Elephant Rumblings: Happy Opening Day!

MLB news roundup

Happy Opening Day A’s fans!

The team is set to kick off the 2025 season in just a few more hours. It’s been a tumultuous and depressing offseason to say the least but the only thing that matters now is that baseball is back. The team had a busy offseason and has lots of more young and exciting players on the roster this year than in seasons’ past . And they seem eager to show the baseball world that they’re a different and better team than last year.

The A’s would be well suited to get some early momentum from Day 1. The additions of veterans Luis Severino and Jeffrey Springs solidified a rotation that was shaky-at-best entering the winter. A pitching staff that was third-worst in the American League in 2024 should be much more reliable with those veteran additions, though the hope is the younger guys from last year (looking at you, Sears, Bido, Estes) used the winter to refine their craft and step their game up here in 2025. There is a ton more upside with this group than last years’ squad, of whom only Sears remains with the organization.

The organization added an average third baseman this offseason but don’t interpret that as an insult. After the paltry production the team had out of the hot corner the past few years, average would be a massive upgrade. Enter former Yankee Gio Urshela, who was once a rising star in the game but has instead bounced around the league quite a bit over the past few seaons. Five teams in five years, to be exact, and about to make it six teams in six years. He’s had his peaks and valleys throughout his career but he’s always had the floor of at least average. Again, just like the pitching staff the Athletics had the third-worst production out of the position in the AL last year. It’s an easy and no-brainer upgrade where they could make a change.

Last year’s Opening Day infield will be completely different compared to today’s starting alignment (though the team would certainly like to have second baseman Zack Gelof in the lineup tonight). At almost every position, the upside is incomparable. Going from Nick Allen to Jacob Wilson at shortstop, Ryan Noda to Tyler Soderstrom at first base, and JD Davis to Gio Urshela at third, this team has a much higher ceiling than any of the teams that they’ve marched out there in recent years. And a lot of these guys will be teammates for a long time.

It’s surprising to look back and see how much the team has changed in just one calendar year, on both the pitching and hitting side of things. There are a few other new faces on the team but for the most part a lot of the players the team ended 2024 with are back. This time the young players have some actual major league experience under their belts. A third of the team’s lineup won’t be an offensive black hole like the first half of last season. They’ve got a young and exciting shortstop named Jacob Wilson joining forces with lineup anchors Brent Rooker and Lawrence Butler. Gelof could rediscover his second-half of 2023 magic when he returns from injury. Soderstrom, a former 1st-round pick, could finally put it all together at the plate after struggling in his first couple tries in the big leagues. Upside, upside, upside!

Even with all that, the team still has an uphill climb to contention with a division that could be sneakily competitive. Even so, it’s still just a different vibe for these guys this year compared to last. I’ll take a young and exciting team any day of the week. It’s called being an A’s fan. Let’s go A’s!

A’s Coverage:

• Driveline Chat: Kyle Boddy Interview, Part III of III
• Athletics at Mariners Series Preview
• After nine years with the Yankees and Mets, the A’s Opening Day starter hopes to bring a winning mentality — and call himself out when it doesn’t go well
• Here are the big storylines and predications for the 2025 Athletics
• Former Athletic Kevin Smith announces retirement
• Free agent fans: Options for forlorn Oakland A’s supporters in search of new team

MLB News & Interest:

• The major milestones within reach for star players in 2025
• Red Sox manager Alex Cora names Rafael Devers everyday DH
• Tigers send 2024 closer Jason Foley to minors amid struggles
• Reds’ Spencer Steer will not start season on IL
• Mets’ Paul Blackburn to start season on IL with knee inflammation
• Astros select contract of former top prospect Brendan Rodgers
• Sportsbooks set historically low White Sox season win total
• MLB experts predict each division winner (and WS champ)
• MLB teams won 52.2 % of ABS challenges during robot umpire test
• Today in Baseball History

Best of X:

Let’s get it started!

There’s rumors it’s inevitable...

A tippy-top prospect is only one call away from The Show to start the season:

A couple interesting prospects will start the year in Double-A rotation:

Update: