MLB Power Rankings: Postseason Edition
6. Oakland Athletics
The Oakland Athletics will play in the AL Wild Card game for the second straight season. They have done so 6th lowest payroll in baseball. The only other playoff team with a lower payroll is the Tampa Bay Rays, who they will face off against in the AL WIld Card game.
Much of the A’s success has come from players developed within their farm system. Matt Olson, Ramon Laureano, and Mark Cahna are all home-grown talents who have made big time contributions to the A’s in recent years. However, no young home-grown talent has been quite as important as Matt Chapman.
Chapman has proven to be one of the brightest young stars in the MLB. Chapman won his first gold glove at third base in 2018, his first full season in the league. He has even improved on his already elite-level defense this year, raising his UZR from 10.9 to 15.4. He showed flashes of an elite bat in 2018 as well, and has proved to be a force in 2019. En route to his first All Star game appearance, Chapman has slugged 36 home runs with 91 RBIs. Chapman’s 6.6 WAR will most likely grant him a top-10 MVP finish, and his future is even brighter.
While Chapman has gained all the attention, another infielder has been even more important to the Athletics. That would be Marcus Semien. Semien is in the midst of the best season of his career. The 28-year-old shortstop is hitting .285/.370/.523 with 33 home runs and 91 RBIs from the leadoff spot. What has made him so valuable is his durability at the top of the lineup. Semien played in all 162 games in the regular season, and had a league high 747 at bats. His outstanding all around performance and durabilty has resulted in a 8.1 WAR, which is the 4th best in the league.
The A’s have managed to find success in their starting pitching without a dominant clear ace. Mike Fiers has become their number 1 starter, with a 15-4 record and a 3.90 ERA to show for (and a No-Hitter). Veteran Brett Anderson has been great, along with fellow veterans Tanner Roark and Homer Bailey, who have given them solid starts and will give them depth in the postseason. Chris Bassitt has had a good season, and Sean Manaea has looked like the ace he showed signs of becoming before suffering a serious arm injury. In 4 starts this season, he has a perfect 4-0 record with an outstanding 1,21 ERA and 30 strikeouts. It will be a tough decision whether to start Manaea or Fiers in the AL WIld Card Game.
Whoever they decide to start, they will be reinforced by a great bullpen. While former All-Star closer Blake Treinen has been demoted in the bullpen after struggling in the role, Liam Hendriks has taken over the job effectively. He has pitched to a 1.80 ERA and 1.88 FIP with 25 saves and 124 strikeouts en route to an All Star nod. Hendriks and Treinen are reinforced by the likes of Yusmerio Petit, Joakim Soria, and Daniel Mengden, to name a few. The Oakland bullpen can play with anybody.
The A’s are on a mission to prove the doubters wrong. They want to prove that they are a legitimate threat to win the AL pennant and fight for a championship. There first step is winning the AL Wild Card game, which they weren’t able to do last year in New York. This year, they have home field, and they look to make a deep October run in 2019.