For the second straight year the Athletics won 97 games and clinched a Wild Card spot. And for the second straight year the A’s lost in the Wild Card round. To make matters worse for A’s fans, Oakland has now lost nine straight elimination games. With the Astros losing Gerrit Cole and in the midst of their cheating scandal, the AL West looks to be wide open. While the Astros are returning most of their core, their could be a shakeup this year in the division.
The A’s lost some depth in the off-season but kept their core together.