Four Oakland Athletics That Surprised the Most in 2015

Mandatory Credit: Kelley L Cox-USA TODAY Sports

Billy Burns: I wasn’t sure what to make of Billy Burns prior to this season. I know he had blazing speed on the base paths. Although he had shown he could hit for average prior to coming to the A’s, he only hit .237 between AA and AAA in 2014. However, Burns found his stroke in 2015, leading the team with a .294 average, 153 hits, 26 steals, 70 runs, and 9 triples. He did all of that while playing spectacular defense in center field. When Burns had been up for a couple months this season, I thought the Athletics would have a tough choice on who the leadoff hitter would be in 2016, but by the end of the season, Burns left no doubt that he owned that spot in the lineup going forward.

Next: 2. Mark Canha