When it comes to spectacular Cincinnati Reds highlights, shortstop sensation Elly De La Cruz is usually the subject. But in Monday’s matchup against the New York Yankees, right fielder Jake Fraley stole the show.

Fraley tracked down a Paul Goldschmidt shot deep to right and made a leaping grab at the wall for a spectacular catch, per MLB.

Goldschmidt was facing Reds starter Nick Lodolo in the top of the fifth with one on and no outs as the Yankees trailed 3-1. Goldschmidt squared up an 86 mph changeup from Lodolo driving the ball the opposite way to right field.

It appeared the veteran first baseman had tied the score 3-3 with a two-run blast. But Fraley immediately had a bead on the ball. He chased it to the track, leapt and came down with the catch while crashing into the wall.

Jake Fraley preserves the Reds' lead with clutch catch

Cincinnati Reds right fielder Jake Fraley (27) leaps but is unable to come down with a three-run home run ball off the bat of Harrison Bader in the sixth inning of the MLB interleague game between the Cincinnati Reds and the Minnesota Twins at Great American Ball Park in downtown Cincinnati on Tuesday, June 17, 2025. The Reds won 6-5.
Sam Greene/The Enquirer / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images
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It’s unclear if the ball would have left the yard had Fraley not made the great grab. But at the very least it would have been extra bases for Goldschmidt. And given the velocity of the drive, it could have caromed off the top of the fence, allowing Jasson Dominguez to score from first. However, Yankees fans will never know because the Reds right fielder made a fearless, clutch grab to rob New York.

Goldschmidt got off to a scorching-hot start this year. Through the end of May, the 15th-year veteran was batting .338 with an .889 OPS. But since the calendar flipped to June, Goldschmidt has gone cold. He’s slashing .169/.239/.292 in 19 games this month.

He nearly busted out of his slump with an opposite field blast but Fraley was their to keep Goldschmidt cold and preserve the Reds' lead.

Cincinnati looked to be on the way to turning the season around, winning nine of 11 games earlier this month. But the Reds have lost three of the last four heading into their series opener with the Yankees. The team is 40-38 entering play on Monday and 6.5 games behind the first-place Chicago Cubs in the NL Central.

Despite being in fourth-place in the division, the Reds could surprise the league at the trade deadline. The team is rumored to be considering making some aggressive moves in an effort to go all-in on the 2025 season. Cincinnati is currently three games back in the NL Wild Card hunt.