Having been a baseball fan for six decades and through the magic of television (and now social media), I have been blessed to have seen some incredible home run-robbing catches in my time. And while most of my attention is and will continue to be focused on the Dodgers, seeing the video clip of Angels centerfielder Mike Trout’s catch of Mariners first baseman Jesus Montero’s would-be home run on Saturday night made me realize that it quite possibly is the greatest home run-robbing catch I have ever seen.

Oh sure, there have been and will continue to be a handful of great home run-robbing catches every year and some may even argue that the one made by Red Sox right fielder Mookie Betts on Friday night at Boston’s Fenway Park was as good as Trout’s. But when you consider that the wall that Betts reached over to make his catch is five feet tall and the center field wall at Angels Stadium that Trout foot-planted and scaled to make his catch is eight feet tall, and that he made his catch an estimated four feet above that (making it 12 feet or more), you quickly realize that Trout’s catch was not only incredible, it was impossible.

Mike Trout’s home run-robbing catch on Saturday night is arguably the best you will ever see.
(Video Capture courtesy of MLB.com – Click on image to view video)

Now this is certainly not to take anything away from Betts’ outstanding catch and I have included it as well and will let you draw your own conclusion as to which was the better of the two, but I find myself watching Trout’s catch over and over again because I simply cannot believe my eyes.

There is no denying that the home run robbing catch made by Mookie Betts was a great one, but Trout went up a good five feet higher to make his catch. (Video capture courtesy of MLB.com – Click on image to view video)

Closer to home, Dodgers center fielder Joc Pederson made yet another outstanding run-saving catch of his own on Saturday evening against the Colorado Rockies at Coors Field. And although it wasn’t a home run robber, it was nonetheless a great catch and worth another look.

It wasn’t the height that made Pederson’s catch outstanding, it was the distance that he ran to catch it.
(Video capture courtesy of SportsNet LA – Click on image to view video)

All in all it’s been a great couple of nights for MLB outfielders. But that being said, it’s going to take something even more spectacular to overtake Trout’s incredible catch to become this old-timer’s all-time favorite home run-robber.

I’m waiting…