Here are the Cubs' best plays of the 2010s

CHICAGO -- The most memorable defensive play of the past decade for the Cubs is an easy one.

Third baseman Kris Bryant gloved the roller off the bat of Michael Martinez with a grin, fired it across the diamond to Anthony Rizzo and the Cubs won Game 7 of the 2016 World Series against the Indians. That play was spectacular in its simplicity and because of what it achieved. It will not, however, crack the Top 10 defensive plays of the decade for the Cubs as part of MLB.com's Best of the Decade series.

For this exercise, the goal was to find the eye-popping plays that were acrobatic on their own, or athletic feats made even more impressive given the circumstances of the moment.

Now, it would be easy to only feature Javier Báez plays for this list. There was the time El Mago wagged a finger at Yasiel Puig in a made-for-GIF moment. It would be easy to give an example of his quick thinking or show how even a non-out is jaw-dropping. Or, maybe the list could just be tag after tag after tag from Báez, or this wall-flipping catch or that wall-flipping catch. He has also lit up Statcast with his arm on multiple occasions.

But, that list would not be fair to the rest of the players who have delivered memorable defensive moments for the Cubs over the past 10 years. So, we will apply a slight Báez filter here (don't worry, he makes the cut a couple times) and proceed with these Top 10 plays for the North Siders.

1) Martín eliminates Cards
Sept. 28, 2017

This one comes in at No. 1 on this list not only for the play itself, but for its implications. With the Cubs holding a 2-1 lead in the 11th inning in St. Louis, Paul DeJong belted a pitch to deep center. Cubs outfielder Leonys Martín raced back, jumped and reached over the wall to take away a would-be game-tying home run for the game's final out. And with that out, the Cardinals were eliminated from the postseason picture.

2) Rizzo's tarp catch
Aug. 12, 2015

Rizzo and the tarp up the right-field line have a history. Back in 2013, Rizzo made a diving catch and wound up on the ground, wedged between the tarp and the wall. In '16, he maneuvered around the tarp, hopped on the brick wall and made a slick grab. Our favorite came in '15, when he jumped on top of the tarp, stepped on the wall and fell into the stands after catching a Ryan Braun foul ball. A woman had to move out of the way as Rizzo's spikes landed on the back of her seat. And, naturally, a fan wearing a Rizzo jersey gave the first baseman some celebratory slaps on the back.

3) Javy runs a mile
June 26, 2017

With the Cubs holding a 2-0 lead in the eighth inning in Washington, pinch-hitter Adam Lind skied a pitch from Cubs reliever Koji Uehara into foul ground beyond third base. Báez was manning short, but he was in a pull shift with no third baseman to his right. Báez hustled through left field and into foul territory, making the catch as he slid into the side wall. According to Statcast, Báez covered 132 feet and hit a sprint speed of 28.5 feet per second on the play.

4) Heyward nabs A-Gon
Oct. 19, 2016

The scene was Game 4 of the National League Championship Series and the Dodgers had a 2-1 advantage over the Cubs. With no runs on the board for either team, L.A. had runners on first and second with two outs in the second inning. Andrew Toles pulled a John Lackey pitch into right and Dodgers veteran Adrian Gonzalez hustled from second with the goal of scoring. Jason Heyward gathered the ball on the run in right and fired a one-hop strike to catcher Willson Contreras, who spun and got the tag on Gonzalez as he dove for the plate. Gonzalez was called out and -- much to his dismay -- that call stood after a replay review. The Cubs went on to win, 10-2, and took the next two games as well to move on to the World Series.

5) Russell's game-ender
Sept. 19, 2015

In the midst of a 15-4 finish to the 2015 season by the Cubs, shortstop Addison Russell provided one of the top defensive gems against the rival Cardinals. With two outs in the ninth and Chicago clinging to a 5-4 lead, Stephen Piscotty sent a pitch from Pedro Strop sharply up the middle. Russell made an impressive diving stop on the ground and then lunged and flipped the ball -- while propelling himself off the ground -- to Báez at second for an incredible forceout. Báez pumped his fist and shouted at Russell, and Strop celebrated wildly on the mound as the Wrigley crowd roared.

6) Willson's timely pick
Oct. 12, 2017

With apologies to David Ross' game-ending pickoff against the Nationals in 2015, Game 5 of the '17 NL Division Series was one of the wildest games of the decade for the Cubs, and the 9-8 victory may not have been possible had it not been for a quick throw from Contreras. With Trea Turner batting, two runners aboard and two outs in the eighth, Contreras received a pitch from Wade Davis and snapped off a swift throw to Rizzo. The first baseman applied the tag on Jose Lobaton, who was initially deemed safe. A replay review showed Lobaton came off the bag for a split second, leading to a crucial out that helped Chicago escape with the win en route to a third straight NLCS.

7) Schwarber into the stands
May 7, 2017

The side walls down the outfield lines at Wrigley Field can make for some adventurous plays. Who can forget Heyward scaling the wall in right in Game 5 of the World Series, hanging for a moment and then snaring a fly ball off the bat of Trevor Bauer? Even Bauer smiled and clapped. For this list, Schwarber's jaw-dropping grab against the Yankees in 2017 tops the wall-related snags. In the 12th inning of an 18-inning loss, Schwarber made a running, leaping grab on a ball off Chase Headley's bat. The left fielder found himself flipped over the wall and in the seats with a pack of celebrating fans.

8) Picked by The Professor
Nov. 2, 2016

Given all the twists and turns of Game 7 of the 2016 World Series against Cleveland, every batter who reached base was extremely important. In the second inning, when Chicago was holding a 1-0 lead, José Ramírez led off with an infield single that was deflected by Cubs pitcher Kyle Hendricks. With Lonnie Chisenhall batting, Hendricks stepped off the rubber and fired to Rizzo at first in one swift motion. Ramirez leaned toward second base and that flinch cost him. Rizzo tagged the Tribe's star on the left shoulder to pick him off for a key out. Without that play by Hendricks and Rizzo, maybe Game 7 would have developed in a different manner.

9) Almora's Giant dive
Oct. 10, 2016

It is hard to pick the best defensive play from Almora. Just last season, the center fielder made an amazing sliding catch in front of Wrigley's brick wall to rob Joey Votto of a hit, and he also stole a home run from Yadier Molina in St. Louis. Almora's diving catch in Game 3 of the 2016 NLDS against the Giants might not have been his most acrobatic play, but it was extremely important given the circumstances. In a 5-5 game in the ninth in San Francisco, Almora took a hit away from Buster Posey with a spectacular dive in the right-field corner. He then fired the ball to first to double up Brandon Belt for an inning-ending twin killing.

10. Byrd's blind catch
April 28, 2010

Given the heights that the Cubs' star-packed roster has reached in recent seasons, it's easy to overlook the first half of the decade, when the foundation was being poured for later success. One of the best catches of the decade, however, came nearly a decade ago. Playing center field, Marlon Byrd lost sight of a high fly ball off the bat of Nationals pitcher Luis Atilano. Battling the sun, Byrd dropped to a knee with his back to the infield and his glove skyward. Then, at the last moment, the outfielder reached behind his back to snare the ball just before it found the grass. After the play, Byrd smiled and shrugged.