Nick Kurtz, Denzel Clarke Stacking Honors After Breakout Seasons
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Nick Kurtz is going to need a bigger mantle for all of the awards he's collecting this winter. Having already won the Silver Slugger and AL Rookie of the Year awards, the A's rookie first baseman was named to the All-MLB Second Team on Thursday night.
Here is the 2025 All-MLB Second Team! 👏 pic.twitter.com/q56ZMRVEna
— MLB (@MLB) November 14, 2025
Toronto Blue Jays' first baseman Vladimir Guerrero Jr. was named to the All-MLB First Team. Kurtz also received some down-ballot votes for AL MVP, finishing 12th in the voting with 29 points. Guerrero had 14 total points. Kurtz wound up with a fourth and fifth place vote, and then two eighths, three ninths and four tenths.
Jacob Wilson also received one down-ballot vote from a local writer, who placed him tenth.
In addition to Kurtz's latest award, A's rookie centerfielder Denzel Clarke was awarded the Premier Play of the Year for this once-in-a-generation catch in Anaheim.
Denzel Clarke scaled the wall and gave us one of the most incredible catches we have ever seen 🤯
— MLB (@MLB) November 14, 2025
His out-of-this-world grab lands him the @CapitalOne Premier Play of the Year 🏆 pic.twitter.com/CqXhrMIG9a
Below is the full press release from the Athletics about the awards wins for Kurtz and Clarke.
WEST SACRAMENTO, Calif. — A’s first baseman Nick Kurtz has been named to the All-MLB Second Team on the heels of being named the 2025 Jackie Robinson American League Rookie of the Year on Monday. He is the only rookie to be selected to an All-MLB team this season and just the 10th rookie to be chosen since the inception of the honor in 2019.
In addition, outfielder Denzel Clarke was awarded the Capital One Premier Play of the Year for his wall-scaling home run robbery on June 9 at Los Angeles-AL.
Kurtz batted .290 with a 1.002 OPS in 117 games played this season after making his MLB debut on April 23. Along with being named AL Rookie of the Year by the BBWAA, he was also named the Player’s Choice Outstanding Rookie, the Sporting News Rookie of the Year, and the winner of the Louisville Slugger Silver Slugger Award among AL first basemen.
On July 25 at Houston, Kurtz went a perfect 6-for-6, tying the MLB record for home runs (4), extra-base hits (5), and total bases in a game (19). He won both American League Rookie of the Month as well as American League Player of the Month for July.
Clarke made his Major League debut on May 23, and he won MLB’s Electric Play of the Week for each of his first four weeks in the majors, becoming the first player to win the award in three or more consecutive weeks. Despite appearing in just 47 games in an injury-shortened season, Clarke compiled seven defensive runs saved, tied for 10th among Major League center fielders.
The All-MLB First and Second Team selections were determined by a combination of fan voting and voting from a decorated panel of media members, broadcasters, former players and other officials throughout the game. Each player named to the All-MLB First or Second Team will receive a trophy to commemorate his selection.
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Jason has been covering the A’s at various sites for over a decade, and was the original host of the Locked on A’s podcast. He also covers the Stanford Cardinal as they attempt to rebuild numerous programs to prominence.
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