What Athletics Need to Change vs. Yankees

Following a blowout loss in Game 1, the Athletics need to make a few changes to turn things around.

May 26, 2026; West Sacramento, California, USA; Athletics left fielder Tyler Soderstrom (21) reacts after hitting a solo home run against the Seattle Mariners during the ninth inning at Sutter Health Park. Mandatory Credit: Dennis Lee-Imagn Images | Dennis Lee-Imagn Images

With the Athletics seemingly on their last leg after a rough first game against the Yankees, it is clear there have to be changes.

Right now, the Athletics are on the verge of completely collapsing, if they haven't already. With injuries stacking up, and just a few more losses from plummeting down the A.L West standings, the pressure for change is on and not going away anytime soon. Here is what the Athletics must change throughout the series.

Aggressive Lineup Changes

May 27, 2026; West Sacramento, California, USA; Athletics center fielder Henry Bolte (33) tosses his bat after hitting a single against the Seattle Mariners in the ninth inning at Sutter Health Park. Mandatory Credit: Cary Edmondson-Imagn Images | Cary Edmondson-Imagn Images

Right now, the Athletics offense has been terrible. So bad, in fact, that in the last four games, the Athletics are averaging just a measly 1.25 runs per game. With a stat that bad, it would be insane to believe that there is any hope of taking a game versus the red-hot Yankees, who are on a five-game winning streak.

However, there is still a chance. But it is a matter of whether Mark Kotsay is willing to take risks. During the four-game slump the Athletics have been on, there have been a few diamonds in the rough. For example, Henry Bolte hit 3-for-4 during Friday's loss, and Tyler Soderstrom is hitting .333 over the last seven days.

May 27, 2026; West Sacramento, California, USA; Athletics left fielder Tyler Soderstrom (21) looks on after hitting a double against the Seattle Mariners in the sixth inning at Sutter Health Park. Mandatory Credit: Cary Edmondson-Imagn Images | Cary Edmondson-Imagn Images

Even though lineups are normally set/changed after prolonged stretches, Kotsay might have to make emergency changes to slow this skid. What should be proposed is switching Shea Langeliers, who bats third, with Soderstrom. And if Kotsay really wants to get wild, he should have Bolte leading off for the rest of the series.

While the Athletics haven’t been hot of late, they do have a few red-hot bats in the lineup. Now it’s just a matter of putting those hitters in positions to truly complement each other.

Frequent But Not So Frequent Pitching Changes

Apr 30, 2026; West Sacramento, California, USA; Athletics pitcher Luis Medina (46) throws a pitch during the fourth inning of the game against the Kansas City Royals at Sutter Health Park. Mandatory Credit: Ed Szczepanski-Imagn Images | Ed Szczepanski-Imagn Images

In Game 1, the loss, the Athletics would exhaust eight pitchers throughout the game, essentially a new pitcher every inning. On paper, this should have created discomfort for the Yankees, and from the fifth inning through the ninth, it did, as the Athletics would only give up one run during that span.

But right now the A's need to slow down on the pitching changes. Even though it does create some discomfort, it makes it harder on the pitching staff to find a rhythm. The Yankees are going to score runs against this pitching staff; that is a given. But by Game 3, the Athletics won't have any fresh arms left to pitch.

May 23, 2026; San Diego, California, USA; Athletics pitcher J.T. Ginn (35) delivers during the second inning against the San Diego Padres at Petco Park. Mandatory Credit: Denis Poroy-Imagn Images | Denis Poroy-Imagn Images

In a previous article, we proposed that the Athletics send in a reliever in the first inning to set the tone early. By doing this, pressure to get past one of the best top of the lineups in baseball in the first inning is off the starting pitcher. Something that would have been nice to see in Game 1.

The A's are also slated to have one of their best starters on the mound in J.T Ginn. If he can bypass the first-inning jitters that we saw in the Padres series, we could see a quality start. But if things get choppy early, taking him out might not be the best option. This will allow Ginn to find a rhythm, which could be huge in the long run for the A's.