<!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-brent-rooker-praise-tyler-soderstrom-gold-glove-honor');   ga('set', 'title', 'Brent Rooker’s strong praise after Tyler Soderstrom’s Gold Glove honor');   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/2025/10/Tyler-Soderstrom-2.jpg"><figcaption>Kamil Krzaczynski-Imagn Images</figcaption></figure><h1>Brent Rooker’s strong praise after Tyler Soderstrom’s Gold Glove honor</h1><time class="op-published" datetime="2025-10-15T15:17:10-07:00">October 15th, 3:17pm</time><time class="op-modified" datetime="2025-10-15T15:33:35-07:00">October 15th, 3:33pm</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>The Athletics failed to reach the playoffs for the fifth straight year, finishing their <a href="https://clutchpoints.com/mlb/athletics/athletics-news-oakland-headed-sacramento-las-vegas-move">debut season in Sacramento</a> with a 76-86 record. However, the A’s boast a collection of talented young players that could form the core of a postseason contender in the near future.</p><p>Tyler Soderstrom is one of the players giving Athletics fans hope that brighter days are ahead. The third-year pro enjoyed a breakout season in 2025 after converting to left field.</p><p>Soderstrom’s efforts did not go unnoticed as he was announced <a href="https://x.com/Brent_Rooker25/status/1978485584436801765" rel="noopener">as a finalist</a> for the Gold Glove. And teammate Brent Rooker did his best to make sure fans understood the significance of the accomplishment.</p><p>“Yall know how impressive it is to switch to a position that you’ve never played in your life mid-season and then be a gold glove finalist at that position in the SAME YEAR?” Rooker wrote on his official X account.</p><h2><b>Tyler Soderstrom transitioned seamlessly to the A’s outfield</b></h2><figure><img src="https://wp.clutchpoints.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/10/Tyler-Soderstrom.jpg"><figcaption>Jesse Johnson-Imagn Images</figcaption></figure><p>Soderstrom debuted with the A’s in 2023, splitting time as a catcher and first baseman. Last season he primarily played first base. And he continued in that role to begin 2025. But the Athletics <a href="https://clutchpoints.com/mlb/athletics/athletics-news-as-calling-up-no-4-pick-mlb-draft-32-games">called up top prospect Nick Kurtz</a> in April. The fourth-overall pick in the 2024 draft was tearing up Triple-A and the team believed he was ready for the majors (he was).</p><p>Kurtz, of course, plays first base. Needing to make room for the rookie, the A’s moved Soderstrom to left field – an entirely new position for the 23 year old.</p><p>The move worked exceptionally well. Kurtz was sensational, mashing 36 home runs and batting .290 with a 1.002 OPS, 173 OPS+ and 5.4 bWAR in 117 major league games. But while <a href="https://clutchpoints.com/mlb/athletics/why-athletics-nick-kurtz-win-al-rookie-of-the-year-award">Kurtz had a Rookie of the Year-caliber campaign</a>, Soderstrom also thrived.</p><p>The former first-round pick excelled in left field, enjoying his best statistical season defensively and offensively. Soderstrom slashed .276/.346/.474 with 25 homers, 34 doubles, 93 RBI, an OPS+ of 126 and 4.4 bWAR in 158 games for the A’s.</p><p>Soderstrom’s strong showing and Kurtz’s breakout suggest an exciting future for the Athletics ahead of a move to Las Vegas. They join Rooker, Shea Langeliers and fellow <a href="https://clutchpoints.com/mlb/athletics/why-athletics-jacob-wilson-will-win-al-rookie-of-the-year-award">Rookie of the Year hopeful Jacob Wilson</a> as part of an exciting core.</p><p>Soderstrom, Wyatt Langford and Steven Kwan are the three finalists for the Gold Glove. Kwan has won the award three times in his four-year career. This season’s winner will be announced on November 2.</p><figure class="op-tracker"></figure></article>    </body></html>

Brent Rooker’s strong praise after Tyler Soderstrom’s Gold Glove honor

<!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-athletics-rep-sacramento-uniforms-2026');   ga('set', 'title', 'Athletics to rep Sacramento on their uniforms 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/2025/09/Jacob-Wilson.jpg"><figcaption>Sergio Estrada-Imagn Images</figcaption></figure><h1>Athletics to rep Sacramento on their uniforms in 2026</h1><time class="op-published" datetime="2025-09-29T15:16:44-07:00">September 29th, 3:16pm</time><time class="op-modified" datetime="2025-09-29T15:49:07-07:00">September 29th, 3:49pm</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>The Athletics wrapped up the franchise’s 125th season on Sunday. And while the team boasts an exciting core of young players, the <a href="https://clutchpoints.com/mlb/athletics/athletics-news-oakland-headed-sacramento-las-vegas-move">A’s first season away from Oakland</a> since 1968 ended in disappointment. The team finished 76-86, missing the playoffs for the fifth-straight year.</p><p>The Athletics completed the first of at least three seasons at Sutter Health Park in West Sacramento. While awaiting a move into its forever home in Las Vegas, the team is playing at the Triple-A stadium. And upon leaving Oakland after 57 years, the A’s were stripped of their city name, becoming simply “The Athletics.”</p><p>Now, in a nod to their foster city, the A’s announced they will pay homage to their temporary location. The team unveiled an alternative gold jersey with “Sacramento” emblazoned in green that will debut next season.</p><figure class="op-interactive"><blockquote class="twitter-tweet"><p dir="ltr" lang="en">The Athletics have revealed a gold Sacramento jersey for the 2026 season 👀 <a href="https://t.co/2fkXFMo0NT">pic.twitter.com/2fkXFMo0NT</a></p><p>— MLB (@MLB) <a href="https://twitter.com/MLB/status/1972682156125122888?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">September 29, 2025</a></p></blockquote><p><script async="" src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script></p></figure><h2><b>Athletics embrace Sacramento with new jerseys</b></h2><figure><img src="https://wp.clutchpoints.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/09/Shea-Langeliers.jpg"><figcaption>Dennis Lee-Imagn Images</figcaption></figure><p>The A’s will continue playing home games at Sutter Health, a 14,000-capacity minor-league park. The team plans to move into a 33,000-capacity, $1.75 billion <a href="https://clutchpoints.com/mlb/athletics/athletics-news-rob-manfred-las-vegas-stadium">stadium on the Vegas strip</a> that’s projected to open in 2028.</p><p>While the franchise will recognize its host city with an alternative jersey beginning in 2026, it will not officially change its name. The branding shift is merely symbolic as the team will continue to be known simply as The Athletics, in what is shaping up to be one of the most unusual relocation sagas in league history.</p><p>While the 2025 season ended in disappointment for the A’s, Nick Kurtz put the finishing touches on his <a href="https://clutchpoints.com/mlb/athletics/why-athletics-nick-kurtz-win-al-rookie-of-the-year-award">AL Rookie of the Year campaign</a>. The first-year slugger crushed his 36th home run of the season in the eighth inning of Sunday’s 9-2 loss to the Kansas City Royals.</p><p>The 423-foot bomb to left center secured Kurtz a 1.002 OPS for the season. He’s just the <a href="https://www.mlb.com/news/nick-kurtz-ends-rookie-season-with-36-hrs-ops-over-1-000" rel="noopener">eighth player</a> since 1901 to record an OPS over 1.000 in his rookie year, per MLB.com. The exclusive club includes Aaron Judge (2017), Ted Williams (1939) and Albert Pujols (2001).</p><p>Although the A’s fell short of the playoffs once again, the team boasts a talented core of players. <a href="https://clutchpoints.com/mlb/athletics/why-athletics-jacob-wilson-will-win-al-rookie-of-the-year-award">Jacob Wilson made a case for Rookie of the Year</a> as well, finishing the season tied for second in the majors with a .311 batting average. And the Athletics boast three players – Kurtz (36), Langeliers (31) and Rooker (30) – with 30 home runs. It’s the first time since 2019 the team had three players reach the 30-homer threshold.</p><figure class="op-tracker"></figure></article>    </body></html>

Athletics to rep Sacramento on their uniforms 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/athletics/athletics-news-shea-langeliers-walks-off-royals-huge-double');   ga('set', 'title', 'Shea Langeliers walks off Royals with huge double');   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/Shea-Langeliers-3.jpg"><figcaption>Sergio Estrada-Imagn Images</figcaption></figure><h1>Shea Langeliers walks off Royals with huge double</h1><time class="op-published" datetime="2025-09-27T00:50:36-07:00">September 27th, 12:50am</time><time class="op-modified" datetime="2025-09-27T01:16:09-07:00">September 27th, 1:16am</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>Both the Athletics and the Kansas City Royals have been eliminated from playoff contention. But the A’s are finishing the season strong, winning 10 of their last 14 games. On Thursday, AL <a href="https://clutchpoints.com/mlb/athletics/why-athletics-nick-kurtz-win-al-rookie-of-the-year-award">Rookie of the Year frontrunner Nick Kurtz</a> mashed two more home runs, bringing his season total to 35. But in the series opener against the Royals, Shea Langeliers stole the spotlight.</p><p>The fourth-year catcher delivered a clutch walk-off double in the bottom of the ninth inning. The game-winning hit capped an <a href="https://x.com/MLB/status/1971797305050407130" rel="noopener">exciting comeback</a> as the Athletics got the 4-3 victory over Kansas City.</p><figure class="op-interactive"><blockquote class="twitter-tweet"><p dir="ltr" lang="en">SHEA LANGELIERS WALKOFF DOUBLE FOR THE A'S 🙌<a href="https://t.co/dr4oRD0CNB">pic.twitter.com/dr4oRD0CNB</a></p><p>— ClutchPoints (@ClutchPoints) <a href="https://twitter.com/ClutchPoints/status/1971797744663822574?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">September 27, 2025</a></p></blockquote><p><script async="" src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script></p></figure><p>With one out in the ninth, Royals manager Matt Quatraro brought in Luinder Avila, who immediately surrendered a single to Darell Hernaiz. After Brett Harris grounded into a fielder’s choice, Max Schuemann replaced him as a pinch-runner.</p><p>Avila started Langeliers off with a 96 mph sinker but missed low and away. The rookie reliever went right back to the pitch but caught too much of the plate and Langeliers smoked the 1-0 offering deep to left center. The ball carried over left fielder Adam Frazier’s outstretched glove.</p><p>By the time the relay came to Bobby Witt Jr., Schuemann was already rounding third. An errant throw didn’t really affect the outcome. Schuemann slid home with the winning run and A’s players mobbed Langeliers at second base.</p><h2><b>Shea Langeliers delivers in A’s walk-off win</b></h2><figure><img src="https://wp.clutchpoints.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/09/Shea-Langeliers-2.jpg"><figcaption>Sergio Estrada-Imagn Images</figcaption></figure><p>The Athletics’ backstop has flashed multiple times this season. <a href="https://clutchpoints.com/mlb/athletics/athletics-news-shea-langeliers-on-list-monster-game">Langeliers had a three-homer game</a> in early August. And he hit a dramatic seventh-inning <a href="https://clutchpoints.com/mlb/detroit-tigers/tigers-news-tarik-skubal-trolls-athletics-stadium-blunder">revenge grand slam off Tarik Skubal</a> last month.</p><p>On Friday, the A’s were in a position to walk off the Royals in the ninth because of the team’s other <a href="https://clutchpoints.com/mlb/athletics/why-athletics-jacob-wilson-will-win-al-rookie-of-the-year-award">Rookie of the Year candidate Jacob Wilson</a>. After falling behind 3-0 on Jonathan India’s three-run home run in the top of the fourth inning, the Athletics got right back in the game in the fifth.</p><p>Langeliers started the rally with a one-out single. Brent Rooker and Tyler Soderstrom then followed with back-to-back two-out walks. With the bases loaded, Quatraro pulled starter Noah Cameron, calling on Taylor Clarke to face Wilson. And the rookie shortstop smashed a three-run double to left, tying the game 3-3.</p><p>With the win the Athletics improved to 76-84 on the season. But the team is a fun watch with a bright future. Wilson is hitting .313, second in the majors to Aaron Judge. And the A’s have three players – Kurtz (35), Langeliers (31) and Rooker (30) – with 30 home runs. It’s the first time since 2019 that the team has three players with at least 30 dongs in a season.</p><figure class="op-tracker"></figure></article>    </body></html>

Shea Langeliers walks off Royals with huge double

<!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-jacob-wilson-catches-opening-pitch-from-father-jack-in-full-circle-moment');   ga('set', 'title', 'Athletics’ Jacob Wilson catches opening pitch from father Jack in full circle moment');   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-1.jpg"><figcaption>Charles LeClaire-Imagn Images</figcaption></figure><h1>Athletics’ Jacob Wilson catches opening pitch from father Jack in full circle moment</h1><time class="op-published" datetime="2025-09-19T17:55:57-07:00">September 19th, 5:55pm</time><time class="op-modified" datetime="2025-09-19T17:55:57-07:00">September 19th, 5:55pm</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 kicked off a weekend series against the Pittsburgh Pirates with a heartwarming moment. <a href="https://clutchpoints.com/mlb/athletics/why-athletics-jacob-wilson-will-win-al-rookie-of-the-year-award">Jacob Wilson and Nick Kurtz are two of the favorites for the American League Rookie of the Year</a> award. The former got to share an amazing memory with his father, Jack Wilson, before the game. The father and son took the field for the first pitch to complete a 19-year journey.</p><p>Wilson’s father played Major League Baseball for 12 seasons, spending almost a decade with the Pirates. The former All-Star shortstop won a Silver Slugger award and was a premier offensive player in Pittsburgh. One of the best moments of his career was when he got to catch the first pitch from his son in 2006. In 2025, he got to <a href="https://x.com/PlatinumKey13/status/1969170187715850685" rel="noopener">throw the first pitch of a game to his son</a>.</p><figure class="op-interactive"><blockquote class="twitter-tweet"><p dir="ltr" lang="en">2006: Jacob Wilson to Jack Wilson</p><p>2025: Jack Wilson to Jacob Wilson</p><p>So cool. <a href="https://t.co/sgYAhJgnS3">pic.twitter.com/sgYAhJgnS3</a></p><p>— Platinum Key (@PlatinumKey13) <a href="https://twitter.com/PlatinumKey13/status/1969170187715850685?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">September 19, 2025</a></p></blockquote><p><script async="" src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script></p></figure><p>The father-son duo is one of many to have left their mark on MLB. However, it looks like Wilson is going to be surpassed by his son rather quickly when it comes to career accomplishments. <a href="https://clutchpoints.com/mlb/athletics/athletics-news-jacob-wilson-shares-special-moment-father-jack-all-star-game">Wilson represented the Athletics in the All-Star Game</a> earlier this season, starting the game for the American League. He was the second Athletics player ever to start in the game.</p><p>Kurtz hit a home run to help the Athletics build a 4-3 lead over the Pirates after a hot start from Pittsburgh. Wilson struggled in the game, going 0-for-3 to start the game. Regardless of his final stat line, the young shortstop has a memory that will last him and his father a lifetime.</p><p>Looking ahead, the Athletics have a bright future ahead of them. Wilson should only get better while Kurtz had one of the best individual performances in league history earlier this year. The Athletics are no longer playoff contenders this season. However, the team is not going anywhere with their two young stars leading the charge.</p><figure class="op-tracker"></figure></article>    </body></html>

Athletics’ Jacob Wilson catches opening pitch from father Jack in full circle moment

<!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-zack-kelly-fiery-nsfw-take-bullpen');   ga('set', 'title', 'Red Sox’s Zack Kelly drops fiery NSFW take on bullpen');   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/Zack-Kelly-2.jpg"><figcaption>Katie Stratman-Imagn Images</figcaption></figure><h1>Red Sox’s Zack Kelly drops fiery NSFW take on bullpen</h1><time class="op-published" datetime="2025-09-17T22:11:30-07:00">September 17th, 10:11pm</time><time class="op-modified" datetime="2025-09-17T22:25:39-07:00">September 17th, 10:25pm</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>The Boston Red Sox entered Wednesday’s matchup against the Athletics having lost four of their last five games. With the Wild Card race tightening, Boston badly needed a win. And the resilient Red Sox battled back after trailing by two runs in the fifth inning. Boston forced the game into extra innings before delivering its <a href="https://clutchpoints.com/mlb/boston-red-sox/red-sox-news-ml-leading-walk-off-win-vs-athletics">AL-leading 11th walk-off of the season</a>.</p><p>The Red Sox relied heavily on their relievers Wednesday. Starter Lucas Giolito lasted only 4.1 innings, forcing Boston to go to the bullpen. The team used <a href="https://x.com/SmittyOnMLB/status/1968514237078098430" rel="noopener">seven relievers</a> after Giolito’s departure and the group held the A’s scoreless over the final 5.2 innings.</p><p>“We have some f–king dogs down there. So this is going to be a fun ride,” Zack Kelly said after the Red Sox’s 5-4 win, per MassLive’s Christopher Smith.</p><h2><b>Red Sox’s bullpen shines in extra-innings win</b></h2><figure><img src="https://wp.clutchpoints.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/09/Zack-Kelly-3.jpg"><figcaption>Eric Canha-Imagn Images</figcaption></figure><p>Boston took a 1-0 lead on a Masataka Yoshida RBI single in the first inning. But the A’s would answer back, tying the score in the second and chasing Giolito from the game with a three-run fifth inning.</p><p>Down 4-2, the Red Sox chipped away with RBI singles in the fifth and sixth innings. Meanwhile, Boston’s bullpen kept the A’s off the scoreboard. Justin Wilson, Justin Slaten, Steven Matz, Garrett Whitlock, Aroldis Chapman, Kelly and Chris Murphy combined to blank the Athletics. The seven hurlers allowed five hits and one walk with seven strikeouts in 5.2 innings.</p><p>After Chapman worked out of a jam in the ninth, Kelly took the mound in the 10th. The fourth-year righty gave up a single and retired the next two batters. Murphy then came on to finish the frame with a Nick Kurtz strikeout.</p><p>In the bottom of the 10th inning, Nick Sogard pinch-hit for Ceddanne Rafaela with one out and runners on second and third. Sogard hit a sharp grounder to second but Manfred Man Nate Eaton was running on contact. Eaton slid headfirst and beat the sweeping tag attempt by Shea Langeliers.</p><figure class="op-interactive"><blockquote class="twitter-tweet"><p dir="ltr" lang="en">The <a href="https://twitter.com/RedSox?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@RedSox</a> walk it off in the 10th! <a href="https://t.co/nGPDPF7zXu">pic.twitter.com/nGPDPF7zXu</a></p><p>— MLB (@MLB) <a href="https://twitter.com/MLB/status/1968501052065398880?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">September 18, 2025</a></p></blockquote><p><script async="" src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script></p></figure><p>It was an important win after struggles at the plate led to a <a href="https://clutchpoints.com/mlb/boston-red-sox/red-sox-news-trevor-story-calls-out-offense">Red Sox slump</a> at the worst possible time. The victory pulled Boston even with the Seattle Mariners for the second Wild Card berth. The team now has a 2.5-game lead over the Cleveland Guardians in the Wild Card standings.</p><p>The Red Sox will send Brayan Bello to the mound for the rubber match of the series Thursday. The A’s will counter with second-year starter J.T. Ginn.</p><figure class="op-tracker"></figure></article>    </body></html>

Red Sox’s Zack Kelly drops fiery NSFW take on bullpen

<!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-grand-slam-reds');   ga('set', 'title', 'The legend of Athletics’ Nick Kurtz continues with grand slam vs. Reds');   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/Nick-Kurtz-2.jpg"><figcaption>Troy Taormina-Imagn Images</figcaption></figure><h1>The legend of Athletics’ Nick Kurtz continues with grand slam vs. Reds</h1><time class="op-published" datetime="2025-09-13T23:58:48-07:00">September 13th, 11:58pm</time><time class="op-modified" datetime="2025-09-13T23:58:48-07:00">September 13th, 11:58pm</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 routed the Cincinnati Reds 11-5 on Saturday night at Sutter Health Park in West Sacramento, <a href="https://clutchpoints.com/mlb/athletics/athletics-news-nick-kurtz-joins-impressive-company-30th-home-run">heralded by Nick Kurtz’s</a> 493-foot grand slam <a href="https://x.com/ClutchPoints/status/1967089134612500772" rel="noopener">in the eighth inning</a>, the longest home run in MLB this season.</p><figure class="op-interactive"><blockquote class="twitter-tweet"><p dir="ltr" lang="en">Nick Kurtz with a 493 foot BOMB for this HR 🔥</p><p> <a href="https://t.co/2cHkQYjUdh">pic.twitter.com/2cHkQYjUdh</a></p><p>— ClutchPoints (@ClutchPoints) <a href="https://twitter.com/ClutchPoints/status/1967089134612500772?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">September 14, 2025</a></p></blockquote><p><script async="" src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script></p></figure><p>The game was the second of a weekend series between the teams, with the Athletics taking both contests. Luis Severino (6-11) started for the Athletics, facing Hunter Greene (6-4) for Cincinnati. The Reds struck first in the top of the second inning when Tyler Stephenson singled with two outs and Will Benson crushed a 423-foot solo homer to centerfield, giving Cincinnati a 2-0 lead. Brent Rooker responded immediately for the Athletics with his 28th homer of the year, followed by a two-run hit from rookie Carlos Cortes, his third home run in two games, putting the Athletics ahead 3-2.</p><p>The Athletics continued to build their lead in the bottom of the third. Lawrence Butler singled and stole second, followed by a walk from Shea Langeliers. A double steal moved Butler to third and Langeliers to second, and Butler scored on a Hunter Greene wild pitch. Jacob Wilson then hit a remarkable ground-rule double off Greene’s foot and into right-field foul territory, adding two more RBI and forcing Greene’s exit after just 2 1/3 innings. Greene gave up five runs on four hits and four walks, raising his ERA from 2.59 to 3.01.</p><p>Cincinnati briefly tied the game at 5-5 in the middle innings thanks to a three-run homer from Tyler Stephenson. But the Athletics regained control in the seventh and eighth innings, thanks to Kurtz’s massive grand slam off Scott Barlow in the eighth. The slam came with runners on first and second and a single out, extending the Athletics’ lead to 11-5 and effectively ending any chance of a Reds comeback. The homer also surpassed Mike Trout’s previous season-long mark of 484 feet.</p><p>Kurtz, who went 1-for-5 in the game, <a href="https://clutchpoints.com/mlb/athletics/why-athletics-nick-kurtz-win-al-rookie-of-the-year-award">has been scorching hot in recent weeks</a>. In his last 14 games, he has hit five home runs, driven in 10 RBIs, and scored 13 runs. For the 2025 season, the rookie first baseman is up to 31 home runs, 78 RBIs, 78 runs scored, two stolen bases, 24 doubles, and two triples, while maintaining a .298/.391/.622 slash line across 104 games.</p><p>Relievers Elvis Alvarado and Hogan Harris closed out the final innings, allowing the Athletics to secure the series win. The bullpen combined to give up just two hits and no runs over the last four innings, contrasting with Cincinnati’s relief corps, which allowed six runs on eight hits and three walks over 5 2/3 innings.</p><p>The Reds, now 74-74, remain 1 1/2 games behind the New York Mets <a href="https://clutchpoints.com/mlb/cincinnati-reds/reds-player-must-step-up-nl-wild-card-race-mets-giants">for the final National League wild-card spot</a>, while the San Francisco Giants sit just a half-game back.</p><figure class="op-tracker"></figure></article>    </body></html>

The legend of Athletics’ Nick Kurtz continues with grand slam vs. Reds

<!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-home-runs-vs-reds');   ga('set', 'title', 'Athletics’ Carlos Cortes doubles career home run total vs. Reds');   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/Carlos-Cortes-doubles-career-home-run-total-vs.-Reds-ClutchPoints.jpg"><figcaption>Cary Edmondson-Imagn Images.</figcaption></figure><h1>Athletics’ Carlos Cortes doubles career home run total vs. Reds</h1><time class="op-published" datetime="2025-09-13T06:02:16-07:00">September 13th, 6:02am</time><time class="op-modified" datetime="2025-09-13T06:02:16-07:00">September 13th, 6:02am</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 Athletics have found an unexpected spark late in their tough 2025 campaign through the standout performance of rookie <a href="https://clutchpoints.com/mlb/athletics/athletics-news-carlos-cortes-steals-home-run-grab">outfielder Carlos Cortes</a>. In Friday night’s 3-0 victory over the Cincinnati Reds, the 28-year-old launched two solo home runs, doubling his career total in a single game. In a year where victories have been rare, Cortes’ showing offered a rare bright spot in an otherwise difficult season.</p><p>After Tyler Soderstrom was scratched with groin tightness, Cortes was inserted into the lineup at Sutter Health Park—and made the most of the opportunity. The rookie’s first blast came in the third inning off Brady Singer, a 408-foot rocket to right-center. In the eighth frame, he struck again, belting a 413-foot shot to dead center off a 98 mph fastball from Chase Burns. Both homers left the bat at over 105 mph, capping off a power-packed performance that could solidify his role heading into 2026—if he can finish strong over the final stretch.</p><p>MLB wasted little time recognizing the performance. On the league’s official X (formerly known as Twitter) account, it <a href="https://x.com/MLB/status/1966718757004366190" rel="noopener">spotlighted</a> Cortes’ milestone with a timely post.</p><p>“Carlos Cortes has three career home runs … two of them have come tonight!”</p><figure class="op-interactive"><blockquote class="twitter-tweet"><p dir="ltr" lang="en">Carlos Cortes has three career home runs … two of them have come tonight! <a href="https://t.co/v0mIDujaHo">pic.twitter.com/v0mIDujaHo</a></p><p>— MLB (@MLB) <a href="https://twitter.com/MLB/status/1966718757004366190?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">September 13, 2025</a></p></blockquote><p><script async="" src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script></p></figure><p>Cortes now has a .328/.388/.547 line through 32 games. Not only has he carved out a platoon role against right-handed pitchers, but his efficiency and power are helping stabilize a lineup short on offensive firepower.</p><p>Backed by six scoreless innings from JP Sears and a solo shot from Lawrence Butler, Cortes’ surge <a href="https://clutchpoints.com/mlb/athletics/why-athletics-jacob-wilson-will-win-al-rookie-of-the-year-award">carried the Athletics</a> to a win in Game 1 of their three-game series against the Reds. For a fanbase navigating a turbulent rebuild amid a looming relocation to Las Vegas, his emergence offers a rare and uplifting chapter.</p><p>Whether Cortes cements a long-term role or not, his rise—from a third-round pick by the New York Mets in 2018 to a late-blooming MLB contributor—epitomizes what makes baseball special, unexpected heroes seizing their moment after years of grinding through the minors.</p><figure class="op-tracker"></figure></article>    </body></html>

Athletics’ Carlos Cortes doubles career home run total vs. Reds

<!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>

Michael
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