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Oakland A’s ranked seventh in first preseason power rankings

By David Hill

LOS ANGELES, CALIFORNIA - OCTOBER 08: Ramon Laureano #22 of the Oakland Athletics celebrates a three run home run against the Houston Astros with teammates Matt Olson #28 and Mark Canha #20 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 celebrates a three run home run against the Houston Astros with teammates Matt Olson #28 and Mark Canha #20 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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Although quite a few dominoes have yet to fall in free agency, MLB.com has still released their first power rankings, listing the Oakland A’s as the seventh best team.

The Oakland A’s are set to experience a lot of turnover this offseason. With their list of free agents, the A’s are likely to be a vastly different team than they were in 2020. The outlook is still bright as their core is still together, but there are definitely questions that need to be answered before the start of the upcoming season.

Despite those issues, people are still bullish on the A’s chances in the upcoming season. MLB.com even ranked Oakland seventh in their first power rankings of the year, showing the faith that others have in the organization.

It is quite a leap of faith to put the A’s in such a position. Their middle infield is unsettled, they need to locate a starting outfielder, and there are numerous questions in their bullpen. Oakland’s presumed closer has seven career saves over a nine year career. The rotation has been inconsistent at best.

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And yet, there is still a lot to like when it comes to the A’s. Their core, particularly Matt Chapman and Matt Olson, should be better in the coming year, especially as Chapman gets healthy. Sean Murphy could take that next step forward, as he appears to be a building block for the future. Ramon Laureano could finally emerge as the next star for the A’s.

The same could be said for the A’s rotation. While their arms have had their inconsistencies, they all have the potential to be top of the rotation arms. Jesus Luzardo and Frankie Montas, in particular, could be future aces. If A.J. Puk can be healthy enough to claim that fifth spot in the rotation, then the A’s are in strong shape.

But this depends on a number of factors working in the A’s favor, let alone what they do in the future. The A’s spot on these rankings also depends on other teams, especially considering the plethora of free agents available.

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However, the Oakland A’s, for all of their holes, are still highly regarded. At this stage, MLB.com ranks them as the seventh best team in the majors.