Zack Gelof spent last season making a case that he belongs among the Athletics’ core, even while injuries kept cutting into his year.
That’s the backdrop for the attention he’s getting now, including the recent headlines after he sued the Tigers for the injury he suffered in July. But the bigger story is what he did on the field in 2026, because the numbers point to a player ready to jump from very good to star-level.
Even with 51 games missed, Gelof put together a strong season. He finished with 22 home runs, good for second on the team, along with 55 RBIs and 16 doubles.
He added a .256 batting average and a .797 OPS, all while missing a significant chunk of the schedule. For a player who barely stayed healthy, that’s a loud production line.
He also showed he could stack hits with real consistency. Gelof put together a 24-game hitting streak before the injury that followed a walk in a game against the Giants. That kind of run is a reminder that his value wasn’t built on one hot week - he was producing steadily before the season got interrupted.
There’s also a reason the projections around him sound so aggressive. Over a full 162-game season, his pace worked out to 32 home runs, 80 RBIs and 23 stolen bases. That’s the kind of all-around output that changes the shape of a lineup, and it’s why a 30/30 season next year doesn’t feel out of reach.
The underlying numbers back that up too. Gelof posted a .475 SLG, trailing only Nick Kurtz, and finished with a 73rd-percentile Barrel%, which the source defines as balls hit with a +98 mph exit velocity and a 26- to 30-degree launch angle. Add in his 86th-percentile sprint speed, and the ingredients are there for a big year.
The swing-and-miss and plate discipline pieces still need work. Gelof’s 24.6% strikeout rate and 7.1% walk rate both sit around the 20th percentile in baseball. That’s the area that could keep him from fully maxing out if it doesn’t improve.
Still, the role is clear. Gelof is expected to be the Athletics’ starting third baseman next season, and likely the starter all year.
It’s his job to lose. With an All-Star-caliber season already on the books and the Athletics getting their stars back, Gelof looks like one of the players most capable of driving a run that could end with a playoff berth.
In Other News...
As Make Offensive Shakeup After A Frustrating Season
After a frustrating season at the plate, the Athletics are making a significant coaching change on offense. Chris Cron, who had been with the organization since 2022 and served as the primary hitting coach in 2024, is out, and Marcus Jensen is also moving on after two decades in the As organization, including the past two seasons in a quality control role.
The move comes after Oaklands offensive struggles in 2026 were only made worse by injuries, leaving the club looking for a reset in how it prepares and develops hitters. The search is now on for new voices in both spots, a sign the As are not treating this as a minor tweak but as an important part of sorting out a lineup that never found enough consistency. [Read more 🡒]
Athletics Suddenly Have A 2027 Reason Fans Should Be Excited
The Athletics 2026 season never really got off the ground, and the biggest reason was simple enough: injuries kept a big chunk of the lineup from ever settling in. Nick Kurtz, Jacob Wilson, Shea Langeliers and Tyler Soderstrom were among the regulars missing for much of the year, leaving the club to patch together production while trying to stay afloat. Even so, the second half offered a few encouraging signs, with Henry Bolte and Zack Gelof both helping carry some of the load when the roster was thinned out.
There was also a better-than-expected foundation in the pitching staff, especially in the bullpen, which gave the As something to build around going forward. The bigger question is how the front of the rotation comes together, because the next step may require another arm or two to stabilize things before 2027. For a team that spent much of last season waiting for its core to get healthy, that kind of offseason need could end up shaping the entire outlook. [Read more 🡒]
As Front Office Delay Is Starting To Shape The Entire Offseason
Three of the four first-round playoff series ended in sweeps, which has quickly shifted the attention around baseball to the next round and, for some clubs, to what comes after October. The Yankees, Padres and White Sox moved on, and the bracket now rolls into Yankees-Rays, White Sox-Guardians, Brewers-Padres and a decisive Game 3 between the Braves and Phillies, with Philadelphia still waiting to name a starter for the must-win game and Atlanta considering Grant Holmes.
For Oakland, the postseason backdrop only sharpens a quieter front office story that has been lingering in the background. The Athletics are still in the middle of their search for a new general manager, and the delay has a way of hanging over the calendar as other teams keep playing. The timing matters because the next voice in that chair is supposed to help steer the full offseason, and every day that passes makes that timeline feel a little tighter. [Read more 🡒]