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Oakland A’s: An autopsy of the 2020 season

By David Hill

LOS ANGELES, CALIFORNIA - OCTOBER 08: Frankie Montas #47 of the Oakland Athletics is congratulated by teammates Jonah Heim #37 and Sean Manaea #55 after the third inning against the Houston Astros in Game Four of the American League Division Series at Dodger Stadium on October 08, 2020 in Los Angeles, California. (Photo by Kevork Djansezian/Getty Images)
LOS ANGELES, CALIFORNIA - OCTOBER 08: Frankie Montas #47 of the Oakland Athletics is congratulated by teammates Jonah Heim #37 and Sean Manaea #55 after the third inning against the Houston Astros in Game Four of the American League Division Series at Dodger Stadium on October 08, 2020 in Los Angeles, California. (Photo by Kevork Djansezian/Getty Images) /
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(Photo by Kevork Djansezian/Getty Images)
(Photo by Kevork Djansezian/Getty Images) /

Where did it all go wrong for the Oakland A’s this year? Let’s look at three reasons why the season fell apart in the ALDS.

This was not the way the Oakland A’s envisioned their season ending. Instead of being unceremoniously dumped in the ALDS by the Astros, they had envisioned a championship parade, with another World Series banner being raised in April. But those dreams came crashing down, just as they had in the past few years.

Where did it all go wrong? Let’s take a look at three reasons why the A’s were unable to reach their goal.

The bullpen buzzsaw jammed

One of the keys for the Oakland A’s during the regular season was their bullpen. It was considered to be the type of bullpen that could change the course of a playoff series, a buzzsaw that would turn any game into a five inning affair.

That buzzsaw jammed during the postseason. In 33.2 playoff innings, the A’s bullpen posted a 5.02 ERA and a 1.34 WHiP. However, that number is skewed by the Wild Card round; in the ALDS, the A’s bullpen had a 6.27 ERA and a 1.45 WHiP. In 18.2 innings, A’s relievers hit five batters, allowed four homers, and issued seven walks. Just imagine what those numbers would be like without Liam Hendriks‘ three shutout innings in Game Three…

And that was a major issue. If the A’s were going to advance through the playoffs, they needed to have their bullpen step up. Oakland arguably had the best bullpen in the majors during the regular season, as their 2.72 ERA was the best of any relief corps in the game. But when the calendar turned to October, the A’s bullpen jammed, dooming them to defeat.