Uncustomed Heroes of 2025: Athletics

 

It's extremely ironic that, in the first year of being stripped of their national identity and having to play in a minor league park in Sacramento without a credited city while they wait for their stadium in Las Vegas to be build, the Athletics finally formed a team identity for the first time since Fisher sold the farm in 2022. I can now tell you exactly who this team is, what they're trying to do and how far along they are. I couldn't tell you that during many of their last Oakland years. 

In 2025 alone, the Athletics reaped the benefits of two separate rookie stars, Jacob Wilson and Nick Kurtz, while getting 30+ homer years from veterans Brent Rooker and Shea Langeliers and a 20-20-20 season from Lawrence Butler. Yes, they also dealt Mason Miller this year, but they got Leo de Vries in return for him, which is a very good thing. 

Does that mean every big piece is gonna hit the ground running immediately for the A's? No, not even remotely. Max Muncy was an April call-up that spent the majority of the season with the team, and did so without making much of an impact until far too late. Max Muncy, not to be confused with that other corner infield guy for the Dodgers. This reminds me of when the A's gave an Opening Day lineup spot to Kevin Smith, not to be confused with Kevan Smith the catcher, and Kevin Smith bowled an absolute gutterball in the majors. Muncy was...marginally better. At the very least he had 9 homers and 23 RBIs, but aside from a June run, he was mostly ineffective, and spent a lot of time in the minors.

2026 Prediction: Seeing as he will have competition at both 2nd and 3rd [see later in the post], he'll need to get into what prospectors have been talking about. I say he gets there, but I also think if the A's are gonna trade any of their infielders this offseason, it'd likely be him.

Denzel Clarke got a special award during Awards Week for the big 'web gem' of the year, which could have been any of his incredible catches in the outfield. The Toronto native may not have had the contact hitting part down during his rookie season, but his defense made him a crucial piece of the team's development. Even in games where the A's got embarrassed, I'd hear something insane Clarke did in center. He also stole 6 bases in 47 games, meaning if he gets a starting job next year, him and Butler could be a fun, speedy duo.

2026 Prediction: The A's wouldn't have released J.J. Bleday if they didn't think they had something in Clarke. I think if the A's build themselves up enough, they can use Clarke in the same way the Jays used Myles Straw this year, as a defensive substitution with the occasional contact perk. As for who'll get the majority of the offensive starts in center, uh...well, see a little below.

So...the wild idea Fisher had of getting Luis Severino and Jeffrey Springs on contracts to start, uh...didn't really work. Springs flirted with greatness but was mostly fine. Sevvy struggled all year. Even J.P. Sears wound up getting dealt anyway. So a lot of local guys and scrubs had to start games for the A's, and one of the more prevalent ones was J.T. Ginn, who came up towards the end of last season. Ginn made 23 appearances, 16 of them starts, in 2025, and went 4-7 with a 5.08 ERA and, importantly, 99 Ks. The A's are gonna try to make sense of this rotation next year, with Jacob Lopez, Luis Morales and Gunnar Hoglund impressing in late months, and Ginn may be one of their most reliable rotation arms remaining.

2026 Prediction: A surprisingly great season that's a great audition for a better team to trade for him.

The Red Sox used Sean Newcomb as an Opening Day rotation guy this year, in case you've already forgotten. Because it's no longer 2018, that didn't especially work. So they cut him, and the A's picked Newcomb back up and used him, once again, in long relief. Somehow, this move led to Newcomb becoming one of the A's best relief pieces this year, posting a 1.75 ERA in 36 appearances, leading to a 1.7 WAR.

2026 Prediction: I actually think relief is the way to go. Somebody like the Reds or the Brewers is gonna pick him up and he's gonna be really useful. 

Two years ago, Zach Gelof was thought of as one of the foundational prospect pieces for the A's. He was brought up with Tyler Soderstrom, and was joined by Lawrence Butler some time later, and the idea was that they'd lead the team to greatness. Last year was...passable for Gelof, but he still led the league in strikeouts with 188. This year he missed almost the entirety of the year with injuries, and only made it up for 30 games, in which time he hit .174 with 46 more Ks. Either he's cooked or he's getting this out of his system.

2026 Prediction: Gelof will be higher in the depth chart than Muncy, and I think the A's will give him 2nd from the start, and some great games will follow. However, if he gets injured again I don't think the team will give him another chance.

The A's also had rookie Colby Thomas in the outfield mix, primarily in right field. Thomas seems like a decent piece, with some power perks, hitting .225 with 6 homers and 19 RBIs in 49 games. Thomas could be the missing piece to the outfield formula on offense, between Soderstrom and Butler.

2026 Prediction: Yeah, will get tons of starts at RF/CF with Bleday gone, will come into his own next year. Assuming the guys who broke out this year stay great, he could be a part of a great A's lineup next year.

Coming Tomorrow- Not sure if you heard, but the Blue Jays made a World Series this year. Here's a few people on that squad that I didn't get to during the year.

Uncustomed Heroes of 2019: Braves

 For the second straight year, the Atlanta Braves advanced in the standings with enough leeway to make the playoffs, only to be eliminated in the first round. This was a bit more heartbreaking, as this was a better team this year, with a lot more depth, despite the usual bullpen dysfunction.

Austin Riley was a smart call-up for the Braves, despite missing some time and lowering his average. Riley still had 49 RBIs in 81 games, and proved to be a nice late-lineup bat for the majority of the summer.
Why Him in 2019?: He was probably the best rookie on this team, and could be a perennial performer for Atlanta for a while.
2020 Prediction: A higher average for a fuller season, and a 25-homer year.

2019 was a down year for Mike Foltynewicz, especially compared to his monster, breakout 2018. Folty's ERA ballooned to 4.54, and he only had 105 strikeouts. His postseason numbers were a little more balanced, but he still started that notorious Game 5, which was a multi-run parade for St. Louis.
Why Him in 2019?: His downslope led to the rise of Dallas Keuchel, Max Fried and Mike Soroka.
2020 Prediction: Folty will be back to peak numbers, and Hamels' influence will help him immensely.

 After a modest start in Queens, Adeiny Hechavarria made his way to Atlanta late in the year, and upon arriving, he started tearing things up like it was Miami again. In 24 games, Hecha had a .328 average with 20 hits and 15 RBIs, and got some starts at short instead of Swanson in the playoffs.
Why Him in 2019?: Hecha was a valuable infield presence when #1 draft pick Dansby Swanson couldn't be.
2020 Prediction: Someone with some heft will sign him, and use him as a backup infielder...til the starter gets injured and he returns to dominance.

A surprising development was the rise of Matt Joyce as an outfield option, especially after Austin Riley's DL stint. You don't expect Joyce to be in the mix with Acuna and Markakis there, but until Billy Hamilton got there, he was a strong bench/starting bat. Joyce's .295 average was his highest EVER.
Why Him in 2019?: Because this was Joyce's biggest crack at a starting gig since Pittsburgh
2020 Prediction: He'll be a late-offseason signing, and he won't get nearly as much playing time as he did in 2019.

 Another young pitcher who struggled after a strong 2018, Sean Newcomb had a rocky start starting games before being moved to the bullpen, where he fared slightly better, posting a 3.04 ERA with 57 strikeouts in 51 relief appearances.
Why Him in 2019?: Proof that there are good relievers in Atlanta...they're just all failed starters.
2020 Prediction: Will start some games, possibly 5th in the rotation, and reclaim some of his goodwill before being moved back to the bullpen following a July acquisition.

 And then there's Adam Duvall, who's been very Dr. Jekyll/Mr. Hyde in Atlanta. Last year he was awful, with a .132 average in 33 games. This year, in 41 games post-callup, Duvall did a lot better, with a .267 average, 10 home runs and 32 hits. Now to Cincinnati levels, but not bad.
Why Him in 2019?: Proved he could still hit for distance after last year.
2020 Prediction: Will get some starts, but will mostly be a sturdy, reliable bench bat for the Braves. And he might have one big postseason moment.

Now, onto more deadline acquisitions. Shane Greene was set to jump right into the ninth and solve Atlanta's closing pitching problem. That didn't happen. After a few blown saves and a VERY bloated ERA, Greene was passed over in favor of Mark Melancon. Still, Greene did fine in middle relief, ending the half with a 4 ERA.
Why Him in 2019?: Because every strong first half needs an epilogue, and if I didn't make one of his Braves tenure, I'd be pretending it didn't happen.
2020 Prediction: He gets the ninth back and ends 2020 with 25 saves.

 The most intriguing waiver deal for Atlanta was landing speedster Billy Hamilton from Kansas City, despite his middling numbers. Hamilton thankfully improved upon landing in ATL, ending the year with a .268 average, 11 hits, and 4 of his trademark stolen bases.
Why Him in 2019?: Billy got his first postseason steal ever with the Braves.
2020 Prediction: I wouldn't be surprised if KC re-signs him, or at least someone similarly out of the conversation. And he'll do reasonably well for them.

And yet the best story of the Braves' year might have been Francisco Cervelli. After missing some time for Pittsburgh  due to concussions, Frenchy swore he'd never catch again, and resigned himself to possibly ending his career. Then the Braves claimed him off waivers, and he caught fire for them instantly, with 3 RBIs in his first three games as a Brave, and with a .667 average in August.
Why Him in 2019?: Because he triumphed when he could have quit, and made it to the postseason.
2020 Prediction: Will probably be a backup somewhere. Possibly Seattle?

Coming Tomorrow- They just missed another postseason run, but the Brewers are far from out of it for 2020.

Duke Newcomb

(Had to)

So, as great as the Braves' lineup is this year, what's even more impressive is their pitching staff. After the 2013 season, their big, homegrown bunch of young arms was split up, leaving only Julio Teheran to contend with some random contracts and disappointing arms.

...Until last season, when Mike Foltynewicz finally became a trusted arm, and figured out how to throw strikes. Then, halfway through last season Sean Newcomb came up, and he became another great arm to have. Folty, Newcomb, Teheran, and...when he's healthy, Brandon McCarthy, have been a surprisingly strong foursome in Atlanta, throwing great games, and keeping the team insanely strong, even during a stretch where the Nationals are in first and the Phillies are right behind.

Good news is that Anibal Sanchez, who was on the DL for a bit, is back, and he's still delivering some rather nice stuff. The bullpen does have enough depth that they can even bolster this bit. Plus, Mike Soroka's on the DL, and could alternate with Sanchez in a little bit.

Bottom line is...this team has been building momentum for a few years now, to the point where they are legitimately a division power this year. The bench is full, the lineup has spark, and there's enough intricate energy to keep the momentum going for a while.

Coming Tomorrow- His team's not great, but he's still one of the more consistent power hitters in the league.