The Unlikeliest Spoiler

 

I've discussed before my designation of a team as a 'spoiler' when A.) it becomes clear that they're not going to compete, B.) the rest of their schedule seems to consist of only competitors or wild card hopefuls, and C.) they proceed to win a ton of games down the stretch specifically against teams that at one point sought to compete. Reaping the souls of teams that pegged themselves playoff teams, and making it clear they're true flaws. The usual spoiler team is the Mets, but seeing as they're actually competing this year [as evidenced by a HUGE series win against the Orioles], it's gonna have to be someone else. A team that's not good enough to be a good team, but tough enough for teams that may be better than them to let their guard down.

...Is it strange if I say this probably describes the A's this year?

I mean, yes, I know, the A's have a chance of losing 100 games this year, the possibility is out there if they have 27 more losses in them, which...with a team of their caliber, could happen. But just take a look at how they've done against competitive teams this year. You may have heard about how the Phillies series went, and how Lawrence Butler came alive against them. They also took some crucial games from the Astros after the ASG break, upset the A's during the Bay series, drilled the Jays, took two from the Mets, and have made the Rays look inadequate. And this is in addition to EIGHT wins against the Angels since the start of July. They've played the Angels nine times and won eight of those times. If things go well, the A's will have moved into fourth place, and could very well be the only AL West team aside from Houston willing to move up rather than crash further downward.

[Again, apologies to the Mariners, hope the Dan Wilson era goes a little better].

I'm not sure if it's stranger that the A's are able to do this, or that they're able to do this with a ton of nobodies. People like Joey Estes, Osvaldo Bido, Mitch Spence and Joe Boyle have been responsible for great recent starts. These people would normally be back in Triple-A, but they're helping the major league club stay alive. Max Schuemann has become one of the most valuable A's solely for how strong and speedy he's been as a middle infield piece. Zach Gelof has improved since the beginning of the year and has locked down 2nd base. Mason Miller and Brent Rooker are league talents this year. 

The A's are not in full Moneyball mode, but they can win games with this kind of team, and that's at least making the last month and a half of Oakland gameplay exciting. It's just a pity this is gonna be the note this team goes out on in the Bay area.

Coming Tomorrow- It took a while for this guy to come back from a 2023 injury, but...he's been a better part of this team than Kris Bryant, so..