As the regular season creeps closer and closer, the excitement of Opening Day and the upcoming Oakland A’s season reaches a peak for baseball fans. Each fan will handle this differently. Some fret endlessly about fantasy baseball lineups; others will get into unwinnable arguments with strangers on the internet. I do both of these things, but my favorite way to channel my spring excitement is to games with my friends. For today’s game, I chose one of my favorites: The Who Do You Have game.
The rules are simple, you compare teams at different positions and figure out which player you have as the one you’d rather have on your team. The contestants: each AL West team. The judges: Myself and three of my hot take filled friends and family who were willing to pick up my phone calls. Which AL West team will win the Who Do You Have crown? Let’s find out!
How do the Oakland A’s stack up?
First, the catchers:
- OAK: Sean Murphy/Aramis Garcia
- LAA: Max Stassi/Kurt Suzuki
- HOU: Martin Maldonado/Jason Castro
- SEA: Tom Murphy/Luis Torrens
- HOU: Jose Trevino/Jonah Hiem
I am a big Sean Murphy fan. When I look at A’s young backstop, I see a future filled with Gold Gloves, Silver Sluggers, and All-Star Appearances. He hits the ball harder than any catcher in the American League, his walk rate last was the highest of any major league catcher, and his defensive tools have been heralded as elite since he was drafted by the A’s in 2016. Murphy was the unanimous winner at the catcher position.
There are some other good catching options in the AL West. Max Stassi and Kurt Suzuki seem to be a solid plus for the Angels, and Martin Maldanado is a stable, perhaps unexciting behind the plate for the Astros.