Things have not gone the Athletics' way over the last few seasons. With a limited budget and looking to rebuild, the club has not had a winning season since 2021.
However, that could all change. They are coming off a season where the young players have taken the next step. Tyler Soderstrom, Jacob Wilson, and Nick Kurtz all had great seasons in 2025.
The A's will also come into the new season with a new face, Jeff McNeil. He was acquired in a recent trade with the New York Mets and brings veteran leadership to the lineup.
MORE: Athletics still have some work to do if they want to get their offseason grade up
Athletics projected to take massive leap in latest MLB Power Rankings
With the new year upon us, that means we are getting closer and closer to baseball season. Pitchers and catchers report in a little over a month, and we are getting a clearer picture of what teams could stand out next season.
MLB.com just released their first Power Rankings of the new year, and in it, they have the A's ranked 18th.
"Signing Tyler Soderstrom to a contract extension was a sign that the A's know on which side their bread is buttered: This is a team built around young, extremely exciting hitters. Now comes the hard part, which is finding pitching to support them. But the A's have serious surprise potential this year, no?"
MLB.com's Will Leitch believes the A's could surprise many this upcoming season. They have the offense to do so; they just need to find another frontline starter to pair with Luis Severino.
That will likely be what the front office focuses on through the rest of the offseason. If they can land someone to go deep into games consistently, then they could be a team that gives the others in the American League West a bit of trouble.
More MLB news:
- Padres advised to figure out a way to acquire a valuable arm and bat with limited funds
- Yankees encouraged to make a big splash and turn around their quiet offseason
- Mets urged to bring in another difference-maker following a flurry of moves
- Guardians starting to run out of time to find a meaningful right-handed bat
- Brewers urged to land an impact bat to save their offseason