Oakland Athletics Season in Review: Surprises and Letdowns

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At the end of a second straight 97-65 season, the Oakland Athletics head into the AL Wild Card Game. Regardless of their postseason success, 2019 has been exciting once again.

When you exceed your Vegas over/under win total by 13.5 games, something had to go right with your team that season and a bounty of things certainly went right for the Oakland Athletics this year.

Not surprisingly, Matt Olson and Matt Chapman each continued their assault on baseballs and on hard-hit ground balls, as both are in line for another Gold Glove. Ramon Laureano improved even more and brought fire and desire to this team. Mike Fiers allowed two runs in six innings in his sleep for from May until August, playing up to his big contract. Stephen Piscotty, Josh Phegley and Robbie Grossman were good when they were in the starting lineup and Yusmeiro Petit was a stud, as per usual.

But there was more than a few surprises – both as unlikely stars and as disappointments – that highlighted the A’s season.

ANAHEIM, CALIFORNIA – SEPTEMBER 25: Liam Hendriks #16 of the Oakland Athletics reacts getting Kevan Smith #44 of the Los Angeles Angels of Anaheim to ground out and end a game at Angel Stadium of Anaheim on September 25, 2019, in Anaheim, California. Tthe Oakland Athletics defeated the Los Angeles Angels of Anaheim 3-2. (Photo by Sean M. Haffey/Getty Images) /

Surprise All-Star Closer: Liam Hendriks

The awesome Aussie had possibly the biggest jump of any pitcher in Major League Baseball, and the best season of any pitcher who doesn’t play for the Houston Astros, New York Mets or Los Angeles Dodgers.

The opener of last year’s WC Game, who lasted one inning and gave up a two-run home run to Aaron Judge, started the season in a similar role, jumping in as a spot opener and as a middle relief pitcher.

But after Blake Treinen’s injury – coupled with his mid-season struggles – Liam Hendriks turned in one of the best seasons for a reliever in A’s history.

He was one of only five pitchers with an ERA under 2.00 (1.80), a WHIP under 1.00 (0.96) who pitched at least 50 innings. He broke the A’s franchise record for strikeouts by a reliever with 124 (with only 21 walks) and, despite only being the closer from mid-June on, saved 25 games, good for 16th in MLB.

Not only was he the biggest surprise of the season, but you can make the argument that he was the most valuable player on this team. In a season when the rest of the bullpen often faltered, the A’s could count on Hendriks to punch out batters, whether it was a five-out save, a one-out save or coming in with runners on in a one-run game.

He’ll be one of the three or four key non-starting pitchers that will decide how far the A’s season goes.

SEATTLE, WA – SEPTEMBER 27: Marcus Semien #10 of the Oakland Athletics rounds the bases after hitting a home run in the first inning against the Seattle Mariners at T-Mobile Park on September 27, 2019 in Seattle, Washington. (Photo by Lindsey Wasson/Getty Images) /

Breakout MVP Candidate: Marcus Semien

The MLB WAR leaderboard is chock full of the best in baseball. Mike Trout, Cody Bellinger, Alex Bregman and… Marcus Semien? If someone told you that Semien would be the fourth most valuable player in baseball according to ESPN WAR, I don’t even know if he would have believed you.

Look at his numbers: 162 games played, a franchise-record 123 runs, 33 home runs (second-most in A’s history by a shortstop behind Miguel Tejada’s 34 in his MVP 2002 season) and a career-high 92 RBIs and 43 doubles while slashing .285/.369/.522 (an .890 OPS).

He broke Rickey Henderson’s record for home runs from the leadoff spot and was top five in the AL in hits, runs, doubles, triples and walks.

But the biggest surprise (amazingly) is his defensive prowess. Despite playing all 162 games, Semien committed 12 errors, eighth-lowest among shortstops and good for a .981 fielding percentage (fourth in MLB) and a 3.90 range factor (12th). He led MLB in assists and was fourth in double plays turned, setting himself up for a potential gold glove (and a ma$$ive contract in his future). For comparison, in 2015, Semien had a league-high 35 errors in 2015 and at least 20 in every year before this in which he played 100-plus games.

SEATTLE, WA – SEPTEMBER 28: Starter Brett Anderson #30 of the Oakland Athletics delivers a pitch during the first inning of a game against the Seattle Mariners at T-Mobile Park on September 28, 2019, in Seattle, Washington. (Photo by Stephen Brashear/Getty Images) /

Surprise No. 2 Starter: Brett Anderson

The last time the A’s had a playoff game at home, Brett Anderson was their second-best starting pitcher and a pretty good one at that. But even then, Anderson had terrible injury luck.

From 2011 to 2018, Anderson only had one season in which he pitched 100 innings (2015) and had lost much of his juice that we saw in his last playoff start – six shutout innings with six strikeouts – in the 2012 ALDS.

But this season Anderson, still only 31, stepped up in the face of the loss of Sean Manaea, Jharel Cotton, AJ Puk, Jesus Luzardo and Frankie Montas.

Anderson has toed the rubber 31 times for the A’s, posting a 3.89 ERA in 176 IP. He has gone at least five innings in 27 of his 31 starts and in each of his last 10 in the regular season.

He was especially impressive away from the Coliseum – a rarity for A’s starters this season – with a 3.22 ERA and 1.147 WHIP in 16 starts, going 9-3 while nearly doubling his home SO/W ratio (2.60 vs 1.31).

Not only that, but he runs the funniest and most irreverent Twitter account of any A’s player.

OAKLAND, CA – JULY 03: Manager Bob Melvin #6 of the Oakland Athletics take the ball from Blake Treinen #39 taking Treinen out of the game against the Minnesota Twins in the top of the 12th inning of a Major League Baseball game at Oakland-Alameda County Coliseum on July 3, 2019 in Oakland, California. (Photo by Thearon W. Henderson/Getty Images) /

Bullpen Pillars Struggle

Blake Treinen, Lou Trivino and Joakim Soria played hot potato with being awful for most of the season, culminating with Treinen and Trivino doing next-to-nothing for the final month of the regular season after Puk and Luzardo debuted before being shut down.

Soria figured it out, going 7.2 scoreless innings in September with a .094 OPS allowed, but the Two T’s didn’t have the same luck.

From May 13 on, Lou Trivino had a 6.97 ERA and 2.13 WHIP while allowing an .870 OPS and .352 BAbip in 41.1 IP.

From April 28 on, Blake Treinen posted a 6.15 ERA and 1.74 WHIP while allowing an .852 OPS and .321 BAbip in 45.1 IP.

Somehow, the A’s were still 33-13 in Blake Treinen’s appearances in that span, incl. 16-2 in May and June.

The nature of rotating relievers in baseball make this not as much of a surprise as a disappointment, considering how stellar Treinen was last year – even earning Cy Young and MVP votes – and Trinvio’s dominant outing in the Wild Card Game.

If both Treinen and Trivino are on the team next season it would be a shocker.

OAKLAND, CA – JULY 25: Khris Davis #2 of the Oakland Athletics hits a sacrifice fly scoring Mark Canha against the Texas Rangers in the bottom of the first inning at Ring Central Coliseum on July 25, 2019, in Oakland, California. (Photo by Thearon W. Henderson/Getty Images) /

The Power Goes Out on Khris Davis

Probably the biggest surprise this season is Khris Davis didn’t finish with a .247 batting average.

He actually hit a career-low .220 and .679 OPS with 23 home runs and 73 RBIs after signing a $33.5 million extension.

He had one stretch – from June 19 to August 20, spanning 44 games – Davis hit .185 and posted a .491 OPS with only one home run, 13 RBIs and 46 strikeouts.

He carried the A’s the past three years, posting 40 bombs and 100 RBIs in each of the seasons. His power and knack for big hits is the difference between this team having 97 wins or 100 wins and may end up being the difference between them getting knocked out in the WCG or going to the ALCS or even the World Series.

Oakland Athletics Season in Review: Biggest Surprises and Letdowns