Top Performers in Athletics' 3-1 Series Win vs. Angels

Here are the Athletics' top performers in series win vs the Los Angeles Angels.

May 18, 2026; Anaheim, California, USA; Athletics pitcher J.T. Ginn (35) reacts after striking out Los Angeles Angels third baseman Yoan Moncada (10) to end the seventh inning at Angel Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Gary A. Vasquez-Imagn Images | Gary A. Vasquez-Imagn Images

The A's pulled off a very interesting 3-1 series win over the Los Angeles Angels. Here are the top contributors from the series.

The last four days told us a lot about Athletics baseball. Not only did this team show dominance at times, but they also proved that, when backed into a corner, they are more than capable of fighting their way out. These efforts could not have been accomplished without a few very strong performances.

May 15, 2026; West Sacramento, California, USA; Athletics first baseman Nick Kurtz (16) hits a home run against the San Francisco Giants during the fifth inning at Sutter Health Park. Mandatory Credit: Ed Szczepanski-Imagn Images | Ed Szczepanski-Imagn Images

Nick Kurtz was excellent throughout this series, recording a hit in every single game. But what was most impressive was the RBI total of seven, which accounted for nearly 30% of the Athletics 24 runs throughout the series. If he can maintain this, the A's should be able to coast to the All-Star break with no hiccups.

His best game of the series, hands down, was in Game 2, where he would go 3-of-5, with five RBIs and two runs scored. This performance sets a season high in RBIs that now places Kurtz No. 2 in the nation in runs batted in. With the A's now 1.5 games ahead of Texas, they will now rely on Kurtz to keep the offense steady.

Kurtz has now reached base in 44 straight games, a league high.

May 18, 2026; Anaheim, California, USA; Athletics pitcher J.T. Ginn (35) waits during the seventh inning against the Los Angeles Angels at Angel Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Gary A. Vasquez-Imagn Images | Gary A. Vasquez-Imagn Images

J.T Ginn would pitch absolutely incredibly in Game 1's loss, where he would only give up two hits, all of which came in the bottom of the ninth. If the A's had provided any run support, this could have been a marquee outing that would have been remembered for a while. Win or lose, this was a great performance.

Ginn has now positioned himself to be the Athletics ace as he now leads the A's starters in ERA (2.98) and WHIP (1.07). The rest of the series told us the A's starting rotation can be unreliable at times. Ginn's next start will come on Saturday vs. the 29-20 San Diego Padres. A game that acts as a benchmark for this team.

May 20, 2026; Anaheim, California, USA; Athletics second baseman Jeff McNeil (22) runs the bases after hitting a solo home run against the Los Angeles Angels during the ninth inning at Angel Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Gary A. Vasquez-Imagn Images | Gary A. Vasquez-Imagn Images

Jeff McNeil was great throughout the series and ended up being the hero in Game 3, when he hit a game-tying home run in the top of the 9th to send the game to extra innings. Even though McNeil was quiet in the final game of the series, he would host a .333 batting average in the first three games.

May 1, 2026; West Sacramento, California, USA; Athletics manager Mark Kotsay (7) walks back to the dugout after making a pitching change during the sixth inning against the Cleveland Guardians at Sutter Health Park. Mandatory Credit: Scott Marshall-Imagn Images | Scott Marshall-Imagn Images

The bottom line is that this was a great series for the Athletics. Now 1.5 games in front of the Texas Rangers, the A's now set their sights on the Padres.