<!DOCTYPE html PUBLIC "-//W3C//DTD XHTML 1.0 Transitional//EN" "http://www.w3.org/TR/xhtml1/DTD/xhtml1-transitional.dtd"><html xmlns="http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml" xml:lang="en" lang="en">    <head>        <script>   (function(i, s, o, g, r, a, m) {     i["GoogleAnalyticsObject"] = r;     i[r] = i[r] || function() {       (i[r].q = i[r].q || []).push(arguments)     }, i[r].l = 1 * new Date();     a = s.createElement(o),       m = s.getElementsByTagName(o)[0];     a.async = 1;     a.src = g;     m.parentNode.insertBefore(a, m)   })(window, document, "script", "https://www.google-analytics.com/analytics.js", "ga");   ga('create', 'UA-66147751-16', {     'storage': 'none',     'clientId': localStorage.getItem('ga:clientId')   });   ga(function(tracker) {     localStorage.setItem('ga:clientId', tracker.get('clientId'));   });   ga('set', 'checkProtocolTask', null);      ga('set', 'page', '/mlb/athletics/athletics-news-denzel-clarke-nickname-torii-hunter-after-catch');   ga('set', 'title', 'Athletics’ Denzel Clarke earns new nickname from Torii Hunter after unreal catch');   ga('send', 'pageview');</script>        <style type="text/css" media="all">            body {    background: transparent;    margin: 0px;}h1, h2, h3 {    color: #DDDDDD;    font-family: "SFUIText-Semibold";    margin: 30px 15px 15px 15px;    font-size: 21px;    line-height: 125%;    letter-spacing: -0.41px;}header {    margin: 0px;    height: 0px;    display: none;}p {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 15px 15px 15px 15px;    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;}p > img {    margin-left: -15px;    width: calc(100% + 30px);}a {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.8);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;    text-decoration: underline;}ul {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 3px 10px 3px 10px;    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;}ol {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;}img {    margin: 0px;    width: 100%;    height: auto;}blockquote {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.8);    font-family: "SFUIText-Medium";    margin: 30px 15px 30px 15px;    font-size: 19px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.41px;}blockquote p {    margin: 0px;}.op-tracker, .op-ad {    display: none;    height: 0px;}article > figure {    margin: 0px;}figcaption {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 10px 15px 30px 15px;    font-size: 13px;}iframe {    width: __SCREEN_SIZE_WIDTH__;    margin: 0px;    border: 0;}.vine-embed {    height: __SCREEN_SIZE_WIDTH__;}.twitter-tweet, .instagram-media {    margin-left: 15px !important;    margin-right: 15px !important;    width: __SCREEN_CONTENT_SIZE_WIDTH__ !important;}.clutchpoints-widget {    /*margin: 10px 15px 10px 15px !important;*/    /*margin-top: 1px !important;*/    padding-top: 10px;    /*margin-left: 15px !important;*/    /*margin-right: 15px !important;*/    /*width: __SCREEN_CONTENT_SIZE_WIDTH__ !important;*/}        </style>        <meta http-equiv="Content-Type" content="text/html; charset=UTF-8" />    </head>    <body>        <article id="mvp-content-main"><header><figure><img src="https://wp.clutchpoints.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/06/Athletics-center-fielder-Denzel-Clarke.jpg"><figcaption>Dan Hamilton-Imagn Images</figcaption></figure><h1>Athletics’ Denzel Clarke earns new nickname from Torii Hunter after unreal catch</h1><time class="op-published" datetime="2025-06-11T18:46:58-07:00">June 11th, 6:46pm</time><time class="op-modified" datetime="2025-06-11T18:46:58-07:00">June 11th, 6:46pm</time><address><a>Zachary Howell</a>Zachary Howell is an Associate Editor at ClutchPoints focusing on creating premier MLB content. He is a big fan of the Yankees, Oklahoma City Thunder and the Syracuse Orange. In his free time, he likes to be outside or read.</address><h3 class="op-kicker">Athletics</h3><figure class="op-ad"></figure></header><p>Last season, the Athletics finished the season strong, led by Brent Rooker and Lawrence Butler. <a href="https://clutchpoints.com/mlb/athletics/athletics-news-brent-rooker-agree-60-million-contract-extension">Rooker earned a five-year, $60 million extension this offseason</a>, and the team might have found the final piece to their outfield in standout rookie Denzel Clarke. The 25-year-old made one of the best catches in recent Major League Baseball history on Monday. His highlight has made the rounds across the sports world, leading former MLB All-Star Torii Hunter to give him a new nickname.</p><p>Hunter was known for his defense when he was in the league, winning nine Gold Gloves as a player. The former Los Angeles Angels star <a href="https://twitter.com/FoulTerritoryTV/status/1932943937947472096" rel="noopener">heaped praise</a> on Clarke on a video call with the rookie on Foul Territory.</p><figure class="op-interactive"><blockquote class="twitter-tweet"><p dir="ltr" lang="en">"Elastic Man" is Torii Hunter's nickname for Denzel Clarke.</p><p>"The way he climbed that wall, stretched and caught that ball, man, you gotta have some rubber in you – Wow, that sounds bad." 😂 <a href="https://t.co/YGCWHxsRmv">pic.twitter.com/YGCWHxsRmv</a></p><p>— Foul Territory (@FoulTerritoryTV) <a href="https://twitter.com/FoulTerritoryTV/status/1932943937947472096?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">June 11, 2025</a></p></blockquote><p><script async="" src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script></p></figure><p>“I saw that catch, I’m very impressed, man,” said Hunter to Clarke. “That was a very impressive catch.”</p><p>Hunter gave the rookie outfielder a new nickname to commemorate his efforts in the Athletics’ outfield.</p><p>“Elastic Man,” said Hunter, much to the joy for Clarke. “The way he climbed that wall, stretched and caught that ball, man, you gotta have some rubber in you…”</p><p>In an outfield anchored by offensive-minded players like Butler and Rooker, Clarke’s talent in the field balances out an intriguing young core.</p><p>“I just don’t think you can teach it,” Hunter said about Clarke’s defensive talent. “It’s hard to replicate. These guys are such great athletes that they can make something happen like that. That’s why you rarely see it, because it’s not too many people that can make those catches and be consistent with it.”</p><p><a href="https://clutchpoints.com/mlb/los-angeles-angels/athletics-news-denzel-clarke-viral-insane-hr-robbery-vs-angels">Clarke’s efforts in the field have put the league on notice</a>. Unfortunately, it has not translated into wins for the Athletics. The team is 26-44 after the Angels swept them on Wednesday. Despite being last in the American League West, the Athletics’ future is bright with players like Clarke, Rooker, and Butler leading the way.</p><p>Hunter applauded the rookie outfielder for his mindset. According to him, Clarke’s approach to the game is what makes him great.</p><p>“With Denzel, watching him play, that’s why I said it was so impressive because the closeout he had of stubbornness, of not letting you have a hit. That’s what makes you a great center fielder.”</p><figure class="op-tracker"></figure></article>    </body></html>

Athletics’ Denzel Clarke earns new nickname from Torii Hunter after unreal catch

<!DOCTYPE html PUBLIC "-//W3C//DTD XHTML 1.0 Transitional//EN" "http://www.w3.org/TR/xhtml1/DTD/xhtml1-transitional.dtd"><html xmlns="http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml" xml:lang="en" lang="en">    <head>        <script>   (function(i, s, o, g, r, a, m) {     i["GoogleAnalyticsObject"] = r;     i[r] = i[r] || function() {       (i[r].q = i[r].q || []).push(arguments)     }, i[r].l = 1 * new Date();     a = s.createElement(o),       m = s.getElementsByTagName(o)[0];     a.async = 1;     a.src = g;     m.parentNode.insertBefore(a, m)   })(window, document, "script", "https://www.google-analytics.com/analytics.js", "ga");   ga('create', 'UA-66147751-16', {     'storage': 'none',     'clientId': localStorage.getItem('ga:clientId')   });   ga(function(tracker) {     localStorage.setItem('ga:clientId', tracker.get('clientId'));   });   ga('set', 'checkProtocolTask', null);      ga('set', 'page', '/mlb/athletics/athletics-news-denzel-clarke-insane-catch-recognition-torii-hunter');   ga('set', 'title', 'Denzel Clarke’s insane catch for Athletics gets recognition from Torii Hunter');   ga('send', 'pageview');</script>        <style type="text/css" media="all">            body {    background: transparent;    margin: 0px;}h1, h2, h3 {    color: #DDDDDD;    font-family: "SFUIText-Semibold";    margin: 30px 15px 15px 15px;    font-size: 21px;    line-height: 125%;    letter-spacing: -0.41px;}header {    margin: 0px;    height: 0px;    display: none;}p {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 15px 15px 15px 15px;    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;}p > img {    margin-left: -15px;    width: calc(100% + 30px);}a {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.8);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;    text-decoration: underline;}ul {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 3px 10px 3px 10px;    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;}ol {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;}img {    margin: 0px;    width: 100%;    height: auto;}blockquote {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.8);    font-family: "SFUIText-Medium";    margin: 30px 15px 30px 15px;    font-size: 19px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.41px;}blockquote p {    margin: 0px;}.op-tracker, .op-ad {    display: none;    height: 0px;}article > figure {    margin: 0px;}figcaption {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 10px 15px 30px 15px;    font-size: 13px;}iframe {    width: __SCREEN_SIZE_WIDTH__;    margin: 0px;    border: 0;}.vine-embed {    height: __SCREEN_SIZE_WIDTH__;}.twitter-tweet, .instagram-media {    margin-left: 15px !important;    margin-right: 15px !important;    width: __SCREEN_CONTENT_SIZE_WIDTH__ !important;}.clutchpoints-widget {    /*margin: 10px 15px 10px 15px !important;*/    /*margin-top: 1px !important;*/    padding-top: 10px;    /*margin-left: 15px !important;*/    /*margin-right: 15px !important;*/    /*width: __SCREEN_CONTENT_SIZE_WIDTH__ !important;*/}        </style>        <meta http-equiv="Content-Type" content="text/html; charset=UTF-8" />    </head>    <body>        <article id="mvp-content-main"><header><figure><img src="https://wp.clutchpoints.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/06/Athletics-Denzel-Clarke-makes-the-catch-against-the-Minnesota-Twins.jpg"><figcaption>Ed Szczepanski-Imagn Images</figcaption></figure><h1>Denzel Clarke’s insane catch for Athletics gets recognition from Torii Hunter</h1><time class="op-published" datetime="2025-06-10T05:02:50-07:00">June 10th, 5:02am</time><time class="op-modified" datetime="2025-06-10T05:02:50-07:00">June 10th, 5:02am</time><address><a>Yasmin Edañol</a>Yasmin D.G. Edañol is a PhD candidate in Chemistry at the University of the Philippines Diliman, with a background in scientific research and publishing. He brings a data-driven perspective to sports storytelling as an Associate Editor at ClutchPoints, with a focus on the NBA. Whether it's breaking down a clutch play or a stat line, he believes every great moment has a deeper layer waiting to be uncovered.</address><h3 class="op-kicker">Athletics</h3><figure class="op-ad"></figure></header><p>Athletics outfielder <a href="https://clutchpoints.com/mlb/los-angeles-angels/athletics-news-denzel-clarke-viral-insane-hr-robbery-vs-angels">Denzel Clarke made headlines</a> with an insane home run robbery against the Los Angeles Angels at Angel Stadium. In the bottom of the first inning, Angels first baseman Nolan Schanuel launched what looked like a sure homer to center. In the now-viral clip, Clarke timed his leap perfectly and snatched the ball from over the wall. The clip went viral, quickly racking up 3.5 million views. Among those who took notice was Minnesota Twins Hall of Famer Torii Hunter.</p><p>He <a href="https://x.com/toriihunter48/status/1932269330428989631" rel="noopener">praised the outfielder on social media</a>, calling it one of the best catches he has ever seen.</p><figure class="op-interactive"><blockquote class="twitter-tweet"><p dir="ltr" lang="en">This has to be one of the best catches I've ever seen, and I've seen my share of home run robberies. 🤩 <a href="https://t.co/fyaQakOBTv">https://t.co/fyaQakOBTv</a></p><p>— Torii Hunter (@toriihunter48) <a href="https://twitter.com/toriihunter48/status/1932269330428989631?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">June 10, 2025</a></p></blockquote><p><script async="" src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script></p></figure><p>MLB <a href="https://x.com/MLB/status/1932281498373144612" rel="noopener">followed up with another post</a> that combined Clarke’s catch and Hunter’s reaction, captioned: “Game recognizes game 🤝.”</p><figure class="op-interactive"><blockquote class="twitter-tweet"><p dir="ltr" lang="en">Game recognizes game 🤝 <a href="https://t.co/LJzb16ClmN">pic.twitter.com/LJzb16ClmN</a></p><p>— MLB (@MLB) <a href="https://twitter.com/MLB/status/1932281498373144612?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">June 10, 2025</a></p></blockquote><p><script async="" src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script></p></figure><p>Hunter’s praise carried extra weight, given his own decorated MLB career. He earned five All-Star selections (2002, 2007, 2009, 2010, 2013) and collected nine straight Gold Glove Awards from 2001 to 2009. He also won two Silver Slugger Awards (2009, 2013). Known for his dynamic defense and reliable bat, Hunter eventually secured a spot in the Minnesota Twins Hall of Fame.</p><p>Hunter also delivered his own share of unforgettable moments. In the 2002 MLB All-Star Game, he made one of the most iconic catches in the event’s history. During the bottom of the first, Barry Bonds smashed a ball toward deep right-center. Hunter timed his leap perfectly and robbed Bonds of a home run, leaving the slugger smiling in disbelief.</p><p>Now, Clarke is building a defensive legacy of his own. After spending four years in the minors, he finally earned a spot on the Athletics roster. The Mets originally drafted him in 2018, but he declined to sign. In 2021, the A’s selected him, and he began climbing through their farm system—from the Arizona Complex League to Single-A Stockton, High-A Lansing, Double-A Midland, and finally Triple-A Las Vegas.</p><p>Clarke made his MLB debut on May 23, 2025, against the Toronto Blue Jays. Since then, he has delivered a series of defensive highlights. In the Toronto series, <a href="https://clutchpoints.com/mlb/athletics/athletics-news-denzel-clarke-robs-hr-against-hometown-blue-jays">Clarke robbed Alejandro Kirk of a homer</a> by scaling the wall. Against the Orioles, Clarke sprinted into the outfield wall while securing a deep shot to left-center.</p><p>With plays like these, Denzel Clarke is quickly emerging as one of the league’s most exciting young defenders. And with praise from Torii Hunter, his star is rising fast.</p><figure class="op-tracker"></figure></article>    </body></html>

Denzel Clarke’s insane catch for Athletics gets recognition from Torii Hunter

<!DOCTYPE html PUBLIC "-//W3C//DTD XHTML 1.0 Transitional//EN" "http://www.w3.org/TR/xhtml1/DTD/xhtml1-transitional.dtd"><html xmlns="http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml" xml:lang="en" lang="en">    <head>        <script>   (function(i, s, o, g, r, a, m) {     i["GoogleAnalyticsObject"] = r;     i[r] = i[r] || function() {       (i[r].q = i[r].q || []).push(arguments)     }, i[r].l = 1 * new Date();     a = s.createElement(o),       m = s.getElementsByTagName(o)[0];     a.async = 1;     a.src = g;     m.parentNode.insertBefore(a, m)   })(window, document, "script", "https://www.google-analytics.com/analytics.js", "ga");   ga('create', 'UA-66147751-16', {     'storage': 'none',     'clientId': localStorage.getItem('ga:clientId')   });   ga(function(tracker) {     localStorage.setItem('ga:clientId', tracker.get('clientId'));   });   ga('set', 'checkProtocolTask', null);      ga('set', 'page', '/mlb/los-angeles-angels/athletics-news-denzel-clarke-viral-insane-hr-robbery-vs-angels');   ga('set', 'title', 'Athletics’ Denzel Clarke goes viral after insane HR robbery vs. Angels');   ga('send', 'pageview');</script>        <style type="text/css" media="all">            body {    background: transparent;    margin: 0px;}h1, h2, h3 {    color: #DDDDDD;    font-family: "SFUIText-Semibold";    margin: 30px 15px 15px 15px;    font-size: 21px;    line-height: 125%;    letter-spacing: -0.41px;}header {    margin: 0px;    height: 0px;    display: none;}p {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 15px 15px 15px 15px;    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;}p > img {    margin-left: -15px;    width: calc(100% + 30px);}a {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.8);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;    text-decoration: underline;}ul {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 3px 10px 3px 10px;    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;}ol {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;}img {    margin: 0px;    width: 100%;    height: auto;}blockquote {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.8);    font-family: "SFUIText-Medium";    margin: 30px 15px 30px 15px;    font-size: 19px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.41px;}blockquote p {    margin: 0px;}.op-tracker, .op-ad {    display: none;    height: 0px;}article > figure {    margin: 0px;}figcaption {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 10px 15px 30px 15px;    font-size: 13px;}iframe {    width: __SCREEN_SIZE_WIDTH__;    margin: 0px;    border: 0;}.vine-embed {    height: __SCREEN_SIZE_WIDTH__;}.twitter-tweet, .instagram-media {    margin-left: 15px !important;    margin-right: 15px !important;    width: __SCREEN_CONTENT_SIZE_WIDTH__ !important;}.clutchpoints-widget {    /*margin: 10px 15px 10px 15px !important;*/    /*margin-top: 1px !important;*/    padding-top: 10px;    /*margin-left: 15px !important;*/    /*margin-right: 15px !important;*/    /*width: __SCREEN_CONTENT_SIZE_WIDTH__ !important;*/}        </style>        <meta http-equiv="Content-Type" content="text/html; charset=UTF-8" />    </head>    <body>        <article id="mvp-content-main"><header><figure><img src="https://wp.clutchpoints.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/05/Athletics-Denzel-Clarke-leaps-up-to-make-the-grab-.jpg"><figcaption>Dan Hamilton-Imagn Images</figcaption></figure><h1>Athletics’ Denzel Clarke goes viral after insane HR robbery vs. Angels</h1><time class="op-published" datetime="2025-06-09T19:48:24-07:00">June 9th, 7:48pm</time><time class="op-modified" datetime="2025-06-09T19:49:37-07:00">June 9th, 7:49pm</time><address><a>Matty Breisch</a>Matty Breisch is a Senior Editor who specializes in NFL and WWE content at ClutchPoints. He can be read at Heavy, FanSided, The Needle Drop, Philadelphia Sports Network, and right here at ClutchPoints. Are you ready to read about football and wrestling? Well, you've come to the right place.</address><h3 class="op-kicker">Los Angeles Angels</h3><figure class="op-ad"></figure></header><p>At the bottom of the first inning, <a href="https://clutchpoints.com/mlb/angels-news-2-la-players-make-history-in-5-4-win-over-mariners">Los Angeles Angels first baseman Nolan Schanuel</a> thought he’d hit himself a dinger against the Athletics. The ball, thrown down the middle at 87 mph by Grant Holman, flew off the bat and went right to left-center field, where the Halos have a notoriously short fence.</p><p>Nine times out of ten, that is a home run. <i>99 times out of 100</i>, that is a home run. But Denzel Clarke, on a mission to <a href="https://clutchpoints.com/mlb/athletics-news-denzel-clarke-robs-hr-against-hometown-blue-jays">establish himself as MLB’s premier center field magician</a>, put the league on notice, turning in a catch the likes of which <a href="https://x.com/ClutchPoints/status/1932254202950012946" rel="noopener">fans in the building will never forget</a>.</p><figure class="op-interactive"><blockquote class="twitter-tweet"><p dir="ltr" lang="en">Denzel Clarke with an UNREAL ROBBERY 🤯</p><p>Catch of the year!<a href="https://t.co/ez3Gk0sZ7Y">pic.twitter.com/ez3Gk0sZ7Y</a></p><p>— ClutchPoints (@ClutchPoints) <a href="https://twitter.com/ClutchPoints/status/1932254202950012946?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">June 10, 2025</a></p></blockquote><p><script async="" src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script></p></figure><p>What. A. Robbery.</p><p>Now, for fans in Oakland, Las Vegas, and around the world who like to watch the As from time to time, Clarke doing something otherworldly when the ball is in the air is nothing new, as he’s been pulling off circus catches on a near-weekly basis since getting called up, but this one might just be his most impressive to date, setting a clear benchmark in the Catch of the Year conversation that fans will be measuring every subsequent grab against.</p><p>Originally drafted in the fourth round of the 2021 MLB Draft out of Cal Northridge, Clarke officially made it to The Show in 2025 after beginning the year with the AAA Las Vegas Aviators. While Clarke is still looking to find his offense at the game’s highest level, with just<a href="https://www.baseball-reference.com/register/player.fcgi?id=clarke000den" rel="noopener"> 11 hits, seven runs, three RBIs, and a home run</a> over his first 51 plate appearances, his defense has more than made up for some initial struggles at the plate.</p><p>After saying goodbye to Esteury Ruiz in a minor deal with the Los Angeles Dodgers, the A’s have somehow found an even more exciting center field project who can fly around the field and snag any ball remotely thrown his way. For his sake, fans had better hope that Clarke can find more offense than Ruiz, as he could then become a centerpiece player for the Athletics moving forward.</p><figure class="op-tracker"></figure></article>    </body></html>

Athletics’ Denzel Clarke goes viral after insane HR robbery vs. Angels

<!DOCTYPE html PUBLIC "-//W3C//DTD XHTML 1.0 Transitional//EN" "http://www.w3.org/TR/xhtml1/DTD/xhtml1-transitional.dtd"><html xmlns="http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml" xml:lang="en" lang="en">    <head>        <script>   (function(i, s, o, g, r, a, m) {     i["GoogleAnalyticsObject"] = r;     i[r] = i[r] || function() {       (i[r].q = i[r].q || []).push(arguments)     }, i[r].l = 1 * new Date();     a = s.createElement(o),       m = s.getElementsByTagName(o)[0];     a.async = 1;     a.src = g;     m.parentNode.insertBefore(a, m)   })(window, document, "script", "https://www.google-analytics.com/analytics.js", "ga");   ga('create', 'UA-66147751-16', {     'storage': 'none',     'clientId': localStorage.getItem('ga:clientId')   });   ga(function(tracker) {     localStorage.setItem('ga:clientId', tracker.get('clientId'));   });   ga('set', 'checkProtocolTask', null);      ga('set', 'page', '/mlb/athletics/athletics-news-denzel-clarke-robs-hr-against-hometown-blue-jays');   ga('set', 'title', 'Athletics’ Denzel Clarke robs HR against hometown Blue Jays');   ga('send', 'pageview');</script>        <style type="text/css" media="all">            body {    background: transparent;    margin: 0px;}h1, h2, h3 {    color: #DDDDDD;    font-family: "SFUIText-Semibold";    margin: 30px 15px 15px 15px;    font-size: 21px;    line-height: 125%;    letter-spacing: -0.41px;}header {    margin: 0px;    height: 0px;    display: none;}p {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 15px 15px 15px 15px;    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;}p > img {    margin-left: -15px;    width: calc(100% + 30px);}a {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.8);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;    text-decoration: underline;}ul {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 3px 10px 3px 10px;    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;}ol {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;}img {    margin: 0px;    width: 100%;    height: auto;}blockquote {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.8);    font-family: "SFUIText-Medium";    margin: 30px 15px 30px 15px;    font-size: 19px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.41px;}blockquote p {    margin: 0px;}.op-tracker, .op-ad {    display: none;    height: 0px;}article > figure {    margin: 0px;}figcaption {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 10px 15px 30px 15px;    font-size: 13px;}iframe {    width: __SCREEN_SIZE_WIDTH__;    margin: 0px;    border: 0;}.vine-embed {    height: __SCREEN_SIZE_WIDTH__;}.twitter-tweet, .instagram-media {    margin-left: 15px !important;    margin-right: 15px !important;    width: __SCREEN_CONTENT_SIZE_WIDTH__ !important;}.clutchpoints-widget {    /*margin: 10px 15px 10px 15px !important;*/    /*margin-top: 1px !important;*/    padding-top: 10px;    /*margin-left: 15px !important;*/    /*margin-right: 15px !important;*/    /*width: __SCREEN_CONTENT_SIZE_WIDTH__ !important;*/}        </style>        <meta http-equiv="Content-Type" content="text/html; charset=UTF-8" />    </head>    <body>        <article id="mvp-content-main"><header><figure><img src="https://wp.clutchpoints.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/05/Athletics-Denzel-Clarke-leaps-up-to-make-the-grab-.jpg"><figcaption>Dan Hamilton-Imagn Images</figcaption></figure><h1>Athletics’ Denzel Clarke robs HR against hometown Blue Jays</h1><time class="op-published" datetime="2025-05-30T19:19:14-07:00">May 30th, 7:19pm</time><time class="op-modified" datetime="2025-05-30T19:19:32-07:00">May 30th, 7:19pm</time><address><a>Alex House</a>Alex House is a sports journalist who covers the NFL, NBA, and MLB for ClutchPoints. He grew up in a New York sports-heavy region in Connecticut and earned his journalism degree at the University of Rhode Island. His in-depth knowledge of two of the most passionate and raucous fan bases in the country gives him a truly unique writing voice.</address><h3 class="op-kicker">Athletics</h3><figure class="op-ad"></figure></header><p>Unfortunately, just like last year, the 2025 Athletics campaign is about developing young talent rather than competing for a playoff berth. The front office was active during the offseason, signing starting pitcher Luis Severino to a franchise-record three-year, $67 million contract and <a href="https://clutchpoints.com/mlb/athletics/athletics-news-brent-rooker-agree-60-million-contract-extension">extending Brent Rooker</a> and Lawrence Butler to long-term deals, but the team is still far away from relevance. Therefore, fans need other reasons to invest in the product.</p><p>Rookie outfielder Denzel Clarke just gave them one. In what was a memorable homecoming versus the Toronto Blue Jays, the impressive 6-foot-4 prospect incredibly <a href="https://x.com/ClutchPoints/status/1928611962176389437" rel="noopener">scaled the wall and robbed</a> catcher Alejandro Kirk of a solo home run in the bottom of the fourth inning. Clarke has displayed his defensive prowess during his first week of MLB action, but he took it to another level in Rogers Centre.</p><p>The highlight-reel play will rank high on SportsCenter’s Top 10 Plays and will make the rounds on social media, which alone is enough to put a big grin on the 25-year-old’s face. But what will make this a lifelong memory is that it happened in his hometown, in front of his family and friends.</p><p>The Toronto native, who is the son of Olympic heptathlete Donna Clarke, flaunted his great genes and put on a show for all those who came out to support him. He also recorded two hits and an RBI. Although the Athletics suffered their fourth straight loss, falling 11-7, the 2021 fourth-round draft pick can at least leave the game with a huge confidence boost.</p><figure class="op-interactive"><blockquote class="twitter-tweet"><p dir="ltr" lang="en">Denzel Clarke leaps UP to rob Alejandro Kirk a home run 🤯<a href="https://t.co/pfVxrT25Af">pic.twitter.com/pfVxrT25Af</a></p><p>— ClutchPoints (@ClutchPoints) <a href="https://twitter.com/ClutchPoints/status/1928611962176389437?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">May 31, 2025</a></p></blockquote><p><script async="" src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script></p></figure><h2><b>Have the Athletics found another player to join their rebuild?</b></h2><p>Clarke is a work-in-progress at the plate, recording just three hits in his first 22 at-bats (at time of print). He should get the chance to work through the growing pains, however. The Athletics would surely love to find a long-term role for this exceptional athlete.</p><p>Rooker, Butler, Tyler Soderstrom and Shea Langeliers are all fixtures of this club, and Jacob Wilson, Nick Kurtz and now Denzel Clarke are determined to establish themselves as valuable core members. When the Athletics move to Las Vegas, they will want something exciting to sell to people. Home run heists could make for a compelling pitch.</p><p>Clarke will try to further ingratiate himself to fans when the A’s get back at it on Saturday afternoon.</p><figure class="op-tracker"></figure></article>    </body></html>

2025 SEASON STATS
BA	HR	RBI	OPS	SB
.167	0	1	0.485	0

2025 SEASON STATS
BA	HR	RBI	OPS	SB
.167	0	1	0.485	0

Denzel Clarke

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Athletics’ Denzel Clarke goes viral after insane HR robbery vs. Angels

Athletics’ Denzel Clarke robs HR against hometown Blue Jays

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