Hottest ML Team

By R.E. McCabe correspondent Sam ‘no spell check’ Willie


Who’s Hot?


The defending America League Champion Oakland Athletics, that’s who hot, 15-0. Only fifteen games into season 14 they are leading the AL West by 8.5 games. Oakland had the best AL record in season 13 (94-68) and the pitching staff was a big part of the team’s success. Last year the Oakland pitching staff led the AL in team ERA (3.89) and WHIP (1.28). This year they are 2nd in the AL in ERA and 3rd in WHIP. And this year they are getting some power at the plate from the Bay area “Bombers by the Bay.” Oakland is leading the entire ML (AL and NL) with 39 home runs, 9 more than the 2nd place Toronto Blue Jays. They also lead the ML with 127 Runs scored, 122 RBIs, Slugging .571 and OPS .941.

Oakland has a five man rotation led by 10 year veteran and ace Rafael Fernandez (2-0, 2.50), Onan Suh (2-0, 3.71 ERA) acquired via trade with the New York Yankees after season 12. Andres Alfonzo (3-0, 1 CG, 1 SHO, 1.64 ERA) who led the team in wins last year with 18 and innings pitched with 229.1. Aramis Rojas (1-0, 3.60 ERA) was a first round draft pick (7 overall) of the Los Angeles Dodgers in season 5, and Louie Mercedes (1-0, 3.60 ERA) was a season 14 off season acquisition who was 11-8 last year with the Minnesota Twins. This staff has five starters 27 years of age with only one over 30, Fernandez he is 31. The batting order is just as intimidating as the pitching rotation. The batting order is loaded with power and line drive hitters. Diego Hernandez CF (15 games 4 HR, 15 RBI, 361 BA), led the team in season 13 with 37 homers. George Brantley 3B (15 games 9 HR, 19 RBI, 323 BA), was 2nd on the team with 34 last year. Jose Fernandez LF (15 games 6 HR, 16 RBI, 333 BA), is an IFA signed in season 11 and has never played a game in the minor leagues. Victor Arias RF (15 games 6 HR, 20 RBI, 321 BA), only played in 44 games last year collecting only 6 homers however, in season 10, 11, and 12 he had 29, 34, and 30 home runs. Rounding out the Bombers by the Bay are Jolbert Veras 1B (5 HR, 16 RBI, 281 BA), and Homer Henry 2B (4 HR, 13 RBI, 357 BA) who had 29 dingers in season 13.

A lot of the credit goes to 64 year old pitching coach Quentin Lawrence and 47 year old hitting coach Felipe Maduro. Lawrence is in his 20th year as a coach in the Big Leagues, the last three years with Oakland. Lawrence spent 7 years with Cincinnati as the pitching coach before joining Oakland in season 12. He has 12 years of experience as a pitching coach and 8 as a bullpen coach. Maduro has 8 years of ML coaching experience as a hitting coach. This is his 2nd year with Oakland. Maduro spent 4 years with Minnesota before joining Oakland in season 13. Neither coach has major league playing experience. Both are very interested in becoming Bench Coaches in the near future.