We all knew this was going to happen.
I tried to cheer everyone up and look optimistic about the 2026 season for the Sacramento Athletics, but the injury bug reared its ugly head and has smitten many key players.
Here We Go Again in 2026
Even with our squad and offense close to 100%, I’m pretty sure that everyone knew that the season was still going to be an uphill climb due to the A’s porous pitching staff lacking on the front-end rotation and back-end bullpen.
Any team without any sort of pitching is already in harm’s way of missing the MLB playoffs altogether, but add the key injuries to cornerstone players like the A’s have recently suffered, and it leaves them and any other team in the same position, dead in the water and looking forward to next season. It appears to be that time, A’s fans, to start looking towards 2027, just saying.
So, You’re Saying There’s a Chance…
Credit: Athletics-Twitter/XWith the A’s currently at 45-62 and 10 games behind the first-place Texas Rangers, it’s not totally given that they’ll miss out on the postseason, but things are looking quite grim with the current injuries to Brent Rooker and Shea Langeliers, who are pillars of the A’s potent offense.
The question is: can the A’s replace those numbers and players with what they have left?
Replacing Langeliers itself is a job that almost seems impossible, as he’s having a career All-Star-caliber season, and losing him this deep into the MLB year with a significant injury such as a meniscus tear and out for the season leaves little offensive imagination going forward. Brent Rooker is out for the 2026 campaign as well after going under the knife for season-ending knee surgery.
Such injuries leave the Athletics in dire straits with around 50 games remaining and the team looking for any kind of spark that can carry them into the postseason somehow, but don’t hold your breath.
The Future Is Bright
When there’s a will, there’s a way, and the A’s definitely have the will to try and make this season interesting. Sacramento A’s have been calling up a plethora of young, inspiring players. Still, it’s been some of the veterans, such as Brian Servan, who’s currently replacing Langeliers, showing he’s up to the task, hitting his 1st homer since 2022.
The A’s have been really busy calling up hot prospects such as Gage Jump, Kade Morris, and Joshua Kuroda-Grauer.
While it’s not a given the A’s will miss out on the postseason, it’s looking pretty dire given the trajectory of the team and opponents in the division against the Mariners, Rangers, and Astros. A guy can hope, can’t he?
Let’s Call It as We See It
In all fairness, I see the A’s winning around 70-75 games for the season given their current lack of consistency within the lineup and abysmal pitching rotations. That would leave the A’s with a 70-92 or 75-87 record for the 2026 season, which is, oddly enough, similar to their 2025 record of 76-86. Most fans wouldn’t think so, but given the adversity the A’s have faced, a similar record to last season, given all the injuries and call-ups, is a win and breeds a stable core in the future as the A’s bolster their roster with fresh, blossoming talent.
Let’s not forget the A’s getting a shiny new stadium to play in for the upcoming 2028 season; look for that to boost the A’s wins to at least +10. Given the combination of the A’s new Sin City digs and their stacked roster, I can see them winning 90 games easily.
We’ll find out soon enough as the stadium construction progresses every day and the enthusiasm builds like a snowball over the Nevada mountains. Trust the process.
