Eguy Rosario, the Padres’ No. 5 prospect, per MLB Pipeline, made a play in Triple-A El Paso’s 18-5 win over the Oklahoma City Dodgers on Sunday afternoon that would probably make Derek Jeter proud.
Oklahoma City’s Ryan Noda led off the sixth inning of the game — which was the completion of Saturday’s suspended contest — with a popup down the left-field line at Southwest University Park. It was headed right for the netting in foul territory, and Rosario, playing shortstop, sprinted all the way from his position — he was shaded slightly up the middle — past the space between the bullpen mound and the bullpen plate. He then dove head-long into the netting to make the catch.
Play of the year in baseball? It’s definitely a contender.
Rosario made the incredible play nearly 18 years to the day after Jeter made a similar play at Yankee Stadium against the Red Sox. It became one of Jeter’s iconic defensive plays, joining “the jump throw.”
On July 1, 2004, Jeter dove headfirst into the stands — there was no netting in that spot back then — to catch a Trot Nixon foul popup. Jeter emerged bloodied, but OK. It was an instant classic “Captain moment.”
Rosario, then 4 years old in the Dominican Republic, could never have imagined he’d make a play like that as a pro. But he did on Sunday, and it will go down as one of the greatest catches we’ve seen an infielder make.
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