How much will Oakland A’s improvements matter in 2023?
There is no question that the Oakland A’s have improved as they get ready for the 2023 season.
The talent level on the roster has improved, even with Sean Murphy being traded. Jace Peterson, Aledmys Diaz, Trevor May, and Drew Rucinski will certainly improve their talent at the major league level. Other pieces acquired in various trades could make their presence felt in the upcoming season.
Oakland A’s improvement may not be felt in record
The question is how much will any of this will matter in 2023. The Astros are the defending World Series champions while the Mariners and Rangers have improved. Even the Angels are attempting to do something to find a way to contend with Shohei Ohtani and Mike Trout on the roster. The AL West is better than it was last season.
Meanwhile, the A’s are essentially still in the same situation they had been. Their roster was a borderline Triple-A team at times in 2022 as they looked to give their younger players a look at the major league level. That learning curve, and the headaches associated, are still going to be in place next year.
Once again, success for the A’s will not be measured by wins and losses. They should be better than their 60-102 record from last season, but it may not be by much. Having major league caliber talent on the roster will help, as will another year of experience for some of their younger players, but that may not make much of a difference in the standings. From that standpoint, those improvements are not likely to make much of a difference at all.
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The Oakland A’s are in a better spot than they were at the end of the 2022 season. That does not mean they will have any more success next year.