Know Your Enemy: Athletics
How close are the A's to contention?
The Athletics are 255–393 over the past four season, including two 100-plus loss seasons. They last made the postseason 2018-20, and have qualified 11 times in the 2000s, but it’s mostly been grouped together and sandwiched around rebuilds.
Might the current wave of young talent and the upcoming new ballpark support a more sustainable winner? Probably not, but they do seem primed to contend relatively soon after improving from 60 and 50 wins in 2022 and 2023 to 69 in 2024, and 76 a year ago.
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Additions
Scott Barlow, RHR
Aaron Civale, RHS
Mark Leiter Jr., RHR
Jeff McNeil, 2B
Subtractions
JJ Bleday, OF
Luis Urias, IF
Gio Urshela, IF
Sean Newcomb, LHR
Jose Leclerc, RHR
Key Injury Notes
The A’s are starting their season pretty darned healthy. Right-hander Gunnar Hoglund is on the IL, but other than that the club is full go, including veteran Jeff McNeil.
Payroll
$95M / 26-man
$97M / 40-man
Top Prospects
Leo De Vries, SS
Wei-En Lin, LHP
Gage Jump, LHP
Jamie Arnold, LHP
Henry Bolte, OF
De Vries is among the top 10 prospects in baseball and has a chance to force his way into the majors in 2026. Most of the club’s top arms — where they are weakest in the big leagues right now — should arrive by the end of 2027, perhaps giving the club a viable shot at a 90-plus win roster.
Bolte is a below-average hitter, but has power, can play defense, throw, and run, and he probably is among the first of the Athletics’ top prospects to get the nod if they call for help.
It’s not a good system, but they have impact at the top and a strong group of young talent in the big leagues already with Jacob Wilson, Nick Kurtz, and Tyler Soderstrom leading the way.
Analysis
The Athletics have a pretty good chance to break .500 for the first time since 2021, but it’ll largely depend on how much pitching they get from this group. The A’s finished ranked No. 27, 24, 27, and 28 in the four major runs allowed metrics. The bullpen should be better from the start, though, and the rotation has more upside.
The lineup finished No. 12 in baseball last season and could be even better in 2026, so buckle up for some slugfests in Sacramento in 2026, where Sutter Health Park posted a 108 Park Factor last season, second only to Coors Field in Denver.
The win projection here ranges from 77-82, but I don’t love the club’s chances to break through on the right side of .500 without some meaningful growth in the rotation. After Luis Severino and Jeffrey Springs, the A’s are asking Civale, Jacob Lopez, and Luis Morales to take big steps forward.
They’re going to be a nuisance, but competing won’t come until the rotation has more to offer.
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Know Your Enemy: Los Angeles Angels
·
Mar 20
