The top 10 Yankees defensive plays of 2010s

December 17th, 2019

To the mutual delight of their pitching staff and the fan base, the Yankees have exhibited their share of dazzling glovework over the course of the past decade, credited with six Gold Glove Award winners throughout the 2010s.

Those awards are a Yankees "who’s who" that accompany the story of the last 10 years -- , and in 2010, Teixeira and Cano again in '12, then in '16. It was a near-impossible chore to trim the list, but here are 10 defensive plays from MLB.com’s archive that are worth another look, in chronological order.

1) Around the horn!
April 22, 2010

The Yankees had not turned a triple play since June 3, 1968 (pitcher Dooley Womack to third baseman Bobby Cox to first baseman Mickey Mantle). After 6,632 regular-season games, that ended in Oakland, where third baseman Alex Rodriguez fielded a Kurt Suzuki grounder, stepped on third base, then fired to Cano at second. First baseman Nick Johnson grabbed the relay to complete the triple play, though the Yanks lost, 4-2.

2) "Who ever would have thought?"
Sept. 14, 2010

With the Yankees and Rays battling for the American League East crown, New York’s unlikely savior in an 8-7 win was Greg Golson. The right fielder caught Matt Joyce’s 10th-inning fly ball flat-footed, then uncorked a one-hop rocket to third base for the back end of a game-ending double play. Said A-Rod, who applied the tag to a sliding Carl Crawford: “Who ever would have thought Greg Golson would make a huge play in the middle of a great pennant race?”

3) Is that a telephone number?
April 12, 2013

You can see something new at the ballpark on any given day, and that was the case in this Yankees-Orioles showdown, when the Bombers turned one of the most complicated triple plays in Major League history. In the eighth inning of New York’s 5-2 win, Manny Machado grounded into a 4-6-5-6-5-3-4 triple play, with Cano, Jayson Nix, Kevin Youkilis and Lyle Overbay participating in the first (and, to date, only) of its kind.

4) Three again!
April 17, 2014

For the third and final time in his career, CC Sabathia was the beneficiary of a triple play. This one came against the Rays at Tropicana Field when Sean Rodriguez hit a grounder to rookie third baseman Yangervis Solarte, who stepped on third base and fired to Brian Roberts at second. Roberts’ throw toward first base skipped but was scooped by Scott Sizemore, who was playing his first career game at the position. The Yanks won, 10-2.

5) Sir Didi and Starlin shut it down
June 2, 2016

Didi Gregorius’ time in a Yankees uniform will be remembered for his ability to deliver in key situations, and not just with the bat, like in this 5-4 victory over the Tigers. With the bases loaded in the bottom of the ninth at Comerica Park, Gregorius fielded J.D. Martinez’s grounder and shoveled a flip to second baseman Starlin Castro, who barehanded the ball and whirled a throw to first baseman Mark Teixeira that extinguished Detroit’s threat.

6) Golden glove
Aug. 20, 2016

Gardner’s stellar defense was recognized with an AL Gold Glove Award in 2016, and one of his most memorable plays was this grab against the Angels. With Tyler Clippard on the mound, Gardner made contact with some of the fans in the left-field seats, stealing a home run from the Halos’ C.J. Cron in a 5-1 Yankees win. (Honorable mention: Gardner made a game-saving catch to seal a win over the Blue Jays on Sept. 6 of that season.)

7) Happy birthday to you
April 26, 2017

A few weeks into his AL Rookie of the Year campaign, introduced himself to the Yankees' storied rivals, up close and personal. On a soggy evening at Fenway Park, the 25-year-old charged toward the seats down the right-field line and showed no hesitation as he tumbled into the seats, slamming his shoulder against the concrete after securing a foul pop off the bat of Boston's Xander Bogaerts. Consider the message delivered: this Judge kid doesn't take a play off.

8) Judge’s ruling: denied!
Oct. 8, 2017

Judge’s 6-foot-7 frame has permitted him to keep several balls within Yankee Stadium’s cozy confines, but given the situation, this was one of his best. With no score in the sixth inning of AL Division Series Game 3 against the Indians, Judge tracked a deep Francisco Lindor drive and jumped against the wall to transform a homer into a loud out. New York held on to win, 1-0, and took the series, 3-2. (Had the AL Championship Series turned out differently, Judge’s grab in Game 7 to rob the Astros’ Yuli Gurriel could’ve been an all-timer.)

9) What the Hech!
Oct. 3, 2018

Adeiny Hechavarria’s Yankees career only spanned 37 plate appearances, but as a defensive replacement in the AL Wild Card Game, the third baseman made an incredible leaping grab that stole an extra-base hit from the A's Marcus Semien. Hechavarria, who was subbed into the game over Miguel Andújar, kissed the ball before flipping it around the infield. The Yankees finished off Oakland with a 7-2 victory.

10) Air Hicks
July 23, 2019

In a preview of the ALDS, a wild Yankees-Twins contest ended as ranged into the left-center-field gap in pursuit of a Max Kepler drive, snaring the ball with a full-extension dive near the Target Field warning track. The catch sealed New York’s 14-12, 10-inning victory, robbing Kepler of a hit that would have given Minnesota the win. Hicks said it “was probably one of the most fun games I’ve ever played.”