The Athletics are heading into 2027 with two duos positioned to drive the whole operation: one in the bullpen, one at the top of the lineup.
The late-inning pair of Hogan Harris and Elvis Alvarado spent the 2026 season building a reputation in the biggest spots, and by the back end of the year they had become “game shorteners” - the kind of arms who could take over the eighth and ninth innings and make the contest feel over by the seventh for the other side. It was not always as clean as that label suggests, but the broader takeaway was simple: when the right pitchers were on the mound, this bullpen looked capable of being elite.
Harris is already pretty close to where he needs to be. Alvarado still has room to take a step, and if he does, he could turn into one of the most electric relievers in the sport.
Add Luis Medina into the mix, and the conversation around the Athletics changes fast. With that group in place, the outlook starts leaning away from whether Oakland gets to the playoffs and toward when it gets there.
The other duo the Athletics are counting on is Nick Kurtz and Henry Bolte, and the fit there is just as intriguing. Injuries kept last season from becoming the full-on showcase it might have been, but Bolte broke out in the second half and Kurtz kept doing Kurtz things. Put the two together and there’s a very real chance they would have piled up a ridiculous number of runs.
Bolte’s speed is the obvious separator. He is the fastest player in MLB, which brings more stolen bases and more opportunities to take an extra base when a ball gets into the outfield.
His on-base numbers also climbed late in the year, with his OBP jumping from .343 to .370 in the second half. That means more traffic, more steals, and more chances to create pressure before the big bats even come up.
And Kurtz is the bat the Athletics want cleaning up the damage. He is projected to hit second next season, and in 2026 he led the team in home runs with 6, RBIs with 46, and OPS with 1.303 with runners in scoring position. That’s the kind of production that turns Bolte’s speed into a real weapon.
If all of that comes together, the Athletics could be dangerous right away. Next season, the first inning might be the one you do not want to miss.
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 🡒]