Brett Phillips found himself in uncharted territory during Monday’s game between the Tampa Bay Rays and Oakland Athletics at Tropicana Field.
With the Rays being blown out by the A’s, Phillips was called upon to make an emergency pitching performance.
Though he would ultimately allow a two-out grand slam to Sheldon Neuse, Phillips had a highlight reel play just moments before when A’s outfielder Seth Brown popped one up in foul territory on the third base side.
Phillips immediately sprinted over to where the ball was headed, slid feet-first and made an improbable shoestring catch for the second out of the inning.
No amount of PFPs can prepare you for this.
(MLB x @GoogleCloud) pic.twitter.com/m9YYfPpr6p
— MLB (@MLB) April 12, 2022
What A Catch!
This is not something that coaches go over in pitcher’s fielding practice in spring training.
Nothing can prepare you for something like this, but Phillips covered an insane amount of ground in such a short period of time.
The way he ran to go get that ball says it all.
He immediately took off and went for it, going all out and making an unbelievable play right in front of the A’s dugout.
Not only that, but he hilariously tipped his cap to the crowd, recognizing how impressive his sliding catch truly was.
This is one of the funniest moments in recent baseball history, but also one of the better catches you will ever see.
Phillips was off to the races when that ball was popped up and he wasted no time making sure he got to that ball.
This man can flat out play defense and run.
Phillips may not be a superstar, but he sure knows how to go all out on a popup and have fun while playing.
NEXT: Rays Continue To Own A Division Rival