Among the stars: A's pitcher Trevor Cahill won 18 games this year, and made the AL All-Star Team. (Photo Courtesy of yardbarker.com)

The Oakland A’s surprised many people this year, as the team finished with a .500 record and a second-place finish in the American League West. The team, anchored by a stellar cast of young arms, stayed in the division race for much of the year before losing out to the eventual AL Pennant winners Texas Rangers.

While the A’s missed out on the playoffs for a fourth straight year, the team did show a ton of promise and upside in 2010. Heading into 2011, the A’s will be led by their young rotation that led baseball in quality starts (109). The additions of DH Hideki Matsui, OF Josh Willingham, and OF David DeJesus on offense all figure to help the A’s in their quest for a playoff birth next season.

Before we start talking 2011, however, here’s a look at three of the best A’s moments in 2010: (more…)