While the Oakland Athletics are off to a better start than we're used to, the perennial slow-starters are just 21-22, already 6.5 games behind the Rangers for 1st place in the AL West, and extremely difficult to figure out. And though the season is young, a lot has happened—from winning streaks, to losing streaks, to pies, to Angel Hernandez.
But I'm still waiting for a few more things...like...
I'm still waiting for Yoenis Cespedes to get hot. You are too, I bet. The early trip to the DL with a sprained muscle in his left hand was no surprise—he swings hard, runs hard, and falls hard—but the .196 average is a shocker, especially considering how well he adjusted to pitchers as a rookie. Cespedes looks uneasy at the plate, is chasing pitches out of the strike zone, perhaps pressing a bit much, and has yet to successfully steal a single base. But, like the uncomfortable calm before a storm, I can sense a bunch of thunderous hits approaching. He's too talented to stay slumping. Right, guys?
In the meantime, I'm still waiting, albeit impatiently, for the starting rotation to settle down. Relax. Goosfraba. The A's—or any other team for that matter—will only go as far as their pitching takes them. Almost two months into the season, that doesn't seem very far with this bunch. The starting rotation owns an abysmal 5.09 ERA this season, compared to a 3.80 ERA last season. My calculator tells me that's a 1.29-run difference! Even worse, they rarely last beyond the sixth inning, which could eventually take a major toll on the team's biggest strength: the bullpen. I only bring up last season's numbers because the current staff features basically the same exact pitchers; pitchers who, with several starts under their belt, were supposed to improve.
It's wishful thinking—I know, I know—but I'm still waiting for a clean bill of health. The disabled list, starring Brett Anderson, Josh Reddick & Co., looks more like an opening day lineup card. A pretty good one, too. Anderson's return to and status in the starting rotation is arguably the most important of all—as Dan Straily is clearly not ready for the spotlight. Injuries, however, continue to be the wall standing between Anderson and dominance. And that wall added a few bricks after yesterday's announcement.
"Next man up." That's the Billy Beane motto, though it often turns into, "Next men up." So, like every year, I'm still waiting for Beane to make a few more calls to Sacramento. When and for whom exactly, I have no clue. But it will happen, and I'd guess sooner than later. The popular choices among fans and beat writers alike include: Sonny Gray, the organization's top pitching prospect; Grant Green, who has bounced around the infield and outfield and back since being a first-round pick in 2009; and Hiro Nakajima, the mystery man from Japan. Then again, it could be another "Who?" that becomes a "Whoa!" a la Josh Donaldson, Sean Doolittle, and Chris Carter.
Above all, I'm still waiting for an identity. No, this whole Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde act is not a viable option. Inconsistency is not an identity—or at least I hope it's not. They're also not last year's team, no matter how often we want them to be. They're this year's team, only we don't really know what that means quite yet. Are they a power-hitting, home-run bashing offense? Do they fling pies with the best of them? Will they contend for back-to-back playoff berths...or pretend?
I guess I'm still waiting for answers.