2021 MLB Team Preview: Oakland Athletics

After a strong regular season, the Oakland Athletics were able to cruise their way into the postseason. They didn’t make it very far but had such a strong showing in the limited season that it has given fans hope moving forward in 2021. They had a solid offseason while hoping to get bounce back years from a number of starters to help them improve. Will they be able to pull it off or will they regress?

What Happened Last Year

The Athletics were able to stomp on any team that came their way during the regular season, finishing the year with a 36-24 overall record. That was good enough to help them win the Atlantic League West by a whopping seven full games. It looked like they were going to make a strong postseason push for the World Series but ended up getting knocked out early at the hands of the Houston Astros during the American League Division Series. Regardless of their talent, the team simply didn’t win when it mattered most and that may be concerning moving forward.

Offseason Changes

The Athletics didn’t make much of a splash at first but ended up filling in a lot of holes across their roster to set themselves up for 2021. They started off by trading Khris Davis and acquiring Elvis Andrus who is expected to be their future at the shortstop position. They also looked towards free agency to snag Adam Kolarek, Sergio Romo and Trevor Rosenthal. Each of them should be able to help fix their pitching issues and get everything sorted out in that area. They did lose Jonah Heim and Sheldon Neuse though during the offseason but should be able to move on just fine without them.

2021 Outlook

Despite such a fantastic year for the team, outside of the playoffs, they are hoping to return at full strength and continue to dominate. That may not be the case for them as they aren’t the best team in their division anymore. The Athletics were able to defeat their rivals during the regular season but a team like the Astros already proved that they could be the superior team, especially after they signed Jake Odorizzi to a big deal to put them over the edge. Entering this year, it seems like the Athletics got a little worse on paper, but they did have a number of big names on their team that underperformed last season and could use a huge boost from them if they want to compete again. Oakland will still be able to compete for the division title this season, but it will be a far steeper task than it was last year. They are possibly looking at a second or third place finish in their division if they can stay healthy and get some better play out of players like Matt Chapman and Matt Olson. Look for them to be in contention next year even if they take a step back.

Pick: 2^nd In Atlantic League West