As the All Star rosters were set to be named on Sunday, there was a great deal of speculation as to which members of the Oakland A’s would make that trek to Colorado. They had several worthy candidates, making it likely that the A’s would be well represented in the Mid-Summer Classic. Instead, they had just one token representative, as Matt Olson received his well-deserved due.
Olson was seemingly a given for the All Star Game. He had produced a .282/.370/.554 batting line heading into Sunday’s action, hitting 20 homers and 18 doubles in his 335 plate appearances. Even with his recent slump, he has been the A’s best hitter over the course of the 2021 campaign.
Oakland A’s deserved more than one All Star
While Olson was certainly deserving of his place on the All Star roster, he was not the only member of the A’s that should have been so honored. In fact, one could make the case for several other players to also make that trek to Coors Field.
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A case could certainly be made for Ramon Laureano. He has been a catalyst for the A’s lineup, slotting in virtually anywhere he has been needed. A stellar player with both the glove and bat, Laureano had produced a solid .237/.319/.457 batting line with 13 homers, 11 doubles, and eight steals in his 276 plate appearances while saving six runs defensively.
A pair of A’s starters also deserved consideration. Chris Bassitt has continued his amazing run over the past three seasons, posting a 9-2 record with a 3.04 ERA and a 1.031 WHiP over his 106.2 innings, striking out 109 batters with 27 walks. Now that he has been healthy, Bassitt is showing off the potential to led to his acquisition back in 2015.
Sean Manaea would have been a viable option to join Bassitt in Colorado. Although his numbers are not as strong as his counterpart, he has posted a solid 6-5 record with a 3.13 ERA and a 1.239 WHiP over his 97.2 innings, striking out 102 batters with 25 walks. The duo has given Oakland an impressive 1-2 punch atop their rotation this year.
Additionally, a case could be made for Lou Trivino as well. He has posted a 2.01 ERA and a 1.165 WHiP over his 40.1 innings, striking out 37 batters with 18 walks. Trivino has converted 13 of his 15 save opportunities, becoming a key part in the A’s bullpen.
The Oakland A’s had a case for at least five All Stars. Instead, Matt Olson is the only member of the team heading to Colorado.