Happy Wednesday A’s fans!
News flash: the Athletics return to Oakland and catapult to the top of the American League.
April Fools! But the A’s did get their first win of the season yesterday, defeating the Atlanta Braves 5-2.
April 1st starts the first full-month of the regular-season. Perhaps it will be the beginning of a winning streak for the A’s.
While the A’s are off to a 1-4 start, the good news is that they have 157 games remaining. There are plenty of games left for Mark Kotsay’s team to improve
and mold into a force capable of challenging for a playoff spot this season.
In order to get back to winning ways, the A’s offense must wake up and get back to performing like they were this spring in the Cactus League. So far, A’s batters have been too aggressive, constantly chasing pitches outside the strike zone, resulting in strikeouts or weak ground outs at the expense of walks or long at-bats where the pitcher gets tired and makes a mistake.
Additionally, Kotsay must figure out how to best leverage the relievers on the A’s roster to protect any late leads. At the moment, the A’s lack a true closer, so bullpen roles remain uncertain and it is hard for A’s fans to trust any reliever entering the game.
The A’s should make the most of this season given the potential for a strike-shortened 2027 campaign. 31 years ago yesterday, the 1994-95 MLB strike ended. The work-stoppage began the prior year due to players’ resistance to 0wners’ push for a salary cap. It resulted in the cancellation of the 1994 World Series and the truncation of the 1995 regular-season to 144 games. The strike, which affected baseball’s revenue and popularity for years to come, did not result in the implementation of a salary cap. That remains a hotly debated issue and will likely be the focus of the next round of collective bargaining discussions between the MLB players union and team owners next offseason.
A’s Coverage:
- Athletics defeat Braves 5-2 in Atlanta
- Blue Jays set MLB record with 50 strikeouts in 3-game sweep of A’s
- What the A’s Did Against Toronto Has Never Happened in MLB History
- There Is An “A” In “GrAvediggers”
- A’s 2026 Spring Standouts on Offense
- Can Muncy’s glove catch up to his bat at third base?
- Morales’ latest dud raises readiness questions
- A’s see timing, benefits of move to Las Vegas as a precursor to a dynasty
- AN Exclusive: Blogfather Observes The Wild Denzelope In Its Natural Habitat
- AN Exclusive: Blogfather Toes The Rubber With Pitching Coach Scott Emerson
- AN Exclusive: Blogfather Catches Up With Starting Pitcher Jacob Lopez
- Select A’s games to be broadcast in Las Vegas starting with season opener
- This Mason Miller Quote Flew Under the Radar, But Hits A’s Hard
- March Reminder: Opening Day Rosters Matter More To The Fans
MLB News and Interest:
- When will top stars meet their former clubs in ’26?
- Mariners top prospect Emerson agrees to biggest deal for player yet to debut
- MLBPA increases war chest to $415M ahead of possible lockout
- Mets hire 6-time All-Star J.D. Martinez as special assistant
- This year’s rookie class just slugged its way to history
- Touted SS prospect Pratt near 8-year deal with Brewers
- MLB opening weekend takeaways: Rookies, hot starts, ABS, more
- Are MLB players shrinking? Why players are losing inches on their official height due to ABS
- Yankees demolish Giants to open MLB season
- Mets’ Francisco Alvarez has first successful ABS challenge for strikeout
- Reigning NL Cy Young winner Paul Skenes chases in first inning vs. Mets
- Padres making progress in sale of team
- Today in Baseball History
Best of X:
A’s right fielder Lawrence Butler had some fun with the Braves mascot before the game last night.
This preseason ranking seems a bit pre-mature given the team’s strikeout heavy slow start to the season at the plate. Yet, the A’s have too many quality hitters to continue scuffling, so hopefully the runs start coming in bunches sooner rather than later.
Hitting four home runs in the season’s first five games, Shea Langeliers has cemented himself as one of the best offensive catchers in the league. How many home runs will he hit this season?
If you have any April Fools jokes, feel free to put them in the comments. How do you think the Athletics will perform in April as the MLB season truly gets going? Can they parlay the momentum from their win yesterday into a winning month or will there be more losses to come in the next few weeks?
