With just a little more pitching, this team could be dangerous
The Athletics went into last winter with the hope of turning a 69-win club into a postseason contender. Some that we spoke to at the end of 2024 said that playing meaningful games late in September was the goal. Others in 2025 believed making the postseason was the ultimate goal. Any way you look at it, the club looks ready to pounce on the 2026 season.
Now, there’s an entire offseason’s worth of transactions to let unfold, and how heavily the A’s are involved (or not) will certainly play a role in how they’re viewed heading into 2026, but some of the major outlets (ESPN, The Athletic and MLB.com) have each posted their ‘way-too-early power rankings,’ with each having similar takes on the A’s right now.
ESPN was the high-outlet on the A’s at this point, ranking them No. 19 among the 30 MLB clubs. That’s right behind the Rangers (No. 18) and right in front of the Baltimore Orioles (No. 20).
They say of the A’s, “Expect more of the same from slugging standout Nick Kurtz, who had one of the best rookie seasons ever with a 1.002 OPS, and everyone of importance is back. They still lack front-line pitching, and the defense — other than when Denzel Clarke is in center field — is a problem, but the A’s appear to be on the rise.”
The A’s defense as a whole was subpar for the year, but it certainly improved over the course of the 2025 season. Tyler Soderstrom went from a first baseman to a Gold Glove nominee in left field. The whole A’s outfield is strong defensively. Kurtz didn’t grade well by the metrics at first, but the eye test suggested that he was pretty solid there.
The team’s defense should grade out much better next season, even with minimal movement to the roster.
MLB.com had the A’s ranked No. 23, somehow dropping a spot from the end of the season. They also had the Orioles shoot up from 24th to 15th inexplicably. Here is what MLB had to say: “They’ve got to find some pitching, but seriously, is there a team that has more team-controlled young hitters than the A’s? Nick Kurtz is the highlight, but they have players everywhere. They only need a little pitching to make a move. But will they be able to go out and get it?”
One of the most interesting pieces of roster movement that we’re locked in on is how the club addresses the rotation and the bullpen. They have enough interesting young arms to dream on for 2026 that a large swath of additions won’t be entirely necessary. Yet, adding a high-end arm like Ranger Suarez would be a huge move for the club.
Adding a key piece to the rotation could also allow the A’s to take someone like Jack Perkins, who debuted in the bullpen in a long relief role, to perhaps move into a late-inning gig with the A’s, a la Mason Miller. GM David Forst has said that the preference is to keep Perkins in the rotation. But if they have enough quality pitchers, the bullpen could get a big internal boost.
Finally, The Athletic also had the A’s ranked No. 23, and again focused on the A’s needing pitching, while also promoting the young breakout stars. “…you can envision the Athletics doing a lot of damage to opposing pitchers in 2026, extending the string of good baseball that the team played in the second half of 2025.”
We should also note that while the A’s young core that is in the big leagues right now is mostly centered around position players, the next wave is very pitching heavy. No. 2 prospect Jamie Arnold will be making his pro debut in 2026, but No. 3 and No. 4 prospects Gage Jump and Braden Nett should be in line to begin the season in Triple-A Las Vegas.
They’ll also have No. 8 prospect Henry Baez and No. 9 Mason Barnett in the mix next season, along with No. 14 Gunnar Hoglund and No. 15 Kade Morris. The A’s have pitching on the way, and could also add some this winter. Next season could be a big breakout for the Athletics.
