There are insane catches, and then there's whatever you want to call John Rave's falling-against-the-wall-while-juggling-the-ball catch in the minor leagues.
Playing center field for the Omaha Storm Chasers — the Triple-A affiliate of the Kansas City Royals — against the Iowa Cubs on Tuesday night, Rave chased down a fly ball against the wall in the third inning. What followed was a breathtaking sequence that took fans on a rollercoaster of emotions.
You?re going to want to see this @john_rave catch up close @SportsCenter @ESPNAssignDesk https://t.co/a42mMCEFxk pic.twitter.com/sktq3Dhlvc
— Omaha Storm Chasers (@OMAStormChasers) August 9, 2023
Rave narrowly misses catching the ball in the palm of his glove. It caroms off his shoulder and then off his wrist before he grabs it out of midair with his left hand. It was like he was a human pinball machine out in center. The concentration alone to come down with the catch is impressive.
However, some people on social media pointed out that the ball may have made contact with the wall in the process, which means it wouldn't be a catch.
Ball hit the wall after he made contact with it. Shouldn?t have been a catch
— Tripp Cecil (@TrippCecilDTNE) August 9, 2023
Sorry but that?s not a catch. Hit the wall.
— Zach Ohlman (@ZachOhlman) August 9, 2023
It's tough to tell for certain, but we won't be the ones to take away from this terrific catch.
Rave finished the game 0 for 4, and the Storm Chasers lost 8-2. Rave, who was selected in the fifth round of the 2019 MLB Draft by the Royals, is hitting .269 with nine home runs and 46 RBIs in 94 games this season.
Maybe this catch will ignite his bat at the plate.
