Jake McCarthy Just Did Something No Outfielder Has Done Since 2015 and It Was Absolutely Wild

Let's talk about one of the rarest plays in baseball. Jake McCarthy, playing for the Colorado Rockies, pulled off an unassisted double play as an outfielder. That's the first time an outfielder has done that in the big leagues since 2015. Yeah, you read that right. Eleven years between unassisted double plays by a guy in the field.

This Doesn't Happen Every Day

An unassisted double play by an outfielder is one of those baseball moments that makes you have to ask your buddy next to you at the bar, "Wait, did that actually just happen?" It's baseball rarity at its finest. Think about what has to go right. McCarthy had to be in exactly the right spot, the ball had to find him, and he had to make the play without a single teammate touching it. That's not luck. That's positioning, awareness, and execution all colliding at once.

The fact that it hasn't happened since 2015 tells you everything. In a decade-plus of MLB baseball, outfielders have had thousands of opportunities to make this play, and McCarthy became just the second guy in that entire stretch to pull it off. That's the kind of moment that gets replayed in highlight reels and talked about around water coolers all season long.

A Rockies Win in a Weird Season

This happened in a game where Colorado beat Pittsburgh 10-4, so it wasn't just a highlight in a loss. The Rockies got the W, and McCarthy's defensive gem was part of a strong performance. It's the kind of play that sticks with you even after the final out, the kind of moment that reminds you why we love baseball.

The game wrapped up on May 13, 2026, and while plenty was happening around the league that night, McCarthy's unassisted double play from the outfield is the one that's going to get remembered. When you're the first to do something in over a decade in the biggest league in the world, you've earned your spot in the conversation.

This article was created with AI assistance and reviewed by Seattle On Tap editorial staff. Always verify information with official team sources.