In MLB, there are not many moments that make everyone, from fans to players and even the dugout, freeze. But it was Oakland A’s 25-year-old phenom, already drawing whispers of “the next Gary Matthews Jr.,” who turned a tense game into a story fans would be telling for years. The buzz was instant: could this be the breakout that cements a new era for the A’s, and a new legend for the game?

Well, that has been the buzz surrounding Denzel Clarke, the 25-year-old phenom from Athletics, after his heroics from Monday night at the Angel Stadium. It was the bottom of the first. Nolan Schanuel crushed a ball to deep center field. It looked gone, and the Angels were already ready to put a run on the board. But no one expected or even thought that Clarke would sprint to the wall like Spider-Man! Well, yes. He reached over the top and robbed the home run like no one’s business.

Honestly, for one second, he was above the walls, his legs dangling, glove in the air, and when he landed, so did every jaw in the stadium! Everyone was in awe of this otherworldly catch, and now people are calling it the catch of the year. They might be right, and even former Mets GM Jim Duquette agrees.

Duquette was utterly stunned by the catch and even ended up name-dropping legendary names like Matthew Jr. On MLB Network Radio on SiriusXM, he said, “The catch itself, I am not sure you will see another one like that… I mean, this was not a Hollywood catch, though; it was a real-life thing. I cannot think of another one, of all the ones we have talked about over the years. Griffy, when he goes up to the wall, Matthew’s junior… Bo Jackson has him running up the fence. This one, in terms of just robbing the home run. I don’t think you’ll ever see one like this. This is just incredible.”  

While many big names were mentioned, that Matthews Jr. comparison is no joke. His 2006 highway robbery against the Houston Astros is still one of the most iconic catches in the history of the sport. So, for Clarke to be in the same conversation less than a month after his big-league debut is simply wild.

Now Clarke himself couldn’t deny how wonderful the catch was. “I’m always very tentative to say this was the best one,” he told reporters. “But I think this is probably the best one I’ve ever made.” Let’s not forget he made his debut on May 23, and he has already won two straight electric play of the week honors. And after this catch, the third one seems almost inevitable.

MLB rookie gets a reality check on debut

While Denzel Clarke was out there simply defying gravity and making headlines, there was another fresh face making his big league debut. And it reminded everyone how tough this game can be. The saying “Baseball giveth and baseball taketh away” is so true, and Roman Anthony might have learned it the hard way on Monday night.

The 21-year-old Boston Red Sox prospect finally got the big call-up just hours before his first pitch and was suddenly batting fifth. He was playing right field, under the bright lights at Fenway Park, and in the rain! He was surely thrown right into the deep end. But the crowd cheered loudly as he stepped up for his first MLB at-bat—it was a goosebump moment for sure.

By the fifth inning, the nerves started showing. With runners on, Yandy Díaz sent a liner out to right, and Anthony went to field it, but the ball slipped under his glove and rolled to the wall. Next, Brandon Lowe came around from first to score, and Diaz ended up on third. The Boston crowd, who had given him an ovation, suddenly fell silent. But if we’re being real, these things happen in MLB. Even Derek Jeter had a rough debut, didn’t he? But now, he is a Hall of Famer. Also, Anthony is just 21 years old and was drafted two years ago in the second round. And he has the material to be great, having hit .288 with 10 bombs and a 497-foot grand slam. So maybe he needs time to acclimate.

What do you think of the rookies in MLB right now? Let us know your favorites.