The best defensive play of 2021 for the New York Yankees

On the final day of the 2021 regular season, New York Yankees shortstop Gio Urshela made a highlight-reel catch that would be considered by many to be the best defensive play of the entire season.

Gio Urshela’s injury-defying catch became the defensive play of the 2021 season for the New York Yankees

In the top of the sixth inning of a scoreless tie between the New York Yankees and Tampa Bay Rays on the final day of the 2021 regular season at Yankee Stadium, Gio Urshela threw caution to the wind (and his body into the Rays dugout) to make a catch on a pop foul off the bat of Chad Green to end the frame.

And, when you watch the video below, note how quick umpire Angel Hernandez jumped into the dugout to make the call. It was dramatic on top of dramatic, with the man in blue adding a little flair to the moment.

Just days before his 30th birthday, Urshela would come up from the catch limping a bit but would return to the game for a bit before exiting in the sixth inning for replacement Andrew Velazquez after an 0-for-3 performance.

The Yankees would go on to grab a 1 -0 victory, with Aaron Judge plating pinch runner Tyler Wade with one out in the bottom of the ninth to secure the win, the only one of the final three-game series against the Rays that New York would win before the postseason began.

Urshela would total 200 innings at shortstop for the Yankees last season, easily the most of his MLB career but also well behind the 915.2 frames logged by Gleyber Torres. However, that one moment for Urshela would prove to be the most memorable of any Yankees shortstop or other position player during the 2021 season.

Coming off a season where he slashed .267/.301/.419, it will be interesting to see what role Urshela plays for the Yankees in 2022, much of which could depend on which free agents the Yankees sign in the offseason.