When you see an amazing, home run-robbing, self-sacrificing catch in MLB, you know that part of the motivation behind such a play is the exorbitant check the player is about to receive.
When you see that kind of play in the amateur ranks? It can only be for the love of the game.
And, boy, does University of Central Florida baseball player Jack Porter love the game.
Porter, a sophomore utility player for the UCF Knights, went viral on Thursday for robbing a home run in a Great Lakes Summer Collegiate League game.
You can watch the jaw-dropping play for yourself below:
Ouch. Did any part of Porter’s 6-foot-1, 180-pound frame not hit something?
And the above video is slowed down to show what happened. Imagine seeing the insane play live. Or imagine being the other team and witnessing Porter tumble over the fence — only to see him lift the ball securely over his head.
Porter, who is clearly working on keeping his skills sharp despite the college baseball season being over, plays for the Lima Locos in Ohio.
Despite the relative anonymity of the Locos, it’s pretty easy to see why the video went viral. That sort of spectacular catch requires a special blend of heart, fearlessness and passion.
Of course, defense isn’t Porter’s only strength.
The young man showed a penchant for making big plays at the high school level as well.
Here’s Porter ripping off the game-winning hit at an invitational for top baseball prospects in 2021:
Here’s another clip of Porter just on fire at the plate:
Porter’s heroics in the summer league earned him a little slice of fame beyond Twitter virality, as he was featured on ESPN’s flagship program, “SportsCenter,” in its daily “Top 10 Plays” segment.
Now, the No. 1 play on Thursday was actually a mundane out in an MLB game, the caveat being that the out secured Yankees pitcher Domingo Germán the 24th perfect game in MLB history.
Did Porter’s incredible catch deserve to be placed over a routine — but historic — play? That’s for fans to decide.
For Porter, making the Top 10 list doing something he so clearly loves was probably reward enough.
This article appeared originally on The Western Journal.