Kyle Schwarber May Have Made the Catch of the Year Last Night

pic.twitter.com/Cu6qz2yWmj

— ⓂarcusD (@_MarcusD2_) May 8, 2017

Kyle Schwarber WHAT. A. CATCH. pic.twitter.com/LCyaoHabDx

— LeadingMLB ™ (@LeadingMLB) May 8, 2017

Down 4-1 in the bottom of the 9th the Cubs scored 3 runs off former Cubs closer Aroldis Chapman to tie the game at 4.  The Yankees beat the Cubs 5-4 in 18 innings last night in what was clearly the longest game of the season to this point. I had flipped it on a few times for a few seconds here and there, but did not start really watching until like the bottom of the 8th. Yet even after tuning in so late I was able to essentially watch an entire baseball game. I tuned in after Silicon Valley ended (last night's episode was crazyyyy). But this post isn't talk about the game that was really two games. It's to pay some respect to Kyle Schwarber.

Schwarber was drafted as a catcher but has been placed in LF for the Cubs since they already have a pretty good catching situation going, and the NL doesn't have a DH to place the power hitting 24 year old at.  

Last year Schwarber famously torn his ACL in an outfield collision very early into the season in Arizona. He somehow was able to rehab and return to the Cubs for the World Series where he DH'd in every game at Cleveland.  He hit .412/.500/.971 with 2 RBI's in the World Series that the Cubs would ultimately win in 7 after being down 3 games to 1 against the Cleveland Indians. 

Schwarber's defense has been criticized by many. He is considered to be one of the worst defensive players in baseball. But the beautiful thing about this game is on one play none of that matters. It's all about the now and in extra innings Schwarber laid it all on the line as he dove into the stands to make the best fielding play of his career by a mile.  I still do think he has a long way to go as a major league outfielder defensively, but there is no doubt in mind that this was an all time catch given who made it.

Kyle Schwarber ran 116 feet, per @statcast, diving over a wall and into the stands to come away with that catch. That was incredible.

— Chris Emma (@CEmma670) May 8, 2017

I really thought there was no way the Cubs would lose after that play. Between the 9th inning comeback and that catch I feel like the team who has shit like that happen in an extra inning game wins 99% of the time. However credit to the Yankees who are now 20-9 they were able to hold on. 

I'm glad this was against the Yankees though because it immediately made me think of the most overrated play in the history of sports. ​ Obviously a nice play, but Jeter running into the stands after it is vastly overrated. Schwarber actually jumped into the stands to make the play, not to add dramatic effect.

Just bums me out the Cubs lost this game because it will probably mean this catch will be kind of forgotten overtime, but it shouldn't be. Bravo to Scwarbo. What a grab!