In a division that features the World Champion Astros, the organizationally stacked Angels, and the dangerously hot Mariners...you wanna know what team had the best record during the last ten games of the first half?
Yep. The Oakland Athletics. Who are in third place, and are three games behind the Mariners to take second. Of all teams you'd think would be gunning for competition in the second half of the 2018 season, the A's wouldn't pop up at the top of the list. And yet here we are.
The fact is that the A's have a surprisingly compact base, not just with home run hitters like Khris Davis, but with well-rounded athletes like Jed Lowrie, Matt Chapman, Matt Olsen and Marcus Semien. Plus, the bench is stacked- Mark Canha and Chad Pinder have been pretty potent, and Franklin Barreto's been hitting for power. Even the bullpen has been strong; Lou Trivino, Ryan Buchter and Blake Treinen have been lights-out in protecting the leads of surprisingly strong starters like Trevor Cahill, Edwin Jackson, Sean Manaea and Frankie Montas.
What I'm saying is that this team has more of its shit together than you'd think from...a late-2010s-era A's team. They have enough to chase the top two teams; now, whether or not they'll be successful is another thing entirely, but pretty much anything is possible in the second half.
Coming Tomorrow- A strong-hitting outfielder who doesn't have much left to do now that the Dodgers are back in first.
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