Oakland Athletics Roundup: Ryan Madson Off to Hot Start; Plus, Lineup Woes

Reliever Ryan Madson Racking Up Saves; Josh Hamilton to Rehab for Rangers
Oakland Athletics Roundup: Monday, April 18

On Friday, Oakland Athletics reliever Ryan Madson received his 2015 World Series ring from former manager Ned Yost, shortly before the A’s faced off with the Kansas City Royals. Madson was a non-roster invitee to Royals camp last year, but played a major role in KC’s dominant ride to the playoffs. He posted a 2.13 ERA over 68 appearances, as he helped the Royals to be crowned World Series Champions for the first time in over two decades.

Madson has pitched almost as well so far this season, allowing a 2.57 ERA over seven innings. He’s given up seven hits, allowed three runs (two earned), and walked just one batter, while striking out six. On the way, he’s picked up four saves.

The Athletics may not be on their way to the World Series, but they have played better than expected. Over the first two weeks of the season, they’re 6-7, and are just one game back from the Texas Rangers. It’s unlikely that they’ll stay there – but given many of the pre-season predictions from major sports outlets, the A’s seemed destined to post a record of 3-8 and hang out near the bottom of the league with teams like the Minnesota Twins and Atlanta Braves from Day 1.

Since the start of the season, the Athletics have the fifth-best team ERA in the majors, at 2.90. That’s perhaps the biggest piece of the puzzle, so if they could cut back on the fielding errors and pick up the pace offensively, they just might have something here. Right now, they’re tied for fourth with 11 errors, and have a defensive efficiency rating that’s squarely in the middle of the pack.

Although they’re tied for 14th in home runs, the A’s are ranked 28th in team OBP in Major League Baseball, at just .273. Only the Rays and Phillies are worse, and the A’s aren’t much better in batting average or slugging percentage (both 26th). With so many questions surrounding the A’s pitching staff heading into the 2015 off-season, it’s a bit of a surprise to see that the lineup has been the weak link so far.

Editor’s Note: Interested in writing for Swingin’ A’s? Check out the application link above. We are looking for at least two new writers for the 2016 season!

In Case You Missed It

Honoring Jackie Robinson: A Fan’s Perspective – In honor of Jackie Robinson, the A’s and every other major league team wore the number 42 on Friday. Mark Sigmon takes a look at baseball’s Jackie Robinson Day, and why MLB’s record books will be forever skewed.

Throwback: A’s Reliever Billy Taylor – Staff writer Rich Paloma looks at another historic player, albeit one from a much more recent time: A’s reliever Billy Taylor, who pitched for the Green and Gold from 1994-1999.

#Athletics

Next: A Guide to 2016: Season Predictions

Around the Web

Call to the Pen: Ten Worst Contracts in Baseball – FanSided’s David Hill lists the ten worst contracts in major league baseball, including a few AL West players – and just about the entire Boston Red Sox lineup. (Really, Boston? Rick Porcello? Pablo Sandoval? Yikes.)

The Athletics don’t have any names on the list because they rarely give double- or triple-digit contracts, but if there were runner-ups for small-but-terrible deals, both Billy Butler and Coco Crisp would likely fall on the list. Between Crisp’s issues with staying healthy and Butler’s performance problems, the A’s surely wish they could have that money and those roster spots back.

The most interesting name on the list might be Josh Hamilton. The Angels’ faux pas when it came to Hamilton’s relapse, when they publicly shamed him and ostracized him by removing his locker from the clubhouse, could potentially be a break for Texas. Although Hamilton began the season on the disabled list after undergoing off-season knee surgery, he’s slated to begin rehabbing in extended Spring Training, and projected to be back on or before May 15. Can he make an impact for the Rangers?