Normalcy taking the field
A’s: Chapman says it’s ‘great’ for team to play underdog role
As this season begins, the A’s — winners of the AL West in 2020, having maintained a 97win pace in each of the past three seasons — are widely projected for a second or even thirdplace finish.
Matt Chapman says he ascribes little value to such projections. Nor, in this case, does he agree.
“I don’t think that it’s worth digging into too much, but we like being the underdogs,” the twotime Platinum Glovewinning third baseman said Wednesday. “I guess that just means we’re playing with house money. We’re not expected to do anything — so everything we do is great. But I know it’s a different vibe, different feel in this clubhouse. We’re expecting to win the division.
“I think this is the best team that we’ve had since I’ve been here — 97 wins two years in a row (2018 and 2019), I think we can get to 100. So it’s nice, it’s motivation for me, because I like trying to prove people wrong. But I think that people don’t like to give us credit for some reason, and they predict us to win, like, 81 games, which is absurd. But that’s their own opinion.”
Forecasts for this year’s A’s carry a familiar caveat. They aren’t expected by many experts or statistical models to repeat as division winners — but they could surprise. Chapman listed his reasons for optimism: a core that is “only getting better,” additions who “fit right in,” a rotation “only get
ting more mature,” a bullpen that can “shorten games, something we feed off bigtime.” To some observers, those items add up to an expected regression of doubledigit wins.
“Hey, that’s perfectly fine,” reliever Jake Diekman said. “I feel like every year the A’s aren’t picked to win. That’s fine. … It was nice that (the projected record) was over .500.”
Oakland’s schedule offers immediate intrigue. The A’s unseated the Astros atop the AL West in 2020 — winning the division by seven games in the truncated 60game schedule — only to fall to Houston in four games in the AL Division Series. The teams open with a fourgame series at the Coliseum, where the return of fans even in limited numbers will add an element missing from last year’s games. Some A’s fans expressed disappointment at not being able to jeer the Astros following revelations of the team’s 2017 signstealing scheme.
After the opening series, the A’s host the defending World Series champion Dodgers for three games, then play the Astros again in Houston.
“We’ll see how good we are,” Diekman said of the early slate. “We know how good we can be.”
Said Chapman: “Those teams have to play us, too. … We’re excited to play the Astros. It’s always fun playing them. That’s probably, in our opinion, our biggest competition in this division. But we’re the reigning champs and they’ve got to prove it to us.
“We’re not taking these games lightly. These are good teams. We’re definitely going to be battletested here early having to play the Dodgers and the Astros twice. But they’ve got to play us and we like to believe that these are our games.”
A’s manager Bob Melvin said he usually requires a month of games to form a “good feel” for his team and “won’t put too much stock” into the early schedule. With roster carryover from 2020, Melvin added, “we have a pretty good feeling about our team regardless.” Chapman missed the last month and playoffs last year because of injury.
General manager David Forst cited avoiding such absences as key to the A’s contending again.
“That question for me always comes down to health,” Forst said. “I think you look at pitching, both starting and relief, you look at the offense and defense, I think all the ingredients are there. From my seat, we’re always trying to make sure we stay as healthy as possible.”
Rotation depth will be tested right away with Mike Fiers (hip) out. The A’s hadn’t chosen a fifth starter — A.J. Puk, Daulton Jefferies and Cole Irvin are the options — as of early Wednesday. But Melvin said whoever it is probably will face the Astros in the opening series.
Frankie Montas faced hitters in a simulated game Wednesday and likely would stay on turn to start Monday against the Dodgers if a torn cuticle on his right hand is sufficiently healed. In that event, Opening Night starter Chris Bassitt, Jesús Luzardo and Sean Manaea all would face Houston in the first series.
“It’s not going to dictate where the season goes,” Melvin said of the first 10 games, “but you like to get off to a good start like we did last year. And you know you’re going to have to play your best against both these teams to get off to a good start.”