Why Athletics 18-Run Loss Was Actually Best-Case Scenario

After losing by 18 runs, the Athletics need to figure out how to regroup fast.

Jul 21, 2026; Phoenix, Arizona, USA; Athletics catcher Shea Langeliers (23) celebrates with teammates in the dugout after hitting a solo home run in the eighth inning against the Arizona Diamondbacks at Chase Field. Mandatory Credit: Mark J. Rebilas-Imagn Images | IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect

Even though Halloween is over a month away, the Athletics' latest loss gave us enough terror for the year.

An 18-game loss is a sign that something terrible is going on, even if the Athletics were 7-3 in their previous 10 games. Even though the winning has been a fun ride lately, it may have blinded us to some of the underlying problems with this team. This loss not only brought us back to reality, but also helped us identify the bigger issues going on with this team.

Boom-or-Bust Rotation

Sep 12, 2026; West Sacramento, California, USA; Athletics starting pitcher Gage Jump (61) throws a pitch against the Seattle Mariners during the first inning at Sutter Health Park. Mandatory Credit: Dennis Lee-Imagn Images | IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect

Over the past few months, it really felt like the Athletics had figured out their rotation and would need minimal work this offseason. But in reality, the Athletics can only rely on JT Ginn and Jacob Lopez, for the most part, to provide a consistent string of starts. With Gage Jump regressing even further, this notion remains stable.

With questions about Luis Severino's future still looming, the Athletics will need to prioritize their starting rotation this offseason, big time. While there is hope that Jump and Severino will either rejoin the team or turn things around, it's obvious the Athletics need an outsider to smooth things out.

Mark Kotsay Needs To Be Better

Aug 7, 2026; Boston, Massachusetts, USA; Athletics manager Mark Kotsay (7) looks on before a game against the Boston Red Sox at Fenway Park. Mandatory Credit: Eric Canha-Imagn Images | IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect

A big reason the score was run up so much is that it felt like Mark Kotsay had given up. After Jump left the game early, he would put in Seth Johnson, Joey Estes, and Yunior Tur, historically terrible pitchers this season. If he had opted to use Brady Basso for a few innings, then recycled a pitcher from the series opener, the Athletics would have been within striking distance of finishing the game.

This sense of "giving up" is not something you want to feel at this point in the season. Considering that the Athletics were able to bring back Shea Langeliers, anything realistically could have happened if not for such a big deficit. We can play the "what if" game all day, but the bottom line is that Kotsay needs to figure out how to prevent blowouts like this and not be content with losing games.

The Athletics' Damaged Core Can Be Unreliable

Sep 11, 2026; West Sacramento, California, USA; Athletics right fielder Lawrence Butler (4) reacts after hitting a two-run home run against Seattle Mariners starting pitcher George Kirby (not pictured) during the third inning at Sutter Health Park. Mandatory Credit: Dennis Lee-Imagn Images | IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect

The Athletics' second-half core of Lawrence Butler, Henry Bolte, Jeff McNeil, and Zack Gelof would go completely quiet in the loss, aside from Bolte's run. These players have been the beating heart of the Athletics since the break, and a quiet night like this proves that the Athletics were never ready for a playoff run this season, even when they were first in the AL West back in May.

While this issue will be dampened next year once Nick Kurtz, Tyler Soderstrom, and Jacob Wilson return, the current core still makes up a large part of the lineup, and any hint of inconsistency could limit how far the Athletics will be able to go next season, when they should look like a more playoff-ready team.