The A's Lineup Just Got More Dangerous

A's newly acquired infielder, Jeff McNeil, slides right in with the young A's club.

Aug 23, 2025; Cumberland, Georgia, USA; New York Mets second baseman Jeff McNeil (1) reacts after hitting a home run against the Atlanta Braves during the ninth inning at Truist Park. Mandatory Credit: Dale Zanine-Imagn Images | Dale Zanine-Imagn Images

The Athletics have been searching all offseason for an infield upgrade at either second or third base, and they finally found one with Jeff McNeil. The A's acquired the veteran from the New York Mets on Monday afternoon, along with nearly $6 million in cash for a rookie ball pitcher.

McNeil, who will turn 34 in April, fits in perfectly with the A's and what they are looking for. Second base was the most unproductive position for the club last season, and adding McNeil at least ensures a roughly average veteran bat with above-average defense. There is also room for him to perform better given the hitter-friendly confines of Sutter Health Park.

An under-the-radar plus about McNeil is that he is a lefty bat, something the A's quietly needed. The only for sure lefties on the roster next season were Nick Kurtz, Tyler Soderstrom, and Lawrence Butler. Carlos Cortes has a good chance to break camp on the Opening Day roster, but is not a lock like the other three. Having McNeil gives the A's the fourth lefty bat they needed.

Last season, McNeil ranked in the 94th percentile for strikeout rate (11.9%) and 76th percentile for walk rate (10.6%). A's shortstop, Jacob Wilson, ranked in the 99th percentile for strikeout rate at 7.5%. Now with both McNeil and Wilson, the A's have two plus contact hitters in their lineup, and Mark Kotsay can deploy them in tandem, space them out, or any number of intrguing options.

The A's can do a lot with McNeil in their lineup. He can hit towards the top of the lineup and try to get on base for the big threats, or he could move down and try to drive the big threats in. This is something the A's played around with last season with Wilson. They tried him in six different spots in the lineup to see where his plus contact bat is best utilized. Now that the A's have two, they can do a lot.

Defensively, McNeil would provide a pretty significant boost for the A's. They ranked as one of the worst teams in the league defensively, so by adding McNeil, they will get a boost up the middle. At second base, he is a career +10 DRS and +18 OAA player, but can and will play all over the diamond.

McNeil is expected to play the bulk of his games at second base for the A's, but if Zack Gelof finds his bat again, or if/when Leo De Vries rakes next season and works quickly through the system, the A's will have versatility available with McNeil.

Sacramento will bring a boost for McNeil's bat, as it does for every player that plays in that park. Last year he hit 12 home runs, but if all of his games had been played in Sacramento, he'd have hit 16 based on his launch angles and the parks factors.

In fact, he would have hit more than 12 home runs in three of the five AL West ballparks. He would have still hit 12 at Angels Stadium, and would have notched 11 in Texas.

With the continued growth of the A's young players and adding a veteran bat that can work a count and rarely strikes out, they may rank as one of the better offensive units in baseball. The A's finished with the No. 10 offense in baseball according to wRC+, and they have just improved their weakest offensive position from a year ago.

However, they will need the pitching to back it up. The A's now set their sights on acquiring a starting pitcher to provide consistent innings. There has not been much movement in the "mid-tier" starting pitching market yet, but when there is, players will sign fast. The A's must be ready to pounce when the time comes.