Joshua Kuroda-Grauer’s first taste of the majors has given the Athletics something they haven’t had in a while: a new problem that looks a lot like a luxury.
Over his last three series, Kuroda-Grauer has been the clear standout. Since his call-up, he’s batting .482 with a 1.058 OPS, and his 3-for-4 performance against the Tigers - against elite pitching, as noted - only added to the sense that he belongs. He has played just seven games, so the sample is tiny, but the early read is loud: JKG looks like a future All-Star at minimum.
That’s a sharp turn from where things stood only a few weeks ago, when Kuroda-Grauer was viewed as a prime trade candidate because the Athletics were so deep at shortstop. Now, he looks more like a player who could stick in the lineup every day and become part of the club’s long-term core.
The bigger issue for Oakland is that Kuroda-Grauer is arriving at the same time as a wave of infield talent. Jacob Wilson is already there.
Leo De Vries, the superstar prospect, is tearing it up in the minors. And Kuroda-Grauer has forced his way into the conversation too.
That creates a fascinating picture for the next few seasons. One possible alignment has Nick Kurtz at first, De Vries at second, Wilson at short, and Kuroda-Grauer at third.
Because of Kuroda-Grauer’s flexibility, that setup is very much on the table. On paper, it could be the best infield in baseball.
And the depth doesn’t stop there. Alika Williams, Zack Gelof, and Max Muncy have also been solid for the Athletics in the infield this season, which makes the whole situation even more crowded. It’s a good problem, but it’s still a problem - one that will force the front office to make choices.
Like every team, the Athletics still have holes to fill if they want to take the next step. With so much talent concentrated in one area, some of these infield pieces may eventually be moved as the club looks to strengthen other parts of the roster that have struggled.
De Vries, Kuroda-Grauer, and Wilson could bring back major returns if they’re traded. Muncy, Gelof, and Williams wouldn’t command the same kind of haul, but they could still help improve the roster if the front office handles things well. As the team moves toward what was described as its "Golden Age," having this many options matters.
That push could begin as soon as next season. If the Athletics are in a similar spot to where they were a month ago, when they were first in the A.L.
West, there’s a strong chance they’ll make moves to address pitching and maybe more if the right offer comes along. It’s the kind of opportunity a front office has to get right.
For now, Kuroda-Grauer’s early surge has done more than turn heads. It may have changed the shape of the Athletics’ future. A young core that’s suddenly overflowing with talent can be used to build, or to deal, and either way the outlook in Oakland looks brighter than it did before JKG arrived.
In Other News...
As Draft Focus Is Creating Real Tension Around The No. 8 Pick
With the eighth pick in the MLB Draft, the Athletics are in a spot where the board could push them in a few different directions, but pitching remains the clearest thread. Two left-handers keep surfacing in that conversation: Hunter Dietz, the Arkansas college arm with a polished mix and real upside, and Gio Rojas, the high-schooler whose stuff has already put him among the classs most intriguing pitchers. The As have plenty to weigh, and the appeal of adding another arm with starter traits is obvious given where they are in the draft.
Dietz brings the safer feel of a college pitcher, while Rojas offers the kind of ceiling that can make a front office lean in if the draft starts breaking a certain way. Oakland could still pivot if the names ahead of them create a different opening, and there are other bats and arms in the mix as the first round unfolds. For now, though, the tension is less about whether the As want pitching and more about which type of pitcher they trust most when their turn finally arrives. [Read more 🡒]
Athletics All-Star Breakthrough Could Change Everything For This Young Core
Nick Kurtz and Shea Langeliers have given the Athletics something they have not always had enough of in recent years: rising young talent with national recognition. Both earned All-Star bids this season, and Kurtzs selection as a starter only sharpened the spotlight on a player who has quickly become central to the clubs long-term plans. For an organization still trying to build a stable core, that kind of visibility matters almost as much as the production itself.
Kurtz is under team control through 2031 and is already in contract talks, which gives the Athletics a chance to lock in a centerpiece before his value climbs any higher. Langeliers brings a different kind of urgency, with free agency looming in 2028 and Scott Boras representing him, a combination that tends to keep front offices on alert. Together, their All-Star recognition could shape not just how the Athletics are viewed this summer, but how aggressively they approach the next few seasons. [Read more 🡒]
As Road Trip Opens With The Kind Of Test That Changes Everything
A road trip that opens in Detroit and then rolls on to Chicago gives the Athletics little room to ease into the week, especially with the Tigers lining up one of the more difficult arms they will see. Oakland gets J.T. Ginn in the series, and he has at least given the club a steadier look lately after a strong six-inning outing, but the bigger backdrop is a team trying to stop the slide before it hardens into something more damaging in the standings.
The challenge is even sharper because Detroit can answer with Tarik Skubal, a pitcher whose return has already changed the tone around that rotation and around the market that may follow him. If the A's are going to make this trip matter for the right reasons, they will need sharper work from the top of the staff and a cleaner showing than what has defined much of the recent stretch, with Chicago waiting next as another test that can expose where this group really stands. [Read more 🡒]