WATCH: Michael Harris II robs a homer from Austin Hays with gravity-defying catch
Michael Harris II stopped Austin Hays' hit from going out of bounds at the fence, robbing a home run, on Saturday in the Atlanta Braves' 3-0 loss against the Philadelphia Phillies.
Many believe that Harris II might have pulled out the best catch of the MLB season as he seemingly dug out the ball from the other side of the fence.
The jaw-dropping play was in the seventh inning when Atlanta was down 2-0, and his acrobatic effort stopped the Phillies from taking a 4-0 lead in the game. Harris II reflected on his heroics following his team's shutout loss.
"I’ve had some the past couple of years that I wanted to bring back and couldn’t," Harris said. "So it was good to make that one and [move it] to the top of my board."
“It’s like one of those feelings when you’re hitting and you don’t feel it off the bat,” he added. “It hit perfectly in the web. When I was coming back from the bench, I saw the Phillies' [relievers] in awe,” Harris said. “That’s when I really knew I caught it.”
Phillies All-Star outfielder Austin Hays raised his arms in disbelief and trodded to the dugout smiling at Michael Harris II.
Max Fried tipped his hat in respect after the tremendous catch by Michael Harris II
Atlanta Braves pitcher Max Fried who threw a curveball at Austin Hays, put his head down in disappointment when the ball was in the air, as he expected it to be a home run. However, he was surprised by the remarkable catch from Michael Harris II.
"To that part of the park, I wasn’t sure if it was going to hold up, but it just kept going," Fried said. "Once I saw [Harris] start to slow down, I was like, ‘Is he going to go to the track?’ Eventually, I saw him jump. As soon as he jumped, I immediately thought homer."
"The first thing I did was tip my hat because that was a very special play," he added. "The way he slowed down to time it, and then to do all of that in one motion, it’s special. He’s incredible out there."
Fried was in awe of Michael Harris II's jump which helped him maintain his Saturday night stat as only three runs allowed over five hits with 4 walks in seven innings.