The Athletics have a chance to roll into 2027 with the kind of lineup depth that turns a good team into a real threat. If the club stays healthier than it did in 2026, the core already looks strong enough to push for a playoff spot next September. At the center of that picture are three names that stand out above the rest.
Tyler Soderstrom belongs near the top of any conversation about this group. He got into 109 games last season and still put together a strong line, batting .245 with an .810 OPS.
The power was there, too: 19 home runs, good for fourth on the club, plus 56 RBIs, which ranked fifth. Had he stayed on the field for a full 162-game pace, Soderstrom would be getting talked about as one of the top stars in the AL West, not just one of the Athletics’ best pieces.
That kind of bat matters, and so does what he brings in left field.
Nick Kurtz is the obvious headliner. He has been the brightest spot on a roster that already has several of them, and his start to an MLB career has been one of the best in league history.
Kurtz played only 99 games last season and still hit .256 with an .879 OPS. He added 21 home runs and led the team with 69 RBIs.
Lawrence Butler finished second on the club with 62 RBIs despite appearing in 154 games, which says plenty about how productive Kurtz was when healthy. He is the centerpiece of what could become an October-caliber team in the near future.
Zack Gelof rounds out the top three, and his rise changed the way he’s viewed by the end of the year. He went from being simply a good player to someone who could be the face of the franchise.
In 111 games, Gelof hit 22 home runs and drove in 55 runs while batting .256 with an .797 OPS. He also swiped 16 bases, second only to Henry Bolte, the fastest player in MLB.
Jacob Wilson and Shea Langeliers could have been considered for that third spot, but Gelof’s all-around game makes the difference. Langeliers may not offer the same kind of outfield flash, and Wilson may or may not reach double-digit steals with 20-plus homers. Gelof’s versatility and polish give him the edge as the most complete five-tool player heading into 2027.
In Other News...
A's Young Core Return Creates A 2027 Lineup Crunch
The Athletics are heading toward a very different kind of problem in 2027, the sort any rebuilding club hopes to create. Nick Kurtz, Jacob Wilson, Tyler Soderstrom and a fully healthy Shea Langeliers are all expected to be back in the mix, giving the roster a younger, more established core and forcing the front office to sort through a lineup that suddenly has real traffic in the infield and behind the plate. Even before the calendar turns, the pieces are already starting to overlap in ways that should make the next couple of seasons interesting to monitor.
Jeff McNeil adds another layer to the picture with a club option for next season, and the outfield is beginning to take shape around Henry Bolte, Soderstrom and Lawrence Butler. The remaining opening is tighter than it looks, with Carlos Cortes and Denzel Clarke among the names in the hunt for one more spot, which means the As are no longer just looking for talent so much as trying to decide where all of it fits. [Read more 🡒]
As Still Face One Urgent Question As Vogt Keeps Advancing
Stephen Vogt keeps moving deeper into October with the Cleveland Guardians, and for Oakland fans his rise comes with a familiar face in an unfamiliar place. The former Athletics catcher, now managing in the postseason, has his club off to a strong start in the ALCS after winning the opener against Tampa Bay, a reminder of how quickly one of the franchises best recent stories has shifted from the Coliseum to the center of the playoff stage.
Back in Oakland, the bigger front-office question is still hanging over the franchise as it weighs its next President of Baseball Operations. Sam Fuld has already declined the job, and Taylor Smith has emerged as a rumored possibility, but there has been no official decision yet. For a team trying to steady its direction, the contrast is hard to miss: Vogt is pushing forward in October while the Athletics are still sorting out who will guide their next step. [Read more 🡒]
Athletics Are Counting On One Infield Bat To Stabilize 2027
Joshua Kurdoa-Grauer is shaping up to be one of the more important moving parts in the Athletics 2027 infield picture. After getting hurt during the 2026 season, the versatile infielder is still expected to be a key contributor because of the contact skills that made him such an intriguing option in the first place, along with the ability to bounce around the dirt and give the club some lineup flexibility.
The appeal goes beyond just getting him back on the field. If Kurdoa-Grauer stays healthy and adds more impact to his bat, the Athletics could have a much steadier answer in the middle infield at a time when injuries can quickly thin out the roster. For a team trying to build some stability, his profile fits the kind of player who can quietly make a big difference without needing to be the loudest name in camp. [Read more 🡒]