Written By Mauricio Segura // Image Created By: The Golden Bay Times Graphics Dept.
March 31, 2026
Four games into the 2026 season, the Athletics aren’t just off to a slow start, they’re flirting with historically bad offensive territory, and the numbers leave little room for spin. In a three-game opening sweep at the hands of Toronto, the A’s struck out 50 times, setting a modern-era Major League record for strikeouts. Despite the season being just days old, this red flag with sirens needs to be corrected before it really spirals out of control.
The names matter here, because this isn’t a bench unit getting exposed. Brent Rooker, one of the lineup’s anchors, went just 1-for-13 with eight strikeouts in that series. Nick Kurtz, the reigning AL Rookie of the Year, struck out seven times in just nine at-bats, even while drawing a few walks. Tyler Soderstrom (six strikeouts), Jacob Wilson (five), and Denzel Clarke (six in nine at-bats) all followed suit, turning what was supposed to be a balanced, dangerous lineup into a swing-and-miss parade.
Yes, context matters. The Athletics ran headfirst into elite pitching, Kevin Gausman (11 strikeouts), Dylan Cease (12), and Eric Lauer (9) carved through the lineup with precision. But good teams don’t just tip their caps and walk back to the dugout 50 times in three days. At some point, adjustments have to show up.
The deeper issue is identity. This is a team built to slug, a lineup designed around power and damage. That approach naturally invites strikeouts, but there’s a difference between living with strikeouts and being buried by them. Outside of Shea Langeliers, who's provided early power and production, the offense has been almost nonexistent, with minimal hits and run creation across the opening stretch.
There’s also a mental component that can’t be ignored. Early-season pressure is real, especially for a young core expected to take a leap. Manager Mark Kotsay acknowledged a sense of pressing, and it shows. Hitters are expanding the zone, chasing pitches they wouldn’t touch with a focused mindset, and trying to over hit instead of just putting the ball into play. That’s not approach, that’s anxiety.
So what needs to change?
First, the Athletics have to shorten up at the plate. This doesn’t mean abandoning power, it means situational hitting, two-strike adjustments, and a willingness to take what pitchers give. Right now, opposing staffs have a clear blueprint: elevate velocity, expand late, and let the swings take care of the outs.
Second, the lineup needs internal accountability from its core veterans. Rooker setting the tone matters. If he starts grinding out at-bats instead of chasing, others will follow. Young hitters like Kurtz and Wilson don’t need to be stars every night, discipline is key, moon shots will come with relaxed swings.
Third, the A’s must diversify their offensive identity. A lineup that only wins via the long ball is inherently volatile. Putting balls in play, forcing defensive mistakes, and creating traffic on the bases will relieve pressure and disrupt opposing rhythm.
Four games don’t define a season, but they absolutely reveal tendencies. Right now, the Athletics look like a team caught between its potential and its impatience. If they don’t correct that quickly, this “cold start” risks becoming something far more lasting, and far more damaging.
