The third AL West team I am previewing are the Oakland A’s. The A’s are coming off a fantastic season last year, as they came in 1st place in the American League West with a 36-24 record. However, they also weren’t able to escape the Division Series round once again, as they were eliminated by division rival Houston Astros. After getting eliminated, they didn’t seem to get better in the offseason. But, people and fans of the A’s have to expect this as this is par for course with the Oakland A’s, as they are one of the teams that will pay as low as possible and have a low payroll yet still find a way to be competitive. So, if it ain’t broke, don’t fix it I guess. But the offseason, saw their closer Liam Hendriks sign with the White Sox and they didn’t sign any big free agents. With that being said, let’s breakdown their team.
Projected Starting Rotation
| 1 | Sean Manaea |
| 2 | Chris Bassitt |
| 3 | Jesus Luzardo |
| 4 | Frankie Montas |
| 5 | A.J. Puk |
Their rotation for the A’s is a coin flip. They have pitchers that can either be really good or really bad. The pitchers that have to step up are Manaea, Luzardo, and Puk. Manaea has been a mainstay in the rotation for some time now, but has yet to put together a consistent season. He usually has a stretch where he is really good but then will have a stretch where he is horrible. Luzardo is someone who A’s fans have high hopes for. Nicknamed “Baby Jesus”, Luzardo has what it takes to be the ace of the rotation. The A’s just have to let him go out there and be a pitcher and he will be fine. Lastly, A.J. Puk is someone who is their top pitching prospect right now. But he has only pitched in the big leagues for one month and that was in September of 2019. If he gets past his old injuries then the A’s will have a powerful 3.
Projected Line-Up
| 1 | CF Ramon Laureano | R |
| 2 | LF Mark Canha | R |
| 3 | 3B Matt Chapman | R |
| 4 | 1B Matt Olsen | L |
| 5 | C Sean Murphy | R |
| 6 | DH Mitch Moreland | L |
| 7 | RF Stephen Piscotty | R |
| 8 | 2B Tony Kemp | L |
| 9 | SS Elvis Andrus | R |
The lineup is sneaky. They don’t have that many big names but they have a group of guys that will put together great at bats and make opposing pitchers work. At the same time, they do have 2 names that any team will love to have in their lineup. Those two are Matt Chapman and Matt Olsen. Matt Chapman is the best 3rd baseman in the American League defensively, and one of the best all around 3rd basemen in baseball. If I’m the A’s, I am giving both Chapman and Olsen blank checks and keeping them in Oakland. If they let them both walk, both of whom are cornerstones literally and figuratively, they will continue to drive away fans. I speak highly on both because Chapman is so good defensively that he doesn’t just win Gold Gloves, he wins the Platinum Glove. Chapman is also a mainstay in their lineup and gives them a great middle of the order bat. Olsen is just like Chapman, where he is an amazing defensive player and a great middle of the order bat. But, unlike most teams, if only Chapman and Olsen do their job it will be tough for the A’s to repeat as division champs. They will need players like Mitch Moreland, Ramon Laureano, and Tony Kemp to step up.
2021 PECOTA AL West Projections
According to PECOTA, the A’s will fall off this year and finish in 3rd place behind the Angels and Astros. Like I’ve said in previous posts, this division will be tough to predict because of how bad the teams are. I am torn when it comes to my prediction because I love rooting for the A’s because they’re the ultimate underdogs and I want to see guys like Chapman and Olsen succeed, but their front office doesn’t help them one bit. With that being said, I would agree with the PECOTA projections. I believe the A’s will finish in 3rd, but after a hard fought battle for the division crown. I can also see them winning the division but I will lock in my final prediction as the A’s finishing in 3rd place.
