San Francisco Giants’ Five Best Defensive Plays of 2015

Angel Pagan Robs Matt Kemp

Sep 19, 2015; San Francisco, CA, USA; San Francisco Giants center fielder Angel Pagan (16) catches the ball against the Arizona Diamondbacks during the eighth inning at AT&T Park. Mandatory Credit: Kelley L Cox-USA TODAY Sports

There truly is an Angel in the Giants’ outfield, and this catch from September 11th was the defensive highlight in a year in which he struggled with injuries and inconsistency at the plate. Starter Jake Peavy went seven quality innings in that game, and that, along with this incredible catch, helped the Giants gain ground on the division-leading Dodgers for the first time since August 21st.

This catch kept the Padres further off the scoreboard and provided a wonderful moment of redemption for a healthy Pagan. Statcast was able to project that he covered a staggering 90.9 feet to get in position to make the catch, while traveling at a maximum speed of 16.3 miles per hour, with a route efficiency of 95.4%.

Pagan looked like his old self out in the field while making this play and he also knocked in a run on a night when the Giants’ offense was at its best. Even though the Giants ultimately would fall just short of catching the Dodgers in the division, this game provided a great boost during the time in the season when just about anything seemed possible.

Not to mention, the catch was against the always dangerous Matt Kemp who has hurt the Giants for years when he was with the Dodgers, and was attempting to do the same in a Padres uniform. It was an emphatic statement to the rest of the Western division that the team was not going to give up and would fight to the last out to try to make the postseason.

Next: Honorable Mention - Buster Posey