In a spectacular display during Wednesday’s Game 3 of the American League Championship Series, Taveras showcased his skills by preventing a home run from Yordan Alvarez. Despite the Rangers losing 8-5 to the Astros, Taveras covered a distance of 88 feet at Globe Life Field, leaping over the wall to catch a ball that flew at an impressive 111.1 mph and covered 416 feet off Alvarez’s bat.
Statcast notes that this would have been a home run in 22 out of the 30 Major League stadiums, boasting an expected batting average of 1.000. Though Taveras’ name wasn’t on the list of Rangers’ five Gold Glove finalists, his manager, Bruce Bochy, praised him and felt that both Taveras and Josh Jung deserved recognition for their defensive contributions. Bochy expressed, “They’ve both been exceptional defensively. I appreciate how they’ve managed to excel both offensively and defensively.”
Currently, 25-year-old Taveras boasts a .320 average and a 1.029 OPS in the postseason, contributing from the No. 9 position. Reflecting on his performance, Taveras, speaking in Spanish, mentioned, “The team always had a strategy, but my current form at the batting end boosts my confidence.”
