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Happy Wednesday A’s fans.
Following a slow start to spring training, the Athletics have started to gain momentum as spring training enters its second week. The team’s offense has erupted, while its pitching has stabilized as players continue tinkering with their approaches in preparation for Opening Day later this month. Everyone from regulars to top prospects to even non-roster invitees has performed well over the past couple of days to help the team start a preseason winning streak.
Yesterday, Aaron Civale took the mound for the first time in an A’s uniform. He looked a little shaky against Brazil’s woeful World Baseball Classic (WBC) squad, but that is to be expected for a guy making his spring debut. As long as he keeps the A’s in the game and does not implode during his starts this season, then that signing will not be a negative investment. However, if he gets shelled every outing and the A’s once again get held back from playoff contention due to team-wide pitching struggles, then A’s fans and members of the media will point to this offseason saying the team should have acquired more pitching help.
While spring training continues for another couple of weeks, real baseball starts this week. The WBC, which has pulled players from every MLB camp to represent the 20 national teams competing in this year’s tournament, begins today with Chinese Taipei taking on Australia. A’s pitching prospects Chen Zhong-AoZhuang and Wei En Lin are on the Taipei squad, both hoping to pitch well for their country on the world stage. Lin is someone A’s officials and prospect evaluators think highly of, so a strong performance by the young left-hander in the WBC could further boost his stock.
The A’s also will be well-represented on Team Puerto Rico thanks to Darell Hernáiz and Carlos Cortes as well as Team Canada (Denzel Clarke) and Team Dominican Republic (Elvis Alvarado and Luis Severino). The A’s will be short-handed in camp for the next couple of weeks due to these players competing for their countries. However, that means more chances to impress for young players, some of whom like Henry Bolte and Leo De Vries have already flashed their promising skillsets in camp’s early going.
Who do you want to win the WBC? Out of all the A’s players participating, who is under the most pressure to play well and who are you most excited to watch?
A’s Coverage
- Athletics Community Prospect List: Kade Morris Rounds Out Top-20
- A’s have best ABS challenge success rates so far this spring
- Still Need To Put The “Fun” In Fundamentals
- A’s matchup with Padres a homecoming for No. 1 prospect De Vries
- Young, talented Athletics need veterans to show the way
- Athletics coaching staff enthusiastic about Bolte’s pathway to Majors
- Medina eager to get back on track after nearly 2-year absence
- A’s to follow casinos’ playbook on how to treat Las Vegas season ticket holders
- Price to Watch A’s Baseball in Las Vegas this year revealed
- Where Does Tommy White Fit in the A’s Mix at Third Base?
- Only a little polish needed before Jump could be ready for The Show
- Butler ramps up recovery efforts, eyes mid-Spring Training return
- Why are A’s using personal seat licenses for Las Vegas stadium?
- Circa Las Vegas bringing in A’s legend for baseball opening day festitivies
- A’s spending on $2B Vegas stadium passes $300m mark, is Fisher’s folly really happening?
- Bob Melvin opens up: A Giants firing, an A’s hiring, and what comes next
- Can The A’s Young Core Turn Defense Into a Strength?
- Pesky Drawback Of “Closer By Committee” (It Never Really Works)
- “Relievers Are Volatile”… But Why?
- Are The Final Two Rotation Spots Really Up For Grabs?
MLB News and Interest:
- World Baseball Classic preview: Top stars, predictions & more for every pool
- Braves’ Profar tests positive again, banned 162 games by MLB
- Reports: Phillies’ Rojas to fight possible 80-game drug ban
- Royals sign Starling Marte to a one-year, $1M deal
- Here are the new 2026 team Top 30 Prospects lists
- Mark DeRosa sets USA rotation for WBC with Logan Webb starting G1
- Tigers Announce Launch Of Detroit SportsNet
- Padres sign Verdugo to Minors deal, bolster outfield depth
- Is Salt Lake City emerging as a leader contender for MLB expansion?
- Ex-MLB pitcher from San Francisco sentenced for murder
- Fairbanks is Marlins’ new go-to for pop culture recs
- Way-too-early predications for 2026 All-Star Game starters
- Injuries: Lindor, Yanks, Twins, Kelly, Woodruff, Basallo
- U.S. denies visas for 8 in Cuba’s WBC delegation
- What does Scherzer’s return mean for Jays’ packed rotation?
- Today in Baseball History
Best of X:
How big of an impact will Leo De Vries have on the A’s this season?
The A’s are continuing to heavily promote Las Vegas in anticipation of their relocation in a couple of years. I wonder how A’s fans in Sacramento feel about this?
A’s outfielder Carlos Cortes is making the most of the opportunity to play for Team Puerto Rico in the WBC. He may not have made the team if tournament insurance policies had not blocked multiple Puerto Rican players from joining this team.