Why a Hot Streak Is Inevitable for Athletics

Even though the Athletics have been one of the worst teams in baseball lately, odds are it won't last much longer.

Athletics starting pitcher J.T. Ginn (35) delivers a pitch in the first inning between the Athletics and Cincinnati Reds at Great American Ball Park in Cincinnati on Tuesday, August 4, 2026. | USA TODAY Network via Reuters Connect

After another close loss, it is clear that this Athletics team is close to breaking out.

With the deadline officially past us and the playoffs feeling out of reach, there is not much to say about the current trajectory of this Athletics team. However, when looking at the last few losses, it is clear that this team is closer than most think to turning the ship around.

The Starting Rotation Is Close to a Break-Through

Jul 29, 2026; West Sacramento, California, USA; Athletics starting pitcher Jacob Lopez (57) throws during the first inning against the Boston Red Sox at Sutter Health Park. Mandatory Credit: Sergio Estrada-Imagn Images | IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect

Even though the Athletics are 1-3 in games where Jacob Lopez is on the mound, it has gotten hard to ignore how well he is pitching. Since the break, Lopez has posted a solid 2.29 ERA with a 1.17 WHIP. His strikeouts per nine innings are also a very impressive 11.8. Not bad at all.

With JT Ginn looking amazing still and Lopez trending to the moon, the Athletics rotation is starting to find some stability that could be the catalyst for a turnaround. However, this will also require Gage Jump to start pitching well again (7.50 ERA since the break). If all three of these pitchers can remain consistent, the Athletics will start to win more games by default.

Jul 30, 2026; West Sacramento, California, USA; Athletics starting pitcher Mason Barnett (63) throws a pitch against the Boston Red Sox during the first inning at Sutter Health Park. Mandatory Credit: Dennis Lee-Imagn Images | IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect

With Jeffrey Springs on the IL, there is now an opportunity for Mason Barnett to build on his solid but not good start he had against the Red Sox, in which he pitched 5.0 innings, allowing just three runs and four hits. If Barnett and Jump can improve, all of a sudden, the Athletics rotation looks a lot more promising on paper, which will again lead to more wins and a potential hot streak to round out the year.

Close Losses Are a Result of Injuries

Jul 9, 2026; Detroit, Michigan, USA; Athletics third baseman Zack Gelof (20) walks off the field with manager Mark Kotsay (7) after he was in injured in the third inning against the Detroit Tigers at Comerica Park. Mandatory Credit: Rick Osentoski-Imagn Images | IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect

After losing Tuesday's game by one run and Wednesday's game by one run again, it is clear that this team misses the players on the IL. Without the team's top hitters, Shea Langeliers and Nick Kurtz, you could expect to see a drop in explosiveness in the lineup. Add Joshua Kuroda-Grauer and Zack Gelof into the conversation, and the fact that the A's are only losing by a run is impressive.

The good news for the Athletics is that Gelof is slated to return soon once his rehab assignment in Las Vegas is over. As for Kurtz and Kuroda-Grauer, we could expect to see them later this month, barring a shutdown due to the team's lack of wins.

Jul 19, 2026; West Sacramento, California, USA; Athletics third baseman Joshua Kuroda-Grauer (44) bats during the second inning against the Washington Nationals at Sutter Health Park. Mandatory Credit: Scott Marshall-Imagn Images | IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect

The point is that if you add even one of these players back into the lineup, odds are that the Athletics offense will be better. Not by much, but enough to start winning these close games. And with the pitching being serviceable for the most part, these close games won't feel as close anymore.

Jul 21, 2026; Phoenix, Arizona, USA; Athletics manager Mark Kotsay against the Arizona Diamondbacks at Chase Field. Mandatory Credit: Mark J. Rebilas-Imagn Images | IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect

The bottom line is that even though playoffs are out of the question, the Athletics still could catch a second wind late into the season. With many exciting storylines developing and games starting to feel within reach again, we could be on the tail end of a very bad skid.