Gamel wins 1st Play of Week Award for stupendous diving catch

August 1st, 2022

Pirates outfielder  earned his first career Electric Play of the Week Award presented by Chevrolet on Monday, and he's Pittsburgh’s first winner since Gregory Polanco in September 2021. 

In the bottom of the third inning against the Cubs at Wrigley Field, Gamel sprinted to deep left field and made a fully extended diving catch to take away an extra-base hit. 

“Honestly, you don’t really have time to think,” Gamel said. “You kind of react. [I put my] head down, ran to a spot and got lucky as [heck]."

Additional Play of the Week candidates included Aaron Judge’s home run-robbing catch of rookie MJ Melendez; George Springer’s diving snag in center field; Tony Kemp’s leaping grab in left-center field; and Jeff McNeil’s barehanded play on a softly hit ground ball up the middle.