Olson getting back in the swing of things
Rbsa, ARIZ. >> The A’s are just dipping their toes into Cactus League play. Two games in, with a 1-1 record, some young players — Buddy Reed, Nick Allen and Matt Blackham — are using the spring training stage to show their progress and flash some skills. Some mainstays — Matt Olson and Matt Chapman — have shown they’re more than up for the task of a redemption season. Some — such as Jed Lowrie — haven’t taken cleats to the dirt quite yet.
Though weeks away from having a complete picture of how the opening day roster will shake out — should any surprise players emerge as dark horses — it’s never too soon to track how key players are emerging from the offseason.
Here are three A’s position players to watch as Cactus League games progress:
Matt Olson
Olson knows he wasn’t at his best in the 2020 season. This spring, Olson will get an opportunity to find his swing again and, with it, some consistent contact.
“To put it bluntly, I stunk last year in my opinion,” Olson said in a Zoom call with reporters last week. “I don’t think that represents the caliber of player I am. I’m excited to get out there and prove that’s not the player I am.”
What will a redemption year for Olson look like?
Hopefully he can get his average up a bit above the .195 average he held last season. Batting average isn’t the bottom line, especially for a power hitter like Olson. But some semblance of consistency at the plate could tell us if he’s found his swing again, his timing in particular.
Watching video over the offseason, Olson noticed he was putting himself in a bad position at the plate and that his bat was far too horizontal. That forced him to swing more around his body, which made unable to stay through the ball. His strikeout rate skyrocketed to 31 percent. He hit 14 home runs in 60 games — but his timing had to be near perfect to get hold of the ball.
Can Olson get his swing back to its 2019 form this spring? We’ll see. Monday against the Reds, Olson hit a monstrous two-run home run that landed well beyond the right field bullpen with a 116-mph exit velocity off Noe Ramirez. That’s certainly a good sign.
Elvis Andrus
Andrus drew a walk in his first game in green and gold in Sunday’s Cactus League opener and we got a look at how he’ll meld into the A’s infield and next to third baseman Matt Chapman. For now, Andrus’ goal is to get adjusted to a new team — he’d spent his entire 12 year career with the Texas Rangers until this season.
“It’s more getting to know the guys and going through workouts,” manager Bob Melvin said. “It’s nice to see him in A’s uniform. Draws a walk first time up, so he’s fitting in well. As you’d expect from a veteran guy, he’s had a lot of dialogue with us because of our experience. Trying to get to know our guys and how we do things.”
As spring progresses, we’ll see how the chemistry between Chapman and Andrus — as well as with Olson at first — develops.
Jed Lowrie
Lowrie, 36, hasn’t seen any game action yet. Still on his way back from knee surgery he had in October, Lowrie came into camp a bit behind on his running progressions compared to other players.
Still, given his experience and pedigree with the club, Lowrie square in contention for the lion’s share of time at second base (or, at least, as a platoon option) and designated hitting jobs for the big league club this year. In his third stint with the Oakland, the A’s coaching staff has a good idea of what they’re looking for from Lowrie. And they’ve seen glimpses of it during camp.
“I’ve been impressed with what I’ve seen, and probably surprised based on missing two years,” Melvin said last week. “But really we won’t know till we get into games how much that affects him … But I know he feels a lot better since he’s had the surgery.”
Spring will tell us how much the knee injuries have impacted him. Lowrie said he’s grown accustomed to being the “underdog” and that will propel him as he competes for a job. He doesn’t care much for where he plays, or how much. Right now, his concern
“I think all options are on the table,” Lowrie said. “I think a lot just depends on my health and how I perform. And so that’s all you can really ask for.”