The Oakland Athletics have historically been known for their nine world-series titles, the book and film Moneyball, the strange elephant on their jerseys, and their stadium: the Oakland Coliseum. The end of the 2023 season brought with it news that the A’s would be moving to Las Vegas, sparking outrage from fans upon ownership. 

Recently, it has been announced that while their new home is being built, the team will play out of a minor league baseball stadium in West Sacramento called Sutter Health Park, home to the San Fransisco Giants AAA affiliate River Cats. If that is not embarrassing enough, the stadiums capacity is 10 624, and the As are only averaging 6 000 fans per game, so fitting everyone in shouldn’t be an issue. 

Players have also voiced concern over the move, with outfielders Esteury Ruiz and Brent Rooker feeling the consequences of speaking out. After starting the season with a .429 batting average, Ruiz was sent down to the minor leagues for two weeks in April, a very questionable move by management. Why did this happen, you may ask? Many speculate it was because he was wearing a bracelet produced by “Last Dive Bar”, a local fan group that organizes protests outside of the coliseum. Similarly, star Brent Rooker was benched for games near the start of season, as he could be found wearing the same accessories as his teammate. This leads fans to wonder if other players are feeling the same way but are too nervous to speak out in fear of being demoted.

Despite the news surrounding relocation, the team has managed to put forth a strong effort at the start of the season, currently 20-30 in the AL West, only 7.5 games behind the leading Seattle Mariners. Lucky for the Athletics, the AL West is one of the weakest divisions in the league this season, which may give them a sliver of hope. To make the playoffs, the Athletics need a significant turnaround. They must win roughly 68 of their remaining 112 games to reach 88 wins, which is typically enough for a Wild Card spot. This means they need a winning percentage of approximately 60.7% for the rest of the season, a big jump from their current 40% pace. To do so, key players like pitcher Ross Stripling will need to step up.

Although the season has been sub-par, certain players have stood out. Brent Rooker leads the team in home runs (11) and OPS (.944). Shea Langeliers has also had strong performances with 10 home runs and a .787 OPS. Pitcher JP Sears has also had a decent season, with a 3-3 record, 4.31 ERA, and 39 strikeouts. With those three players on one-year deals, it will be interesting to see if the A’s will move them at the deadline for picks and prospects.

This season will most likely end in disappointment and angry fans, as ownership is full force ahead with the relocation. For the sake of the fans, every baseball fan can only hope that the A’s can play above 0.500 in their final season in Oakland and secure a win in front of the fans at the final game in the historic coliseum.