Why Daulton Varsho's catch ranks among all-time greatest - ESPN

You might have heard about — or seen clips of — Daulton Varsho's incredible catch Tuesday night. I've watched it about a dozen times and still don't know how he did it.

Playing his first game of the season for the Toronto Blue Jays, the 2024 Gold Glove winner was in center field when Boston Red Sox left fielder Jarren Duran drove a pitch from Dillon Tate to deep center. Varsho isn't the fastest center fielder in the league, but no outfielder gets better jumps and reads than him, and he leads all outfielders since 2022 in the outs above average metric via Statcast.

Varsho reacted quickly and drifted back but then stumbled and fell on the warning track. He rolled over once, popped up on to one knee and with his back facing home plate, he reached out his outstretched glove and made the backhanded catch. It was a crossroads of enormous skill and luck, but one thing is certain: There has never been a catch like it, at least not one that exists on video.

«Oh my goodness, did he just do that?» exclaimed Red Sox broadcaster Dave O'Brien. «A circus catch if you have ever seen one.»

Blue Jays announcer Dan Shulman was equally amazed: «Did he catch that ball? Yes, he caught that ball!»

Varsho smiled sheepishly after getting back up on his feet. Tate raised both arms and then tipped his cap.

«When I fell, I was like, 'Oh boy, it's going to be somewhat near me,'» Varsho said. «I saw it kind of really quick and kind of stuck my glove out.»

Boston's Alex Bregman called it one of the greatest catches he had ever seen.

Well… is it? The greatest catch ever? Let's compare it to some of the greatest outfield plays of all time.

What makes this one special: The most iconic catch of Griffey's career, he had to run forever just to get to the