MLB Postseason: The biggest losers of the past decade

By Bill Felber | Sep 28, 2020

HOUSTON, TEXAS - OCTOBER 30: Zack Greinke #21 of the Houston Astros is taken out of the game against the Washington Nationals during the seventh inning in Game Seven of the 2019 World Series at Minute Maid Park on October 30, 2019 in Houston, Texas. (Photo by Bob Levey/Getty Images) /

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(Photo by Thearon W. Henderson/Getty Images) /

The sixth biggest MLB Postseason loser are the 2019 Oakland Athletics.

It would be easy, but wrong, to overlook Oakland. The Athletics may have been AL wild cards, but that was only due to the coincidence that they existed in the same division as the 107-game winning Astros.

With 97 regular season wins of their own, Oakland was a more than the worthy challenger in a league replete with strong teams. Look at their team 53.1 WAR, sixth best for the decade among teams that did not hoist a World Series banner.

Shortstop Marcus Semien and third baseman Matt Chapman both generated WARS in excess of 8.0; that’s MVP level. In fact, Semien finished third in MVP voting.

But the Athletics was a superbly balanced team. They had a 108 team OPS+ and also a 108 team ERA+. Mike Fiers went 15-4 and Frankie Montas compiled a 9-2 record before being suspended for half the season for a PED violation.

Returning in September from arm surgery, Sean Manaea went 4-0 with a 1.21 ERA. He was so impressive that manager Bob Melvin selected Manaea to start the wild card game against Tampa Bay.

But anybody can have a bad day and Manaea had him at the worst possible moment. The Rays touched him for four runs in just over two innings and eliminated the Athletics 5-1.

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