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<!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-nick-kurtz-joins-impressive-company-30th-home-run');   ga('set', 'title', 'Athletics’ Nick Kurtz joins impressive company after hitting 30th home run');   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/2025/09/thletics-rookie-Nick-Kurtz-vs-Red-Sox.jpg"><figcaption>Sergio Estrada-Imagn Images</figcaption></figure><h1>Athletics’ Nick Kurtz joins impressive company after hitting 30th home run</h1><time class="op-published" datetime="2025-09-11T10:16:56-07:00">September 11th, 10:16am</time><time class="op-modified" datetime="2025-09-11T10:19:51-07:00">September 11th, 10:19am</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>The Athletics <a href="https://clutchpoints.com/mlb/athletics/athletics-news-nick-kurtz-makes-mlb-history-insane-4-hr-game">are witnessing a breakout star in Nick Kurtz</a>. He continues to prove why he belongs among <a href="https://clutchpoints.com/mlb/athletics/athletics-news-nick-kurtz-joins-barry-zito-in-franchise-lore-turns-clock-back-25-years">baseball’s most exciting young sluggers</a>. On Thursday, <a href="https://clutchpoints.com/mlb/athletics/athletics-news-nick-kurtz-joins-30-hr-club-bomb-vs-red-sox">Nick Kurtz became the first rookie this season to reach 30 home runs</a>. Remarkably, he <a href="https://x.com/MLBStats/status/1966170759786897508" rel="noopener">accomplished the feat</a> in just 102 games, which puts him in elite company. As a result, the achievement <a href="https://clutchpoints.com/mlb/athletics/why-athletics-nick-kurtz-win-al-rookie-of-the-year-award">strengthens his case for AL Rookie of the Year</a>. It also highlights the rare power he brings to the lineup. For fans watching his rapid rise, the milestone signals the start of something special for the A’s.</p><figure class="op-interactive"><blockquote class="twitter-tweet"><p dir="ltr" lang="en">Active players to reach 30 homers in fewer career games (h/t <a href="https://twitter.com/EliasSports?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@EliasSports</a>):</p><p>87 – Cody Bellinger (2017)<br>89 – Pete Alonso (2019)<br>90 – Gary Sanchez (2017)<br>96 – Yordan Alvarez (2021)<br>97 – Aaron Judge (2017)<br>100 – Fernando Tatis Jr. (2020) <a href="https://t.co/0EZrDLVguD">https://t.co/0EZrDLVguD</a></p><p>— MLB Stats (@MLBStats) <a href="https://twitter.com/MLBStats/status/1966170759786897508?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">September 11, 2025</a></p></blockquote><p><script async="" src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script></p></figure><p>So far, <a href="https://clutchpoints.com/mlb/athletics/athletics-news-nick-kurtz-completes-mlb-feat-1901">Nick Kurtz milestones have come quickly</a>. By reaching 30 home runs in 102 games, Kurtz joins a short list of active players who have reached the mark in fewer career contests. For instance, Cody Bellinger did it in 87 games back in 2017. Likewise, Pete Alonso followed in 89 games during his 2019 season. In addition, Gary Sanchez hit the mark in 90 games. Yordan Alvarez did it in 96. Aaron Judge followed at 97. Finally, Fernando Tatis Jr. reached the milestone in 100.</p><p>Now, Kurtz sits right behind them. His pace clearly shows how fast he has established himself as a premier power hitter.</p><p>Meanwhile, the Athletics have relied on Kurtz’s bat all season. His presence in the middle of the order has lifted an offense that has struggled to find consistency in recent years. Moreover, his home run numbers grab the spotlight. At the same time, his ability to hit in key situations has made him one of the most valuable rookies in the league. Consequently, <a href="https://clutchpoints.com/mlb/athletics/athletics-news-nick-kurtz-insane-catch-vs-mariners">the Athletics’ young star is giving the fan base something to rally behind</a>. He is quickly becoming the centerpiece of a franchise still in rebuild mode.</p><p>Looking ahead, Nick Kurtz’s pursuit of AL Rookie of the Year continues to gain momentum each day. His production, combined with his role as the face of the Athletics’ new era, makes him one of the most talked-about young players in baseball. If he keeps this pace, Athletics fans may look back on 2025 as the season when Nick Kurtz transformed into a cornerstone of the franchise.</p><p>Is this just the beginning of a superstar career for Nick Kurtz with the Athletics?</p><figure class="op-tracker"></figure></article>    </body></html>

Athletics’ Nick Kurtz joins impressive company after hitting 30th home run

<!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-nick-kurtz-joins-30-hr-club-bomb-vs-red-sox');   ga('set', 'title', 'Athletics’ Nick Kurtz joins 30 HR club with bomb vs. Red Sox');   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/2025/09/Athletics-first-baseman-Nick-Kurtz.jpg"><figcaption>Dennis Lee-Imagn Images</figcaption></figure><h1>Athletics’ Nick Kurtz joins 30 HR club with bomb vs. Red Sox</h1><time class="op-published" datetime="2025-09-10T17:11:40-07:00">September 10th, 5:11pm</time><time class="op-modified" datetime="2025-09-10T18:03:04-07:00">September 10th, 6:03pm</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>The Athletics’ season will end with the team near the bottom of the American League West. Despite finishing with another sub-.500 record, Mark Kotsay’s team can walk away feeling good. The team’s young talent has stood out, including <a href="https://clutchpoints.com/mlb/athletics/why-athletics-jacob-wilson-will-win-al-rookie-of-the-year-award">AL Rookie of the Year candidates Jacob Wilson</a> and Nick Kurtz. The latter hit a major milestone with a home run against the Boston Red Sox on Wednesday.</p><p>Kurtz is one of the best young hitters that Major League Baseball has to offer. He has had some excellent games for the Athletics, including one of the best individual performances in league history.</p><p><a href="https://clutchpoints.com/mlb/athletics/athletics-nick-kurtz-reacts-4-hr-game-astros">Kurtz made MLB history with a four home run performance </a>earlier this season.</p><p>The youngster is a different kind of hitter than Wilson is, but the first baseman has set himself apart thanks to a red-hot second half of the season. He kept it going in a big game against Boston.</p><p>Kurtz stepped in against Payton Tolle, a fellow rookie who has flashed for the Red Sox this season. Tolle left a fastball over the heart of the plate and Kurtz crushed it <a href="https://x.com/TalkinBaseball_/status/1965870290694713587" rel="noopener">357 feet to left field</a>. The swing gave the Athletics a 2-1 lead and brought the slugger’s season home run total to 30.</p><figure class="op-interactive"><blockquote class="twitter-tweet"><p dir="ltr" lang="en">Nick Kurtz has a 30-homer season as a rookie! He and Shea Langeliers have each hit their 30th of the year in the first two innings of this game <a href="https://t.co/MNTH5ajwkn">pic.twitter.com/MNTH5ajwkn</a></p><p>— Talkin’ Baseball (@TalkinBaseball_) <a href="https://twitter.com/TalkinBaseball_/status/1965870290694713587?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">September 10, 2025</a></p></blockquote><p><script async="" src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script></p></figure><p>Kurtz’s home run gave his team a lead in the game, but Boston fought them until the final inning. Lawrence Butler hit a walk-off single to give the Athletics another dramatic win over a playoff contender. Both he and Shea Langeliers hit the 30 home run milestone in the same inning, giving their team another reason to be excited heading into the offseason.</p><p>The Athletics would go on to win in walk-off fashion, 5-4.</p><p><a href="https://clutchpoints.com/mlb/athletics/athletics-news-nick-kurtz-gets-100-real-on-al-roy-competition-with-teammate">Kurtz and Wilson still have to decide who the AL ROY is</a> between the two of them. Kotsay, on the other hand, has heaped praise on Kurtz amid his scorching stretch to end the season. Regardless of who wins the award, the slugger is quickly becoming one of the best pure hitters in the entire league.</p><figure class="op-tracker"></figure></article>    </body></html>

Athletics’ Nick Kurtz joins 30 HR club with bomb vs. Red Sox

<!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/boston-red-sox/red-sox-news-romy-gonzalez-final-diagnosis-abrupt-exit-athletics-clash');   ga('set', 'title', 'Red Sox 1B Romy Gonzalez gets final diagnosis after abrupt exit from Athletics clash');   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/2025/09/Romy-Gonzalez-cover.jpg"></figure><h1>Red Sox 1B Romy Gonzalez gets final diagnosis after abrupt exit from Athletics clash</h1><time class="op-published" datetime="2025-09-09T22:35:23-07:00">September 9th, 10:35pm</time><time class="op-modified" datetime="2025-09-09T22:35:23-07:00">September 9th, 10:35pm</time><address><a>Brayden Haena</a>Brayden Haena is an Associate Editor at ClutchPoints. He's a die-hard San Francisco Giants fan and a football fanatic. In addition to sports writing, he works for Arizona Football in the Player Personnel and Recruiting department and formerly served as the Defensive Coordinator for Heritage High School.</address><h3 class="op-kicker">Athletics</h3><figure class="op-ad"></figure></header><p>For <a href="https://clutchpoints.com/mlb/boston-red-sox/red-sox-news-aroldis-chapman-extends-3rd-longest-hitless-streak-since-1901">Romy Gonzalez, Tuesday night in Sacramento was shaping up</a> to be another showcase of his breakout season. Batting leadoff for just the seventh time all year, the 29-year-old first baseman homered in his first at-bat and doubled in his second, extending his MLB-best hitting streak to 12 games. Then, just as quickly, <a href="https://x.com/timbhealey/status/1965620806584861035" rel="noopener">his night came to a halt.</a></p><p>The Red Sox later announced Gonzalez exited due to soreness in his left knee. He was replaced at first base by Nathaniel Lowe when Boston took the field for the bottom of the second inning.</p><p>Gonzalez wasted no time making his presence felt against Athletics starter Jeffrey Springs, blasting a 426-foot leadoff home run to right-center to open the scoring. In the second, he laced an RBI double into the corner, but appeared to tweak something on his way into second base. Though he remained on the field to finish the inning, his night was over soon after.</p><p>The timing of the injury stings for Boston. Gonzalez has been one of the most consistent bats in the lineup, slashing .311 with nine home runs, 48 RBIs and an .852 OPS across 84 games. He’s been especially lethal against left-handed pitching, owning a .347/.396/.636 line and ranking fifth in MLB in OPS against southpaws this season.</p><h2><b>Red Sox blowout the A’s on Tuesday night</b></h2><figure><img src="https://wp.clutchpoints.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/09/Romy-Gonzalez.jpg"><figcaption>Sergio Estrada-Imagn Images</figcaption></figure><p>The injury news overshadowed <a href="https://clutchpoints.com/mlb/boston-red-sox/red-sox-news-calling-up-star-prospect-dustin-may-il">a remarkable big-league debut from left-hander Connelly Early.</a> Called up from Triple-A Worcester earlier in the day, the 23-year-old struck out 11 over five shutout innings, tying a franchise record for most strikeouts in a debut.</p><p>“It was amazing,” Early said on NESN’s postgame broadcast. “Just to go out there and have that first opportunity… just a bunch of joy.”</p><p>Early became just the fifth pitcher since 2000 to record double-digit strikeouts and allow no runs in his first MLB start. His poise impressed manager Alex Cora, who praised the rookie’s preparation and execution.</p><p>The Red Sox offense backed their debuting starter with plenty of early run support. After Gonzalez’s leadoff homer, Rob Refsnyder launched a 463-foot, three-run blast later in the first inning to make it 4-0. Boston went on to cruise to a 6-0 win, their second straight over Oakland.</p><p>Still, the loss of Gonzalez looms large. The Red Sox already placed outfield prospect Roman Anthony on the injured list with an oblique strain, and Dustin May joined him with right elbow neuritis. Gonzalez’s absence would thin the lineup further as Boston continues to chase a postseason spot.</p><p>There was no immediate word on the severity of Gonzalez’s knee soreness or whether an MRI would be scheduled. For now, his availability remains day-to-day, though his hot bat and defensive versatility make him one of Boston’s most valuable pieces. The Red Sox (and their fans) will hope this proves to be a minor setback in what has been a stellar season for Gonzalez, who has quickly gone from depth piece to everyday contributor.</p><figure class="op-tracker"></figure></article>    </body></html>

Red Sox 1B Romy Gonzalez gets final diagnosis after abrupt exit from Athletics clash

<!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/why-athletics-jacob-wilson-will-win-al-rookie-of-the-year-award');   ga('set', 'title', 'Why Athletics’ Jacob Wilson will win AL Rookie of the Year Award');   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/2025/09/Athletics-shortstop-Jacob-Wilson.jpg"><figcaption>Dennis Lee-Imagn Images</figcaption></figure><h1>Why Athletics’ Jacob Wilson will win AL Rookie of the Year Award</h1><time class="op-published" datetime="2025-09-09T14:16:52-07:00">September 9th, 2:16pm</time><time class="op-modified" datetime="2025-09-09T14:16:52-07:00">September 9th, 2:16pm</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>With less than 20 games left to go in their regular season, it is time for the Athletics to reflect. <a href="https://clutchpoints.com/mlb/athletics/athletics-quietly-putting-yankees-tigers-on-notice-in-al">Mark Kotsay’s team went from a dark horse in the American League</a> back to a familiar spot. However, Nick Kurtz and Jacob Wilson have had standout seasons as Major League Baseball rookies. They, along with Roman Anthony, are the favorites for the AL Rookie of the Year Award.</p><p>While <a href="https://clutchpoints.com/mlb/boston-red-sox/red-sox-news-roman-anthony-earns-spotless-review-alex-bregman-homer-yankees">Anthony has had his moments with the Boston Red Sox</a>, the AL ROTY competition is a two-man race. No matter who walks away with the award, the Athletics will have a reason to celebrate. Comparing the two players is where things get difficult, though. At different points in the season, each player has had their fair share of All-Star moments. Picking a winner is really tough.</p><p>Making a case for Kurtz and Wilson is really easy, but deciding who has the edge isn’t. However, looking at season-long numbers and their impact in the field and at the plate, Wilson deserves to hold a slight lead heading down the stretch of the season. His balance, along with the value his brings on defense sets him apart from any of his peers, including Kurtz on his own team.</p><p>Kotsay has said great things about Wilson throughout the season. If he continues on his current trajectory, the Athletics could find themselves back in contention in the AL much sooner than expected. However, adding a ROTY award to his trophy case would set Wilson up well for the future. Based on the totality of his season, he has earned the right to walk away as the top rookie.</p><p><a href="https://clutchpoints.com/mlb/athletics/athletics-news-jacob-wilson-lands-il-fractured-forearm">Wilson’s injury closed the gap</a> significantly in the race. However, here is why he should be the Athletics player winning AL ROTY this season.</p><h2>Jacob Wilson’s season has more balance than Nick Kurtz’s</h2><figure><img src="https://wp.clutchpoints.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/06/Jacob-Wilson.jpg"><figcaption>Wendell Cruz-Imagn Images.</figcaption></figure><p><a href="https://clutchpoints.com/mlb/athletics/athletics-nick-kurtz-reacts-4-hr-game-astros">Kurtz had one of the best singular games MLB has ever seen</a> earlier this season. The rookie slugger’s second half is one of the more impressive efforts in the entire league. Because of that, the first baseman’s momentum in the AL ROTY race has grown exponentially during the waning months of the season. While he rose up, Wilson’s season fell under the radar by comparison.</p><p>The shortstop took the league by storm in the opening month. <a href="https://clutchpoints.com/mlb/athletics/athletics-news-jacob-wilson-shares-special-moment-father-jack-all-star-game">Wilson even earned an All-Star nod</a>, starting in the Mid-Summer Classic in Jeremy Peña’s space. Despite all of his success, he could not stay on the field for the Athletics throughout the entire regular season. However, that should not work against him when it comes to competing for the award at the end of the year.</p><p>Looking at the numbers, the gap is not as big as people currently think. At first glance, Kurtz’s numbers appear to blow Wilson out of the water. However, a closer inspection shows a gap in efficiency. Wilson has <a href="https://www.espn.com/mlb/player/stats/_/id/4719300/jacob-wilson" rel="noopener">just 34 strikeouts</a> heading into Tuesday’s action compared to Kurtz’s 127. The first baseman is effective when he hits the ball, but the shortstop is the more efficient batter.</p><p>The fact that strikeout rate and total WAR figure into the conversation show just how close the race is. Anthony figures to place third while the Athletics fight for the top spot. Kurtz appears to have run away with things, but Wilson is right there with him. Taking away the flashy plays at the plate for the first baseman, Wilson is the more well-rounded baseball player between the two.</p><h2>Wilson carries more responsibility than Kurtz on the Athletics</h2><figure><img src="https://wp.clutchpoints.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/07/Jacob-Wilson-in-MLB-debut.jpg"><figcaption>Cary Edmondson-USA TODAY Sports</figcaption></figure><p><a href="https://clutchpoints.com/mlb/athletics/athletics-news-nick-kurtz-completes-mlb-feat-1901">Kurtz has become the Athletics’ main slugger</a> throughout the second half of the season. However, Wilson was the team’s leadoff hitter whenever he was healthy in the first part of the season. As important as the long ball has become in MLB, having a good leadoff hitter is crucial to a good offensive team. Wilson’s .300+ batting average made him an invaluable spark plug.</p><p>Wilson does not only play a more important role than Kurtz at the plate. He also plays arguably the most difficult defensive position. For a rookie, a -0.4 dWAR is not bad for a shortstop. Wilson is not going to win a Gold Glove Award this season, but the rookie plays a crucial role in Kotsay’s defense. The only question is how much the voters care about the entirety of Wilson’s game.</p><p><a href="https://clutchpoints.com/mlb/athletics/athletics-news-nick-kurtz-gets-100-real-on-al-roy-competition-with-teammate">Kurtz is the favorite to win the AL ROTY Award</a> at this point in the year. Wilson has some time to close the gap, but he should not have to do much. If the voters take the whole season into account, the shortstop should win the award, even if it is by one of the closest margins in the award’s history.</p><figure class="op-tracker"></figure></article>    </body></html>

Why Athletics’ Jacob Wilson will win AL Rookie of the Year Award

<!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/why-athletics-nick-kurtz-win-al-rookie-of-the-year-award');   ga('set', 'title', 'Why Athletics’ Nick Kurtz will win AL Rookie of the Year Award');   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/2025/09/Athletics-Nick-Kurtz.jpg"><figcaption>William Liang-Imagn Images</figcaption></figure><h1>Why Athletics’ Nick Kurtz will win AL Rookie of the Year Award</h1><time class="op-published" datetime="2025-09-09T13:56:40-07:00">September 9th, 1:56pm</time><time class="op-modified" datetime="2025-09-09T13:56:40-07:00">September 9th, 1:56pm</time><address><a>Dan Fappiano</a>Dan Fappiano is a Connecticut based sports journalist and a graduate of both Tunxis Community College and Central Connecticut State University. Dan has spent time covering high school and professional sports in both the print and online medium. He hopes to see his beloved Chicago Bears win a Super Bowl someday.</address><h3 class="op-kicker">Athletics</h3><figure class="op-ad"></figure></header><p>At 66-79, the Athletics still have a ways to go before making their way into the playoffs. However, the 2025 season has cast a bright light on the A’s future.</p><p>Numerous top prospects have now become staples in the lineup. <a href="https://clutchpoints.com/mlb/athletics/athletics-news-nick-kurtz-joins-barry-zito-in-franchise-lore-turns-clock-back-25-years">Chiefly amongst the bunch is first baseman Nick Kurtz</a>. He has taken the league by storm and looks to be MLB’s next great power hitter. As the Athletics continue their rebuild, <a href="https://clutchpoints.com/mlb/athletics/athletics-news-nick-kurtz-insane-catch-vs-mariners">Kurtz will be at the center of any success they find</a>.</p><p>As it stands, the first baseman <a href="https://www.espn.com/sports-betting/story/_/id/44476769/2025-mlb-odds-tracker-mvp-cy-young-rookie-year-espnbet" rel="noopener">is the runaway favorite</a> to take home the AL Rookie of the Year Award, with -50000 odds on ESPN Bet. No other player comes close. Which is the correct move, as Kurtz should undoubtedly be the AL ROY award winner.</p><h2><b>Athletics find superstar in Nick Kurtz </b></h2><figure><img src="https://wp.clutchpoints.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/09/Athletics-Kurtz.jpg"><figcaption>Gary A. Vasquez-Imagn Images</figcaption></figure><p>Over his first 100 games in the major leagues, Kurtz is hitting .301 with 29 home runs and 73 RBIs. He leads all rookies in home runs and RBIs and is also behind his teammate in batting average. He is the only rookie with an OPS above one (1.021) and a slugging percentage over .500 (.624).</p><p>By those numbers alone, it is clear that Kurtz has been the top offensive rookie not just in the American League, but in all of baseball. He isn’t likely to qualify for the batting title due to his number of plate appearances. But if he did, Kurtz would rank second in OPS and second in batting average. His home runs tie him for 17th-most in the league.</p><p>For the Athletics, Kurtz has been a revelation. The team is embroiled in controversy due to their Las Vegas move. The first baseman at least gives them a reason to believe in future success. And for the rest of the league, Kurtz has just proven that he won’t be an easy out every time he steps up to the plate.</p><p>The first baseman has an opportunity to be a leader of the A’s as the make their way to Vegas. He’ll start his career off string, by taking home the AL Rookie of the Year title.</p><h2><b>Kurtz’s biggest competition </b></h2><figure><img src="https://wp.clutchpoints.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/09/Roman-Anthony-with-Boston-Red-Sox-2.jpg"><figcaption>Eric Canha-Imagn Images</figcaption></figure><p>Kurtz may be the overwhelming favorite, but it’s important to note the players he is in front of. It only puts how strong of a season he is having in perspective. In terms of odds, Boston Red Sox top prospect Roman Anthony is in second (40-1) while Cam Smith of the Houston Astros and New York Yankees outfielder Jasson Dominguez share identical 75-1 odds.</p><p>Anthony looked impressive during his first taste of major league action. Over 71 games, he hit .292 with eight home runs, 32 RBIs and four stolen bases. However, an oblique injury is poised to potentially sideline him for the remainder of the season.</p><p>Smith is hitting .240 with eight home runs, 49 RBIs and eight stolen bases, showing off a versatile skillset. Dominguez, on the other hand, is batting .255 with 10 home runs, 46 RBIs and 21 stolen bases. He will hold an important role in the Yankees’ outfield alignments moving forward.</p><p>But for all of that trio’s success, al AL Rookie of the Year voters need to do is look at what Kurtz did during the month of July. Over 23 games, he hit .395 with 11 home runs and 27 RBIs. While it is just a snapshot into how successful the first baseman has been, his scorching month helped set him apart from the pack in the AL Rookie of the Year race.</p><p>While they won’t be making the playoffs in 2025, the Athletics are at least confident they’re building something special with Kurtz leading their lineup. They’ll at least know he’ll be coming away with some hardware to end out his rookie campaign.</p><figure class="op-tracker"></figure></article>    </body></html>

Why Athletics’ Nick Kurtz will win AL Rookie of the Year Award

<!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/2-free-agents-athletics-pursue-offseason');   ga('set', 'title', '2 free agents Athletics must pursue in offseason');   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/2025/09/780215469-2-free-agents-athletics-must-pursue-in-offseason.jpg"></figure><h1>2 free agents Athletics must pursue in offseason</h1><time class="op-published" datetime="2025-09-05T14:48:09-07:00">September 5th, 2:48pm</time><time class="op-modified" datetime="2025-09-05T14:48:09-07:00">September 5th, 2:48pm</time><address><a>Bailey Bassett</a>Bailey Bassett is a sports writer from Denver, Colorado, covering major sports events and athlete backgrounds at ClutchPoints. He has experience covering and writing on high school, collegiate, and professional sports.</address><h3 class="op-kicker">Athletics</h3><figure class="op-ad"></figure></header><p>It wasn’t long ago that the Athletics were looked at as having the potential to be one of the <a href="https://clutchpoints.com/mlb/chicago-white-sox/worst-mlb-teams-history-white-sox-record-breaking-season">worst teams in MLB history</a>. They are far from being a playoff contender, but they’ve actually played better than expected over the past season or two. Their offense, in particular, has shown flashes of brilliance.</p><p>The team had a <a href="https://clutchpoints.com/mlb/mlb-stories/2025-mlb-trade-deadline-grades-for-all-30-teams">fantastic MLB trade deadline</a>, but they will need to continue adding talent in order to eventually reach contention status. The next step of the process will be free agency after the 2025 season. So which impending free agents should the Athletics pursue?</p><h2><b>Justin Verlander joins a new team</b></h2><p>The Athletics have a team batting average of .253 and 191 total home runs so far in 2025, both of which <a href="https://www.mlb.com/stats/team/batting-average" rel="noopener">rank inside</a> the Top 10 in all of baseball. The lineup is potent and already playing at a great level despite the team’s youth. The pitching staff isn’t close to contributing at a high level, though, so a makeover amongst the group of starting pitchers makes sense.</p><p>Justin Verlander is a well-known starter set to hit the open market. The future Hall of Famer has had success with four different teams, and he certainly could with one more program. The nine-time All-Star will be 43 years old next year, but reports suggest he <a href="https://www.sportingnews.com/us/mlb/san-francisco-giants/news/giants-justin-verlander-makes-decision-retirement-plans/2bae32befaa83dc551166495" rel="noopener">isn’t ready to hang up</a> the cleats quite yet.</p><p>Verlander has shown signs of regression over the last two years, but he is still a solid player. His age would likely prevent him from demanding a long-term contract in the offseason, so the Athletics could likely sign him and still have enough money left over to make another big move.</p><p>With two World Series championships and three Cy Young trophies to his name, it is possible that Verlander is ready for a new quest. Perhaps serving as a veteran mentor and helping a young team learn how to win games is something that would intrigue him. If so, the Athletics make sense as a destination.</p><h2><b>Athletics find a third baseman in Eugenio Suarez</b></h2><figure><img src="https://wp.clutchpoints.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/09/780215481-eugenio-suarez-mariners.jpg"><figcaption>Nathan Ray Seebeck-USA TODAY Sports</figcaption></figure><p>While Verlander is past his prime, Eugenio Suarez is in the midst of his best season ever. He started the season with the Arizona Diamondbacks before being <a href="https://clutchpoints.com/mlb/mlb-stories/eugenio-suarez-trade-grades-mariners-diamondbacks">traded to the Seattle Mariners</a>. If Seattle views him as just a rental, then the Athletics should pursue him in free agency after his contract ends.</p><p>While the Athletics’ offense as a whole is impressive, the team does have a need at the hot corner. Gio Urshela has the most innings at third base with the team this season, but he is no longer with the team. Max Muncy only has a .215 batting average this season, too.</p><p>Suarez, meanwhile, has belted 42 home runs and played like one of the <a href="https://clutchpoints.com/mlb/mlb-stories/best-players-fromfirst-half-of-2025-mlb-season-ranked">best players in baseball</a> all season long. Suarez would join a team that already has four players with 20-plus home runs. Shea Langeliers, Nick Kurtz, Tyler Soderstrom, and Brent Rooker all have 20-plus long balls this year, and Lawrence Butler (18) isn’t far behind. The Athletics might as well make a strength a super strength.</p><p>Leo De Vries will also likely debut at the major-league level in the next year or two. The shortstop is one of the best prospects in baseball, and easing him in at the highest level would be easier if he played defense alongside an elite third baseman like Suarez. Suarez would be a blockbuster free-agent addition for the Athletics, but adding him is the type of move that will be necessary in taking the next step forward.</p><figure class="op-tracker"></figure></article>    </body></html>

2 free agents Athletics must pursue in offseason

<!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-carlos-cortes-steals-home-run-grab');   ga('set', 'title', 'Athletics’ Carlos Cortes steals home run with incredible grab');   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/2025/08/MLB-Athletics-at-Houston-Astros.jpg"><figcaption>Mandatory Credit: Troy Taormina-Imagn Images</figcaption></figure><h1>Athletics’ Carlos Cortes steals home run with incredible grab</h1><time class="op-published" datetime="2025-08-31T00:19:00-07:00">August 31st, 12:19am</time><time class="op-modified" datetime="2025-08-31T00:20:36-07:00">August 31st, 12:20am</time><address><a>Abdullah Imran</a>Abdullah Imran works as an Associate Editor for All Sports at ClutchPoints. He’s been a sports fan his entire life and enjoys writing about every sport. He has spent three years in sports journalism and loves analyzing games. In his free time, he very much enjoys binge-watching shows and playing video games.</address><h3 class="op-kicker">Athletics</h3><figure class="op-ad"></figure></header><p>The Athletics suffered a 9-3 loss to the Texas Rangers on Saturday at Sutter Health Park in West Sacramento, but the game’s most <a href="https://clutchpoints.com/mlb/athletics/athletics-news-switch-thrower-does-unthinkable-win-over-orioles">memorable moment came from Athletics left fielder Carlos Cortes</a>’ amazing catch.</p><p>In the sixth inning, Cortes robbed Kyle Higashioka <a href="https://x.com/Athletics/status/1961996148832604282" rel="noopener">of a potential home run</a> on a ball hit with an exit velocity of 98.4 mph, a launch angle of 27°, and a projected distance of 370 feet. The at-bat came with a 1-1 count and no outs, following a similar feat by Rangers outfielder Wyatt Langford in the fifth against Darell Hernaiz.</p><figure class="op-interactive"><blockquote class="twitter-tweet"><p dir="ltr" lang="en">Cortes with the robbery!! <a href="https://t.co/gdgPKUmeXU">pic.twitter.com/gdgPKUmeXU</a></p><p>— Athletics (@Athletics) <a href="https://twitter.com/Athletics/status/1961996148832604282?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">August 31, 2025</a></p></blockquote><p><script async="" src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script></p></figure><p>The Rangers, now 70-67 on the season, scored first in the top of the second inning. Singles from Adolis García, Josh Jung, and Kyle Higashioka set the table, and rookie Michael Helman doubled to center to score two, giving Texas an early 3-0 lead. Josh Jung continued his hot streak with another RBI double in the third, driving in Wyatt Langford for a 4-0 advantage. The Athletics cut into the lead briefly as Lawrence Butler hit his 18th home run and Brent Rooker added his 27th, making it 4-2.</p><p>Merrill Kelly (11-7) pitched 6 1/3 innings, allowing three runs on six hits while throwing just 79 pitches. After surrendering the two solo homers in the third, Kelly retired the next ten batters before Jacob Wilson singled to lead off the seventh. Kelly’s efficient outing helped the Rangers maintain momentum despite playing without All-Stars Corey Seager and Marcus Semien, both on the injured list. <a href="https://clutchpoints.com/mlb/texas-rangers/rangers-news-corey-seager-undergo-surgery-out-indefinitely">Seager had recently undergone an appendectomy</a>, while Semien has been sidelined with a foot fracture since August 22.</p><p>Athletics starter Mason Barnett made his major league debut, lasting just four innings while giving up five runs on eight hits. He was lifted after Wyatt Langford homered to lead off the fifth. Hogan Harris and Tyler Ferguson followed in relief. Ferguson, pitching a sweeper at 82.9 mph with a spin rate of 2,627 rpm, held the Rangers scoreless in the sixth.</p><p>Sean Newcomb entered in the seventh and saw the Rangers extend their lead to 7-2, thanks to a combination of doubles from Joc Pederson and Josh Jung, along with an RBI single from Kyle Higashioka. Carlos Cortes gave the Athletics a boost in the bottom of the seventh, doubling down the line to bring in JJ Bleday, one of the few bright spots in a game controlled by Texas. The Rangers ended the scoring in the ninth with Dylan Moore’s homer off Osvaldo Bido, making it 9-3. Colby Thomas added a pinch-hit single for the A’s, but the rally fell short.</p><p>Short-handed without some of their top players, including Seager, Semien, Evan Carter, Nathan Eovaldi, Jon Gray, Jake Burger, Sam Haggerty, and Cole Winn, the Rangers have still managed to win six of their last seven games. The Athletics, meanwhile, will look to rebound in the final game of the three-game series tomorrow.</p><figure class="op-tracker"></figure></article>    </body></html>

Athletics’ Carlos Cortes steals home run with incredible grab

<!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/1-disappointing-player-athletics-trade-offseason');   ga('set', 'title', '1 disappointing player Athletics must trade in offseason');   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/2025/08/1-disappointing-player-Athletics-must-trade-in-offseason.jpg"></figure><h1>1 disappointing player Athletics must trade in offseason</h1><time class="op-published" datetime="2025-08-29T07:24:35-07:00">August 29th, 7:24am</time><time class="op-modified" datetime="2025-08-29T07:24:35-07:00">August 29th, 7:24am</time><address><a>Christopher Hennessy</a>Christopher Hennessy is a Senior Editor at ClutchPoints, with expertise in MLB, NHL and golf. Chris graduated with a journalism degree from Fordham University in 2022. He has also worked at Spectrum News One in Albany, New York and with The Hockey Writers as a New York Islanders writer. Chris is originally from Connecticut and is a lifelong New York Yankees, Islanders, and Jets fan.</address><h3 class="op-kicker">Athletics</h3><figure class="op-ad"></figure></header><p>The Athletics have had a disappointing first season in West Sacramento, entering Friday’s action 63-72. They have <a href="https://clutchpoints.com/mlb/athletics/athletics-news-nick-kurtz-joins-barry-zito-in-franchise-lore-turns-clock-back-25-years">solid young talent on their roster with Nick Kurtz</a> and Jacob Wilson, paired with power bats Brent Rooker and Lawrence Butler. But the pitching staff has let them down tremendously this year. The Athletics need to shake up their rotation this offseason with a trade of Luis Severino.</p><p>The Athletics were going to be left out of the revenue-sharing program if they did not spend money last offseason. They <a href="https://clutchpoints.com/mlb/athletics/athletics-sign-luis-severino-to-67-million-contract">signed Severino to a three-year, $67 million deal</a> after a stellar season with the New York Mets. His presence was supposed to help lead a young rotation for a trendy playoff pick. What has happened since has been nothing short of a disaster.</p><p>Severino has a 4.82 ERA in 24 starts this year, among the worst season-long totals of his career. The only one worse is his disastrous 2023 season that ended his New York Yankees tenure. Part of the problem is Sutter Health Park, the minor-league stadium the A’s are calling home this year.</p><p>Baseball Savant’s Park Factor stat <a href="https://baseballsavant.mlb.com/leaderboard/statcast-park-factors?type=year&amp;year=2025&amp;batSide=&amp;stat=index_wOBA&amp;condition=All&amp;rolling=1&amp;parks=mlb" rel="noopener">shows which stadiums</a> are better for hitters as opposed to pitchers. Only Coors Field in Colorado has been better for hitters this year than Sutter Health Park. The entire Athletics pitching staff has been hurt by that, including Severino. He has a 6.34 ERA in 13 starts at home and a 3.17 ERA in 11 starts on the road.</p><p>The Athletics need better pitching, which they could get through free agency again. Severino has not been the answer, and publicly said he doesn’t like pitching in Sacramento. They could trade Severino, find a new veteran pitcher to pay less than $22 million for next year, and pick up a prospect in the deal.</p><p>The Athletics have a murky future ahead of them, and it should not include Luis Severino.</p><h2><b>The Athletics made a trade already that could set up a Luis Severino deal</b></h2><figure><img src="https://wp.clutchpoints.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/08/Luis-Severino-with-Athletics-1.jpg"><figcaption>Geoff Burke-Imagn Images</figcaption></figure><p>At the MLB trade deadline, the Athletics were selling once again. They <a href="https://clutchpoints.com/mlb/mlb-stories/mason-miller-trade-grades-padres-athletics">traded closer Mason Miller to the San Diego Padres</a> for an incredible haul of prospects. Infielder Leo De Vries was the highlight, but the Padres also included three pitching prospects in the deal. Braden Nett and Henry Baez are now in the Athletics’ top ten prospects, while Eduarniel Núñez is ranked 17th in the system.</p><p>Those players are unlikely to deliver key innings for the Athletics in 2026. Severino is way more likely to bounce back and have a decent season than one of these prospects becoming a Rookie of the Year candidate. But the reality of the Athletics is that they are not trying to make a postseason run while they are in Sacramento.</p><p>The blueprint for the Athletics is to be competitive by the time they reach Las Vegas in 2028. Severino has a played option for 2027 and will be an unrestricted free agent by 2028. He does not fit their timeline and was only signed to meet the spending requirements. With a disastrous return on investment, it is time to move on.</p><p>There will be plenty of teams searching for a pitcher like Severino in the offseason. A small-market team looking to make the jump, like the Miami Marlins, would be an intriguing fit. However, the more likely path for a Severino trade is a championship contender seeking to bolster its rotation.</p><p>The Mets would be a fascinating fit, as their rotation has been disastrous this season. But Nolan McLean and Jonah Tong could make their pitching need moot if they dominate this September. The Chicago Cubs could also need a new starting pitcher, especially if they lose out on Kyle Tucker and have money to spend.</p><figure class="op-tracker"></figure></article>    </body></html>

1 disappointing player Athletics must trade in offseason

<!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-jacob-lopez-injured-list-2025');   ga('set', 'title', 'Athletics make decision on pitcher after 4 homers in 6 innings');   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/2025/08/Jacob-Lopez.jpg"><figcaption>Stephen Brashear-Imagn Images.</figcaption></figure><h1>Athletics make decision on pitcher after 4 homers in 6 innings</h1><time class="op-published" datetime="2025-08-26T17:44:38-07:00">August 26th, 5:44pm</time><time class="op-modified" datetime="2025-08-26T17:44:38-07:00">August 26th, 5:44pm</time><address><a>Josh Davis</a>Josh Davis is an Associate Editor at ClutchPoints with a focus on MLB. As the founder and creator of OutOfSightSports, Josh spearheads the development and expansion of an engaging social media platform, with a core focus on Twitter/X. A passionate sports writer, Josh is dedicated to delivering compelling content that connects fans and fuels vibrant sports conversations. His vision is to craft stories so vivid that fans feel like they’re standing at the plate or on the field.</address><h3 class="op-kicker">Athletics</h3><figure class="op-ad"></figure></header><p>The <a href="https://clutchpoints.com/mlb/athletics/athletics-news-athletics-place-luis-severino-on-15-day-il">Athletics made a rotation move</a> this week following a string of rough outings from left-hander Jacob Lopez. After surrendering four home runs over just six innings in his last two starts, the club placed Lopez on the 15-day injured list with a flexor strain in his left elbow. The move comes as the club shifts into late-season evaluation mode amid a rebuild-heavy 2025 campaign.</p><p>The southpaw’s injury stemmed from discomfort experienced during his start against the Seattle Mariners on Sunday, where he was shelled for nine earned runs in just two innings pitched. It marked a sudden collapse after a strong midseason stretch in which Lopez posted a 0.96 ERA over four consecutive starts. The former reliever had been a bright spot in the A’s rotation, making his recent setback all the more disappointing.</p><p>The team’s PR department first shared the news on X (formerly known as Twitter), <a href="https://x.com/AthleticsPR/status/1960448352254091280" rel="noopener">confirming the IL placement</a> and announcing a new arm joining the roster.</p><p>“The Athletics placed left-handed pitcher Jacob Lopez on the 15-day injured list retroactive to Aug. 25 with a flexor strain in his left elbow and selected right-handed pitcher Mason Barnett from Triple-A Las Vegas, the club announced today.”</p><p>The Athletics pitching update reflects the club’s continued focus on evaluating younger talent as the regular season enters its final month. On Tuesday, the team selected Mason Barnett’s contract from Triple-A Las Vegas, marking the 24-year-old right-hander’s first major league call-up. Barnett has endured a difficult season in the minors, posting a 5.83 ERA and 1.56 WHIP over 117.1 innings across 24 appearances (22 starts). Despite the underwhelming numbers, he brings a durable arm and could either take over Lopez’s spot in the rotation or contribute as a multi-inning reliever. If used as a starter, Barnett is tentatively lined up to make his MLB debut Saturday against the Texas Rangers.</p><p>Lopez’s overall 2025 numbers now sit at a 4.08 ERA over 92.2 innings with 113 strikeouts and 15 home runs allowed. His recent backslide — which saw him give up four home runs in two starts — triggered concerns about potential elbow damage. Flexor strains are often associated with more serious UCL injuries, and Lopez underwent Tommy John surgery in 2021.</p><p>With the Athletics sitting in last place in the AL West at 61-72, the club is likely to proceed with caution. The 27-year-old has been shut down from throwing, and there is currently no timetable for his return. Even if healthy by mid-September, the team may opt to prioritize long-term planning over rushing Lopez back to the mound.</p><p><a href="https://clutchpoints.com/mlb/athletics/athletics-news-jose-leclercs-season-end">While the Athletics have had few highlights this season</a>, they did notch an 8-3 win over the Detroit Tigers in Game 1 of the series on Monday, powered by a grand slam from Shea Langeliers. The mix of setbacks and progress defines the A’s current reality—navigating through adversity, one roster move at a time.</p><figure class="op-tracker"></figure></article>    </body></html>

Athletics make decision on pitcher after 4 homers in 6 innings

<!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-team-play-6-games-nevada-2026');   ga('set', 'title', 'Athletics to play 6 games in Nevada in 2026');   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/2025/08/Elvis-Alvarado-at-Sutter-Health-Park.jpg"><figcaption>Ed Szczepanski-Imagn Images</figcaption></figure><h1>Athletics to play 6 games in Nevada in 2026</h1><time class="op-published" datetime="2025-08-26T11:33:52-07:00">August 26th, 11:33am</time><time class="op-modified" datetime="2025-08-26T11:33:52-07:00">August 26th, 11:33am</time><address><a>Russell Steinberg</a>Russell Steinberg covers Major League Baseball and the New York Liberty for ClutchPoints. A baseball and basketball lifer, he has written for Boardroom, SLAM, SB Nation, The Next, and more. He graduated from NYU in 2012 and still returns to serve as PA announcer and occasional broadcaster for the school’s basketball and volleyball teams.</address><h3 class="op-kicker">Athletics</h3><figure class="op-ad"></figure></header><p>Major League Baseball announced its 2026 schedule on Tuesday, and with it comes some exciting news for Las Vegas baseball fans itching to <a href="https://clutchpoints.com/mlb/athletics/athletics-las-vegas-exclusive-steve-hill">see the Athletics come to town</a>.</p><p>The A’s <a href="https://www.mlb.com/athletics/news/mlb-2026-schedule-released" rel="noopener">will play six games</a> in their future home of Las Vegas in 2026, visiting Las Vegas Ballpark, current home of the Las Vegas Aviators. Those games will be against the Milwaukee Brewers (June 8-10) and Colorado Rockies (June 12-14). The A’s plan to move to Las Vegas permanently in 2028.</p><p>The reason for the Vegas stopover, as ABC10’s Matt George reported, is to give the team’s <a href="https://clutchpoints.com/mlb/athletics/athletics-news-rob-manfred-las-vegas-stadium">temporary home of Sutter Health Park</a> in Sacramento a midseason reprieve. The minor league stadium is not equipped to host Major League baseball full-time, so it will get a midyear touch-up.</p><p>With the full schedule now out, the A’s also know their Opening Day opponent. They’ll be in Toronto to face the Blue Jays on March 26, the earliest traditional Opening Day in MLB history. The home opener will come eight days later against the Houston Astros on April 3. A month later, the rival San Francisco Giants will come to town for a three-game set, May 15-17. That comes in the middle of a stretch in which the Athletics will play 16 straight games and 28 in 29 days.</p><p>They’ll bookend the regular season against the Astros as well with a season-ending four-game series September 24 to 27. If the Athletics make the postseason, all of those home games will be at Sutter Health Park.</p><p>Elsewhere, the Giants and New York Yankees will begin the season with a standalone game on March 25 at Oracle Park before the rest of the league gets going a day later. The normal staples of the schedule will return as well, including Rivalry Weekend from May 15 to 17.</p><p>In addition, all 30 teams will play on Jackie Robinson Day (April 15), Lou Gehrig Day (June 2) and Roberto Clemente Day (September 15).</p><p>The Yankees will also host the New York Mets from September 11 to 13 to mark the 25th anniversary of 9/11.</p><figure class="op-tracker"></figure></article>    </body></html>

Athletics to play 6 games in Nevada in 2026

<!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/detroit-tigers/tigers-news-tarik-skubal-trolls-athletics-stadium-blunder');   ga('set', 'title', 'Tarik Skubal savagely trolls Athletics after wild stadium blunder');   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/2025/08/Tarik-Skubal_776b37.jpg"><figcaption>Rick Osentoski-Imagn Images</figcaption></figure><h1>Tarik Skubal savagely trolls Athletics after wild stadium blunder</h1><time class="op-published" datetime="2025-08-26T00:43:14-07:00">August 26th, 12:43am</time><time class="op-modified" datetime="2025-08-26T01:07:57-07:00">August 26th, 1:07am</time><address><a>Mike Gianakos</a>Mike Gianakos is the former editor-in-chief of High Times magazine, where he also spearheaded the video department and event production. He is a longtime podcaster and even longer suffering NY Jets fan.</address><h3 class="op-kicker">Athletics</h3><figure class="op-ad"></figure></header><p>Detroit Tigers ace Tarik Skubal has been masterful this season. The <a href="https://clutchpoints.com/mlb/detroit-tigers/tigers-news-tarik-skubal-al-cy-young-award-historic-season">reigning AL Cy Young Award winner</a> is following up his Triple Crown performance from 2024 with another dominant campaign. And Skubal was feeling feisty when he took the mound for the Tigers in the series opener against the Athletics Monday.</p><p>With two outs in the bottom of the third inning, Skubal had already racked up six strikeouts. Then Shea Langeliers stepped in and hit a deep foul ball to left. But the A’s crew mistakenly played their light show that celebrates a home run. And the All-Star lefty was not pleased.</p><p>Skubal locked in and got Langeliers looking with a 99 mph four-seamer, ending the third inning with his seventh strikeout. And while walking back to the dugout, a fired up Skubal <a href="https://x.com/TalkinBaseball_/status/1960174105832886311" rel="noopener">sarcastically motioned</a> for the crew to play the home run celebration again, per Talkin’ Baseball.</p><h2><b>Tarik Skubal strikes out 12 in Tigers’ loss</b></h2><figure><img src="https://wp.clutchpoints.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/08/Tarik-Skubal-2_dd7eb5.jpg"><figcaption>Ed Szczepanski-Imagn Images</figcaption></figure><p>Skubal has been a road warrior this season. He tied Clayton Kershaw as the only pitchers ever to record 10+ strikeouts without allowing a walk in three straight road starts. While <a href="https://clutchpoints.com/mlb/detroit-tigers/tigers-news-tarik-skubal-short-breaking-tie-clayton-kershaw">Skubal fell short of breaking Kershaw’s record</a>, he picked up his fourth 10K/0BB road start on Monday. It’s his seventh overall outing this season with at least 10 strikeouts and no walks.</p><p>The Tigers’ hurler was cooking through six innings with a 3-1 lead and 10 strikeouts. But the A’s had the last laugh.</p><p>Rookie outfielder Colby Thomas led off the bottom of the seventh with a solo home run to left center. Then the A’s loaded the bases but Skubal dug deep and struck out the next two batters. He was one out away from escaping the jam. And then Langeliers stepped in.</p><p>The Athletics’ catcher absolutely hammered a 98 mph sinker for a monster 450-foot grand slam. This time, the A’s crew got to play the light show for real. And they probably enjoyed the hell out of it.</p><figure class="op-interactive"><blockquote class="twitter-tweet"><p dir="ltr" lang="en">BANGELIERS GRAND SLAM OFF SKUBAL FOR THE LEAD IN THE SEVENTH! <a href="https://t.co/haZCsRsRVi">pic.twitter.com/haZCsRsRVi</a></p><p>— Talkin’ Baseball (@TalkinBaseball_) <a href="https://twitter.com/TalkinBaseball_/status/1960192774151561501?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">August 26, 2025</a></p></blockquote><p><script async="" src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script></p></figure><p>Langeliers gave the A’s a 6-3 lead with his 29th home run of the season. And Skubal’s day was done. Nick “Colonel” Kurtz added a two-run bomb in the eighth inning as the Tigers went on to lose 8-3.</p><p>Skubal fell to 11-4 on the year but, despite giving up six runs on seven hits, his ERA didn’t get dinged. The sixth-year veteran only allowed one earned run due to two Tigers’ errors. He had 12 strikeouts and no walks in 6.2 innings.</p><figure class="op-tracker"></figure></article>    </body></html>

Tarik Skubal savagely trolls Athletics after wild stadium blunder

<!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/seattle-mariners/mariners-1b-josh-naylor-hits-career-milestone-vs-athletics');   ga('set', 'title', 'Mariners 1B Josh Naylor hits career milestone vs. Athletics');   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/2025/08/Josh-Naylor-cover.jpg"></figure><h1>Mariners 1B Josh Naylor hits career milestone vs. Athletics</h1><time class="op-published" datetime="2025-08-22T22:03:28-07:00">August 22nd, 10:03pm</time><time class="op-modified" datetime="2025-08-22T22:03:28-07:00">August 22nd, 10:03pm</time><address><a>Brayden Haena</a>Brayden Haena is an Associate Editor at ClutchPoints. He's a die-hard San Francisco Giants fan and a football fanatic. In addition to sports writing, he works for Arizona Football in the Player Personnel and Recruiting department and formerly served as the Defensive Coordinator for Heritage High School.</address><h3 class="op-kicker">Athletics</h3><figure class="op-ad"></figure></header><p>The <a href="https://clutchpoints.com/mlb/seattle-mariners/mariners-news-josh-naylor-home-run-vs-athletics">Seattle Mariners needed a spark, and Josh Naylor</a> delivered it in milestone fashion. On Friday night at T-Mobile Park, the first baseman crushed a seventh-inning solo home run off A’s reliever Elvis Alvarado — not only putting Seattle ahead 2-1, but also marking the 100th home run of his career. The moment sent the crowd into a frenzy and gave the <a href="https://clutchpoints.com/mlb/seattle-mariners/mariners-news-julio-rodriguez-phillies-sweep">Mariners the jolt they needed to secure a 3-2 win over the A’s.</a></p><figure class="op-interactive"><blockquote class="twitter-tweet"><p dir="ltr" lang="en">Josh Naylor’s 100th career homer is a go-ahead shot! <a href="https://t.co/PGZQuVH7dw">pic.twitter.com/PGZQuVH7dw</a></p><p>— Talkin’ Baseball (@TalkinBaseball_) <a href="https://twitter.com/TalkinBaseball_/status/1959101841884541097?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">August 23, 2025</a></p></blockquote><p><script async="" src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script></p></figure><p>Before Naylor’s milestone blast, the night belonged to Bryan Woo. The 25-year-old right-hander looked every bit like Seattle’s ace, tossing seven innings of one-run ball with seven strikeouts and just two walks. The only blemish came in the first inning, when Brent Rooker launched a solo homer on a 98-mph fastball. Otherwise, Woo was dominant, <a href="https://www.mlb.com/news/bryan-woo-pitches-7-strong-innings-as-mariners-win-vs-a-s" rel="noopener">carrying his fastball velocity</a> into the high 90s deep into the outing and retiring hitters with ease.</p><p>With the performance, Woo improved to 11-7 and lowered his ERA to 2.94. Even more impressive, he has now worked six or more innings in all 25 of his starts this season — something no other pitcher has accomplished in 2025.</p><p>“He’s been the stopper for us all year,” manager Dan Wilson said before the game. “We needed this kind of outing after that road trip.”</p><h2><b>Mariners take down the A’s on Friday night</b></h2><figure><img src="https://wp.clutchpoints.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/08/Josh-Naylor-2-1.jpg"><figcaption>Steven Bisig-Imagn Images</figcaption></figure><p>The Mariners struggled early against A’s rookie Luis Morales, who didn’t allow a baserunner through five innings. But Eugenio Suárez finally broke the drought in the sixth, launching a solo shot to left that tied the game at 1-1.</p><p>One inning later, Naylor stepped up and wasted no time. He jumped on the first pitch slider from Alvarado and sent it into the right-field seats. It was the kind of swing Seattle fans have come to expect from the slugger, but the milestone attached made it all the sweeter.</p><p>“Getting to 100 means a lot,” Naylor said postgame. “To be able to do it here in front of our fans, in a game we really needed to win, that’s special.”</p><p>Two batters later, Jorge Polanco added insurance with another solo homer, stretching the lead to 3-1. That run would prove critical once Oakland pushed back in the ninth. Closer Andrés Muñoz entered with a two-run cushion but ran into trouble, giving up three straight singles to cut the lead to 3-2. With one out and the tying run at third, Darrell Hernaiz lifted a fly ball to center — but Julio Rodríguez unleashed a rocket to the plate, forcing Tyler Soderstrom to retreat back to third. Muñoz then struck out J.J. Bleday to end the threat and secure his career-high 30th save.</p><p>The win snapped a five-game skid for Seattle, which had dropped six of nine on a tough East Coast trip. At 69-60, the Mariners remain two games behind Houston in the AL West, but with Woo’s consistency and Naylor heating up, the team showed signs of stabilizing. Seattle has now won 11 of its last 12 at T-Mobile Park — and if Naylor keeps swinging like this, the Mariners’ playoff push may be just beginning.</p><figure class="op-tracker"></figure></article>    </body></html>

Mariners 1B Josh Naylor hits career milestone vs. Athletics

JJ
Bleday

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2025 SEASON STATS
BA	HR	RBI	OPS	SB
.208	10	29	0.675	1

2025 SEASON STATS
BA	HR	RBI	OPS	SB
.208	10	29	0.675	1