Quantifying how the move to Sacramento would affect the Athletics was pretty tricky. The average temperature is much warmer than Oakland, plus there’s not really a marine layer and the ballpark dimensions are a lot different. Oakland Coliseum stole a lot of at bats in foul territory because it was just massive. The A’s scored 733 runs, a leap of 90 from the previous season and the most that they scored since 2021. They also gave up 817 runs, the second-most they’ve allowed since 2017.
At home, specifically, the A’s scored 368 and allowed 445, while they scored 365 and allowed 372 on the road. So, the pitchers definitely did not enjoy pitching at home and many lamented the quality of the moundwork in the AAA ballpark. That being said, this was a team that went 35-29 in the second half of the season with a +50 run differential, so they did improve as the season went along and maybe created something to build upon in Year 2 as Sacramento residents, though the schedule this season does include a six-game June homestand at Las Vegas Ballpark in Summerlin, a launching pad for fly balls.
Running it back with virtually the same roster is definitely a choice, but the A’s have a very good core to build around and this will be a huge season for several of the pitchers.
Adam Burke’s “Nerdy” Take
HITTING
Comparing offensive numbers year over year for the A’s is like comparing apples to watermelons. The cavernous Coliseum actively suppressed offense due to a variety of factors, and that was plenty evident as the A’s slashed .233/.301/.393 with a .303 wOBA in 2024 and then pumped those numbers up to .253/.318/.431 with a .324 wOBA this past season. It wasn’t all because of the change of scenery, though. It helped that 2024 fourth overall pick Nick Kurtz had an absurd rookie season with 36 homers and a .619 SLG in 489 plate appearances. What’s wild is that he hit one home run in his first 85 plate appearances and 35 in his final 404.
The median number of plate appearances for a hitter with enough PA to qualify for the batting title was roughly 590 out of the 145 players that hit that threshold. Extrapolate Kurtz out to that number with what he did over his final 404 PA and that’s a 51-homer pace. But, he wasn’t the only one to aid in the power surge. Shea Langeliers crossed 30 for the first time while also cutting his K% down 7.5% from the previous season. Tyler Soderstrom hit 25 as a full-time player. Even with drops in production from Brent Rooker and Lawrence Butler, who could absolutely bounce back, this was a strong offense and looks to be again.
PITCHING
While the offense is in good hands, the pitching staff is not really in anybody’s hands. However, there were some noteworthy developments in 2025. Yes, the team’s ERA jumped from 4.37 to 4.71, along with a FIP bump from 4.24 to 4.66. Giving up more home runs was inevitable. The A’s staff was second in HR/FB% in 2024 and easily first in HR/FB% at home, 1.2% better than any other staff. This past season, the HR/FB% jumped to 12.4% overall and 13.5% at home.
The starting staff did have a modest 1.6% bump in K%, even with below average numbers from Jeffrey Springs, Luis Severino, and JP Sears, who had the most starts and innings pitched in that order. Springs had also made 10 starts the previous two seasons and made 30 last year. Severino was awful at home in general, but saw a 5.9% K% increase from the first half to second half. Luis Morales and Jacob Young were bat-missers in the minors. The A’s have some arms down below that are intriguing, whether they are rotation depth pieces or maybe leverage relievers. If this staff is league average, it’s a win, but there is room for improvement with some higher-upside arms.
PROSPECT WATCH
Expect SP Gage Jump to make the jump to the Majors this season. The college arm out of LSU was taken 73rd overall in 2024 after missing the 2023 season. He didn’t even throw 100 innings in college and still has a lot to learn, but he pitched very well in the brutal Texas League for Midland last season with a 3.64 ERA and a 3.48 FIP over 81.2 innings. The average pitcher ERA in the Texas League last season was 4.21 and teams scored 4.62 runs per game. There are a lot of games in hot weather and only 10 teams, so hitters see you a lot. Jump only allowed a 37.2% Pull% and a 7.4% HR/FB% last season in A+ and AA. That kind of batted ball data would be welcomed pitching in Sacramento.
2026 OUTLOOK
I am rather optimistic on the A’s this season. A full season’s worth of data in Sacramento should help the team better optimize pitch selection at home to mitigate some of the park factor hardships. As it is, the A’s allowed a .341 wOBA overall at home for the season, but they improved from .353 in the first half to .321 in the second half, so they adjusted well on the fly. Similarly, the team’s wOBA improved 16 points over that same period. Maintaining for 162 is very hard, but the A’s played like an 88.6-win team in the second half of last season.
BOLD TAKE: The A’s finish second in the AL West and threaten for a Wild Card spot
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Jensen Lewis’ “Player” Take
HITTING
My goodness. What a resurgence this lineup and organization saw offensively in 2025. The foundation of DH Brent Rooker and RF Lawrence Butler received reinforcements in a big way. Breakthrough performances of 2025 AL Rookie of the Year 1B Nick Kurtz, C Shea Langeliers, SS Jacob Wilson and newly extended LF Tyler Soderstrom helped pace the A’s attack. Wilson, ironically, led the ROY odds for most of the season until the power barrage from Kurtz, catapulting him to not only a vaunted leadoff hitter, but perhaps the new face of the franchise. 2B Jeff McNeil adds veteran leadership in 2026, coming over in a trade with the Mets. Playing their home games in Sacramento during the “purgatory” between Oakland and Las Vegas provided a host of high-scoring games early in the season. Expect that trend to continue and the sportsbooks to take heed of that experience. A top-12 scoring offense from a year ago has all the pieces to not only crack the top 10, but potentially become one of the most dangerous lineups in the American League.
PITCHING
The offense took major strides forward in 2025. The pitching staff must continue that momentum and make leaps and bounds of their own. Luis Severino and Jeffrey Springs lead the rotation, with fresh, hard-throwing Luis Morales ticketed for rotation slots. Veteran Aaron Civale inked a free agent deal in February after a stint with the Cubs. Meanwhile, the biggest hype is fixated on lefty Jacob Lopez, who turned heads last season with a phenomenal rookie campaign. He’s a darkhorse candidate for double-digit wins in 2026. However, the Achilles heel of this team is inconsistency in the entire pitching staff and the bullpen left several potential wins on the table last year. Plenty of swing-and-miss capability resides in leverage arms Hogan Harris, Justin Sterner and newly-acquired Mark Leiter Jr. No clear cut closer exists at the moment, so auditions will definitely take place during camp. Outside of that trio, several candidates will need to emerge for chances to bridge between the rotation and the back end of the pen. Be bullish that stalwarts Severino and Springs will provide innings, along with Lopez taking the biggest step forward.
PROSPECT WATCH
There’s a young core of Athletics players that will find their home in Las Vegas, perhaps even before that inaugural season in 2028. RHP Gunnar Hoglund made his MLB debut in 2025 to much fanfare and will definitely be a rotation fixture for years to come. Future studs in SS Leo De Vries (No. 3 overall prospect in MiLB) and 2025 11th overall selection LHP Jamie Arnold are the next wave of talent that can impact the roster in a year or two. With Luis Morales graduating to the bigs, LHP Gage Jump is also an arm to watch. A decision to be made on whether he’ll continue as a starter or transition to reliever will need to be made, sooner than later.
2026 OUTLOOK
Manager Mark Kotsay agreed to a three-year contract extension, with a club option for 2029. He’s been everything the A’s could want and more, developing the expectation to win and getting those results far earlier than most outside the organization anticipated. Now that the secret is out offensively, how will the lineup adjust to the league’s tweaked approach? Will the pitching staff be able to lockdown opposing attacks and the bullpen convert the leads into wins? The A’s are no longer a series where opponents take three to four days off. They better be ready for a motivated group, looking to back up their 2025 campaign with an even better season in 2026.
BOLD TAKE: Nick Kurtz finishes Top 3 for the AL Most Valuable Player Award
For Adam and Jensen’s Season Win Total Picks, get our 2026 MLB Betting Guide.
