Category: Baseball

Posted on

Who is Luisangel Acuña? Mets infielder dishes on food, family and brother Ronald

Rowan Kavner

Rowan Kavner

MLB Writer

<!–>

–>

LOS ANGELES – Who is Luisangel Acuna? 

He’s a 23-year-old New York Mets infielder from Venezuela, April’s National League Rookie of the Month and the younger brother of Atlanta Braves star Ronald Acuña Jr. 

The younger Acuña was one of the Texas Rangers’ top prospects when the Mets acquired him in exchange for Max Scherzer in July 2023. The speedy, slick-fielding middle infielder made his Major League debut last September and has been with the Mets since Opening Day this year. 

Before the Acuña brothers get set to face each other for the first time later this month (Luisangel traveled to Atlanta with the Mets late last year, but Ronald was still recovering from his torn ACL at the time), we caught up with Luisangel during the Mets’ trip to Los Angeles this week to get to know him better. 

(Note: Questions and answers were through an interpreter and may be edited for clarity or brevity.) 

If you were to ask your family and friends to describe you as a person, what would they say? 

They would say I’m a happy guy, that I’m the type of person who will fight and do whatever to achieve their dreams. And that I’m a humble person, that’s what they would say.

What do you like to do when you’re not at the field? 

I like to be with family. I like to go out to the rivers where I’m from, because we’re kind of on the coast of Venezuela, so I like to go to the rivers with my family and spend time there.

ADVERTISEMENT

<!–>

What do you like to do there? 

Sometimes we’ll go there and have, like, a barbecue, grilling there and just hanging out.

What’s your go-to meal when you’re back home? 

Whenever I go to Venezuela, I have to have fish.

How does the fish compare here? 

Here, in the states, I just eat salmon.

Are you a cook yourself?

No, no. 

Who’s the best cook in your family? 

I think my grandmother’s the best one. My mom’s a close second, but I think my grandmother’s the best one.

How much do you miss that home cooking? 

I don’t miss it too much just because in New York there are a lot of Latin restaurants I can go to, and I can order arepas or whatever I want, so I can get my fix that way.

You won the NL Rookie of the Month Award in April. What did that mean to you or show you?

It felt good. I didn’t know I had won it until they told me when I got here. My brother called me, congratulated me, but it was definitely an honor to be able to win an award like that.

Ronald Acuna, Jr. and Luisangel Acuna are hoping to play against each other when the Mets visit the Braves in June. (Photo by Timothy Healey/Newsday RM via Getty Images) –> <!–>

You mentioned chatting with your brother. How much have you leaned on Ronald going through the ups and downs of a season? 

Yeah, whenever we’re in Venezuela, we train a lot together. The thing he always tells me is whenever I go out to play, be consistent, have the same type of discipline and work hard.

How competitive were you guys growing up? 

Yeah, I would say we’re competitive, but it’s like a fun competition. It’s one of those where he’s just challenging me to get better. For instance, whoever has more hits this month, the one who loses pays for a dinner or something like that. But it’s really just innocent competition.

I heard you liked basketball growing up. Who’s the better basketball player? 

My brother’s better than me. He’s taller than I am.

Do you have the edge anywhere? Is there an activity where you’re like, ‘I’m better than him’ in this?  

I’m faster than him.

Last September, Ronald was injured when you went to Atlanta. Now, you’re set to face him later this month. How much have you guys thought about that trip? 

Even before he came back from his injury this year, he had been telling me, ‘Hey, the Mets are going to come in June.’ So, I know he’s been really excited about that potential opportunity.

Rowan Kavner is an MLB writer for FOX Sports. He previously covered the L.A. Dodgers, LA Clippers and Dallas Cowboys. An LSU grad, Rowan was born in California, grew up in Texas, then moved back to the West Coast in 2014. Follow him on Twitter at @RowanKavner.
 

Mets vs. Nationals Highlights | MLB on FOX

Mets vs. Nationals Highlights | MLB on FOX

–>

Check out the best moments between the New York Mets and the Washington Nationals!

recommended

Get more from Major League Baseball Follow your favorites to get information about games, news and more

in this topic

Link to Original Article - on Fox Sports

Posted on

MLB Roundtable: Is deGrom a Hall of Famer? Should the Phillies extend Schwarber?

Rowan Kavner

Rowan Kavner

MLB Writer

Deesha Thosar

Deesha Thosar

MLB Writer

<!–>

We’re in the thick of the 2025 MLB season, with the All-Star Game in Atlanta just over a month away and the trade deadline just a few weeks later.

In this week’s roundtable, FOX Sports MLB experts Rowan Kavner and Deesha Thosar do a temperature check on the biggest storylines in the league.

1. How do you see this Drake Baldwin-Sean Murphy situatin shaking out for the Braves, given Murphy was the more established veteran, but Baldwin had the kind of All-Star-caliber promise that led Atlanta to give him this opportunity in the first place?

Kavner: The reigning Rookie of the Month is clobbering the baseball. Baldwin’s hitting for both contact and power, and all the underlying numbers support the production. Among Braves hitters with at least 100 plate appearances this year, Baldwin has the highest hard-hit rate, second-highest OPS and second-lowest strikeout rate. So, until or unless that changes, that’s a player the Braves have to continue working in as they try to claw back into contention. Then again, it’s easy to say the Braves need to find at-bats for someone like that. Finding those at-bats is harder when the DH spot is occupied by Marcell Ozuna (who has been the best hitter on the team all year) and Murphy has been one of the five best hitters on the club. I think right now, the right answer is continuing on as is, and maybe Baldwin wins out in the timeshare. You could entertain trade offers for Murphy, but the current system alleviates some of the pressure on Baldwin if he were to experience a second-half downturn. After all, it’s hard to hold up full-time at that position as a young player over the course of a full season. Plus, it’s not the worst thing to have two great catchers with one coming off the bench to pinch-hit late.

Thosar: The Braves can’t afford to take Baldwin’s bat out of the lineup. He’s been one of the only bright spots on an offense that’s ranked 19th in MLB, and the Braves have as many wins as the Rockies (3) since May 23. I think he’ll continue receiving starts at catcher and DH, especially to help get Murphy and Ozuna off their feet. But there will likely be a drop off in his playing time now — unless the Braves try something unconventional. Maybe they can let Baldwin continue to hit by playing him at a different position. It would be pretty unusual to move Baldwin to, say, left field since he’s only posted up at catcher throughout his professional career. But, at this point, if it won’t exactly harm his development, what does Atlanta have to lose?

Jaocb deGrom was arguably the best pitcher in the league for seven years, winning Rookie of the Year honors, multiple Cy Young awards, and four All-Star nods. (Photo by Sam Hodde/Getty Images) –> <!–>

ADVERTISEMENT

–>

2. It feels like Jacob deGrom is back to his old self this year with the Rangers. How do you handle the legacy of an arm like this, who has been — and is — dominant in a way few others are, but has so rarely been on the mound for so many of those years?

Kavner: Hall of Fame worthy stuff, Hall of Fame worthy rate stats, one of the best pitchers in the sport’s history when he’s on the mound … and, at least at this point, not on the mound enough to be a Hall of Famer. Sandy Koufax is probably the prime example of one of the best pitchers of all time whose career was shortened by injury, and Koufax finished with 165 wins and more than 2,300 innings and strikeouts. DeGrom has fewer than 100 wins and well fewer than 2,000 innings and 2,000 strikeouts. Now, obviously the game has changed considerably since the days of Koufax, and if deGrom can win a third Cy Young, perhaps that would put him in enough rare company to get in the conversation without the counting stats. His peak, after all, is as dominant as anyone’s. So, if he can be one of the best pitchers on the planet for a few more years — and, most importantly, stay healthy through his late-30s — he could make it interesting. At some point, there will need to be a longer conversation about what should constitute a Hall of Fame career for a big-league starter, given how rare it is for a pitcher to throw 200 innings anymore.

Thosar: Jacob deGrom is in the same camp as Mike Trout, in that they’re two of the greatest players in baseball history, but it’s anyone’s guess how long they’ll dominate before inevitably landing on the injured list. Given deGrom debuted at 26 years old, I do think he has more mileage left on his arm than people might give him credit for. His counting stats might not be enough to get him into the Hall of Fame, but his limited innings pitched suggests, as long as he can stay healthy, he has the chance to defy the odds and pitch into his 40s. It’s impressive that deGrom seems to have unlocked another level by taking some velo off his fastball. It wasn’t sustainable to throw triple-digit heaters every fifth day and expect to stay on the mound. Now that he’s dialed it back, and has remained effective, that might just be the magic recipe for deGrom, which is terrific for fans of the sport. Baseball is better when deGrom is on the mound.

3. Trent Grisham has been quite the surprise for the Yankees. Has there been a real change here that can help the Yankees going forward, or should they just be happy that they’ve already gotten this much out of the center fielder?

Kavner: Yes … and yes. The Yankees should be thrilled at what they’ve gotten, but even if it doesn’t stay quite this productive all year — he already saw a rather significant downturn in May, and I’m going to take the under on a 138 OPS+ by season’s end — there are real reasons to believe he can remain a well above-average hitter. He has made some stance changes — more open, more distance between his feet — and he’s finding the sweet spot and making contact far more often in the zone. He has always been a patient hitter, sometimes to his detriment which is why his strikeout rate has always been higher than you’d expect for someone who rarely chases and walks a ton. Now, he’s still taking a lot of free bases while registering a career-low strikeout rate. Most importantly, he’s also clobbering pitches to hit early in the count more often than he had in the past. It all seems to be coming together for him at 28, and it’s possible an All-Star nod is ahead.

Thosar: The Yankees should be happy that Grisham helped carry the offense in April, and anything else he does now is a bonus. After posting a 1.009 OPS in April, Grisham is starting to come back down to earth. He’s batting .174 (8-for-46) with one home run over the past two weeks, but he still gives a quality at-bat every time he’s at the plate, sporting a chase rate that’s in the 100th percentile this season. And the man has played in 52 of the Yankees’ 59 games this year, so he’s probably getting tired. The Yankees could’ve given Grisham more off days up until this weekend, before left fielder Jasson Dominguez sustained a thumb injury and is now considered day-to-day. Now, Grisham needs to continue posting in center field while providing just enough to get by with his bat. But the Yankees have the best outfield production in MLB (thanks, of course, to Aaron Judge) so they have a cushion in case Grisham returns to being more of a bench player.

Kyle Schwarber is batting .266/.398/.584 with 19 homers, and in 2024 he led the NL in walks while just missing hitting 40 homers, a feat he managed in 2022 and 2023 (Photo by Emilee Chinn/Getty Images) <!–>

–>

4. Kyle Schwarber is 32, and in the last season of his deal with the Phillies. Should the Phillies be trying to extend him before he even makes it to free agency, or is playing things slower and waiting until the offseason the right move?

Kavner: Considering he has more than twice as many homers as any player in the Phillies’ lineup, and how little pop there has been behind him, Bryce Harper and Trea Turner, I think it’s definitely worth a conversation. The fit is great, and he seems to enjoy being in Philadelphia. But I wonder if it might be too late now, given just how good he has been this year. Schwarber’s in the midst of the best offensive season of his career. He has been the seventh-best hitter in MLB by wRC+, he’s the only player on the team slugging over .500, and he’ll be one of the best bats on the market. I have a hard time thinking — or seeing a reason why — he would agree to sign an extension in season before testing free agency, even if he ultimately does end up back with the Phillies.

Thosar: Schwarber is the most important person in the Phillies lineup, besides Bryce Harper. So they really have nobody to replace him, and no choice but to try and extend him before another contending team makes him an offer he can’t refuse in the offseason. Keep in mind, there’s also a thin market for designated hitters this winter, with Marcell Ozuna the only other DH who will become a free agent. Schwarber is beloved by the Phillies fan base in a way we haven’t seen in years. But I think, ultimately, the decision to extend him will depend on how desperate the Phillies are to win. Schwarber likely has 2-3 good years left in him before he experiences the inevitable drop off from power hitters in their mid 30s. Signing Schwarber to a 2-3 year deal keeps the Phillies’ championship window open. Waiting to re-sign him in the offseason will only raise his price.

5. We’ve had two distinct versions of the Athletics in the season’s first two months. Through May 5, they were 20-16, and held one of the AL’s three wild card spots. In the games since through Monday, though, they’re 3-22 — that’s worse than the Rockies in the same stretch — and are now on pace for 101 losses. Which version of the A’s is closer to the truth we should expect to see from here on out?

Kavner: Sadly, when you have a worse ERA than the team that’s trending toward the worst record in MLB history, it’s probably the latter. The A’s have a 5.85 ERA overall, a staggering 6.22 ERA at home and have allowed the most home runs in the majors, and we haven’t even gotten to the summer heat that will descend upon Sacramento and send even more baseballs into orbit. I have a hard time thinking that will make life easier. Jacob Wilson is the clear AL Rookie of the Year frontrunner, Lawrence Butler is heating up and Brent Rooker and Tyler Soderstrom continue to rake, and yet the A’s have still one won of their last 20 games. ONE OF THEIR LAST 20! They’ve allowed eight or more runs in each of their last six games. The offensive talent in place can’t fix that.

Thosar: The A’s dreadful 1-18 stretch from May 24 to June 3 was their worst record over a 19-game span since going 1-18 in 1943. So, they’re not as good as they were in April (14-12), but they’re definitely better than they’ve been playing lately. A troubling sign of things to come is the A’s MLB-worst 5.85 ERA as a pitching staff — and it’s only the beginning of June. As the weather gets warmer, the ball is going to start flying in Sacramento soon, which will only make that ERA more bloated. Even though the A’s offense will have that same opportunity to watch their hits fly in the summer months, it won’t matter much if the pitching staff isn’t even giving them a chance to win the game.

Deesha Thosar is an MLB writer for FOX Sports. She previously covered the Mets as a beat reporter for the New York Daily News. The daughter of Indian immigrants, Deesha grew up on Long Island and now lives in Queens. Follow her on Twitter at @DeeshaThosar.

Rowan Kavner is an MLB writer for FOX Sports. He previously covered the L.A. Dodgers, LA Clippers and Dallas Cowboys. An LSU grad, Rowan was born in California, grew up in Texas, then moved back to the West Coast in 2014. Follow him on Twitter at @RowanKavner.

<!–>

recommended

Get more from Major League Baseball Follow your favorites to get information about games, news and more

in this topic

–>

Link to Original Article - on Fox Sports

Posted on

Mets’ Francisco Lindor broke his toe, but he’s not headed to the IL yet

<!–>

Francisco Lindor is not immediately headed to the injured list after his toe was broken by a pitch in the New York Mets‘ game against the Los Angeles Dodgers on Wednesday night. 

Lindor wasn’t available to play for the Mets on Thursday, but manager Carlos Mendoza called him day-to-day. Lindor told reporters that he will continue to play if he can manage the pain this weekend against Colorado.

Lindor’s right pinky toe was broken by a pitch from right-hander Tony Gonsolin in the first inning of the third game of the Mets’ four-game series at Dodger Stadium. Lindor played the rest of the game despite being in apparently obvious pain, and the fracture was found afterward.

Luisangel Acuna filled in for Lindor at shortstop Thursday, while Brandon Nimmo took his spot as the Mets’ leadoff hitter. The Mets already called prospect Ronny Mauricio up earlier in the week to fill in for the injured Mark Vientos at third base, following a low-grade hamstring strain suffered during Monday night’s game against the Dodgers.

ADVERTISEMENT

–>

Lindor is batting .279 with 14 homers, 36 RBIs and a .843 OPS for the Mets. He’s ranked second on the team in OPS+ at 141, behind Pete Alonso, and tied for first on the club in wins above replacement with him. Lindor finished second to the Dodgers’ Shohei Ohtani in the NL MVP voting last year after hitting .273/.344/.500 with 33 home runs in a nearly seven-win season. 

Coincidentally, Lindor also broke his finger in a hotel door during a series against the Dodgers three years ago. Lindor said that break still hurts occasionally.

The Associated Press contributed to this report.

Want great stories delivered right to your inbox? Create or log in to your FOX Sports account, and follow leagues, teams and players to receive a personalized newsletter daily!

<!–>

recommended

Get more from Major League Baseball Follow your favorites to get information about games, news and more

in this topic

–>

Link to Original Article - on Fox Sports

Posted on

Justin Ishbia enters White Sox investment deal, could be next owner

<!–>

Jerry Reinsdorf has been the owner of the White Sox since 1981 and the Bulls since 1985, so he’s been something of a constant in the Chicago sports scene for the entire lives of countless fans. That will change eventually, though, and an agreement reported on Thursday is a reminder of that. Per ESPN, Reinsdorf has entered into an “investment agreement” with billionaire Justin Ishbia that portends a future where ownership of the White Sox changes hands.

Per the report, “The agreement provides that, from 2029–2033, Reinsdorf will have the option to sell the controlling interest to Ishbia. After the 2034 season, Ishbia will have the option to acquire the controlling interest. In the event of any such future transaction, all limited partners of the Sox would have the opportunity to sell to Ishbia at that time.” 

That the White Sox would eventually leave the Reinsdorf family is no surprise. Jerry Reinsdorf, 89, is on the record as telling his son, Michael, that he has “an obligation to do what’s best (for the other investors)” after his death. “That likely means putting the team up for sale … The team will be worth more out of town.” And that it could be to Ishbia also checks out: Justin Ishbia and his brother, Mat — currently the co-owners of the NBA’s Phoenix Suns and WNBA’s Phoenix Mercury — backed out of a deal to buy the Minnesota Twins in February, despite being so far into the process of the deal that MLB had vetted the pair, per The Athletic. 

They did so in order for Justin to increase his minority investment in the White Sox, which now has the opportunity to become the controlling interest in the team as early as 2029. This might also be signalling, considering Ishbia’s ties to Chicago, that the White Sox will not be pursuing a move to Nashville or any other city as they had been working on behind the scenes for the past couple of years, with Reinsdorf going so far as to meet the mayor of Nashville during the 2023 offseason’s winter meetings, which were held there.

ADVERTISEMENT

–>

That being said, Ishbia is also a minority owner in MLS’s Nashville SC, meaning, there’s little reason for that bit of new-stadium-talk leverage to disappear, if the goal is to get public stadium subsidies in place in time for Ishbia to take the reins of the franchise.

The White Sox are currently in last place in the AL Central and the AL as a whole thanks to a 19-43 record. In 2024, they set the all-time losses record with 121. 

Want great stories delivered right to your inbox? Create or log in to your FOX Sports account, and follow leagues, teams and players to receive a personalized newsletter daily!

FOLLOW Follow your favorites to personalize your FOX Sports experience

Chicago White Sox

Major League Baseball

<!–>

recommended

Get more from Major League Baseball Follow your favorites to get information about games, news and more

in this topic

–>

Link to Original Article - on Fox Sports

Posted on

Last Night in Baseball: Red Sox win on the shortest walk-off homer… ever?

<!–>

There is always baseball happening — almost too much baseball for one person to handle themselves. 

That’s why we’re here to help, though, by sifting through the previous days’ games, and figuring out what you missed, but shouldn’t have. Here are all the best moments from last night in Major League Baseball:

The shortest walk-off homer maybe ever? 

It’s difficult to know, given how measurements over time have worked and records have been kept, just how long the longest home run in MLB history was, or just how short we’re talking when we say shortest long ball. We do know about the Statcast era, though, from 2015 onward, and at least we know where the fences have historically been kept at MLB ballparks, too. Which means that we definitely just saw the shortest walk-off home run of the Statcast era per MLB, at minimum, and possibly the shortest walk-off homer ever.

Ceddanne Rafaela came up in the bottom of the ninth inning, with the Red Sox and Angels tied 9-9. Boston had already dropped the first two games of the series to Los Angeles — 7-6 and 4-3 — as their tumble down the standings continued. Rafaela would ensure the slide at least temporarily halted with one swing of the bat: 308 feet later, the Red Sox had won.

ADVERTISEMENT

–>

The right field foul pole at Fenway, nicknamed “Pesky’s Pole” owing to former shortstop Johnny Pesky wrapping a few around the pole in his day, sits 302 feet from home plate. There aren’t a lot of homers hit there annually, despite the short distance, given that the right field wall begins to take a sharp angle backward to the point that Fenway, historically and in the present, is a poor place for lefties to hit homers. Dead center is 389 feet, the furthest point of the field is 420 feet out, and the midpoint of the fence in right is 380 feet. All of this means it’s actually as tough to hit a homer from the left side of the plate as it is for righties who have to contend with the 37-foot wall out in left field keeping them from hitting anything but towering fly balls over the fence. There’s that tiny spot tucked away near the Pesky’s Pole, though, where a ball can just, whoops, home run, and Rafaela found it at the best possible time.

This was the third homer Rafaela hit against the Angels in the series, with the other two going over the aforementioned Monster in left. More majestic homers they might have been, but this little one certainly counted for more. Both in the moment, and possibly historically, too.

The Rockies swept the Marlins!

It’s okay if you want to read that in Russ Hodges’ “The Giants win the pennant!” voice, given the achievement certainly feels as monumental as Bobby Thomson’s “Shot Heard ‘Round the World” with how Colorado’s season has gone outside of this series. But they did it! The Rockies faced the Marlins in three games, and they won all three. They’re still on pace for a record 131 losses, and the Marlins are now on pace for an even 100 defeats owing to these defeats, but that’s something to worry about later. Right now, the Rockies have not only won their first season series of the year, but earned their first sweep, too, and can go for their fourth win in a row on Friday against the… oh. The Mets. Holders of the best record in the National League, and looking to take three of four from the NL West-leading Dodgers on Thursday.

Listen, the important thing is that no one can take those wins away from you, Colorado, they are in the bank. 

Hey, that’s still the basepath, it counts

Wyatt Langford faced a dilemma as he ran down to first base. The problem? The Rangers’ left fielder had hit a ground ball to short, and was likely to be out at first until José Caballero’s throw was off target enough to pull Jonathan Aranda off of the bag. Aranda was still in Langford’s path, however, and while he was on the ground, that was going to be a problem. Langford couldn’t go left, he couldn’t go right, but he could go over. And so he did.

Beautiful form, just splendidly done. It’s worth pointing out, too, that Langford was aware enough of what he was doing here as to make sure he landed on the bag with the front part of his foot, taking pressure off of both his ankle and his knee, and so that he could also easily bound past first base as if he had done it by running through the standard way. Aranda couldn’t quite get the tag high enough from his position on the ground to nab Langford mid-hurdle, so instead, the Rangers got a baserunner.

Sure, the Rangers ended up losing to the Rays in the end, 5-4, but hey: hurdles.

Alonso, take a bow

The aforementioned Mets already took two of the first three games of their four-game set with the Dodgers, but Wednesday’s victory also gave them the season series over Los Angeles. And they can thank their pitching for that — starting pitcher Griffin Canning and the bullpen combined for nine 1-run innings with 10 strikeouts, one walk, and just six hits — but also Pete Alonso. 

Alonso went deep not once, but twice. The first shot was enough to give the Mets the W, as the two-run homer put them up 3-0. The second one was just for emphasis, as it gave the Mets a 6-0 lead in the eighth inning. Alonso drove in five of New York’s six runs on the night, and they’d end up winning 6-1. 

Meanwhile…

You flinched, Dodgers!

Now you have to marry your mother-in-law!

Want great stories delivered right to your inbox? Create or log in to your FOX Sports account and follow leagues, teams and players to receive a personalized newsletter daily!

FOLLOW Follow your favorites to personalize your FOX Sports experience

Boston Red Sox

Ceddanne Rafaela

Major League Baseball

<!–>

recommended

Get more from Major League Baseball Follow your favorites to get information about games, news and more

in this topic

–>

Link to Original Article - on Fox Sports

Posted on

MLB could introduce Automated Ball-Strike System in 2026 season

<!–>

Computer technology to appeal ball/strike calls could be in place for the 2026 regular season. MLB commissioner Rob Manfred said the use of the Automated Ball-Strike System was likely to be considered by the 11-man competition committee, which includes six management representatives.

During a spring training experiment in 288 games, teams were successful on 52.2% of their ball/strike challenges using the Automated Ball-Strike System.

“I do think that we’re going to pursue the possibility of change in that process and we’ll see what comes out at the end of that,” Manfred said. “The teams are really positive about ABS. I do have that unscientific system that I use: my email traffic. And my distinct impression is that using ABS in spring training has made people more prone to complain of balls and strike calls via email to me referencing the need for ABS.”

An experiment with a technology system to challenge checked-swing calls started in the Class A Florida State League on May 20. That is not under consideration for MLB use in 2026.

“I think we’ve got to get over the hump in terms of either doing ABS or not doing it before you’d get into the complication of a separate kind of challenge,” Manfred said.

ADVERTISEMENT

–>

Reporting by The Associated Press.

Want great stories delivered right to your inbox? Create or log in to your FOX Sports account and follow leagues, teams and players to receive a personalized newsletter daily!

 

<!–>

recommended

Get more from Major League Baseball Follow your favorites to get information about games, news and more

in this topic

–>

Link to Original Article - on Fox Sports

Posted on

What’s happened to the Athletics?

<!–>

May 5 was the highpoint of the Athletics season. They would defeat the first-place Mariners, 7-6, in an 11-inning game that took 3 hours and 37 minutes to determine a victor. Shortstop Jacob Wilson played the hero, driving in Tyler Soderstrom on a single that secured the win for the A’s, their seventh at Sutter Health Park in the young season. The Athletics had won five of their last six and 10 of their last 12, and it looked like something exciting might be happening to a team with some promising young hitters on it.

Those promising young hitters are still there, and they’re still hitting. That’s about all that’s the same as on May 5 for the A’s, however. They would lose the next two games to the Mariners, and the series. They’d lose the two following series to the Yankees and Dodgers, 2-1, as well. And then they’d drop 11 games in a row.

That streak ended on May 25, with a win against the Phillies that helped the A’s avoid being swept for the third consecutive series, but a new one began the next day, with the latest L on the schedule coming on Tuesday against the Twins, a game the A’s dropped 10-3. One night after losing to Minnesota 10-4. In essence, the A’s are a 5-4 win over Philadelphia away from having lost 20 games in a row. 

ADVERTISEMENT

–>

The A’s record now stands at 23-39, last in the AL West and, if not for the White Sox, would be the worst showing in the American League in 2025. Since May 6, they have a worse record (3-23) than the Rockies (5-21), who are on pace to have the worst season in modern MLB history. They have exactly one more victory at home through June 3’s game as they did following their win at Sutter Health Park on May 5 against the M’s: they’re 9-21 in their temporary home, and 14-18 on the road. They’ve performed so poorly of late that they’re no longer in danger of setting a record for the largest difference between their road and home winning percentages, because those figures have moved closer together now that the Athletics aren’t winning road games, either.

While even the 20-16 record featured a negative run differential that should have kept anyone from getting too excited about the Athletics’ performance, the difference between then and now is still stark: the A’s were outscored by 21 runs in their first 36 games, but by 102 runs in their last 26 contests. This isn’t the A’s merely coming back to Earth, as that first run differential suggested was possible. They instead crashed into the planet at a terrifying velocity, leaving a crater behind.

And they might be stuck in there, too, if the reasons for their recent struggles are any indication. As said, the A’s are still hitting. As a team, they’re at .252/.325/.409 since May 6. While that’s worse than what they were up to before the downturn – .256/.318/.422 – the difference isn’t massive, and it’s still above the league-average of .244/.316/.395. Wilson (.376/.433/.581) has been even better than he was at the start of the year, and he’s had help from the likes of Lawrence Butler (.287/.362/.564), rookie Nicholas Kurtz (.222/.317/.537) and Brent Rooker (.304/.372/.471). The A’s are actually eighth in the majors at OPS+, at 107. 

For comparison, the other three teams on pace for at least 100 losses as of this writing – the White Sox (81), Pirates (79) and Rockies (71) – rank as the three worst offenses in the league by OPS+. 

If it’s not the hitting, it doesn’t take an advanced degree in sports analytics to determine what the problem for the A’s is. The pitching is, in a word, bad. That word is not quite forceful or evocative enough to get the real sense of things, but that’s what the numbers are for. 

Luis Severino (40) has a record of 1-5 this season. (Photo by Alex Slitz/Getty Images) <!–>

–>

Whereas the A’s have an OPS+ of 107, their ERA+, which takes into account league environment and park factors to determine how high above or below the average a team’s ERA is, is 70. Which is to say that they’re the Rockies’ hitters of pitchers. At 70, their ERA+ is the worst in the league. They’re one of just three clubs with ERA+ in the 70s, and one of five with an actual ERA north of 5 – the A’s, at 5.85, are approaching six earned runs per nine. Again, for comparison’s sake, the Rockies – who play at Coors Field, and also have Rockies pitchers – have an ERA of 5.49 this season. 

As a team, the A’s are allowing a .313 batting average on balls in play, the third-highest in the majors and well above the average of .289. They’re allowing the second-most home runs per nine innings (1.5) and have the worst home ERA (6.22) in the majors: opponents are batting .283/.360/.502 with 53 homers at Sutter Health Park. As good as the A’s offense has been, there is no comparison. And things seem to be getting worse in this regard, too, since the Athletics’ pitching staff has allowed opposing teams, regardless of park, to bat .311/.387/.567 and launch 57 homers since May 6. 

It’s not all Sutter Health, but it’s not helping, either. That stadium has been the most hitter-friendly in MLB this year with a park factor of 112, per the Statcast-powered Savant, alongside Oriole Park at Camden Yards. While home runs have been a more significant issue in Baltimore, doubles and triples are dominating at Sutter Health… for now. Eventually, it’s going to heat up in Sacramento, and some of those doubles and triples might turn into homers themselves. 

One reason the A’s stuck with grass at Sutter Health Park, despite the wear-and-tear that comes from two teams – the A’s themselves and their Triple-A hosts, the Sacramento River Cats – playing on the surface was the summer heat. Switching to turf would have meant less upkeep than grass, but also increased temperatures, per MLB’s research. Sacramento already experiences dozens of 100-degree days each summer, with a record 45 of them during 2024’s baseball season: amplifying that heat further with the playing surface was unwise.

Which is to say that things are only going to heat up in Sacramento once summer hits, and higher temperatures – especially higher temperatures in less humid climates – mean more offense, since the ball travels further in warmer air. The A’s pitching staff might be in serious trouble when spring ends.

It works both ways, though, since the A’s will be able to hit in these same conditions, but the offense already can’t keep up. Free agent starter Luis Severino was supposed to be a stabilizing force in the rotation, and he has been in the sense he’s leading the starters in ERA+, but at a below-average 90. He’s given up 19 runs in his last 27.2 innings and five starts since May 6, which makes for the second-best ERA among A’s pitchers with at least one start during that stretch. The team’s ERA during the entire 26-game run is 7.04, with a HR/9 (2.25) higher than the team’s K/BB (2.2). 

Is there enough offense to counteract this, anywhere? Unlikely. Which means the A’s need their pitchers to improve their performance, or be replaced by those who can do that, before another blistering summer exacerbates the existing issues. 

Want great stories delivered right to your inbox? Create or log in to your FOX Sports account, and follow leagues, teams and players to receive a personalized newsletter daily!

FOLLOW Follow your favorites to personalize your FOX Sports experience

Athletics

Jacob Wilson

Major League Baseball

<!–>

recommended

Get more from Major League Baseball Follow your favorites to get information about games, news and more

in this topic

–>

Link to Original Article - on Fox Sports