Seth Brown showed flashes of what he could do for the Oakland A’s last season. He belted the longest homer of the year for the A’s, his power swing adding a needed element to the lineup. However, due to the A’s numerous outfielders, and Matt Olson‘s steady presence at first, Brown’s opportunities were somewhat limited.
That is set to change. The A’s outfield already has openings with Mark Canha and Starling Marte heading to the Mets. While the A’s may be shooting for the moon in regards to a return, Matt Olson is on the trade block. Oakland’s Opening Day roster could look drastically different than it did in 2021.
Seth Brown has chance to make major impact on Oakland A’s
Those changes lead to an opening for Brown. His power bat and ability to play both corner outfield positions and first base had likely given him a spot on the roster as a reserve, but now there is a chance for more. As the A’s are going to be looking to fill out their roster as cheaply as possible, it is highly likely that he will get a look at one of those openings.
He will need to show improvement in order to remain in the starting lineup. Brown produced a .214/.274/.480 batting line in his 307 plate appearances. While he did show impressive power with his 20 homers and 13 doubles, he also struck out 89 times.
The A’s will need Brown to show improvements in his ability to get on base. His productivity was stifled, at least to a degree, by his .230 batting average on balls in play. Should his luck normalize when it comes to the batted ball, he could be the player that the A’s need him to become in 2022.
Seth Brown has a golden opportunity ahead of him for the 2022 season. He could prove to the Oakland A’s that he can be a part of the future.