A’s Shea Langeliers puts up monstrous numbers in streak, capped by 3-homer day
When talking about a record-setting Athletics slugger as of late, many would look immediately to American League Rookie of the Year frontrunner Nick Kurtz.
On Tuesday, Kurtz — the 12th player in MLB history to win Player and Rookie of the Month in the same month for his July and who tied the total base record with 19 in a historic, four-homer July 25 performance — continued his dominance with three hits and two walks.
But leading the A’s in their monstrous 24-hit, 16-7 win over the Washington Nationals was the only Athletics hitter with more home runs since his June 30 return from a rehab stint: Shea Langeliers.
Langeliers ties catcher total base record
Langeliers ended the day with three home runs and a single as well as an eighth-inning double when the catcher had a chance to become just the second MLB player with four home runs in a game this season, following Kurtz.
While he didn’t reach the 19 total bases of Kurtz, his 15 on Tuesday is tied for the most by a catcher in a game since at least 1900.
His performance also made him the first A’s catcher to have five hits in a game since Dave Duncan in 1972.
“Great night for Shea,” A’s manager Mark Kotsay said postgame, according to MLB.com. “He’s been able to almost hit another gear right now offensively and put together at-bat after at-bat, which we saw tonight.”
His recent hot streak has made a case that the 27-year-old’s 2025 campaign is the best in his still-young career. His 22 home runs already tied his second-highest total from 2023 and he is well on his way to reaching last year’s 29. His .272/.323/.545 slash line is also miles better than his previous full big league seasons.
Tuesday was Langeliers’ third multi-hit game of August less than a week into the month, and his ninth since returning from the All-Star break July 18. Since the break, he has only gone hitless twice and is second only in home runs to the Philadelphia Phillies’ Kyle Schwarber (10).
His 22 home runs, just one behind both Kurtz and designated hitter Brent Rooker for the team lead, Langeliers has joined Cal Raleigh, Mike Piazza, Earl Williams and Rudy York as the only catchers to hit at least 20 home runs three times in their first four MLB seasons.
‘Leadoff Langeliers’?
This time, the slugging catcher, who has clubbed 12 home runs and nine doubles while slashing .343/.369/.771 since his rehab stint, was doing it from the leadoff spot — which he said was the first time he could remember starting off a game since at least Little League.
“When they sent out the lineup, me and (Brent Rooker) kind of giggled,” Langeliers said, according to MLB.com. “We thought it was a typo or something.”
Postgame, Kotsay said the decision was made to give Langeliers more at-bats and hopefully give them a quick lead, which manifested when the catcher’s 20th home run of the year was a lead-off blast in the first.
Langeliers became the first player since 1900 to have three home runs in his first game in the leadoff spot and became just the second catcher to hit three homers in the one-hole after Travis d’Arnaud did it for the Tampa Bay Rays in 2019.
Alongside d’Arnaud and Hall of Famers Gary Carter and Johnny Bench, Langeliers is one of four catchers to have multiple career three-homer games.
While the experiment at leadoff certainly paid off for the A’s, Langeliers was uncertain after Tuesday’s game if it would be a consistent role for him moving forward.
“I don’t know,” Langeliers said when asked if “Leadoff Langeliers” could become a thing, according to MLB.com. “It might be a thing against lefties. We’ll see. Wherever Kots thinks I’m going to produce, I’m down for whatever spot in the lineup.”
Despite his future role being uncertain, when the A’s face off against the Nationals at 3:45 p.m. Wednesday, Langeliers will get a second shot at the unfamiliar role a — slotted into the leadoff spot once again as he hopes to lead his team to a series win.
