The Athletics Ideal Lineup for the Wild Card Game
By Matt McHugh
August 22, 2014; Oakland, CA, USA; Oakland Athletics first baseman Stephen Vogt (21) bats during the eighth inning against the Los Angeles Angels at O.co Coliseum. The Athletics defeated the Angels 5-3. Mandatory Credit: Kyle Terada-USA TODAY Sports
7. Stephen Vogt, 1B
As much as I want to believe in Stephen Vogt, it’s becoming more and more of a challenge. He’s hitting just .103 in September, and .224 since the all-star break. That’s an incredibly drastic difference from his elite performance in the first half, when he hit .358 in 109 at-bats.
Do I think he’s that good? No, but he’s not as bad as he’s been lately. In reality he’s probably about a .250 or .260 hitter with decent power against righties. While that’s not good production from a three-hitter, it’s decent for a seven-hitter, which is where he should be batting.
His defense is mediocre at best, especially considering the foot injury he’s nursing. The problem for the A’s is that Nate Freiman is their only other true first baseman, and he’s not elite defensively by any measure. Unless they want to bring back Daric Barton, (kidding!) they’ll have to deal with what they have.