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Nationals defensive wizard Jacob Young robbed what might have been a game-tying home run in the ninth inning against the Mets on Sunday — and it wasn’t even his best catch of the day.

 

Not even close.

 

A few innings earlier, Young gave us what might be the top catch of the season. There are a lot of contenders for that label (more on that in a moment). But what’s inarguable is that Young gave us the best kick of the season.

 

After Young ran back, spun and leaped at the center-field wall to nab a long fly in the fifth inning, the ball popped out of his glove. As the ball fell toward the warning track, Young’s right leg kicked up into the air, and the Nats’ center fielder suddenly looked like he was playing hacky sack on the university quad.

 

That quick reflex popped the ball back up and allowed Young to haul in one of the strangest flyouts you will see.

 

“Somehow, I kicked it right back to me,” Young said after the game. “So I’ll give credit to my AAU soccer coach.”

 

Now, is that the best catch of 2025? It’s certainly unique, but MLB has been blessed with a boatload of jaw-dropping catches this season. A quick sampling:

– Robles saves the day: This just happened on Saturday. Mariners outfielder Victor Robles made a spectacular diving catch to start a game-winning double play in a crucial game vs. Houston.

 

– Face first: What’s a good way to get over the pain of smashing your face into the fence? Make a game-ending grab, like the Marlins’ Dane Myers did.

– Oh no! Oh yes! This play could have been disastrous for the Blue Jays’ Daulton Varsho after he fell down, but he got up and completed a wild, behind-the-back grab.

 

– Between Lee’s knees: Giants outfielder Jung Hoo Lee needed more than his glove to make this catch in the gap.

– Did he even see this ball? Astros infielder Luis Guillorme went back on a popup, put his glove in the air and hoped for the best.

 

– Bring it back: Boston’s Ceddanne Rafaela and Atlanta’s Jurickson Profar each went clearly over the wall to make fabulous catches.

– The reigning champion? If Young’s kick catch doesn’t go down as the top catch of the 2025 season, then that title probably belongs to this unforgettable, wall-scaling robbery by the A’s Denzel Clarke.

 

— Brian Murphy

• Clayton Kershaw made his final regular-season start at Dodger Stadium on Friday, getting one final curtain call and leaving with one serious souvenir after the legendary lefty and his kids used a pick axe to dislodge the pitching rubber for a keepsake.

• Kershaw’s goodbye almost overshadowed the fact that the Dodgers secured their incredible 13th straight postseason appearance, one of three clinches over the weekend. Milwaukee was already headed for October, but the Brewers locked down their third straight NL Central title, while the Blue Jays became the first AL club to punch its ticket to the postseason with their 90th win.

• It was also a big weekend for historic big flies: Cal Raleigh broke Ken Griffey Jr.’s Mariners record with his 57th of the year (then added No. 58the next day), and Mike Trout (400) and Giancarlo Stanton (450) reached major round-number milestones.

• It’s not often that an opposing player is involved in the ceremonial first pitch, but sometimes it’s too good to pass up. That was the case Friday, when A’s rookie Jacob Wilson caught the first pitch from his father, former Pirates All-Star Jack Wilson, at PNC Park, reprising a moment from 2006 when a 4-year-old Jacob threw out the first pitch to Jack on the same mound.

• Texas high schooler Grady Emerson, a candidate to be the No. 1 overall pick in next year’s MLB Draft, helped the Dodgers team win the 2025 Home Run Derby X championship with both his bat and his glove on Saturday.

Few things capture the spirit of baseball like a game of catch, whether it’s in the backyard, at the park or under the bright lights of a big league stadium with one of the icons of the sport.

 

One lucky fan experienced that at Coors Field on Saturday night, getting a chance to play catch with Mike Trout after snagging the slugger’s aforementioned 400th career home run ball — which traveled a projected 485 feet — in the top of the eighth inning.

 

The following day, the enduring ritual of America’s pastime also brought together more than 2,300 people in New Jersey, who convened for an attempt to set a Guinness World Record — mission accomplished, as documented by our own Dan Cichalski — in honor of Hall of Famer Yogi Berra.

 

— Thomas Harrigan

Rafael Devers has history on the horizon.

 

The Giants slugger has played in 84 games since being traded to San Francisco in June after appearing in 73 games with Boston to start the year. With 157 games under his belt and six more remaining on the Giants’ schedule, Devers could be the first player since Justin Morneau in 2008 to play in 163 games in a season, and the first since Todd Zeile in 1996 to do it after a midseason trade.

 

• QUIZ: Identify the players who played 162+ at least 4 times

 

Overall, Devers would be just the 30th player to appear in more than 162 games in a season. Pete Rose, Brooks Robinson and Billy Williams all accomplished the feat multiple times.

 

Check out Maria Guardado’s excellent article for a deep dive into Devers’ unique opportunity.

 

– Ed Eagle

If you’ve ever been to a donut shop and just wanted one of everything, you’re in luck at Petco Park. The Mini Donut Company stand in section 107 is the place for you. These tiny treats come in a rotating array of signature flavors, from the basics like glazed and cinnamon sugar to featured ones that are more eclectic. And if you’re craving a cup o’ joe (not Musgrove) to go along with those donuts, head to Mostra Coffee in nearby section 104.
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