Statcast broke down Royals outfielder Brett Phillips’ five-star catch

When informed that outfielder Brett Phillips’ diving grab during Wednesday’s game was rated a five-star catch, Royals manager Ned Yost said: “Oh, OK. Well, Groovy.”

Jeffrey Flanagan of MLB.com had told Yost the catch received a top rating from Statcast, and the play saved a run in the second inning of the Royals’ 6-4 win over the Athletics at Kauffman Stadium.

Five-star catches are rare in Major League Baseball. Entering the game, only 76 catches this season had been rated as a five-star grab by Statcast. Just one Royals player had made a five-star catch before Wednesday: Terrance Gore.

Fans have seen former Royals center fielder Lorenzo Cain make a number of dazzling catches this season for the Brewers. But he has just one five-star catch.

“Those defensive plays that can stop those rallies like that was key,” Yost told reporters after the game. “It just seems like we can’t find those kinds of breaks and those dumpers just fall, fall, fall, but Brett did a great job of using all of his athletic ability and snatching that ball.”

Statcast broke down the details of the catch:

Phillips said the ball nearly squirted out of his glove.

“It hit me in the palm a little bit and popped out,” Phillips said. “It was just a matter of already making the catch, concentrating there at the end to secure the touchdown.”

Phillips smiled and made the signal of an NFL official signaling a catch has been made.

“I take pride in my defense,” Phillips said.

This story was originally published August 29, 2019 at 8:31 AM.