Oakland looks like World Series contender — with one big caveat

Back in simpler times — say, February — many around baseball picked the A’s as a favorite to contend for a title.

With a 60game schedule, that assessment only has grown stronger. “Oakland was my pick before,” one AL executive said, “and they’re even more so now.”

“I love the A’s in a short season,” an AL scout said. “That rotation, that lineup — if they get off to a good start, they could win it all.”

What makes Oakland so attractive in an abbreviated season? The team might have the best pitching in the division, especially considering that Houston lost Gerrit Cole to free agency. The A’s are looking at a full season from: Frankie Montas, who missed 80 games in 2019 after a drug suspension; Sean Manaea, who was tremendous in September after coming back from shoulder surgery; Jesús Luzardo, who might be worked in slowly after a positive coronavirus test but might be the team’s most talented starter; And A.J. Puk, another topnotch rookie lefty.

A solid bullpen includes AllStar closer Liam Hendriks and proven Yusmeiro Petit.

They also have the top defense, particularly in the infield, with twotime Platinum Glove winner Matt Chapman at third, Gold Glove finalist Marcus Semien at shortstop and twotime Gold Glove first baseman Matt Olson.

Then there is the prospect of getting more production from players whose 2019 seasons were hampered by injuries and underperformance, particularly Khris Davis — who led the majors in homers with 48 in 2018 — and Stephen Piscotty. Olson missed six weeks with a broken hamate, and he still hit 36 homers. With Olson in the lineup since Sept. 6, 2017, the A’s are 193113; they’re 1824 without him.

If all three remain healthy and play up to their capabilities, the A’s could be a force.

“Everybody healthy and everybody feeling good about it, I mean it could be for the first time in two years. And we’ve had two pretty good years leading up to this,” manager Bob Melvin said. “The trick is going to be getting nine guys in the lineup on a particular day when you have a couple guys on the bench that probably talentwise would merit being in the lineup.”

“I think our team is stacked,” Davis said. “No doubt. We all can’t be slumping at the same time.”

Last season, the A’s did all go into a funk at the same time: the final week of the season and into the wildcard game. To live up to all their promise this year, they must avoid that, obviously. And Oakland must, for once, get off to a good start. Typically, going back 20 years, the A’s are dozing the first month or two in their playoff seasons.

“It’s short, 60 games, which means not a lot of room for error,” Melvin said. “But you know what I think: Teams will just go out there and play it like it’s August. That’ll be the feeling. A little bit more intensity. You know that there’s a finish line not too far away. And I’ve said often that teams play differently when they see the finish line and they get into August and September. So it’s just going to be that from the very beginning.”

In 10 playoff years since 2000, Oakland is 137130 in March and April — subtract 2014’s backward year, and it’s 119120. The A’s love the second half, going 8847 the past two years.

“You hear the ‘marathon not a sprint’ a lot, and now it’s a sprint, not a marathon,” Olson said. “But I think it’ll be fun, honestly. It’s going to make every game matter a little more. And I think we’re going to get pretty juiced up for games and nudging out wins and things like that. Every game’s almost multiplied by three if you break it down in the numbers . ...

“We know the start hasn’t been great the past couple years, but we’re bringing back the same team coming back from backtoback 97win seasons. We know what kind of a team we’ve got, and if anything we’ve gotten better from last year. There’s no doubt in our minds the club that we are, and we know that we’ve got to come out hot early and make a run at it.”

Since 2000, the team is 508296 in the second half, a .632 winning percentage — and if you throw out 2014’s secondhalf fizzle, it’s 471253 (.651).

“I think that we’ve got talent,” Semien said. “We’ve got the pitching right now to win now. So everybody says, ‘Oh, you guys never start hot, are you worried about that?’ I think we play well at this time of year. We’re already in the summer, we play well once it gets a little warmer . ... So I like our chances.”

Oakland also has strong depth, particularly in the outfield and utility spots, and has a solid additional starter option in Chris Bassitt should Luzardo need more time or if the A’s decide to “piggyback” starters.

“I think this 60game season is definitely going to be basically a pressure cooker of what team has the best depth at every position,” Bassitt said. “Every game is almost a mustwin . ... Our roster is set up really well for this.”

And, A’s players say, they have another advantage, too, in a season with so many unknowns, potential health risks, fanless stadiums and a compressed schedule: Melvin, who’s won two Manager of the Year awards with Oakland.

“It’s going to be exciting for us, it’s just going to be a little nerveracking — but thank God we have BoMel,” Bassitt said. “I don’t really know of anyone else that I’d want to lead our way than BoMel.”

Susan Slusser covers the A’s for The San Francisco Chronicle. Email: sslusser@sfchronicle.com Twitter: @susanslusser

Lea Suzuki / The Chronicle A’s players know the team has to come out of the gate fast and buck their recent tendency of posting losing records in the early part of the season in order to contend over 60 games.