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David Schoenfield
It has been the year of the home run robbery, the year of spectacular center field defense … and maybe now, the year of Denzel Clarke.
Wait, who’s Denzel Clarke? The 24-year-old Canadian by way of Cal State Northridge has played just 16 games in the majors for the Athletics but has already made two legendary catches, including one on Monday that, with its cinematic brilliance, will be long remembered alongside some of the best robberies of all time.
But we have many candidates for catch of the year in this year of defense. Here’s a rundown of the top 12 catches so far in 2025 — and, trust us, it was not easy to trim the list (and we undoubtedly missed some other strong candidates). Oh, and sorry infielders, we’re sticking to only outfielders for this list.
1. Denzel Clarke, Athletics (June 9)
As A’s announcer Dallas Braden exclaimed, “Oh my god!”
There is a photo that captures the catch in its full glory, with Clarke several feet off the ground, his back to home plate, his right hand balancing his body on top of the wall, his gloved left hand reaching way above and beyond the top of the fence. The stretch and reach put this catch into official ridiculous territory.
“That play was pretty phenomenal,” A’s manager Mark Kotsay said after the game. “I asked our bench coach Darren Bush, ‘If he had fallen over the fence, how would they have ruled that?’ That’s about as far over a fence you can get without going over and making a play. We talk about his range. The package is instinct, reaction and speed. He’s got it all.”
How spectacular has Clarke been in center field for the A’s? He ranks tied for fourth among center fielders in Statcast’s fielding run value and also tied for fourth among center fielders in defensive runs saved. But remember: He has played only 16 games. In just a couple of weeks in the majors, Clarke has already established himself as a potentially historic defensive center fielder.
He has been overmatched at the plate — he has 29 strikeouts and just one walk — so it remains to be seen whether Clarke will hit enough to remain a regular, but his defense is so good that it might not matter.
2. Denzel Clarke, Athletics (June 6)
We focus on home run robberies, but Clarke sacrificed his body to make this play.
“I always have a gauge of where the wall is at, how fast I’m going and what I’m going to need to do,” Clarke said after the 5-4 win over the Orioles. “I know we have a big warning track here, so as I’m approaching the wall, I’m like, ‘I have one extra step here. I can either go take it or play this off the wall.’ I decided to go make the play. I put my body on the line, and I’m happy it held up for the win today.”
Pitcher J.P. Sears watched in amazement.
“Easily the best catch anybody has ever made when I’m pitching,” Sears said. “It’s just unreal. Definitely one of the best plays, maybe the best play I’ve ever seen in person.”
Varsho’s catch prompted comparisons to some of the best catches of all time. Now it might not even be the best catch of the season. The argument against it is he made an impossible play only by falling down in the first place. Still, it was a one-of-a-kind catch.
Taylor’s catch got lost since it happened the same night as Varsho’s catch, but it might be the most impressive diving catch so far, a full-speed sprint into deep left-center.
“A thing of beauty,” exclaimed Mets announcer Gary Cohen, while one Mets fan wrote: “Tyrone Taylor just became a forever Met.”
Harris is all over the highlights, but this one evokes memories of the famous Jim Edmonds catch.
Myers has made several highlight-reel catches, but this one was probably the best as he hangs on to the ball after crashing into the wall.
VICTOR SCOTT II WITH ONE OF THE BEST CATCHES EVER! pic.twitter.com/jgX1R96qgy
— St. Louis Cardinals (@Cardinals) May 4, 2025
Another spectacular young center fielder, Scott robbed Juan Soto of a home run with this leaping grab.
JACKSON CHOURIO BRINGS IT BACK 🤯 pic.twitter.com/g1VuHei4wt
– mlb (@mlb) May 18, 2025
The Brewers’ young outfielder is one of the budding stars of the sport. Expect to see many more plays like this one, when he turned a potential game-tying home run from Minnesota’s Royce Lewis into an out.
Carpenter got robbed here when Abreu saved a home run, tag-teaming with Rafaela for the perhaps never-before-seen 9-8 putout.
Pete Crow-Armstrong lays out for the SPECTACULAR catch 🤩 pic.twitter.com/RNtyd6QASV
– mlb (@mlb) May 31, 2025
We can’t have a list of the best catches of 2025 without including Crow-Armstrong. This one had just a 10% catch probability and he made it look easy. Crow-Armstrong already feels like a lock for his first Gold Glove, ranking in the 100th percentile in outs above average and just behind J-Rod and Rafaela in DRS.
11. Ceddanne Rafaela, Boston Red Sox (May 8)
How many great young center fielders do we have now? Rafaela’s catch could have happened only at Fenway Park, as he raced deep into the triangle and crashed into the wall.
12. Derek HillMiami Marlins (April 8)
Tyrone Taylor was on the other end of this play from Hill, who had to battle a 19-mph wind to make this catch.
Honorable mentions
Ian Happ (April 5): Happ is a three-time Gold Glove winner, and he showed why.
Jacob Melton (June 6): Astros rookie Melton recently got called up and showed off his range with this play.
Riley Greene (June 2): Greene with a similar play to Melton’s, only in the left-field corner.
