WATCH: Tampa Bay Rays' Wander Franco Makes Insane Barehanded Catch
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What an incredible web gem on Monday night from Tampa Bay Rays shortstop Wander Franco.
Franco, playing the world champion Houston Astros, made a barehanded catch on a pop up at the left field foul line. The ball was hit by Astros catcher Martin Maldonado and you can see the play here.
First off, what a sprint just to get to that ball. Then, he actually tried to get it with the glove but ended up getting it with the hand. And how about the concentration to be able to maintain the ball upon impact and hold on?
The Rays entered play on Monday night at a league-best 19-3, and it's easy to see why they are at the top of standings with plays like this.
The play is reminiscent of the David Wright barehand catch against San Diego back in the day.
Franco is one of the elite young players in baseball and we're all being reminded why this year. He missed nearly half of last season (79 games) but is hitting a robust .310 in the early going this year. He's got four home runs and 13 RBI already for Tampa -- and he's added five stolen bases.
For his career, he's got a .286 average with 17 homers and 85 RBI. He made his debut in 2021.
Franco signed a 11-year, $182 million contract that will keep him in Tampa for years to come.
At the time of this posting, the Rays lead the Astros, 7-3. Franco is 3-4 at the plate.
