The Oakland Athletics have been dominant from all angles for the last 10-plus games. Let’s take a look at some of the most jaw-dropping stats.
Whether you consider this a 10-game win streak, a 10-and-two-thirds game win streak or two separate mini win streaks, there is no question the Athletics have been the best team in baseball since May 16.
Starting with a 17-3 win over the Detroit Tigers, Oakland has jumped from 19-25 to 29-25 and are right back in the thick of the playoff race, albeit early in the season.
They have been great all across the board, starting at the bottom of the order: Jurickson Profar, Ramon Laureano and Josh Phegley, the 7-8-9 hitters, have hit 32/105 (.305) with 19 runs, seven home runs and 22 RBIs over the past 10-plus games. Phegley himself has 10 RBIs on 24 at-bats, posting a 1.222 OPS in eight games since May 16.
Matt Olson and Matt Chapman have combined to hit seven home runs – Chapman with one in each of the last three games – five doubles and 19 runs, picking up the slack with Khris Davis on the mend.
The A’s as a whole have hit .290 with 25 HR and 74 RBIs and a .928 OPS, averaging seven runs a game (all of these are at least 10 percentage points better than any other team this season, and over a 162-game season, they would hit 368 home runs and score 1149 runs, 100 more home runs than the Yankees season record in 2018 and the most runs in a season since the Boston Beaneaters in 1894).
On the other side of the ball they have been maybe even more dominant, holding batters to a .212 batting average and allowing only 31 runs, all earned. Athletics’ pitchers have posted a 2.91 ERA and a 1.16 WHIP. They have done it all while striking out only 80 batters, posting a 7.5 K/9 ratio and a 2.16 K/BB ratio, both of which would be bottom five in baseball this season.
Starters have gone 8-0, Chris Bassitt and Brett Anderson alone are 4-0.
This all despite Blake Treinen – the A’s best reliever and possibly their best player last season – allowing a .308 batting average and posting a 4.26 ERA while logging five saves.