep).
2. Wise saves Buehrle's perfect game
July 23, 2009, vs. Rays
Willie Mays made "The Catch," and many no-hitters have "The Play," a defensive display that seems to indicate the universe itself is on the pitcher's side. The platonic ideal of this phenomenon remains Dewayne Wise's home run robbery to open the ninth in Mark Buehrle's perfect game -- effectively two catches in one, as the ball popped off his glove and into his bare hand on his way down.
3. Edmonds' leaping, diving, no-look catch
June 10, 1997, at Royals
The term "leap of faith" isn't usually taken literally, but Jim Edmonds had no other choice. With a fly ball sailing over his head at the Kauffman Stadium, Edmonds tracked it back as far as he could before making a last-ditch diving attempt for the ball with his back to home plate ... and came up with it, invoking imagery of no one so much as Willie Mays himself.
4. Pages sends Game 7 to extras
2025 World Series Game 7 at Blue Jays
For a moment, everyone thought the Blue Jays had won the 2025 World Series with one swing of Ernie Clement's bat. Andy Pages had other ideas, covering 121 feet in pursuit of a deep fly ball with the bases loaded and two outs in the bottom of the ninth (and running over teammate Kiké Hernández in the process.) Tie preserved, the Dodgers would go on to win Game 7 via Will Smith's 11th-inning homer.
5. Adell robs 3 homers in 1-0 win
April 4, 2026, vs. Mariners
The stars truly aligned for Jo Adell against the Mariners on April 4, as the longtime Angels outfielder (now with the Guardians) robbed three home runs in a single nine-inning affair, building to a tumbling catch that carried him over the right field wall in the 9th. And every single one was a game-saver -- the Angels won that night by a score of 1-0, courtesy -- ironically -- of a leadoff home run.
6. Matthews scales wall, robs HR
July 1, 2006, vs. Astros
Gary Matthews Jr. was certainly one for some defensive theatrics, but his robbery of the Astros' Mike Lamb really had to be seen to be believed. After slightly misjudging a vertical leap at the wall, Matthews' glove still found the ball as though magnetically attracted, and the man himself almost made the twisting maneuver required look natural.
7. McCray runs through a wall (literally)
May 27, 1991, Vancouver Canadians vs. Portland Beavers (AAA)
You may not know him by name, but you've probably seen his most memorable moment. Rodney McCray was in the White Sox system when he famously barreled through an outfield wall in pursuit of a fly ball. Although not credited with the catch, McCray remains an icon of the baseball blooper, and he successfully passed his skillset on to his son, Grant, himself a fleet-footed outfielder for the Giants.
8. Griffey robs Barfield at Yankee Stadium
April 26, 1990, at Yankees
Ken Griffey Jr. hit 630 home runs; as memorable as any of them was this robbery. A 20-year-old Griffey scaled the outfield wall deep in left-center at Yankee Stadium, bringing back what nearly was Jesse Barfield's 200th career home run. Incidentally, that made him the only Mariner to retire Barfield that day -- No. 200 came three innings later as part of what went down as a 2-homer night.
9. Jones, Machado on opposing sides of WBC robbery
2017 WBC Quarterfinal: USA vs. Dominican Republic
In a win-or-go-home quarterfinal against Team Dominican Republic, Adam Jones robbed then-teammate Manny Machado of a critical home run in the bottom of the 7th, a catch so good even its victim had to tip his cap (helmet) to it. A batter later, Robinson Canó hit what would have been the game-tying shot. Instead, Team USA escaped with a lead and won that game on its way to its first WBC title.
10. Chavez makes iconic grab vs. STL
2006 NLCS Game 7 vs. Cardinals
The Mets didn't ultimately get past the Cardinals, but one moment from Game 7 of the 2006 NLCS has stood the test of time: Endy Chavez's snow-cone home run robbery of St. Louis' Scott Rolen in the top of the sixth. Often left out of the story is the second out Chavez got on the play -- he also doubled up Jim Edmonds at first, turning a double play in a critical moment with the game tied at 1.
Honorable Mentions
Grégor Blanco saves Matt Cain's perfect-game bid with diving play: Watch >
Bo Jackson secures catch, then runs up the wall: Watch >
Mike Trout takes a homer back in Baltimore: Watch >
Randy Arozarena robs a homer in the 2023 WBC semis: Watch >
Al Gionfriddo denies Joe DiMaggio in 1947 World Series: Watch >
Aaron Rowand goes face-first into the wall to make the play: Watch >
Ken Griffey Sr. climbs wall to snare a home run: Watch >
Brian Giles scales the wall to take back a dinger: Watch >
Devon White nearly starts a triple play in 1992 WS: Watch >
Kevin Mitchell makes wild barehanded grab: Watch >
Ron Swoboda snags Brooks Robinson's liner in 1969 WS: Watch >
Sandy Alomar Jr. leaps over railing to grab foul ball: Watch >
Steven Souza Jr. saves Jordan Zimmerman's no-hitter: Watch >
Ichiro soars to rob home run: Watch >
Denzel Clarke skies to deny a home run: Watch >
Otis Nixon robs a homer, preserves Braves' win streak: Watch >
Carlos Beltrán runs up Tal's Hill to make the catch: Watch >
Derek Hill denies Juan Soto of a dinger: Watch >
Sam Rice tumbles into crowd to make catch in Game 3 of 1925 WS
Jacob Young leaps, bobbles to make circus catch: Watch >
Masafumi Yamamori climbs on top of the wall to deny home run: Watch >
Joe Mauer reaches around netting to nab a foul ball: Watch >