The Athletics leave Texas with a few useful lessons, and if they want to handle Seattle cleanly, they’ll need to carry the right ones with them.
One of the biggest takeaways from the Rangers series is that the offense did enough on paper, averaging 5.0 runs per game. But that number tells a pretty friendly story. A huge chunk of it came in the series finale, when the Athletics put up nine runs and launched five home runs from Henry Bolte (2), Alika Williams, Zack Gelof, and Jonah Heim.
That kind of damage is harder to count on at T-Mobile Park, where the ballpark is one of the least hitter-friendly spots in the league. A sudden home run barrage isn’t something to bank on.
What the Rangers series did show, though, is that the long ball was the one dependable way the Athletics found to bring runs home. That part needs to travel with them.
They also spent all three games chasing. Even in the blowout finale, the Rangers got on the board first. That pattern looks a lot like what happened against the Orioles, with the Athletics again seeming to find their footing only after falling behind.
Henry Bolte was at the top of the order in each of those games, and the Athletics need to do a better job of turning his presence into real pressure early. If he reaches base, the next move has to be getting him into scoring position, whether that’s through a bunt or a well-placed sacrifice fly. Getting Bolte to second or third is the kind of small detail that can help solve the problem.
The bullpen had its own bright spots in Texas. Chris Roycroft and Geoff Hartlieb each delivered multi-inning outings that helped preserve arms and showed that the relief corps can hold together despite the inconsistency. That’s the model Mark Kotsay needs to stick with against the Mariners.
When Kotsay gets too quick with the bullpen hook, it can put the Athletics in a bad spot. The Orioles series was a clear example, when the club burned through four relief pitchers in Game 1 after a day off.
The answer isn’t to force pitchers through trouble. It’s to let them keep going if they get through the first inning cleanly, then make the move once they start showing signs of fading.
In Other News...
A's Young Bat Is Making Triple-A Hard To Ignore
The Las Vegas Aviators kept piling up offense in a 14-12 win over El Paso, and right fielder Devin Taylor was right in the middle of it. He homered twice and also came through with key hits as the Aviators turned a high-scoring night into another reminder that their lineup has plenty of thump, with Colby Halter and Johnathan Rodriguez adding their own damage in the win.
For the A's, that's the part worth watching. Taylor's surge at Triple-A has made the promotion look less like a test run and more like a real audition, and every loud night only sharpens the conversation about how soon he might force the issue. The rest of the farm system had its own mixed slate, with Midland, Fort Wayne and Stockton also in action, but Taylor's bat is the one making it hardest to ignore what is happening in Las Vegas. [Read more 🡒]
Luis Severino Holds A Big Piece Of The A's Offseason Puzzle
Luis Severino is still one of the biggest variables hanging over the Athletics offseason plans, even as the club starts sorting through what the next few months might look like. The right-hander was brought in to anchor the rotation, but his first year in Oakland never really got off the ground after injury interrupted things and kept him out for most of the 2026 season.
His contract now looms almost as large as his health. Severino has an opt-out coming after 2026, and if he decides to stay, the As would get one more season from a pitcher they still need to count on. If he walks, he would head back into free agency just as Oakland braces for a possible front-office change and more roster turnover ahead of the move to Las Vegas. [Read more 🡒]
Jamie Arnold Is Forcing An As Rotation Decision Faster Than Expected
The Athletics decision to take Jamie Arnold in the first round of last years draft already marked a notable shift for an organization that had gone nearly a decade without selecting a pitcher that high. Arnold then justified the investment by opening his pro career at Double-A and putting together a 3.27 ERA across 23 starts, which was enough to earn a quick move to Triple-A and put him on the radar far sooner than many expected.
That next test went as well as the As could have hoped, with Arnold looking comfortable against a higher level of competition right away and adding another layer to a conversation the club didnt figure to be having this soon. Oakland can still let the process play out, but the way Arnold has handled each step has made it increasingly hard to ignore the possibility that his path to the big leagues could arrive before the calendar turns, whether that means a late-season look or a real push for a rotation job next spring. [Read more 🡒]