The Athletics have been the laughing stock of the MLB for a while. For a long time now, they have been floundering, for several seasons being one of the most losing teams. That title belonged to the White Sox last year, but the A’s were not much better.
But things may be looking up for the Athletics. After a few key offseason trades, the A’s may be an actual contender this year.
Starting Offensively, the Athletics have a major star in Brent Rooker, a solid veteran who the team can build an identity around. According to the MLB’s official website, he had 160 hits and a batting average of .293 in 2024, and similar stats the prior year. Knowing this, Rooker could build up the relatively young team into a solid force.
Additionally, the A’s have a monster hitter in Lawrence Butler. With 22 Home Runs last year, and a consistent batting average of .262, he is an obvious cornerstone in this Athletics team along with Brent Rooker. He also had 28 doubles and 2 triples last year, along with 67 RBI’s. He had a total of 134 hits last season.
Moving to defense, the A’s received Luis Severino in the offseason, a former Mets pitcher, with several seasons of experience. Last year with the Mets, Severino had a .611 win percent when starting (albeit across 11 starts), and had 161 strikeouts across the entire season, according to ESPN analytics.
Finally, the A’s have a great relief pitcher in Mason Miller. With 104 strikeouts last year, and an opponent batting average of .175, Miller will be the go-to guy throughout the season to close down a game with a win.
Some will likely argue that even with these players the A’s could still fail miserably this year. These people would likely claim that Brent Rooker is getting old, and Severeno is as well, and the A’s don’t really have any other star players. But, if this is true, and Rooker and Severino are past their prime, then they can still aid and assist this Athletics program. But even that is a stretch, considering their statistics last year. They may end up slowing down, but it is not likely to be this year.
With the players mentioned prior, the A’s could end up being a relatively solid team this year, with room to grow. Especially with young potential stars, like with Zach Gelof, the starting second baseman. Though a World Series is out of reach, this season could be the start of something great. Or, a disappointingly familiar Athletics Flop.
