2025 season: Eliminated Sept. 17
With the Athletics eliminated from the 2025 postseason, let’s take a look at the season that was for the A’s, the questions the team must address this winter and the early outlook for next year.
Read more: MLB offseason previews 2025: What’s next for the White Sox, Pirates, Twins and more?
Things that went right
While some improvements can be attributed to their relocation to a hitter-friendly home park, the 2025 Athletics nonetheless achieved the foundation of an offense that could be productive for years to come. As of Sept. 18, the team ranked among the top 10 clubs in home runs and sat near the middle of the pack in runs scored. That’s a big improvement for a team that finished 26th in runs scored a year ago.
Nick Kurtz opened the season as the organization’s top prospect and will likely finish as the AL Rookie of the Year and the centerpiece of the Athletics’ lineup. The slugger needed time to get acclimated, as he hit .208 with one homer in his initial 23 games. Then he became dominant in late May and stayed that way for the rest of the summer, which included one of the most memorable single-game performances in MLB history.
Kurtz wasn’t the only A’s rookie to make a major impact. After getting his feet wet last season, Jacob Wilson spent 2025 ranked among the sport’s batting average leaders, and he emerged as a lineup sparkplug who rarely strikes out and has a little more pop than some expected. His campaign was interrupted in late July by a fractured forearm, but by that point Wilson had already established his significant upside.
Some established players also keyed the A’s offensive success. Brent Rooker continued to be one of the most consistent sluggers in baseball and is on pace to hit 30 homers for a third straight season. Tyler Soderstrom rode a memorable start to the season (nine homers by the end of April) to become a fixture in the heart of the lineup. Shea Langeliers missed most of June due to an oblique injury but otherwise continued to establish himself as one of the most impactful catchers in the American League, with a memorable performance on Aug. 5.
Things that went wrong
This team ranked near the bottom of the majors in ERA throughout the season, and the blame can be equally shared between the rotation and bullpen. It would be easy but inaccurate to blame the hitter-friendly nature of Sutter Health Park, as the staff was also ineffective on the road.
Jeffrey Springs was easily the most reliable member of the rotation, and 27-year-old Jacob Lopez had plenty of effective starts in his first extended major-league trial. Veterans Luis Severino and JP Sears were disappointing, and emerging starters such as Osvaldo Bido, Mitch Spence and Gunnar Hoglund did nothing to stop the bleeding. Sears was traded to San Diego at the deadline.
The bullpen wasn’t any better than the rotation. Mason Miller was an effective closer until he was dealt at the trade deadline, but he was slightly less effective than in 2024. And the setup crew was particularly inconsistent.
The pitching staff wasn’t helped by the Athletics’ defense, which was among the worst in baseball. Of course, the fielders were under constant pressure, thanks to the pitching staff’s inability to retire hitters, but it’s still concerning that a team with so many 20-somethings couldn’t fare better in the field.
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Offseason outlook
Going forward, the Athletics have some great assets and some glaring holes around the infield. Langeliers has them covered behind the plate, Kurtz is a budding star at first base, and Wilson is secure as the shortstop. Max Muncy could be the solution at second base or the hot corner, but his offensive contributions were very inconsistent this year. And while the Athletics have a deep farm system, most of their top prospects are pitchers or outfielders.
Two-thirds of the outfield is set, with Soderstrom and Lawrence Butler. Soderstrom will play left field, and Butler will play center or right, depending on who wins the final spot. That job could be handled by Denzel Clarke, who provided dazzling center-field defense but wasn’t much of a hitter in his debut season. JJ Bleday is another option. He was expected to be a lineup centerpiece after going deep 20 times last year but instead got off to a slow start to ‘25 and wound up spending time in the minors. No matter who plays in the outfield, the DH spot is spoken for by Rooker.
There are plenty of options in the rotation, even though they’re less exciting than the ones in the lineup. Springs and Lopez will certainly have starting roles. Severino should as well, but he was at times vocal about his frustrations with the Athletics’ home park and surely wouldn’t mind being traded this winter. The rest of the rotation spots will be contested by many youngsters, including J.T. Ginn, Hoglund, Bido, Spence and Jack Perkins. Although it’s unlikely that the A’s pitching will be a strength next year, there is a scenario in which a couple of young hurlers take steps forward and it’s no longer a weakness.
There are no sure things for the 2026 bullpen. That said, the organization has so many young pitchers that a handful of arms who are unsuccessful in making the rotation could join the relief corps. Hurlers such as Bido and Spence could wind up pitching in relief, and the team’s deep prospect pool has several pitchers who are projected to debut next season. Justin Sterner deserves mention as someone who is wrapping up a successful season and was especially effective down the stretch.
Prospects on the horizon
The prospect pool got a major shot in the arm when Leodalis De Vries was acquired from the Padres at the trade deadline. The 18-year-old shortstop will not debut in 2026, but he projects as a future star and is currently ranked as the No. 3 prospect in baseball by MLB Pipeline.
The other big summer addition was Jamie Arnold, who was the 11th pick of the 2025 MLB Draft but was ranked much higher than that in most prospect evaluations. A lefty who has a unique delivery with a lower arm slot, Arnold will be 22 years old on Opening Day and could rise through the minors in a hurry.
The organization also has several pitching prospects who either enjoyed brief debuts this season or are on the verge of reaching the majors. Perkins has already impacted the rotation and bullpen, as has Luis Morales. Braden Nett and Henry Baez figure to debut in 2026 after arriving from San Diego in the Mason Miller trade.
Outfield help is also on the way in the forms of Colby Thomas and Henry Bolte. Thomas already debuted in the majors after showing a diverse offensive skill set during his minor-league career. Bolte is a speedster with surprising pop who knows how to get on base.
Goals for 2026
The 2025 Athletics mostly tread water. Sure, they fell from fourth to fifth in the AL West, but their winning percentage will end up being similar to last year. Considering the tumultuous conditions of their departure from Oakland and playing their home games in a minor-league park, treading water while finding a handful of long-term lineup staples can be considered a success for the organization.
To move up in the standings next season, the Athletics need to find some solutions to their pitching woes. To be clear, one skilled hurler won’t be enough. This team needs several of its young arms to emerge as reliable, whether in the rotation or bullpen. Assuming some progress on that front, returning to the 75-win plateau for the first time since 2021 feels like an attainable goal for the 2026 A’s.
Fantasy focus
Although the Athletics are still far from contention, they have plenty of hitters who will excite fantasy managers in 2026 drafts. Kurtz already has 40-homer potential, and he could be drafted as early as the second round. Rooker should hear his name called in the range of Round 5. Wilson and Soderstrom will be popular selections in the middle rounds of drafts, and Butler will fall in the same range for managers who are willing to bet on a bounce-back season.
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