Happy Wednesday, everyone.
The Athletics’ latest trip away from Sutter Health Park hasn’t changed much. They opened their six-game Midwest road swing with a 6-2 loss to the Detroit Tigers on Tuesday, and now they head into the middle game of this three-game set before finishing the week with three games at the surprising Chicago White Sox.
While the A’s try to steady themselves on the field, next week brings a different kind of spotlight. Most of the roster and coaching staff will get a break to reset for the second half, but catcher Shea Langeliers and first baseman Nick Kurtz will be in Philadelphia as American League All-Star starters. A’s head athletic trainer Jeff Collins will also be part of the AL’s training staff for the “Midsummer Classic”.
Langeliers has already passed on the Home Run Derby, which is set for Monday night ahead of Tuesday’s All-Star Game. Kurtz, who grew up in Pennsylvania as a Phillies fan, also opted out, citing the risk of injury and fatigue.
Before the break arrives, though, there’s another major date on the calendar: the 2026 MLB Draft, which begins in Philadelphia on Saturday and Sunday. The Athletics own the No. 8 overall pick after landing it in this past offseason’s draft lottery, and they’re once again in a spot where the very top tier of talent may be out of reach. Even so, they should still have plenty of intriguing options when they’re on the clock.
One question worth watching is whether the A’s stick with the recent pattern of taking a college player in the first round. They’ve done that for the past three years. Or do they go back to high school talent for the first time since back-to-back picks of Tyler Soderstrom and Max Muncy in 2020 and 2021?
Bonus pool strategy will matter, too. The A’s could take an older college player for an under-slot bonus in one round, then use the savings to lure a highly regarded high school prospect in the next round away from a college commitment.
They also ought to come away with an outfielder at some point, especially with Lawrence Butler having significantly regressed in every facet of his game since signing that team-friendly contract extension.
For now, though, the focus is still on the final five games before the break. If the A’s can finish strong, they could carry some useful momentum into the All-Star pause and into the second half they hope will mean something.
In Other News...
As Draft Focus Is Creating Real Tension Around The No. 8 Pick
With the eighth pick in the MLB Draft, the Athletics are in a spot where the board could push them in a few different directions, but pitching remains the clearest thread. Two left-handers keep surfacing in that conversation: Hunter Dietz, the Arkansas college arm with a polished mix and real upside, and Gio Rojas, the high-schooler whose stuff has already put him among the classs most intriguing pitchers. The As have plenty to weigh, and the appeal of adding another arm with starter traits is obvious given where they are in the draft.
Dietz brings the safer feel of a college pitcher, while Rojas offers the kind of ceiling that can make a front office lean in if the draft starts breaking a certain way. Oakland could still pivot if the names ahead of them create a different opening, and there are other bats and arms in the mix as the first round unfolds. For now, though, the tension is less about whether the As want pitching and more about which type of pitcher they trust most when their turn finally arrives. [Read more 🡒]
Athletics All-Star Breakthrough Could Change Everything For This Young Core
Nick Kurtz and Shea Langeliers have given the Athletics something they have not always had enough of in recent years: rising young talent with national recognition. Both earned All-Star bids this season, and Kurtzs selection as a starter only sharpened the spotlight on a player who has quickly become central to the clubs long-term plans. For an organization still trying to build a stable core, that kind of visibility matters almost as much as the production itself.
Kurtz is under team control through 2031 and is already in contract talks, which gives the Athletics a chance to lock in a centerpiece before his value climbs any higher. Langeliers brings a different kind of urgency, with free agency looming in 2028 and Scott Boras representing him, a combination that tends to keep front offices on alert. Together, their All-Star recognition could shape not just how the Athletics are viewed this summer, but how aggressively they approach the next few seasons. [Read more 🡒]
As Road Trip Opens With The Kind Of Test That Changes Everything
A road trip that opens in Detroit and then rolls on to Chicago gives the Athletics little room to ease into the week, especially with the Tigers lining up one of the more difficult arms they will see. Oakland gets J.T. Ginn in the series, and he has at least given the club a steadier look lately after a strong six-inning outing, but the bigger backdrop is a team trying to stop the slide before it hardens into something more damaging in the standings.
The challenge is even sharper because Detroit can answer with Tarik Skubal, a pitcher whose return has already changed the tone around that rotation and around the market that may follow him. If the A's are going to make this trip matter for the right reasons, they will need sharper work from the top of the staff and a cleaner showing than what has defined much of the recent stretch, with Chicago waiting next as another test that can expose where this group really stands. [Read more 🡒]