Not a lot has gone right for the last-place Oakland A’s this year. The lineup is only good at hitting solo homers, the defense is arguably the worst in the sport, and the bullpen is fine except for when it really matters. But at 17-23, not everything has gone wrong, and the brightest spot so far has been the starting rotation.
There are plenty of reasons why the rotation should be a weakness. Four starters have gone on the DL since February, and of the healthy ones, top prospect Jharel Cotton struggled enough to be sent back down to the minors.