It has not taken long for Starling Marte to make his presence felt with the Oakland A’s. Ramon Laureano has already moved over to right to help him with the transition, providing a comfort level in his new environment. Marte, in his brief time with the A’s, had already proven to be the type of catalyst that the lineup needed.
On Sunday, he put his name into the A’s record books. He became the first player since Coco Crisp to have at least three hits and three steals in the same game.
Starling Marte is the 1st A's player with 3+ hits & 3+ SB in a game since Coco Crisp on Aug 6, 2011
— Sarah Langs (@SlangsOnSports) August 1, 2021
2nd player to do it in MLB this season, along with Isiah Kiner-Falefa on 6/12
Before 2021, hadn't happened since Sept. 2019
Starling Marte giving Oakland A’s exactly what they hoped for
The A’s were looking to shore up their outfield and to find a player to jumpstart the offense. Marte was able to do just that, improving their defense as his presence moved the A’s incumbent Gold Glove caliber center fielder to right. With that combination of defense, speed, and ability to get on base, the hope was that Marte would be everything they needed.
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He has lived up to expectations so far. In his four games with the A’s, he has five hits and three walks in his 19 plate appearances, stealing four bases while scoring three runs. He has yet to be thrown out on the basepaths, using his speed to help the A’s offense have that dynamic aspect that it has been lacking.
With Marte and Mark Canha atop the lineup, the middle of the A’s order should have plenty of opportunities to drive in runs. Canha has a .386 on base percentage thus far, and with that duo getting on base, the A’s offense should be vastly improved. Considering that they have struggled to score in the weeks leading up to the deadline, that duo can help.
Obviously, this is a small sample size. Any player can have an excellent run when switching leagues, especially as there is not as much information about their tendencies. It is a matter of that player continuing to help once the league adjusts. However, given Marte’s track record, that should not be a problem.
It did not take long for Starling Marte to make an impact upon the Oakland A’s. His performance on Sunday was a first in almost exactly ten years for the team.