Pitchers Catch Rare Popups in Royals-Guardians Game

Tanner Bibee and Michael Wacha make unusual plays on the mound

Apr. 7, 2026 at 1:48am

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A cubist, geometric painting depicting a baseball pitcher mid-leap, catching a popup in the air, with the baseball diamond and player uniforms broken down into sharp, overlapping planes of color.Two pitchers make rare plays on popups, showcasing their athleticism and awareness on the mound.Kansas City Today

In a rare occurrence, the starting pitchers in Monday's Royals-Guardians game both caught popups on the mound. Cleveland's Tanner Bibee caught a popup in the second inning, while Kansas City's Michael Wacha made an impressive catch in foul territory in the fourth inning to retire José Ramírez.

Why it matters

Pitchers catching popups is an uncommon sight in Major League Baseball, as they are typically called off by infielders. This game featured two such plays, highlighting the athleticism and awareness of the starting pitchers.

The details

In the top of the second inning, Bibee caught a popup before any Guardians infielder could reach it, raising his hands in celebration. Wacha's catch was even more impressive, as he had to run into foul territory along the third-base line to snag a popup off the bat of Ramírez in the fourth inning.

  • In the top of the second inning on April 7, 2026
  • In the fourth inning on April 7, 2026

The players

Tanner Bibee

The starting pitcher for the Cleveland Guardians, who caught a popup in the second inning.

Michael Wacha

The starting pitcher for the Kansas City Royals, who caught a popup in foul territory in the fourth inning.

José Ramírez

The Cleveland Guardians player who was at bat when Wacha made his catch, setting a franchise record for games played.

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What they’re saying

“I feel like pitchers don't necessarily get to catch those very often. You always get called off. I feel like whenever the ball goes up like that, my mindset is always to catch the ball. No one called me off, and I got to catch it. It was cool.”

— Tanner Bibee, Pitcher, Cleveland Guardians

“Let's go. With Ramírez up, I was like, 'We got to turn this to an out there. Can't let that AB extend.'”

— Michael Wacha, Pitcher, Kansas City Royals

The takeaway

Pitchers catching popups is a rare sight in baseball, but this game featured two such plays, showcasing the athleticism and awareness of the starting pitchers. These types of plays are a reminder of the well-rounded skills required to excel at the highest level of the sport.