Happy Wednesday A’s Fans!
Over the past few years, the Athletics have built one of the most exciting young offensive cores in baseball, largely comprising players drafted and developed by the team. Guys like Jacob Wilson and Nick Kurtz did not need much minor league development time, while the likes of Tyler Soderstrom, Lawrence Butler and Zack Gelof spent considerably more time honing their skills in the team’s farm system. Toss in Shea Langeliers, who was acquired in the Matt Olson trade with the Atlanta
Braves, and Brent Rooker, who was picked off of waivers after failing to hit with multiple teams, and the A’s have an offense that has the talent to put up multiple runs every game.
However, hitting is only part of the game, as baseball teams also need strong pitching and defense. In the A’s case, those latter two elements are especially important because both their current ballpark in West Sacramento and their future home in Las Vegas are exceptionally hitter-friendly environments.
Through 54 games this season, the A’s pitching staff has mirrored last year’s performance, posting a road ERA nearly two runs lower than its ERA at Sutter Health Park. Out of 30 MLB teams, the A’s have the 23rd-ranked ERA and have allowed the fourth-most home runs. The team’s highest-paid pitcher, Luis Severino, is not complaining as much as he did last year, although he still is struggling to pitch effectively at the minor-league ballpark.
Aware of the team’s need for better pitching to complete its rise from rebuilders to American League playoff contenders, the A’s solution may come from within. The team’s top pitching prospect, left-hander Gage Jump took Civale’s place on the roster and made his MLB debut last night against the Seattle Mariners. Jump pitched his way onto the team’s radar and league-wide prospect lists in his eye-opening first professional season last year. He had a mediocre first outing, allowing four runs on nine hits over five innings. Hopefully, now that he got his feet wet, he can pitch better and pick up his first win in his next start.
Jump could soon be joined by fellow top left-handed pitching prospects Jamie Arnold and Wei-En Lin, both of whom are doing well with the A’s Double-A affiliate. Should Jump stick with the A’s the rest of the season, that would leave a void in the Triple-A rotation, which will likely go to one of these standouts.
While these left-handers receive most of the attention, the A’s do have some noteworthy right-handers. Either Kade Morris and/or Braden Nett could follow in outfielder Henry Bolte’s and Jump’s footsteps by making the leap from Triple-A to MLB.
Right-hander Luis Morales is a big wild card. He showed flashes of promise last season, but has struggled in the majors and the minors this year. Lastly, it would be remiss to leave out right-handers J.T. Ginn and Jack Perkins, who have shown the ability to get MLB hitters out in spades over these past few weeks.
If the Athletics remain in American League West contention once the trade deadline looms, do you want them to trade a couple prospects for pitching help? If so, which pitcher would be the best fit to help this year’s squad?
A’s Coverage:
- A’s lose to Mariners 4-1, Kurtz Streak ends with O-fer
- Is A Jump In Talent Nigh?
- What to expect when A’s Jump makes leap to MLB
- What The Mariners’ Slow First 1/3 Means For The AL West
- Wilson takes swings in next step toward return from IL
- After facing Miller for first time, how is blockbuster trade looking for A’s?
- Athletics Drop Series Opener to Mariners 9-2
- A’s Win In San Diego, Beat Padres 5-2
- “State Of The Rotation”: A Projected Weakness, An Actual…?
- Big Amish, meet Man of Steal: Kurtz ties Henderson’s 46-game on-base streak
- Jump, A’s No. 3 prospect, dazzles to extend scoreless streak
- Guerrero touts West Sacramento’s MLB experience as expansion looms large
- Fans embrace ‘Sacramento A’s’ as Athletics lean into second season at Sutter Health Park
- ’Gut-wrenching’: Ginn takes no-no into ninth only to give up walk-off home run
- Kurtz in rarefied air through 162 career games
MLB News and Interest:
- MLB Power Rankings: What’s in your team’s first-half future? We’ve got some predictions
- Astros combine on MLB’s 1st no-hitter since 2024, 18th in club history
- Angels fan protests are becoming too loud to ignore, but team leadership is doing so anyway
- Blue Jays Place Dylan Cease On 15-Day IL
- Bob Horner, former No. 1 pick who had a 4-HR game, dies at 68
- Miz raises bar for 100+ mph pitches: ‘That’s what I do, I throw hard’
- Wander Franco found criminally responsible, but no charges
- MLB going all-out to celebrate America’s Semiquincentennial
- Inside the rise of Pokémon card collecting in MLB clubhouses
- Rays hope veteran Kimbrel can benefit struggling bullpen
- Dodgers Reinstate Kiké Hernández, Designate Santiago Espinal
- Rockies Place José Quintana On 15-Day IL With Sprained Elbow
- Today in Baseball History
Best of X:
The Athletics are shaking up their rotation, likely due to the Mariners’ team-wide struggles against left-handed pitching.
What an amazing catch by A’s Double-A Midland outfielder Carlos Pacheco in his game this past Sunday!
Outfielder Cade Marlowe is performing well with the A’s Triple-A affiliate. Should he get an opportunity to contribute at the major-league level, especially given Lawrence Butler’s offensive struggles?
The A’s continuing to show that community impact matters just as much as what happens on the field:
