The Athletics are running out of games, but not out of chances to matter.
They opened a four-game set against the Seattle Mariners with a 7-4 win last night, and with 21 games left, the bigger picture is already taking shape. The A’s should be thinking about next season while trying to stay away from the 100-loss mark, but the stretch run still offers something useful: a chance to throw a wrench into the plans of a few teams chasing October.
That list includes the Mariners, Cleveland Guardians and Houston Astros, all of whom are battling for playoff spots. In a tight American League West race, what Seattle and Houston do against Oakland could end up carrying real weight in the division chase.
If you’re looking for the clearest explanation for what went wrong this year, the pitching staff is the obvious place to start. For a second straight season, the A’s simply didn’t get effective work on the mound at Sutter Health Park.
That has already led to changes, with pitching coach Scott Emerson and general manager David Forst dismissed. Manager Mark Kotsay, for now, remains in place.
Still, this season hasn’t been all bleak. A handful of young players have forced their way into the conversation about what comes next. Henry Bolte, Joshua Kuroda-Grauer, Tommy White and Gage Jump all reached the majors, and Bolte and Jump, in particular, have shown they could become important pieces moving forward.
On the pitching side, right-hander J.T. Ginn stood out as the most dependable starter on the roster. In the bullpen, Hogan Harris and Luis Medina emerged as the steadiest options in what was still a below-average relief group.
The farm system also gave the organization some real reasons to keep looking ahead. The Athletics’ top two picks in the 2025 MLB Draft, left-hander Jamie Arnold and outfielder Devin Taylor, both flashed big upside in their first pro season. Wei-En-Lin was so dominant at Double-A that he climbed into MLB Pipeline’s Top-100 prospects before season-ending Tommy-John surgery ended his year.
Farther down the ladder, recent international signing Breyson Guedez made noise with a strong first season in the United States, while first-round pick Drew Burress got his pro career off to a fast start at Single-A Stockton.
So even with the losses piling up, there’s still a path forward if the front office can build the roster better and get better injury luck. That’s the hope, anyway - assuming there is a season. The looming lockout hangs over everything, and the real question becomes how many games will be lost because of it.
One more thought that’s already out there: if there is a season next year, which pitcher should the A’s target in free agency to help their rotation?
And then there’s Devin Taylor, whose quick rise through the minors has put him squarely on the A’s radar as a possible impact call-up next season. He could step into Brent Rooker’s designated hitter role, grab one of the corner-outfield spots, or even become trade bait if the A’s decide to use him to land a pitcher.
In Other News...
A's Top Prospects Just Reached A Crucial Test On Fast Track
Jamie Arnold and Devin Taylor have both been pushed onto the next rung of the Athletics prospect ladder, moving up to Triple-A Las Vegas after making convincing cases at Double-A Midland. For a farm system that is trying to turn promising talent into major league answers, these are the kinds of promotions that matter, especially with Arnold already showing the polish expected from a pitcher ranked among the organizations top arms and Taylor carrying his bat upward after strong work at both High-A and Double-A.
Arnold finished his Midland run with a 2.43 ERA and 73 strikeouts over his final 13 starts, then carried that momentum into his first taste of Triple-A action. Taylor, meanwhile, has kept producing offensively since the jump, including a game in which he drove in plenty of runs and showed the kind of impact that can force a quicker timeline. Both players are now at a level where the next step is no longer about whether they belong, but how soon the Athletics might have to make room. [Read more 🡒]
Athletics Need More From Two Key Pieces Before This Gets Worse
The Athletics have spent much of this season trying to patch together a roster hit hard by injuries, including the loss of key All-Stars for the rest of the year. With the club already looking ahead to its next chapter in Las Vegas, the present has become its own kind of test case, and a few current contributors have been asked to do more than originally expected just to keep the season from sliding further off course.
Among the players under the most scrutiny are Jeffrey Springs and Carlos Cortes, two pieces the A's need to stabilize quickly. Springs has not been able to consistently work deep enough into games, and Cortes has faded after a strong start, which has started to change how the lineup is being arranged around him. For a team trying to build any momentum at all, getting both of them back on track would go a long way toward making the next few months feel a little less precarious. [Read more 🡒]
As Pulled Off A Sloppy Win Mariners Fans Wont Like
The Athletics opened their series against Seattle with a 7-4 win that had plenty of the usual late-summer wobble, but also enough timely production to make the margin feel deserved. Oakland got on the board early and kept adding on, then leaned on an offense that cashed in with multiple RBI hits and a pitching staff that missed plenty of bats while still putting extra runners on base.
Zack Gelof gave the As the start they wanted with a solo home run in the first inning, setting the tone before Oakland kept building the lead and eventually reached 55 wins on the season. The pitching line was a little messy, with 18 strikeouts mixed in with eight walks, but the Mariners never fully took control of the game and the As found enough insurance late to close it out. [Read more 🡒]