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The Athletics have been one of the biggest surprises of this young MLB season.
The A's, a young team themselves, were assumed to be a decent to good team, possibly flirting with the wild card. Nobody saw a division-leading team in the fold.
It's still early so there's nothing to get overly excited about. But give credit where credit is due. The A's might not be in Oakland anymore, but they have ballers with them.
Shea Langeliers, 28, one of the team's many young bright stars, was placed on the paternity list, the team announced Monday, May 4. Langeliers is tied for eighth in home runs with 10, currently more than Shohei Ohtani (6), Cal Raleigh (7), Bryce Harper (8) and Pete Alonso (6).
Last year's AL Rookie of the Year Nick Kurtz has hit five home runs. Carlos Cortes and Tyler Soderstrom are tied with four, while Brent Rooker and Lawrence Butler have three apiece. Max Muncy and Jacob Wilson have two homers each.
As a team, the A's entered play on Tuesday, May 5 ranking within the top 15 of nearly every offensive category including batting average, hits, runs and walks.
There were early questions about their pitching, which would be the tale of the A's season, and early on its been sufficient as is the A's record out there in West Sacramento. ESPN gave the A's a "B" through the first month of baseball.
HOW ABOUT THE GIANTS? San Francisco dropping to bottom of the power rankings.
Here's what sports experts are saying about the A's through the first month of the 2026 MLB season:
Gabe Lacques writes: "They depart Yolo County atop the AL West as six-game Eastern swing looms."
Will Leitch writes: "Nick Kurtz’s walk streak ended at 20 games on Saturday against the Guardians, but the funny thing about a walk streak ending is that you can do a whole bunch of other good stuff when you are not walking: Kurtz went 2-for-5 with an RBI. He has also reached base in 28 straight games, which, after all, is the point."
Zack Meisel writes: "The A’s offense was supposed to hum, so it’s tempting to choose Aaron Civale, who posted a 3.23 ERA in his first six starts to stabilize the rotation and keep the club afloat in the AL West. But Langeliers has blossomed into one of the league’s most underrated players. Through April, he recorded a .974 OPS and was tied for the league lead in hits. He logged a 1.018 OPS in the second half last year, and in case you needed further proof, it appears that surge was no fluke."
Matt Snyder writes: "Man, the three true outcomes are strong with Nick Kurtz, aren't they? He's up to 50 strikeouts with 34 walks and five home runs. That means 58.1% of his plate appearances result in no ball in the field of play. (I promise next week won't be another Kurtz comment)."
D.J. short writes: "We all know about Shea Langeliers’ prodigious power, but did you know that he’s tied for the major league lead with 45 hits? The A’s backstop slugged two homers on Saturday (his wife Raegan’s birthday) and he became a dad on Sunday after his wife gave birth to a baby boy. Are you ready for Langeliers with dad strength?"
Kerry Miller writes: "If the A's are going to continue to hang around as a postseason candidate, they need to figure out how to pitch in West Sacramento. Heading into Sunday, they had a 6.35 ERA and .875 OPS against at home compared to 3.14 and .650, respectively, on the road. But Aaron Civale did give them a quality start (against his former team) on Sunday to keep that record above .500. Civale also went five shutout innings in Tuesday's home start against Kansas City."
Buster Olney writes: "Nick Kurtz's camp turned down a big contract offer in the offseason, and when he got off to a slow start, evaluators wondered if that decision was initially weighing on him. But no matter the reason, he is getting back to being one of the big damage hitters in the AL, patiently waiting out opposing pitchers and capitalizing when he gets pitches to hit. Kurtz has drawn walks in 18 straight games, with five homers."
This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: Athletics MLB power rankings through a month of 2026 MLB season
Continue reading...
The A's, a young team themselves, were assumed to be a decent to good team, possibly flirting with the wild card. Nobody saw a division-leading team in the fold.
It's still early so there's nothing to get overly excited about. But give credit where credit is due. The A's might not be in Oakland anymore, but they have ballers with them.
Shea Langeliers, 28, one of the team's many young bright stars, was placed on the paternity list, the team announced Monday, May 4. Langeliers is tied for eighth in home runs with 10, currently more than Shohei Ohtani (6), Cal Raleigh (7), Bryce Harper (8) and Pete Alonso (6).
Last year's AL Rookie of the Year Nick Kurtz has hit five home runs. Carlos Cortes and Tyler Soderstrom are tied with four, while Brent Rooker and Lawrence Butler have three apiece. Max Muncy and Jacob Wilson have two homers each.
As a team, the A's entered play on Tuesday, May 5 ranking within the top 15 of nearly every offensive category including batting average, hits, runs and walks.
There were early questions about their pitching, which would be the tale of the A's season, and early on its been sufficient as is the A's record out there in West Sacramento. ESPN gave the A's a "B" through the first month of baseball.
HOW ABOUT THE GIANTS? San Francisco dropping to bottom of the power rankings.
Athletics MLB power rankings
Here's what sports experts are saying about the A's through the first month of the 2026 MLB season:
USA TODAY Sports: 15th out of 30
Gabe Lacques writes: "They depart Yolo County atop the AL West as six-game Eastern swing looms."
MLB.com: 13th out of 30
Will Leitch writes: "Nick Kurtz’s walk streak ended at 20 games on Saturday against the Guardians, but the funny thing about a walk streak ending is that you can do a whole bunch of other good stuff when you are not walking: Kurtz went 2-for-5 with an RBI. He has also reached base in 28 straight games, which, after all, is the point."
The Athletic: T-14th out of 30 (with Toronto Blue Jays)
Zack Meisel writes: "The A’s offense was supposed to hum, so it’s tempting to choose Aaron Civale, who posted a 3.23 ERA in his first six starts to stabilize the rotation and keep the club afloat in the AL West. But Langeliers has blossomed into one of the league’s most underrated players. Through April, he recorded a .974 OPS and was tied for the league lead in hits. He logged a 1.018 OPS in the second half last year, and in case you needed further proof, it appears that surge was no fluke."
CBS Sports: 13th out of 30
Matt Snyder writes: "Man, the three true outcomes are strong with Nick Kurtz, aren't they? He's up to 50 strikeouts with 34 walks and five home runs. That means 58.1% of his plate appearances result in no ball in the field of play. (I promise next week won't be another Kurtz comment)."
NBC Sports: 13th out of 30
D.J. short writes: "We all know about Shea Langeliers’ prodigious power, but did you know that he’s tied for the major league lead with 45 hits? The A’s backstop slugged two homers on Saturday (his wife Raegan’s birthday) and he became a dad on Sunday after his wife gave birth to a baby boy. Are you ready for Langeliers with dad strength?"
Bleacher Report: 11th out of 30
Kerry Miller writes: "If the A's are going to continue to hang around as a postseason candidate, they need to figure out how to pitch in West Sacramento. Heading into Sunday, they had a 6.35 ERA and .875 OPS against at home compared to 3.14 and .650, respectively, on the road. But Aaron Civale did give them a quality start (against his former team) on Sunday to keep that record above .500. Civale also went five shutout innings in Tuesday's home start against Kansas City."
ESPN: 16th out of 30 (as of Apr. 30)
Buster Olney writes: "Nick Kurtz's camp turned down a big contract offer in the offseason, and when he got off to a slow start, evaluators wondered if that decision was initially weighing on him. But no matter the reason, he is getting back to being one of the big damage hitters in the AL, patiently waiting out opposing pitchers and capitalizing when he gets pitches to hit. Kurtz has drawn walks in 18 straight games, with five homers."
This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: Athletics MLB power rankings through a month of 2026 MLB season
Continue reading...
