The Oakland Athletics' Future Could Be Bright

By Rich Campbell

As the 2024 season winds down, it seems like a good time to look at key A’s players for the 2025 team and beyond. The team has played well recently, sporting a 25-19 record since July 1, good for third best in the AL in that span.

Of course, with 32 games to go in the season at this writing, it also serves as a viewing guide for the final month of the season. Who are the key contributors going forward? To be considered for this list, pitchers had to be 28 or younger and position players 26 or younger.

Rooted in Oakland campaign sign at the entrance to Oakland ColiseumPhoto byWikimedia Commons

J.P. Sears, starting pitcher, Arbitration Eligible 2026, Free Agent 2029, Age 28

Sears had established himself as a reliable starter, making 32 turns in 2023 and on pace to match that number this year. He is 10-9 with a 4.35 ERA this year, which exactly matches his career ERA. A durable starter with four years until free agency is a nice piece. Sears was acquired from the Yankees (along with Ken Waldichuk and Luis Medina) in 2022 for Frankie Montas and Lou Trivino.

Osvaldo Bido, starting pitcher, Arbitration Eligible 2027, Free Agent 2030, Age 28

Bido has moved into the starting rotation and is 5-3 with a 3.24 ERA in 50 innings this year. His WHIP of 1.14 and.189 batting average against suggest the ERA is not a fluke. He represents another inexpensive starting pitcher heading into 2025. He signed as a minor league free agent last season, which looks like a steal.

Mitch Spence, starting pitcher, Arbitration Eligible 2027, Free Agent 2030, Age 26

The rookie Rule 5 pick (from the Yankees) is second on the squad in innings pitched (115) and is 7-9 with a 4.67 ERA. He certainly has not been dominant this year, but inexpensive fourth and fifth starters are a valuable commodity on a rebuilding team.

Mason Miller, closer, Arbitration Eligible 2026, Free Agent 2030, Age 26

Miller made this year’s All-Star game in his first full season and has 20 saves and a 1.85 ERA through August 25. His name came up nationally in trade rumors, but the A’s wisely held on to him. He was a third-round pick of the Athletics is 2021.

Lawrence Butler, right fielder, Arbitration Eligible 2027, Free Agent 2030, Age 24

The rookie has slashed .243/.303/.455 with an OPS+ of 117 (100 is league average) this year. But dig a little deeper and Butler is hitting .291/.338/.530 in the second half, per Fangraphs. Importantly, his strikeout rate has fallen from 29.5% in the first half to 18.5% in the second half. The A’s chose him in the sixth round of the 2018 draft.

JJ Bleday, center fielder, Arbitration Eligible 2026, Free Agent 2029, Age 26

Bleday hit .195 in 82 games for the A’s in 2023, hardly the stats of a building block. This year he has emerged, slashing .241/.322/.449 and OPS+ of 117 as the team’s everyday center fielder. He was acquired from the Marlins for pitcher A.J. Puk. Bleday was the fourth overall pick in the 2019 draft, so he has long been well-regarded and has finally put it all together at the big-league level.

Shea Langeliers, catcher, Arbitration Eligible 2026, Free Agent 2029

Langeliers has established himself as the team’s primary catcher the last two seasons and slugged 22 homers last year and has already added 22 more this year. He has improved as a hitter with a jump in OPS+ from 89 in 2023 to 109 this year.

Zack Gelof, second baseman, Arbitration Eligible 2027, Free Agent 2030, Age 24

Gelof was a revelation in 2023, bursting on the scene with 14 homers and 14 steals in 69 games (300 plate appearances), whilst slashing .267/.337/.504 with an OPS+ of 134 as a 23-year-old rookie. This year? Not so much. His OPS+ plummeted to 82 on a .203/.271/.363 slash. Still just 24, he has battled a wrist injury this year. Can he start to right the ship the last few weeks of the season and return as a productive player in 2025? The A’s sure hope so. Gelof was the A’s second-round pick in 2021.

Four other young players to keep an eye on include starting pitchers Joe Boyle and Joey Estes and 22-year-old position players Tyler Soderstrom, who is out injured and Darrel Hernaiz who recently returned from injury. In addition to the eight players profiled above, these 12 players are the building blocks for the team in its upcoming (allegedly) three-year stint in Sacramento.

Rich Campbell is a Marketing Professor at Sonoma State University by day and A’s fan by night. He has previously been a sports business contributor at Forbes.com and his academic writing has appeared in Sport Marketing Quarterly. You can find him on Twitter @RichCampbelPhD.