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Red Sox Prospect Scales Wall at Delta Dental Park to Rob Would-Be Home Run

A highlight-reel fence climb by Will Turner has drawn broad attention to his defense and could boost his prospect standing despite uneven hitting this season.

Overview

  • Will Turner, a Boston Red Sox seventh-round pick and University of South Alabama product, climbed the outfield wall at Delta Dental Park in Portland, Maine to catch a ball that looked like a home run for the Reading Fightin Phils.
  • The play occurred in the third inning when left fielder Raider Tello hit a deep fly to left-center that Turner timed, leapt, and clung to the wall to retrieve.
  • Turner told MLB.com he had practiced wall grabs in college, called himself a “big Spider-Man guy,” and compared the moment to Bo Jackson’s wall run.
  • The grab went viral and became the night’s defining moment even though Portland lost 5-2 and Turner finished 1-for-3 at the plate.
  • Turner’s season shows mixed offense — a low batting average but a strong .375 on-base percentage with 14 homers and 32 RBIs — and the catch could increase scouting interest in his defensive value at Double-A.