Meet the A’s hitters: Youngsters hope to light up Sutter Health Park in 2025
The Athletics have spent much of the last year creating off-the-field headlines. They moved out of Oakland to a minor league ballpark in West Sacramento before their planned completion of a $1.7 billion domed stadium on the Las Vegas Strip in 2028. It’s a unique situation, to say the least.
In the meantime, on the field, they hope to become one of the better stories in baseball behind their up-and-coming roster and unprecedented spending thanks to being back on Major League Baseball’s revenue sharing. They’ll make their home debut in the capital region when they host the Chicago Cubs on Monday, marking the first-ever regular season MLB game to be played in the Sacramento area.
The A’s are hoping to build of the latter part of last season, when they went 32-32 and evolve into a playoff contender. They’ve locked in key players to long-term contracts in very un-A’s-like fashion. They’re hoping to improve upon a 69-93 finish to 2024, when they came in fourth in the American League West. It marked their fourth straight losing season.
To help preview the season in their new market, which starts with a four-game series Thursday through Sunday in Seattle against the Mariners, here’s a look at the team’s position players.
Infield
Catcher: Shea Langeliers
Langeliers was a key piece in the trade that sent star first baseman Matt Olson to the Atlanta Braves in 2022. He’s entering his third season as the full-time catcher and figures to be mainstay in the middle of the lineup. Langeliers hit 22 and 29 home runs, respectively, over the last two seasons, and gave the A’s an impressive 2.9 wins above replacement (WAR) offensively, ranking ninth among qualified catchers in baseball.
Langeliers appeared in 272 games over the last two seasons, making him the team’s everyday option.
First base: Tyler Soderstrom
The A’s drafted Soderstrom 26th overall in the 2020 draft out of Turlock High School. The 23-year-old left-handed hitter has also worked behind the plate, but is expected to take on the every-day job at first base. He showed signs of belonging late last season when he slashed .279/.340/.512 during a small 12-game sample, helping him finish the season with nine home runs and 26 RBIs.
The A’s are hoping Soderstrom can begin to flourish after hitting 32 home runs in 119 games in Triple-A over the last three seasons.
Second base: Zack Gelof / Max Muncy
Gelof took a step back in his second big league campaign in 2024, posting a .632 OPS after impressing with an .840 clip as a rookie. Gelof dealt with an oblique injury that caused him to go on the injury list in April and struggled through it during most of the year. The 25-year-old has shown signs of power and speed with 31 home runs and 39 stolen bases in 207 major-league games.
Gelof is also considered one of the best defensive second basemen around. Gelof last season ranked second among all second basemen in FanGraphs’ UZR metric.
However, Gelof on Monday had surgery to repair a fractured hamate bone in his right, throwing hand after getting hit by a pitch in a spring training game last week. That means 22-year-old infielder Max Muncy, who shares the same name as the Dodgers’ former All-Star, could be in the mix. Muncy is ranked as the A’s No. 7 prospect after being drafted 25th overall in 2021.
Muncy hit 39 home runs and stole 38 bases in 315 minor league games while slashing .256/.346/.427. Veteran Luis Urías, a utility man who’s been in the majors for seven seasons, could also get playing time in place of Gelof.
Shortstop: Jacob Wilson
The sixth-overall draft pick from the 2023 class is in line to become a regular for the first time in his career in 2025. He appeared in 16 games last year and hit four home runs while driving in 12.
Wilson comes into 2025 with high expectations given his draft status and potential, and an impressive minor league resume that includes a .401/.446/.606 slash line with 47 extra-base hits in 79 games.
Third base: Gio Urshela
The A’s were attracted to the 33-year-old Urshela for his steady glove and experience. This will be his 10th MLB season after spending time with Cleveland, Toronto, the Yankees, Minnesota, the Angels, Detroit and Atlanta. His best season came in New York in 2019, when he hit .314 with 21 home runs and 34 doubles.
The A’s are hoping Urshela offers a reliable option after rotating at the position throughout 2024 when the team’s third baseman combined to have a disappointing .616 OPS.
Outfield
Brent Rooker: The team’s most notable player hit 39 home runs with a .927 OPS to earn the Silver Slugger nod for designated hitter. Rooker figures to be in the mix as an outfielder this year after dealing with a forearm injury that required offseason surgery.
Rooker during the offseason signed a five-year, $60-million contract making him an unofficial face of the team’s stay in Sacramento.
Lawrence Butler: Butler came on to play at an All-Star level during the second half of last season when he slashed .300/.345/.553 with 13 home runs and 12 stolen bases. He hit 18 of his 22 homers in July and August.
Like Rooker, the A’s rewarded Butler with a long-term contract in the offseason, signing him to a seven-year, $65.5 million deal.
JJ Bleday: Bleday appeared in 159 games last season and figures to remain one of the team’s most reliable players. His 43 doubles and 20 home runs were first and fourth on the team, respectively, while his .324 on-base percentage ranked second. The A’s acquired Bleday in a trade from the Miami Marlins for left-handed pitcher A.J. Puk during the 2023 offseason.
The A’s appeared to get the better end of the deal, as Puk was moved to the Arizona Diamondbacks in a midseason swap for two minor leaguers.
Seth Brown: One of the team’s longest tenured players, Brown has been with the A’s since 2019 and has hit 14 home runs in each of the past two seasons after a career high of 25 in 2022. Brown figures to be in the mix at first base and both corner outfield spots.
Potential bench players and DH
Miguel Andujar: The A’s depth chart currently lists Rooker and Andujar, also a left-field option, as the team’s primary designated hitters.
Jhonny Pereda: Pereda is the only other catcher on the 40-man roster and is the favorite to be the backup.
Luis Arias: Urias signed a Major League contract early in spring training to provide depth across the infield. His best seasons came with the Milwaukee Brewers in in 2021 and 2022. But he’s slashed just .193/.324/.336 in 93 games since then.
Max Schuemann: Schuemann played all over the field last year year for the A’s, getting time at every position except first base and catcher. He had nine home runs, 38 RBIs and 12 stolen bases while getting caught stealing just once.
