Sacramento Athletics - The Covid-19 Years (2020-2029)

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2020

2023

112

Decade

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Titles:

Top Athletics Players of the Twenty Twenties

2020 - Won Division, WC-Beat Chicago; ALDS Lost Houston

Pitchers:

Ballpark:

JP Sears (5) - 19

RingCentral Coliseum

Chris Bassitt (6.15) - 14

Cole Irvin (3.53) - 14

Team Name: Athletics

Frankie Montas (5.1) - 14

Mason Miller (4) - 13

Owners:

Sean Manaea (3.54) - 11

John J Fisher

Jeffrey Springs (2) - 9

Luis Severino (1) - 7

Managers:

Mitch Spence (1.6) - 7

Bob Melvin (2020-2021)

Lou Trivino (0.56) - 7

Mark Kotsay (2022-2025)

Joey Estes (0.7) - 6

Trevor May (1) - 6

General Managers:

Paul Blackburn (2.12) - 6

David Forst

James Kaprielian (2.51) - 6

Hall of Famers:

Catchers:

None

Sean Murphy (7.34) - 26

Shea Langeliers (8) - 26

Rookie of the Year:

2025 - Nick Kurtz

First Basemen:

Nick Kurtz (5) - 12

MVP:

Matt Olson (6.91) - 11

None

Second Basemen:

Cy Young Award Winners:

Tony Kemp (4.26) - 10

None

Zach Gelof (4) - 7

No Hitters:

ShortStop:

None

Jacob Wilson (3) - 10

Elvis Andrus (1.86) - 8

Notable Events:

It's happening once again with the A's in 2026.

Third Base:

Different cities, different generations, different owners, different managers,

Matt Chapman (4.71) - 11

different players, but the A's always seem to emerge each generation with an

exciting team and a bunch of studs for a nice run. Connie Mack way back a

Outfield:

century ago in Philadelphia twice came up with clubs that were amongst the

Brent Rooker (10) - 23

greatest ever. Charlie Finley put together a great team in Oakland for a decade

Ramon Laureano (6.14) - 19

with some of the game's biggest stars. Then it was Money Ball in the late Eighties

Seth Brown (3.48) - 17

and the early 2000's. And now, after an up and down twenty years under John

Lawrence Butler (5) - 15

Fisher, the A's are about to do it again.

Esteury Ruiz (-0.2) - 12

This team is fun to watch. C Langeliers, 1B Kurtz, SS Wilson, OF Butler,

Mark Canha (4.13) - 11

OF Soderstrom and DH Rooker are all stars. Lots of high scoring games are in

JJ Bleday (2.2) - 11

the cards because these guys will score and the pitching staff is going to allow

Tyler Soderstrom (3) - 10

the opposition to score, as well.

The A's need to find some pitching at least by the time they hit Vegas, but the

Notable Events:

idea is to go all in and soon before these youngsters leave via free agency

because, as every time in the past, the super team will be broken up financially.

2020 - Oakland comes into the new decade on a nice high, having won 97

games each of the previous two seasons and making the wild card

Starting Pitchers:

finishing behind the great Houston Astros team both times.

□ LHP Jeffrey Springs, 33, '25 trade from TB, '25 11-11 4,11

The A's continue their success early in the decade with a first place finish

□ RHP Luis Severino, 32, '25 FA from Mets, '25 8-11 4.54

in '20 and a solid 86 win '21 season.

□ RHP Luis Morales, 24, '23 IFA, '25 4-3 3.14

After that four season run, the Athletics fall off a cliff.

□ LHP Jacob Lopez 28, '25 trade from TB, '25 7-7 4.08

This is nothing new for the franchise which has traditionally had great

□ RHP Luis Medina, 27, '22 trade from NYY, '24 2-4 5.18

management combined with a disdain for spending money. This latest episode

□ RHP Aaron Civale, 31, '26 FA from Cubs, '25 4-9 4.85

was a mini version of what has been going on for over a century with the A's.

The A's gave up 97 more runs than the league average last season.

No one is going to put up good numbers in a band box minor league park like

Owner John J. Fisher, 60, has money, but doesn't throw it around with the A's.

Sacramento. That being said, Jeffrey Springs, Luis Lopez and Luis Severino

Oakland's GM has needed to win frugally - and has.

all held their own pretty well last season and kept the A's in ballgames.

Young Luis Morales should become the ace of the rotation this season.

2020 - The Athletics won the Division with a 36-24 mark and beat Chicago before

Aaron Civale and Luis Medina will fight for the last slot in the rotation.

losing to their nemesis, the Astros, in the ALDS. Oakland's offense was slightly

Relief Pitchers:

below average. It was their pitching that was responsible for their success as

□ RHP Mark Leiter, 35, '26 FA from NYY, '25 6-7 4.84

the A's gave up almost a run less per game than the league average.

□ LHP Hogan Harris, 29, '18 draft 3rd round, '25 2-1 3.20

□ RHP Justin Sterner, 29, '25 FA from TB, '25 4-3 3.18

2020 - Starters Chris Bassitt, Mike Fiers and Sean Manaea give the A's a solid

□ RHP Mitch Spence, 28, '26 trade from KC, '25 3-6 5.10

starting rotation. Liam Hendricks had a big year as closer leading a bullpen

□ RHP Michael Kelly, 33, '24 FA from Cleveland, '25 4-4 3.18

that was the strength of the team. Jake Diekman, JB Wendelken, Joakim

□ RHP Tyler Ferguson, 32, '24 FA from Dodgers, '25 4-2 4.66

Soria and Yusmeiro Petit all had excellent seasons as middle relievers.

□ RHP Elvis Alvarado, 27, '25 FA from Pirates, '25 1-1 3.19

□ RHP Jack Perkins, 27, '22 draft 5th round, '25 3-2 4,19

2020 - There were a number of good position players on the squad:

□ RHP Scott Barlow, 34, '26 FA from Reds, '25 6-3 4.21

C-Sean Murphy; 1B-Matt Olson; 2B-Tony Kemp; SS-Marcus Semien;

Bullpen is weak. Trade of closer Mason Miller at the '25 deadline didn't help at all.

3B-Matt Chapman; OF-Robbie Grossman; OF-Mark Canha; OF-Ramon Laureano

Regular Starters:

□ C Shea Langeliers, 28, '22 trade from Braves, '25 31 72 .277

2021 - The A's fall from first to third with a respectable 86 wins.

□ 1B Nick Kurtz, 23, '24 draft 4th overall pick, '25 36 86 .290

The traditional A's dismantling process has officially begun prior to the season:

□ 2B Jeff McNeil, 34, '26 trade from Mets, '25 12 54 .243

A's Owner Fisher selected frugality over continuing to be competitive.

□ SS Jacob Wilson, 24, '23 draft 6th overall pick, '25 13 63 .311

Where have we seen that before with the A's?

□ 3B Max Muncy, 23, '21 1st round pick, '25 9 23 .214

□ Closer Liam Hendricks, 31, obtained from Toronto in '16; FA to Chicago in '21

□ OF Tyler Soderstrom, 24, '20 draft 26th overall pick, '25 25 93 .276

□ SS Marcus Semien, 30, obtained from Chiago in '15; FA to Toronto in '21

□ CF Denzel Clarke, 26 '21 4th round pick, '25 3 8 .230

□ OF Robbie Grossman, 31, FA to Detroit '21

□ OF Lawrence Butler, 24, '18 draft 6th round pick, '25 21 63 .234

□ LHP Jesus Luzardo, 22, obtained from Washington in '17; dealt to Miami in '21

□ DH Brent Rooker, 32, '23 FA from Twins, '25 30 89 .262

for OF Starling Marte in an odd trade at the deadline. The A's reversed course

The A's were thirteen runs over the league average in 2025. Not bad for a club

and decided to try to go for it one last time with this deal.

ten games under .500 but not great when you are playing in a band box minor

It failed and Marte became a free agent at the end of the season.

league park and with a bunch of young thumpers in the starting lineup.

The A's should do a lot better this year if for no other reason than four of the

2022 - Bob Melvin has been a solid manager for the A's for ten years.

sluggers are twenty four or under and figure to improve significantly as time

His departure coincided with the A's precipitous decline in 2022 as he

goes on. C Langeliers is only 28 altho' catchers tend to get old young and

spared himself going thru the long rebuild that was about to occur.

DH Rooker is a young 32 because he was a late bloomer. McNeil, Muncy and

Clarke fill round out the lineup - they could be worse.

2022 - Oakland dropped 26 games in the standings to 60 wins and last place.

A wholesale loss of solid players as the A's don't bother to re-sign anyone:

□ RHP Chris Bassitt, 33, obtained from Chicago in '15; dealt to Mets in '22

□ LHP Sean Manaea, 30, obtained from KC in '15; dealt to SD in '22

□ RHP Frankie Montas, 29, obtained from Dodgers in '16; dealt to Yanks in '22

□ OF Mark Canha, 33, obtained from Colorado in '15; FA to Mets in '22

□ 3B Matt Chapman, 29, 1st round pick in '14; dealt to Toronto in '22

□ 1B Matt Olson, 28, 1st round pick in '12; dealt to Braves in '22

2023 - Whatever decent is left on the roster, goes before the season:

□ C Sean Murphy, 28, 3rd round pick in '16; dealt to Braves in '23

□ RHP AJ Puk, 28, 1st round pick in '16 draft; dealt to Miami in '23

□ RHP - Cole Irvin, 29, dealt to Baltimore in '23

2023 - The ritual rollercoaster ride that the A's have been on forever has

rarely sunk this low. Oakland management has gotten rid of every veteran

player with any value from the team that finished first in '20 and won 86 in '21.

Unsurprisingly, with zero talent on hand, the A's go 50-112 in '23.

2023 - On offense, there are three decent players: OF Esteury Ruiz steals 67

bases; 1B Ryan Noda has a competitive .770 OPS and rookie 2B Zach

Gelof comes up at mid season and has an .840 OPS. Other than them, it's dire.

2023 - The pitching is flat out putrid. Their top ten pitchers in innings have

ERA's that range from 4.43 to 8.57 with four of them well over six.

None of them are keepers moving forward.

2024 - A's ownership has always been bizarre. Starting with Connie Mack

and the soap opera he provided for over half a century, then on to Arnold

Johnson and his turning the franchise into essentially a Yankee farm team,

then onto Charlie Finley, brilliant but a cheapskate, then on to the Money Ball

era and now on to John J Fisher era.

It seemed clear that Fisher wanted to move the franchise to Las Vegas and was

trying to make the team so unattractive that the city of Oakland would let him

out of his lease early. Pretty crappy wishful thinking kind of strategy really.

All Fisher ended up doing was painting himself into a corner.

He wouldn't stay in Oakland under the old stadium lease and Las Vegas doesn't

even know if they even wanted him and his A's.

He had a case of premature evacuation when he unsuccessfully tried to

move the A's to Las Vegas, who didn't want them at the time.

It didn't help that baseball was getting pretty unpopular as analytics had really

screwed up the sport. Several major rules changes were implemented in 2024 in

an effort to get the sport back on track. Meanwhile Fisher impulsively

moved his team, for the next three years, to Sacramento's tiny 14,000 capacity

minor league stadium with the thought that maybe in three years

Las Vegas would build a stadium for his team to play in. A desperate gamble by

Fisher.

Between the Baltimore Orioles paltry (for this sports era) sale price of 1.7 billion

and Las Vegas rejecting the A's, baseball was not looking so rosy in the spring

of 2024.

2026 - Things are looking a lot better. The sport has rebounded and has been

steadily regaining popularity due to the rules changes. Suddenly, the A's are

looking a lot more attractive to Las Vegas.

And, Fisher is doing his part. Like Mack, Finley and Beane before him, Fisher

knows how to build a winner despite his being an odd duck like those before him.

The A's are becoming an exciting fun team to watch, making them that much

more attractive to the folks in Vegas. An interesting side note, however, is

that while all of this has been going on, Vegas, itself, has been undergoing a

massive change.

The city is reinventing itself as a high rollers only destination.

That doesn't bode well for bringing in a baseball club

whose fan base is ordinary Joe's for the most part.