Kevin Pillar, Blue Jays centre-fielder, adds to personal highlight reel
'Superman' takes extra bases from Rays' Maile
Spectacular Kevin Pillar catches have become nearly as frequent as a 10-run performance or second-half win by the Toronto Blue Jays.
Nicknamed Superman by his teammates, Pillar added another entry to his list of highlight-reel catches this season in Friday night's 8-4 victory at Tampa Bay.
With one out in the bottom of the seventh inning, Pillar robbed catcher Luke Maile of extra bases when he fully extended his body in the right-centre field gap and made an amazing snowcone catch.
.<a href="https://twitter.com/KPILLAR4">@KPILLAR4</a>’s catch gets better every time you look at it: <a href="http://t.co/IsRbs4GeFZ">http://t.co/IsRbs4GeFZ</a> <a href="http://t.co/r5Tg49VhxX">pic.twitter.com/r5Tg49VhxX</a>
—@MLBPillar, who wasn't even the Blue Jays' projected centre-fielder early in spring training, ranks fourth among major league outfielders in defensive runs saved at plus-21, well below leader Kevin Kiermaier of the Rays, but ahead of Pittsburgh's Starling Marte and Kansas City's Lorenzo Cain.
Kevin Pillar has made the most ridiculous catches this season
—@MasonGambino10Below, we highlight some of Pillar's best of the season.
April 10: Less than a week into the regular season, Pillar makes a leaping catch while crashing into the wall in left field, taking a hit away from Baltimore slugger Chris Davis.
April 12: Playing left, Pillar sprints into foul territory at Baltimore's Camden Yards and snares a Steve Pearce hit.
April 15: Pillar makes like Spider-Man and scales the 12-foot high wall in left at the Rogers Centre to take a home run from Tampa Bay's Tim Beckham.
April 17: Pillar keeps the Jays tied 5-5 with the visiting Atlanta Braves with an all-out dive on Freddie Freeman's flare to left-centre.
April 21: Pillar, now playing in centre, catches up to a sinking fly ball off the bat of Baltimore's Adam Jones.
April 30: With the Blue Jays leading 5-1 in the fifth inning in Cleveland, Pillar tracked down a Brandon Moss drive to deep centre on a dead sprint, making a great catch and slamming into the wall.
June 26: Pillar runs in from centre to rob Texas third baseman Adrian Beltre of a base hit.
July 6: Pillar reached to the top of the centre-field fence at Cellular Field in Chicago for an incredible defensive play against White Sox catcher Tyler Flowers.
Aug. 6: Pillar sprawls to make a jumping catch against Twins' young slugger Miguel Sano. It was a grab similar to Friday's catch but with less extension.