Even as the Oakland A's fight for their second consecutive American West League Championship over the last six weeks of the Major League Baseball season, there is a truth that should hearten fans in the East Bay and everywhere else: This team is built to last. They are young and—although inconsistent at times—this team's core is full of talent.
With that said, even as this team fights to secure a spot in the postseason, they will likely be underdogs to capture the team's first title in 24 years. However, with the nucleus likely in tact, it isn't too early to project ...
The big boys on the Oakland A's had a decent week, but it was the prospects in the farm system who—for many of the Top 10—added to their already-awesome stat lines.
From No. 1 prospect Addison Russell to newly drafted Billy McKinney, many of the most recognizable and top-rated players continued to show they can handle their respective league. It's clear these guys are ready to move ahead. Still, other lesser-known Top 10 players saw struggles.
Check out who had "just another good week" and who wants to pretend Aug. 12 through the 18th never happened.
But first, a few notes.
No. 10 prospect ...
Bad breaks, thin pocketbook and recent sloppy play aside, the Oakland Athletics are still the best team in the American League West. If a couple key players perform well in September, the Athletics should repeat as division champions.
Mid-August finds the A's 1.5 games behind the Texas Rangers, with the Seattle Mariners, Los Angeles Angels of Anaheim and Houston Astros trailing off in the distance.
The revised wild-card format means second place is no longer good enough, as the Rangers found last season. A winning season can go down the drain with one playoff loss.
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Eric Sogard is counting his blessings.
The Oakland Athletics shortstop had a big scare Thursday when half of Houston Astro Chris Carter's bat came flying at him on a broken-bat grounder.
Thankfully, Sogard came out with only a minor scratch:
Broken bats are common. I find it puzzling that more incidents like this haven't happened. Bats go flying, but most of the time they miss everyone around.
Some people will call for more safety measures placed in baseball, but many would add it's just a part of the game.
Sure, the sport is dangerous when you're dealing with a baseball traveling 90 mph or more. But ...
When it comes to the MLB waiver trade deadline, the Oakland Athletics' approach could be aptly titled "All Quiet on the Western Front." Then again, general manager Billy Beane has never been one to show his cards, so this shouldn't come as a surprise.
At this point, the A's have talent on both sides of the ball. It's just a matter of the two clicking simultaneously.
Four-fifths of the starting rotation could end up with a dozen wins. The offense is well-rounded with speed from Coco Crisp and Eric Sogard, consistency from the left side of the infield and power from Brandon ...
There is some debate as to who are the Oakland A's biggest prospects and what merits a place on such a list. And while there is nothing I will say to settle the debate, I do have some feelings about the five players who are most valued by the organization in August 2013.
That said, even as the big club continues to try to defend its American League West title, an eye can still be cast toward a talented crop of players who can not only potentially help this year, but more importantly, for years to come. Let's look at the ...
Though there are still eight weeks of baseball left in the 2013 season, it wouldn't be hyperbolic to say this miniseries between the Oakland Athletics and Cincinnati Reds was extremely important. After all, the A’s entered the two-game midweek matchup carrying something they haven’t had for quite some time: concern. And after losing both games to Cincinnati, that mid-level worry just ramped up a notch, as Oakland now sits alongside the Texas Rangers in first place in the American League West.
Thanks to the series sweep at the hands of the Reds, Oakland has now lost six of its past seven ...
The Oakland Athletics are in a solid spot right now. The major league team is in contention and the farm league has a solid supply of young talent who are either living up to hype or turning heads.
From the Triple-A Sacramento River Cats down to the High-A Beloit Snappers, the A's organization features a wide variety of talent from starting pitchers to positional players. So which A's minor leaguer is performing better than anyone else in the system at his position?
For clarity purposes, this isn't a look at how the top labeled prospect at each position is doing. This is ...
Rumored to make a large move at the July 31 non-waiver trade deadline, the Oakland A's only made a minor tweak to their roster, adding infielder Alberto Callaspo for Grant Green.
But just because the A's did not make a major move does not mean one is still not possible in August.
Oakland's 2012 season found its final piece when the team acquired shortstop Stephen Drew from the Arizona Diamondbacks on Aug. 20 of last season after the non-waiver trade deadline. Though Drew signed with the Boston Red Sox in the offseason, his acquisition was proof that quality players can still be had in ...
The A's ended the month of July with a 63-45 record and a four-game lead over the Texas Rangers as a huge three-game series is set to begin in the East Bay Friday night. While the A's did post a 15-10 mark in July, a couple of winnable games got away that could have stretched their lead even further.
What is even more amazing is that the A's managed to post at least 15 wins for the fourth straight month despite hitting just .224 as a team and getting limited to no production from many key cogs.
Then again, the pitching was ...