Yet again, it was a mixed season in Sacramento for the Athletics. Injuries to several key hitters, plus a pitching staff that had trouble navigating things, were reasons why the A’s were among the worst teams in the Majors last year. And with a strong, young core in that lineup, it’s obvious what the Athletics need for 2027 & beyond.
Biggest needs for Athletics
The A’s didn’t receive much in the way of reliable pitching, yet again, in 2026.
Athletics pitchers, in total, had the fourth-highest BB/9 (4.01), behind only the Angels, Astros, and Reds. The club also had the second-highest team ERA (5.51) and allowed more home runs (247) than any other unit in the league. Out of those 247 home runs, 161 of those were conceded at home.
When the A’s left Oakland in 2024 and announced plans to temporarily relocate to Sacramento, pitching was going to be the obvious sticking point. The Athletics left the spacious confines of the Coliseum, only to go to an extremely hitter-friendly environment. And while the A’s made some reinforcements after that 2024 season, the results were mixed.
Jeffrey Springs, acquired from the Rays in 2024, thrived with that riding fastball that played up at the Trop. But it’s been a rough go with the Athletics. This past season, he had an ERA north of 6.00, and his 2.2 HR/9 was the highest among starters with 100+ IP this season. Oddly enough, the “throw-in” pitcher from that trade, Jacob Lopez, has been great.
Luis Severino, who was signed in December 2024, pitched well overall in 2026. However, Severino missed most of 2026 due to injury, only making 12 starts.
The Athletics do have some pieces to work with, including youngsters J.T. Ginn and Gage Jump in the rotation. However, more rotation help, even though that may be a tall task given the Athletics’ long-term history, may not happen.
Additional bullpen help would also make sense. It was a slog, in a sense, for the A’s to find cohesiveness after Mason Miller was traded in 2025. No one can replace Miller.
But in 2026, Hogan Harris, Elvis Alvarado, and Luis Medina all had fine seasons out of the bullpen for the A’s. Harris notched a team-high 17 saves.
Check out more of our MLB coverage.