Player's picks: Kiermaier ranks his top 10

PORT CHARLOTTE, Fla. -- After every highlight play, Kevin Kiermaier always gets asked where the play ranks in his career highlight tape. Kiermaier usually defers and says all the plays are special and that the latest play is “up there” with the rest of the ones he has made throughout his career.

But after another stellar defensive season, one that helped him win his third Gold Glove Award, Kiermaier is finally ready to put together a top 10 list of his favorite plays. The 29-year-old outfielder sat for an hour at Charlotte Sports Park, where he said he made a couple of highlight-reel plays in the Minors, and broke it all down.

Finally, let’s take a look at Kiermaier’s personal top 10:

No. 10 -- Sept. 29, 2019 vs. Richard Ureña
“It doesn’t matter if it’s Game 1 or Game 162, like this one, this is the only speed you’re getting,” Kiermaier said.

This was Kiermaier’s last inning of the regular season, and he made it count. Ureña hit a soft liner, and Kiermaier was forced to make a quick break and go full extension to make the grab. After the catch, Rays manager Kevin Cash felt comfortable enough to pull Kiermaier and save him for the postseason.

“Can’t have a misstep of anything like that,” Kiermaier said. “Can’t lose ground when I choose to dive, because a lot of times that slows us down, which happens, but we still have to be able to maintain gaining ground, and I was able to do that, and that’s why I was able to make the catch.”

No. 9 -- May 27, 2019 vs. Rowdy Tellez
“Jumpman,” Kiermaier smiled.

This was one of Kiermaier’s best catches during the 2019 season and also created the baseball version of Michael Jordan’s “Jumpman” logo as he banged into the wall.

“We were playing him a little towards left-center and deep, because he’s a big boy and he has a lot of pop,” Kiermaier said. “This is just another case of me getting to the wall as soon as I could, so I could get those last few steps, so I could chop my feet and get my momentum and go vertical with my jump. I timed it perfectly.”

After the catch, Kiermaier’s teammates erupted. Tommy Pham, who was playing left field, let out a scream and clenched his fists, Avisaíl García rushed over from right field, and Yonny Chirinos tipped his cap and waited for Kiermaier atop the dugout steps.

“Tommy with a great reaction; he was acting like a little kid,” Kiermaier said. “Those guys have my back, I have their backs, and we’re just trying to make each other better out there, and that’s the beautiful thing about it.”

No. 8 -- Oct. 1, 2015 vs. J.T. Realmuto
“I remember I got some love on ‘PTI’ with Tony Kornheiser and Michael Wilbon, and I remember I was one of the categories that said ‘100 mph throw from an outfielder,’” Kiermaier said. “They were trying to see if it was legit or not.”

Kiermaier noted that this play also helped him solidify his Platinum Glove season. The throw is the hardest of his career, and seemingly got Realmuto out by a mile.

“It just feels so good when you throw it,” Kiermaier said. “When I threw it, it was like ‘OK, I don’t think the catcher is going to have to move.’ And then Statcast gets it at 100.5 mph. Really cool moment for me, and one of the best throws of my career, if not the best, so I had to throw it on my top 10.”

No. 7 -- Sept. 24, 2016 vs. Red Sox
Of all the plays, this might be the most surprising because it didn’t result in any outs. But let Kiermaier explain to you why it’s on the list:

“It’s not just so much degree of difficulty on this one; it just shows you what I’m capable of,” Kiermaier said. “I didn’t throw Mookie out or anything, and this is another play where if it wasn’t such a good runner, I would’ve had a chance to throw someone out from the warning track from the left-center-field gap.

“I think if you see the play in real time, you would be like, ‘Wow, even though he didn’t make the play, that was very impressive.’” So that’s why I had to throw it in there.”

No. 6 -- Sept. 15, 2017 vs. Jackie Bradley Jr.
Bradley is known for robbing people of extra-base hits and home runs, but this time, he was the one getting robbed.

“Jackie is a great dude,” Kiermaier said. “We have a lot of respect for each other.”

With the Rays up one in the ninth, Bradley hit a liner into the left-center-field gap. If the ball drops, there’s a good chance that both baserunners score and the Red Sox take the lead. But as soon as the ball was hit, Kiermaier began sprinting before making a full-extension grab at the warning track.

“This one was a play where I got a good read right off the bat, and it comes due to my closing speed and my ability to get to the ball before it hits the ground,” he said. “Full extension right there, and it’s one of the best plays I’ve made throughout my career.”

As good as the play was, Kiermaier said it could’ve been even better. After the catch, Kiermaier tried to throw out Rajai Davis at third base, and he came close.

“Probably would’ve been my best play ever if Rajai Davis, one of the fastest players in the league, wasn’t on second base,” Kiermaier said. “I feel like if it was anyone else, I would’ve had a chance to throw them out right there.”

No. 5 -- Aug. 24, 2017 vs. Steve Pearce
“This was a good one,” Kiermaier smiled.

Kiermaier said this play made the list because it displays his closing speed. He was trying to stay on his feet as he made the catch, but the momentum of the play forced him to hit the ground for a split second. Kiermaier also took pride in doing it against Pearce, who played for the Rays in 2016.

“I love running them down,” Kiermaier said. “I get an adrenaline rush out of this world, and I feel like my speed tops out even more. I just want to catch that dang ball so bad. It’s always nice doing that to an ex-teammate as well, for later talks and trash talk.”

Once Kiermaier made the catch, the camera showed him pointing to the platinum patch on his glove. It has become a trademark for Kiermaier, who is trying to add another award to his resume.

“I gotta remind these people that I got platinum every now and then,” Kiermaier said. “The closing speed, the jump, everything needs to be top notch to make a play like that, and that’s why I was able to make it.”

No. 4 -- July 21, 2015 vs. Cody Asche
“This one, going to my glove side so I had to throw across my body once again,” Kiermaier said. “What I look at when I watch this play is that I got to the ball so quick and it was hit to the right-center gap. For me to get it and square my shoulders to the target, just making a perfect throw right there and just gun him down was a big play in the game.”

The Rays ultimately won the game 1-0, making Kiermaier’s play even that much more important.

“Fortunately I was able to get a good, long hop,” Kiermaier said. “You don’t want to short-hop your guy or else it makes it a tough pick to whoever you’re throwing it to. It ended up working out.”

No. 3 -- Aug. 31, 2015 vs. Manny Machado
“Good times,” Kiermaier said, as the clip played. “This is a play that capped off my Platinum Glove season.”

Most people might’ve thought this would be Kiermaier’s top play, and for a while, it was. It was a play that gave Kiermaier national recognition and solidified himself as an elite defender.

“That wall in Baltimore just allows you to make it a lot more dramatic than it is,” Kiermaier said. “It’s obviously a good catch, but that wall is one of the lowest center-field walls in baseball, and it looks like you jumped about 12 feet in the air. That’s not the case, but it looked like it. ... We have some athletes in Indiana.”

Kiermaier said the play would’ve meant a lot for him regardless of the opposing hitter, but the fact that it happened against an All-Star like Machado, and to lead off the game, made it extra special.

“A notable guy like that makes it even better,” Kiermaier said. “That’s where I really let the league know that I don’t mess around out here in center field. I’m just built different than most guys that play this position.”

No. 2 -- Sept. 15, 2017 vs. Mitch Moreland
“This one didn’t get a lot of love,” Kiermaier said.

Kiermaier is right. Of all the plays, this is the one that will probably surprise people for how high it is on his list. But let him explain why it’s No. 2:

“I’m going away from my arm side, so I’m going towards my left and Mitch Moreland is already past second base,” Kiermaier said. “I made a perfect throw because that’s what it took. I think this was such a good play because you just don’t see an outfielder make a throw like that.

“I’m trying to do things that other people aren’t doing out there, and I think is is one of the best examples of that. I’m a center fielder, but I got a little shortstop in me as well.”

Kiermaier says it’s a play that he “sneaky practices” and it paid off here.

“This is just an ‘Outlaw’ play because it’s unorthodox,” Kiermaier said, referring to his nickname. “I know it’s something I’m capable of.”

No. 1 -- Aug. 13, 2019 vs. Francisco Mejía
“The degree of difficulty on this play is easily, easily No. 1 for me,” Kiermaier said. “Toughest play of my career. That will be in the video arsenal for me for years to come.”

The Rays were up 10-2 on the Padres in the eighth inning, but Kiermaier said he knew he could make a play when the ball was hit. As soon as he heard the crack of the bat, instincts took over.

“I’m thinking, ‘Oh boy, I gotta go,’ and as you’re gaining more speed as you run, you’re not closing in on the ball quite like you want and then you’re thinking, ‘OK, this might be a homer,’ and then it gets to a point where you’re saying, ‘I’m this close to the ball now, I gotta make the play.’ I think of all that in probably a second or two as the play is developing, but I know when a ball is hit over my head, I know I have to run. That’s when that extra adrenaline comes in.”

In order for Kiermaier to make this play, he knew that he was going to leap toward the ball and crash into the wall.

“It wasn’t like I could sit here and chop my feet and look at the wall,” Kiermaier said. “I had to jump towards the wall when I’m usually jumping up and out, but right there it was more of like a horizontal jump. I couldn’t have gathered myself any better than what I did, and I timed my jump perfectly.”