WEST SACRAMENTO -- Sutter Health Park has proven to be a difficult place for outfielders to track balls at times, particularly in the corners. On Sunday against the Angels, Colby Thomas conquered the elements by making an early contender for catch of the year.
Chasing down a deep drive to right field hit by Jo Adell, who has had his share of highlight-reel plays this season, Thomas perfectly timed a leap at the short wall in right and robbed the Angels outfielder of a home run with a sensational catch before landing on top of the wall and crashing hard back down to the ground.
The catch to end the top of the first inning elicited a fist pump from A’s starter Jack Perkins and a standing ovation from the crowd in West Sacramento as Thomas made his way back to the home dugout. A few moments later, Thomas was seen in the dugout holding a tablet with teammates gathered around him and smiling as he watched back his incredible highlight.
It was a play certainly worthy of watching back a few times. Thomas tracked the fly ball that was crushed off Adell’s bat at 96.5 mph. Per Statcast, the ball would have been a homer in 14 of the other 29 other ballparks in the Majors.