- Joined
- May 8, 2002
- Posts
- 1,242,657
- Reaction score
- 59
It's no secret that veteran left-hander Athletics Jeffrey Springs has been struggling in 2026. His 6.17 ERA ranks 79th out of the 80 pitchers who have compiled at least 100 innings this season, and his 28 home runs allowed lead the majors.
Last Sunday in Minnesota, he left his start after just 1 ⅓ innings due to right hip discomfort. As a left-hander, that would be his plant leg. Friday night at home against the Detroit Tigers, he walked a season-high five batters in four innings, also allowing four hits and two earned runs while striking out two.
Springs has allowed a home run in each of his past seven home starts. When asked about the spike in his home run rate, Springs didn't mince words.
"I mean, we play in a PCL ballpark. Spent a week in Vegas," Springs said, then chuckled. "I'm a fly-ball pitcher. It's just not very productive in a fly-ball park like this. It's bad execution and fly-ball pitcher in a PCL park. It's a recipe for disaster."
He acknowledged that ultimately it's on him to make better pitches, and that the opposing team faces the same ballpark.
There is some pushback to be had with his reasoning, however. Heading into Friday's game, he had pitched 54 ⅓ innings at home and given up 17 home runs. On the road, he has pitched 49 ⅔ innings and allowed 11 home runs. The innings totals are similar, and while there's a gap in home runs allowed, the long balls aren't solely coming at a high rate at Sutter Health Park.
Springs' comments point to a deeper issue of how the ballpark wears down A's pitchers.
Opposing pitchers know they may never face this ballpark again, so they can push through a difficult outing. The mental load isn't nearly as high.
A's pitchers can map out when they'll be on the rubber again in Sacramento for the rest of this season and know they have one more year at Sutter Health Park. The end isn't in sight, and some of that frustration shows.
Luis Morales and Jacob Lopez were both pitchers who many had high hopes for heading into this season, and each has been optioned back to the minors this season. They are also fly-ball pitchers like Springs.
Springs carries a 32.8% ground ball rate this season, while Morales is at 34% and Lopez is at 31.8%. Springs has the most innings of the trio (108), along with the most home runs (28). Morales has given up seven home runs in just 16 innings, including four at home.
Lopez has allowed 12 home runs in 70 innings — six at home and six on the road.
It should come as no surprise that their most effective starter this season, J.T. Ginn (3.46 ERA), and most effective relief pitcher, Hogan Harris (3.38 ERA) also have high ground ball rates. Ginn has a 46.8% ground ball rate, while Harris isn't far behind at 43.6%.
In 2025, Mark Kotsay was consistently asked about the ballpark's impact during the first half of the season, and his stock response was that the team needed more time to assess the unfriendly confines. Now the team has a better sense of what to expect, but less roster flexibility to implement the needed changes.
The team wants to win games, and it has to feel like the ballpark is working against them at times. When a starter has a rough outing and gets pulled early, that shifts the innings load to the bullpen. That adds another layer of frustration, and the cycle continues.
Continue reading...
Last Sunday in Minnesota, he left his start after just 1 ⅓ innings due to right hip discomfort. As a left-hander, that would be his plant leg. Friday night at home against the Detroit Tigers, he walked a season-high five batters in four innings, also allowing four hits and two earned runs while striking out two.
Springs has allowed a home run in each of his past seven home starts. When asked about the spike in his home run rate, Springs didn't mince words.
"I mean, we play in a PCL ballpark. Spent a week in Vegas," Springs said, then chuckled. "I'm a fly-ball pitcher. It's just not very productive in a fly-ball park like this. It's bad execution and fly-ball pitcher in a PCL park. It's a recipe for disaster."
He acknowledged that ultimately it's on him to make better pitches, and that the opposing team faces the same ballpark.
There is some pushback to be had with his reasoning, however. Heading into Friday's game, he had pitched 54 ⅓ innings at home and given up 17 home runs. On the road, he has pitched 49 ⅔ innings and allowed 11 home runs. The innings totals are similar, and while there's a gap in home runs allowed, the long balls aren't solely coming at a high rate at Sutter Health Park.
Springs' comments point to a deeper issue of how the ballpark wears down A's pitchers.
Opposing pitchers know they may never face this ballpark again, so they can push through a difficult outing. The mental load isn't nearly as high.
A's pitchers can map out when they'll be on the rubber again in Sacramento for the rest of this season and know they have one more year at Sutter Health Park. The end isn't in sight, and some of that frustration shows.
Luis Morales and Jacob Lopez were both pitchers who many had high hopes for heading into this season, and each has been optioned back to the minors this season. They are also fly-ball pitchers like Springs.
Springs carries a 32.8% ground ball rate this season, while Morales is at 34% and Lopez is at 31.8%. Springs has the most innings of the trio (108), along with the most home runs (28). Morales has given up seven home runs in just 16 innings, including four at home.
Lopez has allowed 12 home runs in 70 innings — six at home and six on the road.
It should come as no surprise that their most effective starter this season, J.T. Ginn (3.46 ERA), and most effective relief pitcher, Hogan Harris (3.38 ERA) also have high ground ball rates. Ginn has a 46.8% ground ball rate, while Harris isn't far behind at 43.6%.
In 2025, Mark Kotsay was consistently asked about the ballpark's impact during the first half of the season, and his stock response was that the team needed more time to assess the unfriendly confines. Now the team has a better sense of what to expect, but less roster flexibility to implement the needed changes.
The team wants to win games, and it has to feel like the ballpark is working against them at times. When a starter has a rough outing and gets pulled early, that shifts the innings load to the bullpen. That adds another layer of frustration, and the cycle continues.
Continue reading...
