Colorado Rockies VIDEO: Nolan Arenado’s Top 10 defensive plays

DENVER – On Thursday, Nolan Arenado did it again, as he does almost every single day for the Colorado Rockies. Which makes this next part really hard.

Thursday’s Arenado play — a barehand rocket home to cut off a run — cracked his top 10 list. And because he’s a five-time Gold Glover, his top ten list is stacked.

Arenado is well on his way to Gold Glove number six and perhaps will repeat as MLB’s best fielder, earning the Platinum Glove. He’s already been named to the 2018 MLB All-Star Game and he’s made star-worthy plays on both sides of the diamond.

In fact, yesterday (Saturday) was his bobblehead day to celebrate his three-run walk-off homer against the Giants last season that competed a cycle.

Let’s look back and checkout the top ten defensive plays of the Sandblaster’s career.

Honorable Mention

From the summer of 17 in the Paris of the Midwest.

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No. 10 TEACH KRIS BRYANT A LESSON

A better third baseman makes that play as the Rockies Twitter meme goes. A better third baseman made that play.

From June 8, 2017, Arenado efforts his way to make a great barehanded stop and then storm it to first to get the out. The Rockies won 4-1. Arenado also turned two double plays in the game because, of course he did.

No. 9 SANDBLASTER SZN

From the late September night that the “Sandblaster” was born. A game-tying hit, an amazing defensive play and a game-winning homer. If there is one game that Nolan Arenado gets remembered for, this is a candidate.

During the 2017 playoff run, this was one of the games that put the Rockies atop the Brewers for the second National League Wild Card spot.

No. 8 JOINING THE PATRONS

From May of 2015, Nolan Arenado leaps into the stands to come down with Skip Schumaker‘s foul popup. He plummeted into the first row of seats for a key out in the eighth of this tie game with the Reds.

The Rockies won this game on a Nolan Arenado sacrifice fly in the top half of the next inning because, of course they did.

I love this play from Arenado because it takes so much courage to go into the stands particularly on the road.

No. 6 Height of human athletic achievement

Remember when everyone was pumped up because JaMarcus Russell could throw a football like 80 yards from his knees? This is like that … but it counts for something.

This is just so stupid on so many levels. Nobody should be able to throw something this far that hard from their knees accurately.

Plus he did this against the Giants which makes it all the more better. Something about that ballpark brings out the best of Arenado.

No.5 STOP, DROP AND THROW

This play might be the most jaw-dropping of Arenado’s career. The stop, the recovery and the throw … it’s just unbelievable. The reason this is so low is because it was caused by a misplay by Arenado himself. You might be saying that’s unfair, but Arenado has told the media that he doesn’t think this is that good of play because of it.

No matter what the man himself thinks, this play is flat ridiculous. Too bad the game wasn’t on TV in Colorado.

No. 4 SLASH DIVE

The slash is such a dangerous play that many youth baseball leagues ban it for this very situation. They’re scared that a player will charge in only to see the bunt pulled back and then be smoked by a line drive.

The Phillies’ pitcher showed bunt a pitch earlier so Arenado was way in. This time, he swung and somehow, someway, Arenado stopped this smoke shot. Also he threw it across the diamond from his butt because, of course he did.

Like him throwing it 100-plus feet on a line with velo is the fourth best part of the play. A shuffle dive backwards down the line is flat stupid.

No. 3 CAN HE PITCH?

The last two plays were both amazing. He combined aspects of both of those plays to make this one. He was disoriented as the ball kicked off his heel (like play No. 5 on the list) and also like play No. 4, he had to make a play while playing extremely in and a ball was hit hot to the hot corner.

The ball came off the bat at 99 mph per Statcast and he sent it back to the plate to get a very fast runner at 85 mph. His pop time on this brings out his inner former catcher.

The throw was also perfectly placed to protect his catcher from a hard slide.

Arenado’s defensive gem propelled the Rockies to a comeback win.

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No. 2 CUT IT OFF, CUT IT OUT!

Usually the hot corner is a term used to describe balls being hit down the left field line like the last play. Somehow, Arenado found a way to do the exact opposite.

The wherewithal on this play — like the last one — is insane. The job of the catcher on this is to yell at the cutoff man and tell him where to go with the ball. With the amount of baseball I’ve seen, I can promise you nobody was yelling, “three.” Nobody could expect another human to pull this off.

Just try to do this — jump and, before you land, catch a baseball and exchange it to your throwing hand. Don’t even try to throw it. You will not even be able to do that part of this, let alone throw and do it accurately.

I can also tell you this … I’ve been to baseball practices for decades, I’ve never seen this play practiced in this fashion.

No.1 TARP CATCH

This one needs no introduction and, along with his walk-off cycle, this may be the lasting image of the All-Star third baseman.

Next: The top 25 Rockies players and prospects under 25 years old