Granted, it could be considered specious to characterize the 2025 A’s as potential contenders given that they are coming off of a 93 loss season that followed two 100 loss campaigns.
But fortunes can turn quickly in baseball and the roster will feature many new faces who figure to help the team improve, from Luis Severino and Jeffrey Springs to Jose LeClerc and Gio Urshela. A full season of Lawrence Butler and Tyler Soderstrom won’t hurt either.
Also — welcome to this article’s thesis — the division races are graded on a curve. Who cares if your record would have put you 4th in the AL East if it’s “best in the West”?