It is easy to see why very few people expect much from the Oakland A’s this season. Even the most ardent of supporters would hard pressed to see where the A’s would finish above .500, let alone contend for a playoff berth. While stranger things have happened, there just is not enough talent on the roster.
The experts would seem to agree. It is also not a surprise that the A’s rank towards the bottom in the various preseason power rankings. Our sister site, Call to the Pen, has the A’s at 26th in their preseason look around the league.
Oakland A’s not feeling the love in preseason power rankings
That ranking was actually one of the higher spots from different sites. MLB.com was less optimistic, ranking the A’s at 27th, ahead of only the Diamondbacks, Pirates, and Orioles. In essence, they flipped the A’s and Reds from CttP’s rankings.
Even that ranking was optimistic compared to ESPN.com. They have the A’s ranked 28th in baseball, saying that 80 wins would be a miracle. As they noted that Sean Murphy may be their best player once Frankie Montas is traded, one can see why the A’s have such a low ranking.
Meanwhile, there is CBSSports.com. Although they are not expecting a miracle either, especially after the A’s traded virtually everyone that was making a respectable amount from their roster, they are at least slightly more optimistic than the other sites, putting the A’s at 25th heading into the season.
These rankings should not be a surprise. The A’s are not even close to the team they were last season. While the preseason, and the start of the year, are supposed to be a time of optimism, it is difficult to feel that way about the A’s.
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The Oakland A’s are not receiving much love in the preseason power rankings. Considering their fire sale, there was o reason to expect otherwise.