Oakland A’s: 3 biggest surprises from the first month of the season
One month into the season, the Oakland A’s are right where they were expected to be. They lead the AL West, holding the division by a game over the surprising Seattle Mariners. At least one aspect of the standings reflects preseason expectations.
How the A’s ended up on top of the division also defies explanation. They started the season 0-6, won a game, lost another, and then went on an impressive 13 game winning streak. At 16-11 heading into Saturday’s action, the A’s are neither as bad as their start nor as good as that incredible streak.
Three biggest surprises for the Oakland A’s
The A’s also have not exactly gotten the production they needed from some of their key players. While the A’s are in the middle of the pack in regards to runs scored, they are 12th in batting average, 11th in on base percentage, and 10th in slugging and OPS. The pitching staff, meanwhile, is ninth with a 4.10 ERA. That 16-11 record could be considered surprising in that light.
The start to the season is not the only surprise for the Oakland A’s over the first month. Let’s take a look at three players who performed beyond expectations.
Jed Lowrie
A great deal has already been written about Jed Lowrie over the first month of the season. However, considering how little was expected of him, it is understandable.
Lowrie’s career was seemingly over when the Oakland A’s signed him to a minor league deal. Even with that modest contract, the idea that Lowrie would be able to contribute in a meaningful way was nothing more than a hope and a prayer.
Instead, he is healthy for the first time in two years. Lowrie finished April with a solid .244/.320/.411 batting line in 100 plate appearances, hitting six doubles and three homers. He had a six game streak where he had exactly two hits in each game, with two doubles and two homers during that run.
There were plenty of questions about second base heading into the season. It appeared as though the A’s were set to use the tandem of Chad Pinder and Tony Kemp at second once again to start 2021, although that combination did not work last year. Lowrie, however, took the position for himself, providing a solid bat and respectable defense while handling an everyday role.
The fact that Jed Lowrie is even playing is a bit of a surprise. His standing as the Oakland A’s everyday second baseman, and his solid production, are even more surprising.
Cole Irvin
As was the case with Jed Lowrie, absolutely nothing was expected from Cole Irvin this year. Instead, he has been a solid addition to the Oakland A’s starting rotation.
Acquired from the Pittsburgh Pirates for cash considerations, he was expected to be nothing more than a minor league depth piece. Once Mike Fiers was brought back, Irvin appeared to be tenth at best on the depth chart, behind the already established options in the rotation and the A’s plethora of young arms.
Instead, he parlayed an excellent spring training into a chance on the Opening Day roster. Irvin’s first two outings were mediocre at best, underscoring the belief that he was nothing more than a depth option. However, once he was done facing the Astros, Irvin became a completely different pitcher.
Now, he is beginning to look like yet another steal, potentially even being this year’s Chris Bassitt. Irvin has posted a solid 3.67 ERA and a 1.296 WHiP in his 27 innings, striking out 25 batters with just four walks. Even with Fiers back on the roster, Irvin does not appear to be losing his place in the rotation any time soon.
Absolutely nothing was expected of Cole Irvin. Instead, the Oakland A’s may have found another potential piece for their rotation.
Yusmeiro Petit
Chances are, even if one was given five or more chances, they would not be able to guess who the Oakland A’s leader in bWAR is.
Yusmeiro Petit‘s place atop that team leaderboard just underscores how important he has been to the bullpen over the years. One of Bob Melvin‘s most trusted relievers since he signed prior to the 2018 season, Petit has been the pitcher that the A’s have turned to in order to quell a rally in the late innings.
That has been the case again this year. Petit leads the American League with 14 appearances, maintaining his typical place atop the leaderboard. He has posted a 3-0 record with a 1.10 ERA and a 0.918 WHiP in his 16.1 innings, striking out 11 batters with three walks.
Retaining Petit was a key to the A’s offseason. Even though he was not going to be in line for saves, he has been a solid bridge to the ninth inning, entering the game whenever needed. That is not going to change this year, as Petit has once again proven to be a key part of the bullpen, regardless of age or a lack of a blazing fastball.
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The Oakland A’s knew that Yusmeiro Petit would be a solid piece to their bullpen puzzle once again. They just could not have expected that he would be their bWAR leader after the first month.