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Oakland Athletics: Can Zack Gelof Turn the Athletics' Into Contenders?

Zack Gelof, since debuting on July 14th, 2023, has been on a tear in MLB and has shown his potential to be the future star of the Oakland Athletics. What does this mean for his future and the future of the Athletics?

By Bryce Naughton

Los Angeles Angels v Oakland Athletics
Los Angeles Angels v Oakland Athletics / Thearon W. Henderson/GettyImages
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Zack Gelof, since debuting, has been one of the best rookies, and had he started the year with the Athletics, he probably would be contending for Rookie of the Year. In 50 games, he has shown his potential to be one of the best in the league. While his potential still hasn't fully shown in those 50 games, he has hit .273 with 11 Home Runs and 25 RBIs.

Gelof is a perfect fit for the Athletics, who are mostly known because of "Moneyball," and he is the best "Moneyball" player you could ask for. While many hope they extend him soon, this organization continues to let fans down. In those 50 games, his OPS+ was 143, which means he's 43% better than the average player. While it's a small sample size, he also fits into the franchise's current model of having fast players like Esteury Ruiz.

He will mostly be a contact hitter, but his power can't be overlooked. According to Baseball Savant, he's one of the best sweet-spot hitters with top-tier exit velocity on hits, ranking behind players like Josh Donaldson and around the same as Nolan Gorman.

While only having 11 home runs this season, Gelof could be able to hit between 25 to 30 home runs in a good season while being able to help his team win. In 50 games, he is batting .273 with an On-Base percentage of .338 and an OPS of .868 when the league average OPS is .733.

In 2015, the Kansas City Royals won the World Series, and one of the factors helping them win it was that they had fast players who could help create runs while also having power hitters and some of the best contact hitters who could walk and get hits. When you look at the Athletics' current lineup, they have players like Brent Rooker, Shea Langeliers, Esteury Ruiz, Jordan Diaz, Tyler Soderstrom, and Zack Gelof. This team has contact hitters, power hitters, and fast players who can create runs. With more additions and with Zack Gelof as the face of this franchise, they could be contenders.

The question is, will they be able to utilize him correctly to create a dynasty?

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