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A’s Time Machine: Zito Should Have Pitched In ’15

By Joey Lopez

September 30, 2015; Anaheim, CA, USA; Oakland Athletics starting pitcher Barry Zito (75) pitches the first inning against the Los Angeles Angels at Angel Stadium of Anaheim. Mandatory Credit: Gary A. Vasquez-USA TODAY Sports
September 30, 2015; Anaheim, CA, USA; Oakland Athletics starting pitcher Barry Zito (75) pitches the first inning against the Los Angeles Angels at Angel Stadium of Anaheim. Mandatory Credit: Gary A. Vasquez-USA TODAY Sports /
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Sep 26, 2015; Oakland, CA, USA; Oakland Athletics starting pitcher Barry Zito (75) walks off the field as fans as they give him a standing ovation after he was pulled from their MLB baseball game with the San Francisco Giants in the third inning at O.co Coliseum. Mandatory Credit: Lance Iversen-USA TODAY Sports.
Sep 26, 2015; Oakland, CA, USA; Oakland Athletics starting pitcher Barry Zito (75) walks off the field as fans as they give him a standing ovation after he was pulled from their MLB baseball game with the San Francisco Giants in the third inning at O.co Coliseum. Mandatory Credit: Lance Iversen-USA TODAY Sports. /

1. Zito pitched well enough in Spring Training.

Perhaps the biggest disappointment in his return to Oakland was the fact that it was so lackluster.

The A’s brought the lefty back on a minor league deal with the hope that he could capture some of the old magic that made living on Planet Zito so fun in the first place.

Zito had some stiff competition in Spring Training, but did not fold under the pressure. His 4.79 ERA may have been a bit scary to look at, but he managed to remain competitive.

Historically throughout his career, Zito did not have much success in Arizona. In 2015, though, Zito seemed refreshed and eager to prove himself.

In his 20.2 innings of work during the spring, Zito managed to record 14 strikeouts and hold opponents to a .200 batting average.

Despite his solid performance in spring, the A’s never seemed that interested in stretching Zito out to start in the rotation. He kept chugging along, though, never once giving up.