Much to the surprise of everybody, the Oakland Athletics have started 2024 with shocking momentum. They’re currently in 3rd place behind Texas and Seattle.
The Oakland Athletics reached 14 wins by April 31st compared to the 2023 season, where they reached 14 wins on June 7th. They’ve been managing a better season despite the chaos swirling around the organization. The players and coaches can’t ignore any of the controversy, but perhaps it’s been a motivating factor.
Manager Mark Kotsay was not given an easy job from the start. He’s done a wonderful job getting the most out of the cheapest roster in baseball. The A’s always manage to develop great young talent and have a continuous cycle of developing great players, only to let them leave in a few seasons.
There’s potential for this Oakland Athletics roster to make a surprise run. Think of the movie “Major League” with Charlie Sheen. This situation is eerily similar to the film, where a roster of misfits manage to win the division despite their incompetent owner being set on a half-baked idea to relocate the roster to make money somewhere more desirable for them.
Oakland Athletics Led By Strong Bullpen
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Right now, Oakland’s bullpen is the strongest in all of baseball. After the win on April 30th, the A’s celebrated quite a few achievements. The bullpen has gone six consecutive games without allowing a run, their longest stretch since 2020.
Oakland’s bullpen has also gone eight out of their last nine games without allowing a run. The unit is led by starter-turned-closer Mason Miller. Miller has been dominating everybody he faces with a fastball that routinely hits 103 miles per hour, including a game in which he took down the heart of the Yankees lineup.
It’s not just Mason Miller that’s been doing wonders for the Oakland Athletics bullpen. Lucas Erceg has stepped up to become one of the better setup men in all of baseball to open the season. Austin Adams, Dany Jimenez, and fellow ex-starter Kyle Muller have also been dealing to start the year.
The bullpen’s improvement from last season has been drastic. Last season, the A’s pitching staff posted an earned run average of 5.48 and finished near the bottom. This season, while it is early, they’ve had an ERA of 3.96, which is 16th out of 30 teams.
Fans and Players Refuse To Give Up
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One thing that has come to define the A’s fanbase and the players on the field is their inability to give up. The Oakland A’s fans have been resilient in their desire to see the team stay in Oakland despite the efforts of Robert Manfred and John Fisher. Likewise, the A’s on the field have been resilient in every game this season.
One of their biggest comebacks this season came against the Washington Nationals, where they rallied from a 5-run deficit to win 7-6. The team has rallied together against adversity from all sides. Nobody expected this Athletics team to be in 3rd place at this point of the season.
One of the key players who has dealt with the most adversity has to be Esteury Ruiz. Ruiz was sent down after the team brought in Tyler Nevin despite leading the American League in steals in 2023 and having a strong start in 2024. The fact that one of the Oakland Athletics’ best players was demoted at all was heavily criticized at the time.
Esteury Ruiz has regained his spot in the leadoff role after getting called back up. He also celebrated his promotion back to the MLB roster by driving 2 home runs in his first 2 pinch-hit at-bats. His refusal to give up is a good representation of an A’s team that, like its fanbase, refuses to give up.
Can the Oakland Athletics Keep This Going?
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The Oakland Athletics’ record when they finally reached the 14-win mark in 2023 was 14-50. This season, they’re currently 14-17. They’re a remarkably improved roster despite an owner who has gutted the entire organization down to nothing.
They play in front of a reported average of less than six thousand fans every night in a city that is about to officially lose all of its professional sports teams. The team has a collection of players that the average fan has never heard of and they’re on a hot streak to open this season. But the true question is can they keep this going?
I think it’s possible. There is a great deal of adversity surrounding this organization, including reverse boycotts, terrible relocation plans, and a 2024 team budget that’s less than the team budget during the early 1990s. That’s enough to cause a team to grow closer together and want to fight for each other.
The Oakland Athletics might be gone after this season. But the players on the field aren’t to blame at all for any of the messes. This is a team on a surprising hot streak that has the potential for a final season to remember.
About the Author
Alex is a writer at Total Apex Sports and Total Apex Gaming. He’s a loyal fan of many teams, including the Las Vegas Raiders and San Francisco Giants. You can find him on X at @alex_furtotti
