⚾ Ranking best MLB catches of the 2025 season

It has been the twelvemonth of the location tally robbery, the twelvemonth of spectacular halfway tract defence ... and possibly now, the twelvemonth of Denzel Clarke.

Wait, who's Denzel Clarke? The 24-year-old Canadian by mode of Cal State Northridge has played conscionable 16 games successful the majors for the Athletics but has already made 2 legendary catches, including 1 connected Monday that, with its cinematic brilliance, volition beryllium agelong remembered alongside immoderate of the champion robberies of each time.

But we person galore candidates for drawback of the twelvemonth successful this twelvemonth of defense. Here's a rundown of the apical 12 catches truthful acold successful 2025 -- and, spot us, it was not casual to trim the database (and we undoubtedly missed immoderate different beardown candidates). Oh, and atrocious infielders, we're sticking to lone outfielders for this list.

1. Denzel Clarke, Athletics (June 9)

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Catch of the year! Denzel Clarke scales partition for absurd HR robbery

Denzel Clarke defies gravity to marque a sensational location tally robbery for the Athletics vs. the Angels.

As A's announcer Dallas Braden exclaimed, "Oh my god!"

There is simply a photograph that captures the drawback successful its afloat glory, with Clarke respective feet disconnected the ground, his backmost to location plate, his close manus balancing his assemblage connected apical of the wall, his gloved near manus reaching mode supra and beyond the apical of the fence. The agelong and scope enactment this drawback into authoritative ridiculous territory.

"That play was beauteous phenomenal," A's manager Mark Kotsay said aft the game. "I asked our seat manager Darren Bush, 'If helium had fallen implicit the fence, however would they person ruled that?' That's astir arsenic acold implicit a obstruction you tin get without going implicit and making a play. We speech astir his range. The bundle is instinct, absorption and speed. He's got it all."

How spectacular has Clarke been successful halfway tract for the A's? He ranks tied for 4th among halfway fielders successful Statcast's fielding tally worth and besides tied for 4th among halfway fielders successful antiaircraft runs saved. But remember: He has played lone 16 games. In conscionable a mates of weeks successful the majors, Clarke has already established himself arsenic a perchance historical antiaircraft halfway fielder.

He has been overmatched astatine the sheet -- helium has 29 strikeouts and conscionable 1 locomotion -- truthful it remains to beryllium seen whether Clarke volition deed capable to stay a regular, but his defence is truthful bully that it mightiness not matter.

2. Denzel Clarke, Athletics (June 6)

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Denzel Clarke crashes into partition for unbelievable grab

A's halfway fielder Denzel Clarke collides with the partition astatine afloat velocity to marque a spectacular catch.

We absorption connected location tally robberies, but Clarke sacrificed his assemblage to marque this play.

"I ever person a gauge of wherever the partition is at, however accelerated I'm going and what I'm going to request to do," Clarke said aft the 5-4 triumph implicit the Orioles. "I cognize we person a large informing way here, truthful arsenic I'm approaching the wall, I'm like, 'I person 1 other measurement here. I tin either spell instrumentality it oregon play this disconnected the wall.' I decided to spell marque the play. I enactment my assemblage connected the line, and I'm blessed it held up for the triumph today."

Pitcher J.P. Sears watched successful amazement.

"Easily the champion drawback anybody has ever made erstwhile I'm pitching," Sears said. "It's conscionable unreal. Definitely 1 of the champion plays, possibly the champion play I've ever seen successful person."

3. Daulton Varsho, Toronto Blue Jays (April 29)

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Daulton Varsho stumbles and falls earlier unthinkable backhand catch

Daulton Varsho does acrobatics and falls implicit earlier completing an unthinkable drawback for the Blue Jays vs. the Red Sox.

Varsho's drawback prompted comparisons to immoderate of the champion catches of each time. Now it mightiness not adjacent beryllium the champion drawback of the season. The statement against it is helium made an intolerable play lone by falling down successful the archetypal place. Still, it was a one-of-a-kind catch.

4. Tyrone Taylor, New York Mets (April 29)

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Mets enactment connected a antiaircraft masterclass successful the 4th inning

Francisco Lindor and Tyrone Taylor enactment connected a jaw-dropping antiaircraft show connected each 3 outs for the Mets.

Taylor's drawback got mislaid since it happened the aforesaid nighttime arsenic Varsho's catch, but it mightiness beryllium the astir awesome diving drawback truthful far, a full-speed sprint into heavy left-center.

"A happening of beauty," exclaimed Mets announcer Gary Cohen, portion 1 Mets instrumentality wrote: "Tyrone Taylor conscionable became a everlastingly Met."

5. Michael Harris II, Atlanta Braves (May 12)

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Michael Harris II makes unbelievable snag successful center

Michael Harris II tracks the shot for a agelong way, yet making a Willie Mays-style over-the-shoulder drawback for the out.

Harris is each implicit the highlights, but this 1 evokes memories of the celebrated Jim Edmonds catch.

6. Dane Myers, Miami Marlins (May 31)

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Dane Myers lays retired for run-saving drawback for Marlins

Marlins halfway fielder Dane Myers makes a clutch drawback successful the outfield to forestall the San Francisco Giants from scoring successful the seventh inning.

Myers has made respective highlight-reel catches, but this 1 was astir apt the champion arsenic helium hangs connected to the shot aft crashing into the wall.

7. Victor Scott II, St. Louis Cardinals (May 4)

VICTOR SCOTT II WITH ONE OF THE BEST CATCHES EVER! pic.twitter.com/jgX1R96qgy

Another spectacular young halfway fielder, Scott robbed Juan Soto of a location tally with this leaping grab.

8. Jackson Chourio, Milwaukee Brewers (May 18)

JACKSON CHOURIO BRINGS IT BACK 🤯 pic.twitter.com/g1VuHei4wt

The Brewers' young outfielder is 1 of the budding stars of the sport. Expect to spot galore much plays similar this one, erstwhile helium turned a imaginable game-tying location tally from Minnesota's Royce Lewis into an out.

9. Wilyer Abreu/Ceddanne Rafaela, Boston Red Sox (May 14)

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Red Sox outfielders squad up for unbelievable HR robbery

Wilyer Abreu goes up to rob the location run, but the shot bounces disconnected his mitt into Ceddanne Rafaela's mitt for 1 of the wildest catches you'll ever see.

Carpenter got robbed present erstwhile Abreu saved a location run, tag-teaming with Rafaela for the possibly never-before-seen 9-8 putout.

10. Pete Crow-Armstrong, Chicago Cubs (May 31)

Pete Crow-Armstrong lays retired for the SPECTACULAR drawback 🤩 pic.twitter.com/RNtyd6QASV

We can't person a database of the champion catches of 2025 without including Crow-Armstrong. This 1 had conscionable a 10% drawback probability and helium made it look easy. Crow-Armstrong already feels similar a fastener for his archetypal Gold Glove, ranking successful the 100th percentile successful outs supra mean and conscionable down J-Rod and Rafaela successful DRS.

11. Ceddanne Rafaela, Boston Red Sox (May 8)

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Ceddanne Rafaela crashes into the partition for jaw-dropping grab

Ceddanne Rafaela denies Rangers arsenic helium lays retired against the partition to marque a sensational snag.

How galore large young halfway fielders bash we person now? Rafaela's drawback could person happened lone astatine Fenway Park, arsenic helium raced heavy into the triangle and crashed into the wall.

12. Derek Hill, Miami Marlins (April 8)

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Derek Hill goes afloat hold for unthinkable drawback connected informing track

Derek Hill lays retired astatine afloat agelong to marque a large diving drawback to permission 3 Mets stranded and extremity the 6th inning for the Marlins.

Tyrone Taylor was connected the different extremity of this play from Hill, who had to conflict a 19-mph upwind to marque this catch.

Honorable mentions

Ian Happ (April 5): Happ is simply a three-time Gold Glove winner, and helium showed why.

Jacob Melton (June 6): Astros rookie Melton precocious got called up and showed disconnected his scope with this play.

Riley Greene (June 2): Greene with a akin play to Melton's, lone successful the left-field corner.