The Athletics have enough encouraging pieces from 2026 to make 2027 look a lot more interesting, but a few players have to turn those solid seasons into something bigger.
Henry Bolte is the clearest example. The rookie hit .277 with a .764 OPS, added 11 home runs and swiped 21 bases, and that kind of start gives him a real runway for a breakout.
If he takes another step, an All-Star selection isn’t out of the question. He has already put himself on track to become one of the Athletics’ brightest stars in a few years, but the next leap matters just as much on an individual level.
Better production would boost his earning power with the club and could push him into the top 10 among MLB center fielders. For the Athletics, it would mean more wins almost by default.
Pitching remains the bigger issue, and the rotation sits at the center of it. JT Ginn is the obvious headliner heading into 2027, and he enters the year as the team’s clear best starter.
He finished 2026 at 9-8 with a 3.71 ERA and a 1.24 WHIP. If he can get that ERA below three, the whole outlook changes fast.
Add another premier arm through free agency or a trade, and the rotation starts to look like a real strength. With Ginn refined at the front, the Athletics’ -238 run differential would be in the rearview.
Elvis Alvarado is another name with room to climb. His 2026 season came with plenty of swings - at times he looked like the club’s best pitcher, and at others he was a late-game problem.
Still, there’s plenty here to like. He went 5-4 with a 3.90 ERA and a 1.25 WHIP, and the raw stuff gives him a chance to take off.
His 98.5 MPH fastball sits in the 96th percentile in baseball, and he also posted a 31.4% whiff rate. If that translates into a bigger step forward in 2027, the Athletics could end up with an elite reliever at the back end.
In Other News...
A's New Front Office Faces Two Tough Rotation Calls
The Athletics offseason reset is already underway after a disappointing 2026 season, with pitching coach Scott Emerson out and general manager David Forst gone in a mutual parting. Now the club is searching for replacements in both spots, and whoever takes over will inherit a rotation that needs more than a few tweaks as the organization tries to sort out what comes next.
One of the first calls will be on Jeffrey Springs, whose future sits in the hands of a front office that has not yet been fully assembled. Another is Gage Jump, who flashed early as a prospect but ran into trouble as the season wore on, leaving the As to decide whether he is better served by more time in the minors to regain his footing. For a team already trying to change its direction, those are the kinds of decisions that can shape the rest of the winter. [Read more 🡒]
Lawrence Butler Still Has One Concern A's Fans Can't Ignore
Lawrence Butler still gave the Athletics a much more complete offensive profile in 2026 than he had early in his career, especially after the midseason break. His walk rate climbed, his hitting improved in the second half, and there was enough progress at the plate to make him look like a player trending in the right direction as the As keep building around young talent.
Even so, there is one part of Butlers game that is hard to ignore heading into 2027: the speed and baserunning that once looked like a real weapon never consistently showed up the way Oakland would have hoped. He was thrown out or picked off multiple times during the season, and the final stretch only sharpened the concern for a player whose overall value depends on doing more than just hitting. [Read more 🡒]