Hunter Renfroe was already having a career year. He added a career night on Wednesday.
The Boston Red Sox outfielder delivered the throw of the year — and possibly the decade — to seal a 2-1 win against his old team, the Tampa Bay Rays. There’s really nothing else to add until you see the throw.
Here it is:
From a step in front of the warning track in center all the way to third base in one hop. Poor Rays infielder Joey Wendle couldn’t have possible expected that to come after his fly ball got past center fielder Danny Santana.
That was not the extent of Renfroe’s contributions, as he was also the reason the Red Sox were ahead after crushing a two-run homer in the eighth inning.
Oh, and he had another incredible throw in the fourth inning.
As stunning as these throws are, it’s not stunning to see them come from Renfroe. The 29-year-old has long had one of the strongest arms in baseball, and that was part of why the Red Sox added him in free agency this offseason on a one-year, $3 million deal. Renfroe spent the previous season with the Rays, reaching the World Series as a platoon player.
A year after hitting .156/.252/.393 for Tampa Bay, Renfroe’s slash line currently sits at .267/.322/.515 with 28 homers. The Rays are doing just fine without him at an AL-best 88-52, but he’s going down as one of the values in MLB this season.