One of the A's Biggest Strengths is Suddenly a Problem

Six games into the 2026 season it may not be time to panic, but it's certainly time to reassess how the roster is utilized and look for ways to make little improvements.

Through six games the A's have scored a total of 17 runs, which is slightly under three runs per game (2.83 to be exact). In today's game that's simply not going to be enough to contend on a nightly basis. The good news is, nobody expects the A's to continue to hit like they have been for the entire season.

The bad news is that their schedule isn't going to relent any time soon, so if they don't figure things out quickly, they may be digging a pretty big hole for the rest of the season. Only one team—the San Francisco Giants—have scored fewer runs than the A's this season, putting up 14 so far.

They rank last in wRC+ (51), batting average (.177), OBP (.224), walk rate (5.7%) and have the highest strikeout rate in the game at 35.2%. Things haven't been going well up and down the lineup.

Shea Langeliers is leading Major League Baseball in home runs this season with 5, and he has pretty much been the A's entire offense thus far.

Behind him, there are a number of big bats struggling with strikeouts, with Brent Rooker's 12 ranking tied for fourth, Nick Kurtz's 11 tied for seventh, and Max Muncy's ten sitting 14th. The slightly good news here is that last year's home run king Cal Raleigh leads the way currently with 15 strikeouts, while guys like James Wood (12), Roman Anthony (11) and Elly De La Cruz (10) are also struggling early on.

So what does this all have to do with the A's strength becoming a problem? Well, it's all about depth.

A's have depth, but nowhere to put it

Down in the minor leagues Zack Gelof is having a tremendous start to the year, batting .389 with a .577 OBP, three home runs, eight RBI and two stolen bases in just five games. At this pace, he could be approaching a 20-20 season by the end of April. Of course, this output is also coming against Triple-A pitching.

While this is just five games, this is also the kind of hot streak you want to see someone go on before you call them up, and with the A's offense struggling, a familiar face like Gelof could provide a huge boost to the clubhouse along with being a big addition to the lineup.

The problem is that there isn't necessarily a spot to put him on the roster right now. They could option WBC hero Darell Hernaiz, but he's racked up all of six at-bats this season. That would provide Gelof a roster spot, but where is the playing time going to come from?

Gelof has been working on his versatility to begin the year, playing two games at his usual second base, while racking up a game in each of the three outfield spots as well. If the A's wanted to be bold, they could bring him up to be a bench bat for when Denzel Clarke comes up in a big spot and just have Gelof patrol center (or right with Butler in center) for a few innings.

Other than that one option, the A's have Max Muncy at third, who has the A's only other home run this season besides Langeliers. He's also been one of the A's better hitters, despite hitting .182. He has a pair of doubles (second on team) and his four total hits are tied for third-most. Again, the A's offense hasn't been great overall.

Aside from Muncy, Wilson is staying at shortstop, Andy Ibáñez and Jeff McNeil have second base locked down, and Nick Kurtz isn't going anywhere at first base, either.

So where exactly would Gelof have a regular spot in the lineup if he were to be brought up? That's the issue. The A's have some solid depth options to choose from, but they also have some fairly immovable pieces in the lineup, too.

Again, it has only been six games and it's not time to panic just yet. That said, the roster construction is going to be interesting all year when everyone is healthy.

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