Oakland Athletics: Grading the A’s Season So Far
With the month of May coming to a close, it’s a good time to evaluate the Oakland Athletics season so far.
Heading into Tuesday’s game, the Oakland Athletics were ranked last in the American League West, having posted a 23-29 record through the first two months of the season. The A’s also have the second-worst ERA in the AL, the ninth-best team batting average, and the most errors.
It is difficult to know how good this Oakland A’s team can be. At their nadir, the Athletics had 13 players on the disabled list. Injuries have played a major role in how the A’s have performed so far this season. From ace Sonny Gray to backup catcher Josh Phegley, the Athletics’ medical staff has had a busy start to the 2016 season.
The A’s injury woes also included season-ending Tommy John surgeries for Chris Bassitt and Felix Doubront. Bassitt was expect to be a major force in the A’s rotation, and Doubront had pitched well in Spring Training, so the loss of both pitchers so early in the year was a major blow to the A’s.
Without a doubt, injuries like theirs have caused complications for the Athletics, but let’s take a look at how the team has performed so far:
Next: Grading the A's So Far: The Starting Rotation
Grading the Oakland Athletics’ Season So Far: The Starting Rotation
The most disappointing aspect of the A’s season so far is the starting pitching. Going into spring training, the starting rotation was supposed to be: Sonny Gray, Rich Hill, Chris Bassitt, Kendall Graveman, and Felix Doubront. Currently, the rotation is Rich Hill, Kendall Graveman, Sean Manaea, Jesse Hahn and…who knows?
The starting pitching has struggled this year, but some of that struggle is due to Sonny Gray‘s injury, as well as rookies being pressed into starting at the major league level. Prior to landing on the disabled list, Gray posted a 6.19 ERA with just 41 strikeouts in 48 innings, good for a 3-5 record. Hopefully, a healthy Gray will produce better results, but his start to the season was far below expectations.
Manaea also got off to a rough start, notching a 7.03 ERA in his first six major league appearances. Although he’s settled in a bit since his debut, he still hasn’t been lights-out in the way he had been in Triple-A. Graveman has similarly struggled, with a 5.09 ERA in 53 innings this season.
Rich Hill has done well, but no one else has really stepped up. Hopefully, Gray will come back strong, and right-hander Henderson Alvarez will be able to make his Oakland A’s debut very soon. Alvarez suffered a setback just one start prior to his scheduled return, but seems to be back on track.
Going by results, the starting pitching has been most disappointing. With opponents hitting .267 against the Athletics – the third-highest mark in the AL – and a team ERA of 4.71, the A’s rotation needs to improve.
Next: Grading the A's Season So Far: The Offense
Grading the Oakland Athletics’ Season So Far: The Offense
In terms of meeting preseason expectations, the A’s offense has been pretty productive. Josh Reddick was off to one of the best starts of his career, prior to landing on the disabled list until July with a thumb fracture.
Danny Valencia also spent time on the DL, but since he has come back, he is providing plenty of power and RBIs in the middle of the lineup. Khris Davis was cold in the month of April, but no one in baseball has been hotter in May. He made himself an instant fan favorite with his walk-off grand slam against the Texas Rangers on May 17th. It did not hurt that it was his third home run of the game.
Jed Lowrie has yet to hit a home run, but he was leading the league in batting average with runners in scoring position. Like many of the A’s other players, Lowrie’s success occurred before he ended up on the DL. In the midst of the Oakland injury bug, Stephen Vogt has been his steady self.
Even Marcus Semien has 10 home runs. That’s not bad for a shortstop who usually hits ninth in the order. At the opposite end of the lineup, Billy Burns and Coco Crisp have been setting the table. Burns has swiped 12 bases and posted a .292 on-base percentage, while Crisp has .740 OPS.
The Oakland lineup has not exactly been the 1927 Yankees, but they have been productive despite all of the injuries, and there is nothing to suggest that they won’t continue to hit all year. The A’s hitters have pretty much met their expectations.
Next: Grading the A's Season So Far: The Bullpen
Grading the A’s Season So Far: The Bullpen
Last year, the bullpen was a disaster. Rebuilding the bullpen seemed to be one of the major goals of the front office going into the off-season. Several trades and free agent signings later, the Oakland Athletics had an almost-entirely new relief crew.
The bullpen was expected to be much better this year, and it really has been so far. Sean Doolittle seems to have relinquished the closer’s role to Ryan Madson, but both of them have gotten a few saves, and both of them have blown a few saves. After a rough start to the year, Doolittle appears to be back on track. One other observation: John Axford also throws surprisingly hard.
When it is clicking, manager Bob Melvin knows he can count on the bullpen not only to preserve a win, but to blow the other team’s hitters away. Even the hurlers who are not closers have been very good. Fernando Rodriguez has allowed just one of 11 inherited runners to score so far this season, and Marc Rzepczynski has posted a 2.70 ERA against left-handers. Ryan Dull has also emerged as one of the most reliable arms in the bullpen.
The injuries to the starting rotation have meant that a lot of inexperienced pitchers have been called up. Some very short starts have put a great deal of pressure on the relievers. It has not been perfect, but the bullpen is meeting expectations.
Next: Grading the A's Season So Far: The Defense
Grading the Oakland Athletics’ Season So Far: The Defense
The Oakland Athletics defense has been a pleasant surprise to me this season. Yes, I know the A’s lead the league in errors, but there is a lot more to defense than fielding percentage.
For example, the Texas Rangers have the best fielding percentage in the division, at .987. They have given up 15 unearned runs. The A’s have the worst fielding percentage in the AL, at .981, and they have also given up 15 unearned runs. Errors are not a very good measure of how well the defense is playing.
Yonder Alonso has been solid at first base. He saves a lot of errors with his outstanding defense, although Valencia and Semien have really settled down on the left side. Lowrie is still learning the second base position and, at times, his play has been less than stellar.
With Reddick in right, Burns in center, and Crisp in left, the A’s had speed to burn in the outfield. With Reddick out, Chris Coghlan and Jake Smolinski are going to have to step it up. The loss of both his range and his arm is a blow to the Athletics, despite an otherwise solid outfield.
The A’s defense does not make many spectacular plays, but it is very steady. After last year, when it seemed every ball hit to the left side was an adventure, the defense has been a very pleasant surprise.
Next: Lack of Farm System Players on Roster Hurts 2016 A's
That’s my opinion on the Athletics’ first two months of the season – what’s yours? What has been the most disappointing aspect of the season for you? The most surprising player? Or have things gone just about the way you expected them to go? Be sure to let us know in the comments!