San Francisco Giants’ Five Best Defensive Plays of 2015

Honorable Mention – Buster Posey

Jul 31, 2015; Arlington, TX, USA; San Francisco Giants catcher Buster Posey (28) during the game against the Texas Rangers at Globe Life Park in Arlington. The Rangers defeated the Giants 6-3. Mandatory Credit: Jerome Miron-USA TODAY Sports

While in the grand scheme of things, this game and this play had little importance to the Giants’ season, it has to be mentioned simply because of how amazing it was to watch. Buster Posey took it upon himself to deal with a popup off of Mitch Moreland‘s bat in Arlington on August 2nd. When he realized that neither Matt Duffy (who was shifted over away from the dugout) nor Sergio Romo were in a position to catch it, Posey took charge and in doing so, he slid into this highlight-reel worthy catch.

It didn’t save a run, nobody was on base, and it was only the second out of the inning, but it is still worth, as Mike Krukow said, “a replay or three, or four,” simply because of the incredible artistry of the play. Posey was able to get out of the squat and race over in time to make a beautiful sliding catch on a ball that could easily have dropped foul.

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It is incredibly difficult to narrow down the best defensive plays of the season because plays like this can go overlooked, but this one in particular is most definitely deserving of an honorable mention for effort and style. It saved Romo a few extra pitches and got the attention of all the Giants fans visiting Globe Life Park. Despite the fact that the Giants would go on to lose the game, this play was a great reminder of the instincts and athleticism of the truly incomparable Buster Posey.