Athletics Fantasy Baseball Draft Preview | Mason Miller, JP Sears, Esteury Ruiz, Zack Gelof, Brent Rooker and More
Discussing the top fantasy players from the Oakland Athletics as the 2024 season approaches.
The fantasy baseball season is closing in quickly. FantasySP has published a number of articles about the top players at every position, and while those kinds of stories will continue until the regular season starts up, we wanted to make sure we covered as many fantasy players as possible, so it’s time to start looking at options on a team–by-team basis.
We kicked things off by talking about the Texas Rangers and had to split things up into articles about pitchers and hitters. Let’s go to the opposite end of the spectrum and a team that’s not projected for much success, the Oakland Athletics.
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Top Fantasy Pitchers
The first Oakland player off draft boards, according to FantasySP Average Draft Position data, is Mason Miller.
Miller might have the brightest future on the team, but barely has any MLB experience. He appeared in 10 games last season, making six starts and covering 33 1/3 innings. Miller had a 3.78 earned run average and 38 strikeouts in his limited time on the mound.
Even with some of his success as a starter, the team is likely going to utilize him as a reliever this season. With a big fastball and lots of potential, Miller could slot in as the team’s closer.
There’s plenty of uncertainty surrounding Miller, but in deeper leagues and dynasties, he’s an intriguing player to take a chance on in the latter portion of drafts.
JP Sears is the only other Oakland pitcher that appears in the top 190 spots on our ADP list. He figures to serve as the team’s top starting pitcher for 2024.
Sears went 5-14 a season ago with a 4.54 ERA. He struck out 161 batters over 172 1/3 innings. Most of the numbers won’t really appeal to fantasy owners, but the innings pitched number makes him a possible pick late in drafts. There’s little risk involved, and if his win-loss record and ERA can improve, you got a steal.
While those are the only two pitchers that appear in our ADP list, there’s going to be other pitchers that help fantasy teams out this season. Guys like Paul Blackburn, Alex Wood, Ross Stripling and Luis Medina are all starting options. Lucas Erceg is another closer option.
With so few locked-in roles, there’s a couple players completely off the fantasy radar right now that could play big roles for the team. It could be a MLB veteran that hasn’t enjoyed much success yet, or a prospect in the team’s minor league system.
The Athletics aren’t likely to garner many headlines this season, so you’ll want to keep a close eye on statistics to identify some possible fantasy assets as the season progresses.
Top Fantasy Hitters
Just two big league hitters appear inside the top 190 in our ADP list.
Outfielder Esteury Ruiz is the first Oakland hitter taken, going 150th. In his first full big league season, Ruiz had a .254 average, .309 on-base percentage, 30 extra-base hits (five home runs), 47 RBIs and runs scored and 67 stolen bases.
The big number that stands out there is the stolen bases. His average isn’t too bad, but he lacks a lot of pop. He’s not a player you’d likely want to start each day in most leagues, but he’s a solid backup option, and someone you can plug into a utility spot if he takes a big step forward as a hitter.
Infielder Zack Gelof has an ADP of 155. He got his first MLB experience last season, playing 69 games. He finished with a .267 average, .337 on-base percentage, 35 extra-base hits (14 homers), 32 RBIs, 14 stolen bases and 40 runs scored.
Averaging those numbers out over a full season results in some pretty good fantasy numbers. Even if he can’t replicate those numbers over an entire season, he’ll be hitting in a premium spot in the lineup, which should allow him to post some decent fantasy numbers.
Again, you don’t want to rely on him to start everyday, but I’d be fine with him as a top backup. If he excels beyond expectations, you have a good situation on your hands.
There’s going to be more than two Oakland players that provide decent fantasy value this season, but you probably won’t be drafting them outside of deeper leagues.
Ryan Noda figures to hit near the top of the lineup. He hit just .229 last season, but provided some pop (16 homers). He’s primarily a first baseman, but also got some starts in the outfield, so he could gain eligibility there at some point this season (if he doesn’t already have it).
Brent Rooker is another interesting fantasy option that figures to hit in the heart of the order. He most often was a designated hitter last season, but also got nearly 30 starts in left and right field.
Rooker had a .246 average, .329 on-base percentage, 51 extra-base hits (30 homers), 69 RBIs and 61 runs scored. That’s decent fantasy production, and he should have the opportunity to replicate those again this season.
A lot of fantasy owners see last season for Rooker as a one-year blip given his career numbers, but in Oakland, he should have extended leash (unless several prospects start to push through). He’s worth a late round pick in some deeper league setups and is one to watch in standard formats in case he gets hot at some point this season.
There’s obviously several other starting spots we haven't covered, but between a couple projected platoons, it's difficult to find a ton of fantasy assets.
Seth Brown might hit cleanup, but also is a platoon option. That’ll clearly limit his fantasy ceiling for the season.
Shea Langeliers is expected to do most of the catching. Tyler Soderstrom is the top backup.
Langeliers clubbed 22 homers and drove in 63 runs last season, but had just a .205 average and .268 on-base percentage across 490 plate appearances. He does play a bunch (135 games), so if he can increase his average, he’s not a half bad fantasy option. Soderstrom played in 45 games, finishing with a .160 average and three homers across 138 plate appearances.
Darell Hernaiz is a youngster to keep an eye on, unlike most of the rest of the lineup, who have MLB experience but not much success. He’s projected to open the season as the team’s shortstop.
In the minors, Hernaiz has a career .291 average, with 29 homers, 193 RBIs and 72 stolen bases - that’s across 1,375 at-bats and four seasons. In AA and AAA last season, Hernaiz had a combined .321 average, with nine homers, 71 RBIs and 13 stolen bases along the way.
If he excels in his first taste of the big leagues, he could be moved up to a premium spot in the lineup, so keep an eye on him.
You’re likely only drafting guys like Langeliers, Hernaiz or Brown in deeper leagues, and the same can be said for most of the Athletics’ lineup. Look to other teams for your fantasy players during the drafts, but keep an eye on stats with the hitters too so that maybe you can take advantage of some hot streaks and ample opportunities.
It’s likely going to be a long season for Oakland, but don’t let that stop you from utilizing some of the team’s players. Somebody has to pitch and hit, and it’s not always going to be bad results. Play your matchups right and you can get some good fantasy value out of several of the team’s options.
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