Oakland A’s placing plenty of faith in Shea Langeliers

Shea Langeliers is set to be a very important player for the Oakland A’s.

The Oakland A’s are going to be trading Sean Murphy at some point during the offseason. It is a matter of when it happens and where Murphy ends up going. Once that happens, Langeliers will be in the spotlight as the A’s catcher of the present and hopefully the future.

Shea Langeliers needs to establish himself quickly for Oakland A’s

He showed that potential in 2022. Langeliers posted a .283/.366/.510 batting line with 19 homers and 19 doubles in his 402 plate appearances at Triple-A, his stock rapidly improving as he rocketed up the top 100 prospect lists. He built off of his breakout 2021 campaign to show that he could be a significant piece of the future.

Langeliers showed some of that potential during his time in the majors. He posted a .218/.261/.430 batting line with six homers and ten doubles in his 153 plate appearances while costing the A’s a run behind the plate. It was a solid enough showing for a rookie catcher, albeit in a brief sample size.

But the A’s need Langeliers to be a lot more next year. He will be handed the unenviable task of having to replace Murphy in all aspects – a Gold Glove catcher who had been the A’s best hitter in 2022. Langeliers will also need to step up into a leadership role as well, taking charge of the rotation and guiding them through rough patches during games.

That takes time. Catchers tend to develop a bit slower on offense, even if their minor league track record is solid enough, due to the nature of the position. There is a lot to learn, from the pitching staff to the tendencies of the other hitters. The problem is that the A’s need Langeliers to be that player as soon as possible.

Shea Langeliers is going to be an important part of the Oakland A’s future. The A’s need that future to happen sooner rather than later.