Oakland Athletics: Making Matters Better at the Corners
Matt Chapman and Matt Olson and are the two players the A’s youth rebuild is centered around. Chapman is known for his defensive prowess, while Olson’s primary skill is his raw power.
Matt Chapman is the A’s player that most fans are excited to see in 2018. MLB Pipeline rated Chapman in the top 100 before he lost his prospect status. He’s the best defensive third baseman you’ve never heard of if you aren’t an A’s fan. He may be the best in the majors; a simple look at some of his defensive plays and his 70-grade arm can make some people put Chapman right behind, or even next to, Nolan Arenado.
Olson, as stated above, is known for hitting balls into the bleachers.In just 59 games his rookie season, Olsen smashed 24 home runs. Not only that, Olson finished fourth in the AL Rookie of the Year voting. He did this playing in a little more than one-third of the A’s games last season. This is a testament to Olson’s offensive skillset and his success in the green and gold.
For the A’s to make the Wild Card Game, they need both players to not regress from 2017. Besides that, Chapman needs to improve his offensive game. He slashed .234/.313/.472 his rookie year, and a better performance offensively by Chapman can bolster his national relevance and help the A’s earn a playoff spot in 2018. For Olson, fewer strikeouts would show that he is improving and help the A’s chances for a playoff spot. He struck out 27.7% of the time in 2017, so the A’s need to hope for improvement in 2018.