How Athletics' Offense Can Beat Shohei Ohtani
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The A's offense has been getting the recognition they deserve as one of the better offenses in baseball over the last two years.
Their offense is led by Nick Kurtz, Shea Langeliers, and their hot rookie, Henry Bolte. We've discussed how Bolte keeping the ball on the ground has played a huge factor in his success in the big leagues recently.
A’s moves:
— Martín Gallegos (@MartinJGallegos) June 29, 2026
- Joshua Kuroda-Grauer, Darell Hernaiz, Kade Morris up from Triple-A Las Vegas
- Jacob Wilson (right thumb inflammation) and Tyler Soderstrom (left hip impingement) placed on 10-day IL
- José Suarez placed on paternity list
- Michael Kelly designated for assignment
Unfortunately for the A's, their luck hasn't been so good with injuries. They are short of Brent Rooker, Zack Gelof, Luis Severino, and now, most recently, Jacob Wilson and Tyler Soderstrom.
Being without those key contributors makes things tough, especially when facing a very good baseball team like the Los Angeles Dodgers.
The A's Should Beat Ohtani
Ohtani has been one of the best arms in baseball this season, probably behind just the Brewers' ace, Jacob Misiorowski.
Not only is it super tough to beat a great pitcher like Ohtani, but you also have to shut down the incredible Dodgers offense, which features many former MVPs.
On the offensive side of the ball, a couple of A's hitters have had some success in their careers against Ohtani.
Lowest MLB ERA since 2021, 500+ innings:
— Codify (@CodifyBaseball) June 17, 2026
#2 - Drew Rasmussen, 2.76 (the guy pitching)
#1 - Shohei Ohtani, 2.62 (the guy hitting) pic.twitter.com/7QEbqamW1N
Shea Langeliers and Jonah Heim have both homered off Ohtani, and the team is set to have Heim catch the game, and likely have Langeliers serve as the designated hitter.
This means that the A's will have both bats in the lineup, and they'll join an A's offense that has had some success against right-handers this season. Obviously, Nick Kurtz and Lawrence Butler both hit way better against right-handers, but so do Carlos Cortes, Jeff McNeil, and Henry Bolte.
J.T. Ginn Has Been Trustworthy
The A's are trotting out one of their best starters, J.T. Ginn. Ginn has been super consistent, and his one rough start came at the hitter-friendly Las Vegas Ballpark.
Even with that rough start in there, he still holds an impressive 3.15 ERA on the season, and he holds a record of 6-4.
Although Gage Jump has solidified his way as being one of the best arms in the rotation, and just got shelled on Monday, Ginn's start could be different.
JT Ginn, Painted 92mph Front Door Two Seamer. 🖌️🎨 pic.twitter.com/Bqa77QfLIa
— Rob Friedman (@PitchingNinja) June 27, 2026
Jump was due for a bad start eventually. He held an ERA nearing 2.00 and was just putting together some really nice starts without any issues. Every pitcher will have rough starts and must learn to overcome adversity.
After Ginn's rough starts, he's able to bounce back and stay consistent, which means his extreme confidence on the mound should hopefully push the A's towards a nice victory to cap off a tough series against the defending champions.
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Dylan Quinn grew up playing baseball, and also enjoyed watching and writing about his favorite team, the A’s. Being a diehard A’s fan from New Jersey is certainly not common, but he loves the team and all of the current and former players so much. Quinn currently attends school at Penn State Scranton where he plays baseball.
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