The Athletics have a real opening at second base, and Donovan Walton suddenly looks like the player best positioned to grab it.
With roster moves expected after the postseason, the A’s are going to be sorting through a few areas of the team. Pitching is the obvious headache, but second base is unsettled too. That’s where Walton enters the picture, especially after the way he finished.
For the season, Walton put together what would have been his best year as a full-time major leaguer. He hit .261 with an .806 OPS, plus 14 doubles, nine home runs and 32 RBIs, all career highs. His numbers dipped once he joined the Athletics compared to the .319 average and .860 OPS he posted in 32 games with the Angels, but his late-season production still stood out.
September was the most convincing stretch. Walton hit .222 with an .811 OPS, and while that line doesn’t jump off the page, he added five home runs, including a walk-off against the Mariners.
That total was tied for second-most on the Athletics. He also drove in 12 runs, which was tied for second on the club as well.
The profile underneath the numbers is what makes him so intriguing. His contact hitting has trended down, which can be a concern for older players, but he also posted an elite 39% launch-angle sweet spot rate, meaning a big chunk of his contact came in the ideal range between 8 and 32 degrees. That kind of contact can translate into more extra-base damage and more homers next season.
There’s more to like in the plate discipline, too. Walton struck out just 17.2% of the time, well below the AL average of 22.3% in 2026, while his 10.4% walk rate also checked in above the roughly 8.0% league average. Put that together, and there’s a case for a fairly balanced season if the power continues to show up.
The path is there because Jeff McNeil is unlikely to be back next year. His club option is set at $15,750,000, a number the Athletics are unlikely to pay. That leaves Walton with the inside track to win the job, and his strong finish only helps.
He won’t have the spot handed to him, though. Alika Williams and Joshua Kuroda-Grauer have also shown they can be solid options. Still, whoever opens next season at second base will be under pressure, because the Athletics have enough internal competition to keep the position unsettled.
Walton isn’t without flaws. His fielding value has been rough, and his bat speed is described as abysmal.
Even so, he looks like someone who should stay in the mix for meaningful at-bats. If he can string together a few hot stretches over 162 games, he could end up playing a major role in whatever turnaround the Athletics are hoping to build next year.
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