LAS VEGAS — Say this about the 2025 MLB season: It was entertaining as heck, from start to finish.
And two of the biggest entertainers in the sport — Blue Jays first baseman Vladimir Guerrero Jr. and A’s center fielder Denzel Clarke were honored on Thursday night at the annual MLB Awards from the Chelsea Theater.
Guerrero took home the inaugural Capital One Premier Entertainer of the Year presented by MGM Rewards, after a season that saw him ink a 14-year contract extension, lead his team to the American League pennant and captivate the sport with his usual on-field and off-field theatrics.
Clarke, meanwhile, was honored for the Capital One Premier Play of the Year — for his remarkable wall-scaling catch against the Angels in Anaheim.
Pedro Martinez, Guerrero’s godfather and close friend, accepted the award for Guerrero — then channeled his inner Guerrero by finishing his speech with “Theeee Yankees lose,” from the stage at the Chelsea Theater.
Clarke, meanwhile, was on hand for the awards and recounted the catch that highlighted his excellent rookie season with the A’s. He planted one foot into the center-field wall, then propelled himself above the fence before reaching with his glove hand several feet beyond the wall to make the catch.
“Sometimes I look back at it, and I’m like, ‘That’s me?!’” Clarke said with a smile from the red carpet at the Cosmopolitan. “Other times I look at it, and I’m like: ‘That was kind of nasty.’ And then sometimes I’m kind of just like: ‘That’s just me playing baseball.’”
Clarke showcased his big-time personality at the Awards show, too. Asked who else in the audience he thought might be able to make that kind of catch, he singled out the Cubs’ Pete Crow-Armstrong and the D-backs’ Corbin Carroll. When he was asked if maybe longtime center fielder Dexter Fowler might be able to make the catch, he quipped that Fowler would need “a time machine.”
Clarke is coming off a solid rookie season with the A’s in which he shined defensively (beyond merely his signature catch) and posted a .646 OPS.
“It’s special,” Clarke said of capping his rookie season at the MLB Awards. “I think first thing, I accomplished a dream, making a debut, which was amazing. But then just being able to go out there — I got hurt toward the end, but the time I was playing — I was able to contribute to the team the way I had, it was really special, and I’m really looking forward to next year.”
If Clarke continues on his trajectory, it’s possible one day he’ll take home MLB’s Entertainer of the Year. For now, that award belongs to Guerrero — who stood out among a serious handful of candidates (including the host of Thursday’s awards show, Mookie Betts).
Guerrero, of course, entered the year with questions about his status in Toronto. He quickly put those to rest by inking a 14-year extension in April. Then, Guerrero delivered a brilliant season, hitting .292 with an .848 OPS while leading the Blue Jays to their first AL East title in 10 years.
Guerrero starred further in October, batting .397 with a 1.289 OPS and eight home runs across 73 at-bats. All the while, Guerrero showcased both his fun side and the depth of his personality. When the Blue Jays eliminated the Yankees in the American League Division Series, Guerrero intoned his now-famous “Theeee Yankees Lose” from the clubhouse on the postgame show. The following round, when Toronto clinched its first AL pennant since 1993, Guerrero was overcome with emotion.
Speaking on Guerrero’s behalf, Martinez said: “He does a lot more than just play the game. He honors his dad. He honors his family. And he loves his Domincan people and Latino America. I am extremely proud to receive this award on behalf of Vladdy.”
