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Oakland A’s: Ramon Laureano should be next face of franchise

By David Hill

LOS ANGELES, CALIFORNIA - OCTOBER 08: Ramon Laureano #22 of the Oakland Athletics is congratulated by third base coach Al Pedrique #41 after hitting a three run home run against the Houston Astros during the second inning 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: Ramon Laureano #22 of the Oakland Athletics is congratulated by third base coach Al Pedrique #41 after hitting a three run home run against the Houston Astros during the second inning 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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As the Oakland A’s look towards the future, they should look to plan their marketing campaign around Ramon Laureano.

The Oakland A’s, for all of their success, are a relatively anonymous bunch. Matt Chapman and Matt Olson, arguably the team’s two biggest stars, prefer to let their play speak for themselves. The A’s seemingly do not have that player who can capture the imagination outside of the Oakland fanbase.

However, the A’s do have a player that has been able to break out from their market. Ramon Laureano became a national hero when he charged the Houston Astros bench, looking to fight hitting coach Alex Cintron. This came after he had been drilled three times in the series, setting him off in the first place.

That fire was evident again during the postseason. His excitement after homering against Houston, and his attempts to fire up the A’s, were exactly what the team needed. Even though the A’s lost in the ALDS, he made sure that they would not go quietly into the night.

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Although he struggled in 2020, Laureano has the potential to be another star for the A’s. He has an all around game, capable of hitting for power and showing excellent speed, both on the basepaths and in the outfield. His defense is superlative, from his impressive arm to his incredible glovework.

All that had been missing is the stage. As the A’s are a small market west coast team, they are not typically part of the slate of games on the Four Letter Network. East coast bias definitely take a toll when it comes to any team out west, unless they have a transcendent talent on the roster.

Laureano can be that player. He has the talent to become one of the A’s brightest stars, and has already gained a bit of a national following after his altercation with the Astros. All he has to do is take the next step in his development.

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The Oakland A’s could have the perfect player to market in Ramon Laureano. All he needs to do is take that next step forward.