On the surface, the Athletics’ past season looked like a clear step forward. It was their best season since 2021, with an offense capable of making many teams wary. Their 219 home runs—the seventh-highest in MLB—weren’t the numbers of a team rebuilding. It was a sign of a team that knew how to score and press.
Nick Kurtz was at the heart of that story. 36 home runs, AL Rookie of the Year, and the feeling that the A’s had finally found a face capable of leading a new era. Alongside him were Brent Rooker, Shea Langeliers, and Tyler Soderstrom—names that helped Oakland’s offense no longer be underestimated.
But behind the swings and the spotlights, there was a problem that was obvious: pitching.
The Athletics finished the season with a team ERA of 4.70—pitching among the four worst teams in the league. That means, no matter how many points they score, each game is like walking a tightrope. And as the season progresses, that kind of imbalance always has consequences.
It’s noteworthy that, so far, the A’s have done almost nothing significant to address that problem. The free agent market is running out of options. Top names have left. And Oakland—not a team known for spending big—seems to be at a familiar crossroads.
Luis Severino is the clearest example of this instability. On the road, he’s good enough to keep the team in the game. At home, things are completely different. Two versions of the same pitcher, and neither is consistent enough to be a solid foundation.
It is in this context that Zack Littell’s name begins to be mentioned—not as a flashy solution, but as a logical piece of the puzzle. Littell isn’t an ace. He didn’t come in to change the story overnight. But his past season — 32 appearances, ERA 3.81, record 10–8 — is what the A’s rotation is lacking: reliability in the middle staff.
A pitcher like Littell doesn’t attract much attention. But it’s precisely that type of player who often makes the difference for teams teetering between “improvement” and “regression.” He doesn’t need to dominate. He just needs to help the bullpen. He just needs to keep the game under control long enough for their offense to do its job.
If the A’s continue to produce similar offensive power in 2026 — which is entirely possible with their current roster — then just a small improvement in rotation could change the entire picture. That’s what makes this proposal noteworthy: the gap between the A’s current situation and their next step isn’t that big anymore.
The question is whether they dare to act. Oakland doesn’t need a blockbuster deal. They need a well-timed decision. A reasonably average, but consistent, pitcher might be the least expensive way to test whether this squad is truly ready to compete.
A’s have shown they can pitch. Now they have to prove they haven’t overlooked the rest. Because sometimes, what drags a team down isn’t a loud-mouthed weakness—but a familiar flaw, accepted for too long, until it becomes the dividing line between “potential” and “reality.”
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