A's Reliever Pushing For High-Leverage Role After Strong Start

The former New York Yankee prospect is looking like he could be a big piece of the A's bullpen as the season goes on

Apr 11, 2026; New York City, New York, USA; Athletics relief pitcher Luis Medina (46) celebrates with catcher Shea Langeliers (23) after defeating the New York Mets at Citi Field. Mandatory Credit: Wendell Cruz-Imagn Images | Wendell Cruz-Imagn Images

Luis Medina entered the season with plenty to prove, coming off Tommy John surgery and out of minor league options. It was always going to be sink or swim, but with his electric arm, there was also a clear path to a late-inning role with the A's, who have been looking for their relievers to take a step forward and claim key roles.

Through four appearances, he's made a strong early impression. Medina has logged 5 1/3 innings, giving up four hits and one earned run, while walking three and striking out seven. That works out to a 1.69 ERA with a 1.31 WHIP to start the season.

Manager Mark Kotsay even alluded to a potential bump in how he's used in the coming days, saying over the weekend in New York, "Last night, Medina, even though it was a five-run lead, I loved the way the ball came out of his hand. I think you'll see more use of him. Again, he's still building cause he hasn't been on the mound very much.

"If we can get everybody down there to contribute, that's really when I think the 'pen works best."

This comes just a week after Kotsay had been displeased with Medina's pair of walks after giving up a home run to the Houston Astros.

Catcher Shea Langeliers also pointed to Medina as someone that has stood out to him in the early going, saying over the A's lone homestand, "I think the one to watch is Medina. Medina has got, in my opinion, the best stuff down there [in the bullpen]. And if he puts it all together, it can be really special."

Luis Medina's arsenal is there for late innings

Apr 4, 2026; West Sacramento, California, USA; Athletics pitcher Luis Medina (46) throws to an Houston Astros batter during the seventh inning at Sutter Health Park. Mandatory Credit: Scott Marshall-Imagn Images | Scott Marshall-Imagn Images

According to his Stuff+ metrics over at FanGraphs, Medina's pitch mix is solid, grading out at a 109 (100 is league average). That's the same Stuff+ grade as Edwin Díaz. The big difference between the two is that Díaz has much better location metrics for his pitches.

The slider is Medina's main weapon, with a stuff grade of 128, making in the 12th nastiest slider among all relief pitchers. He's been getting a 50% whiff rate in the early going on that pitch, and has yet to give up a hit on a slider in limited chances.

The one big caveat here is that he also has a tough time locating it. While the stuff grade is elite, his location+ grade ranks his slider at No.189 out of 193 pitchers with location grades on that pitch. So when Langeliers says that if he puts it all together, it could be really special, this is pretty much what he's talking about.

He has the stuff to dominate a lineup, especially in quick one-inning bursts where he's sitting 98 with his heater, and then working in an 88.4 mile per hour slider. He has the potential to be a big weapon for the A's out of the bullpen this season, and we should begin to see some of what he can do in the coming week.

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