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Oakland Athletics Report Card: A’s Below Average In May

By Joey Lopez

May 18, 2017; Oakland, CA, USA; Oakland Athletics manager Bob Melvin (6) watches the replay on the big screen against the Boston Red Sox during the first inning at Oakland Coliseum. Mandatory Credit: Stan Szeto-USA TODAY Sports
May 18, 2017; Oakland, CA, USA; Oakland Athletics manager Bob Melvin (6) watches the replay on the big screen against the Boston Red Sox during the first inning at Oakland Coliseum. Mandatory Credit: Stan Szeto-USA TODAY Sports /
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May 20, 2017; Oakland, CA, USA; Oakland Athletics left fielder Khris Davis (2) high fives second baseman Jed Lowrie (8) after batting him in on a two run home run against the Boston Red Sox during the fifth inning at Oakland Coliseum. Mandatory Credit: Kelley L Cox-USA TODAY Sports
May 20, 2017; Oakland, CA, USA; Oakland Athletics left fielder Khris Davis (2) high fives second baseman Jed Lowrie (8) after batting him in on a two run home run against the Boston Red Sox during the fifth inning at Oakland Coliseum. Mandatory Credit: Kelley L Cox-USA TODAY Sports /

The Offense

The A’s offense was powered by Yonder Alonso and his 10 home runs in May. The first baseman, who has had a breakout season at age 30, hit .302/.421/.825 in May.

Oakland’s offense has been hit or miss this year, literally.

Like Alonso, the A’s have displayed a surprising amount of power at the plate, totaling 43 home runs in May.

The A’s have acquired a taste for the long ball, but they’ve also apparently grown fond of striking out, too.

The team struck out a staggering 244 times in May.

When Beane & Company set out to solidify the lineup, the hope was to build a team with a disciplined approach at the plate. That hope has been largely unanswered.

Khris Davis collected six homers in May, but also whiffed 34 times. He started the year with a 29.3% strikeout rate, but it was less worrisome because he had a walk rate of 15.2%.

The strikeout rate in May climbed to 31.5% and the walk rate dipped to 8.3%. Overall, Davis put together a miserable .194/.269/.408 line in May.

Another Davis also struggled in May for the A’s.

Rajai Davis, who was brought in to provide a spark at the top of the order, failed miserably in May.

The speedy outfielder put together an even less impressive stat line in May. His .191/.234/.258 line is alarming. His .234 OBP is perhaps the biggest cause for concern.

Oakland’s lack of production from its lead-off spot is one of the reasons why the team’s offense hasn’t had any consistency this year.

The A’s will need to find ways to get on base and stay disciplined at the plate. The team has put on a few good offensive showings this year, but in May struggled to put together quality at-bats.

Overall Grade: D

Honor Roll (in May):

Yonder Alonso: .302/.421/.825, 10 HR, 17 RBI

Jed Lowrie: .303/.378/.515, 4 HR, 11 RBI

Ryon Healy: 306/.340/.541, 6 HR, 14 RBI

Needs Improvement: 

Khris Davis: .194/.269/.408, 6 HR, 15 RBI

Rajai Davis: .191/.234/.258, 1 HR, 5 RBI

Matt Joyce: .211/.337/.394, 3 HR, 11 RBI