Latest news with #Athletics'
Newsweek
3 days ago
- Sport
- Newsweek
Athletics Budding Star Leading Way For American League Rookie of Year Race
Based on facts, either observed and verified firsthand by the reporter, or reported and verified from knowledgeable sources. The Athletics' season has been disappointing, as they sit in the cellar of the American League West, but the biggest bright spot has been rookie shortstop Jacob Wilson. According to BetMGM, Wilson has the best odds to win the American League Rookie of the Year award, and his stellar play has made the Athletics more exciting of late. HOUSTON, TEXAS - MAY 28: Jacob Wilson #5 of the Athletics gestures after hitting a solo home run during the fifth inning against the Houston Astros at Daikin Park on May 28, 2025 in Houston,... HOUSTON, TEXAS - MAY 28: Jacob Wilson #5 of the Athletics gestures after hitting a solo home run during the fifth inning against the Houston Astros at Daikin Park on May 28, 2025 in Houston, Texas. More Photo byEntering Thursday, Wilson is batting .353 with seven home runs on the season and has only struck out 12 times. Wilson was the Athletics' top prospect last season and has reached the majors after playing in just 79 games in the minors. Wilson's numbers did not jump off the page in his short stint with the Athletics last season, but he has been the most impressive rookie in the American League this season. Wilson entered the season with the second-best odds, according to BetMGM, but has since begun to runaway as the clear favorite to win the AL Rookie of the Year. There is still plenty of baseball left to be played but the former first round pick is seemingly headed for an All-Star selection and at the very least a finalist appearance for the award. While the Athletics have not been great to begin their, hopefully short, tenure in Sacramento, they look to have a franchise cornerstone for years to come in Wilson. Wilson sits in second place in the American League for batting average, only behind multiple-time MVP Aaron Judge, and is in the top 12 for both on-base percentage and slugging percentage. Wilson is putting together a stellar campaign and is going to be a key cog on the Athletics for years to come. More MLB: Cubs Interested In Negotiating Extension In-Season For Breakout Star
NBC Sports
7 days ago
- Sport
- NBC Sports
A's catcher MacIver gets go-ahead hit, throws out runner to end game in big league debut at age 28
WEST SACRAMENTO, Calif. — Willie MacIver hit a go-ahead single in the eighth inning of his major league debut. Minutes later, the 28-year-old catcher threw out a runner trying to steal second for the final out that ended the Athletics' 11-game losing streak. 'I woke up hoping for a Gatorade bath at the end of the game and, man, I've never felt such a good feeling with such cold water,' he said after the A's beat Philadelphia 5-4 on Sunday and stopped the Phillies' nine-game win streak. MacIver was among five players brought up from the minors on Friday. He started Sunday in place of Shea Langeliers in the day game after a night game. 'This is part of the talk that we had in spring training, it was going to take the whole army that was in the room,' said manager Mark Kotsay, who watched the end from the clubhouse following his first ejection this season. MacIver, hitting .389 with two homers and 30 RBIs at Triple-A Las Vegas, grounded out in the second and fourth against Jesús Luzardo, then struck out in the sixth. After Trea Turner homered in the eighth off Hogan Harris for a 4-3 lead, another Friday call-ups sparked the rally. Logan Davidson walked and scored on Lawrence Butler's triple against Matt Strahm. MacIver fouled off a fastball, then drove a cutter into center field to bring home the go-ahead run. 'I'm always upset about walks,' Strahm said. 'I just feel like I've had too many too close together.' A day after blowing a ninth-inning lead, Mason Miller allowed a two-out single in the ninth to Alec Bohm. Johan Rojas pinch ran and MacIver, who had been in the minors since 2018, threw to shortstop Jacob Wilson, who tagged the sliding Rojas on an elbow. 'I had family here, friends, teammates, ex-teammates,' MacIver said. 'It's a dream come true. I can't even put it into words.' Rojas at 29.9 feet per second has the fifth-highest sprint speed in the majors among players with 10 or more opportunities, according to Statcast. MacIver was selected by Colorado in the ninth round of the 2018 amateur draft from the University of Washington. He played in the 2021 Futures Game with Bobby Witt Jr., Julio Rodríguez and Spencer Torkelson. MacIver became a minor league free agent last November and signed a minor league contract with the Athletics a month later. 'I'm so grateful for my family and for my support system,' he said. 'They've been everything to me and I obviously wouldn't be here without them and like I can't thank them enough. ... The fact that they could be here and see my first hit and how that game ended, man, it's awesome.' Davidson started at first a day after Nick Kurtz left the game because of a left hip issue. He had two hits and two RBIs a day after a forgettable debut. Davidson entered as a pinch runner for Kurtz in the 10th inning. He was thrown out at the plate, called for obstruction and ended a 9-6 loss by striking out. 'There's a lot of confidence that I have in this kid,' Kotsay said. 'I've invested a lot of time, we've had a lot of conversations through the last two seasons about what it was going to take for him to be a big leaguer and he has not backed down from anything that I've given him and to see the reward come today and just his first start and contributing and having such an impact to the win, was awesome.'
San Francisco Chronicle
26-05-2025
- Sport
- San Francisco Chronicle
A's catcher MacIver gets go-ahead hit, throws out runner to end game in big league debut at age 28
WEST SACRAMENTO, Calif. (AP) — Willie MacIver hit a go-ahead single in the eighth inning of his major league debut. Minutes later, the 28-year-old catcher threw out a runner trying to steal second for the final out that ended the Athletics' 11-game losing streak. 'I woke up hoping for a Gatorade bath at the end of the game and, man, I've never felt such a good feeling with such cold water,' he said after the A's beat Philadelphia 5-4 on Sunday and stopped the Phillies' nine-game win streak. MacIver was among five players brought up from the minors on Friday. He started Sunday in place of Shea Langeliers in the day game after a night game. 'This is part of the talk that we had in spring training, it was going to take the whole army that was in the room,' said manager Mark Kotsay, who watched the end from the clubhouse following his first ejection this season. MacIver, hitting .389 with two homers and 30 RBIs at Triple-A Las Vegas, grounded out in the second and fourth against Jesús Luzardo, then struck out in the sixth. After Trea Turner homered in the eighth off Hogan Harris for a 4-3 lead, another Friday call-ups sparked the rally. Logan Davidson walked and scored on Lawrence Butler's triple against Matt Strahm. MacIver fouled off a fastball, then drove a cutter into center field to bring home the go-ahead run. 'I'm always upset about walks,' Strahm said. 'I just feel like I've had too many too close together.' A day after blowing a ninth-inning lead, Mason Miller allowed a two-out single in the ninth to Alec Bohm. Johan Rojas pinch ran and MacIver, who had been in the minors since 2018, threw to shortstop Jacob Wilson, who tagged the sliding Rojas on an elbow. 'I had family here, friends, teammates, ex-teammates,' MacIver said. 'It's a dream come true. I can't even put it into words.' Rojas at 29.9 feet per second has the fifth-highest sprint speed in the majors among players with 10 or more opportunities, according to Statcast. MacIver was selected by Colorado in the ninth round of the 2018 amateur draft from the University of Washington. He played in the 2021 Futures Game with Bobby Witt Jr., Julio Rodríguez and Spencer Torkelson. MacIver became a minor league free agent last November and signed a minor league contract with the Athletics a month later. 'I'm so grateful for my family and for my support system,' he said. 'They've been everything to me and I obviously wouldn't be here without them and like I can't thank them enough. ... The fact that they could be here and see my first hit and how that game ended, man, it's awesome.' Davidson started at first a day after Nick Kurtz left the game because of a left hip issue. He had two hits and two RBIs a day after a forgettable debut. Davidson entered as a pinch runner for Kurtz in the 10th inning. He was thrown out at the plate, called for obstruction and ended a 9-6 loss by striking out. 'There's a lot of confidence that I have in this kid,' Kotsay said. 'I've invested a lot of time, we've had a lot of conversations through the last two seasons about what it was going to take for him to be a big leaguer and he has not backed down from anything that I've given him and to see the reward come today and just his first start and contributing and having such an impact to the win, was awesome.' ___
Fox Sports
26-05-2025
- Sport
- Fox Sports
A's catcher MacIver gets go-ahead hit, throws out runner to end game in big league debut at age 28
Associated Press WEST SACRAMENTO, Calif. (AP) — Willie MacIver hit a go-ahead single in the eighth inning of his major league debut. Minutes later, the 28-year-old catcher threw out a runner trying to steal second for the final out that ended the Athletics' 11-game losing streak. 'I woke up hoping for a Gatorade bath at the end of the game and, man, I've never felt such a good feeling with such cold water,' he said after the A's beat Philadelphia 5-4 on Sunday and stopped the Phillies' nine-game win streak. MacIver was among five players brought up from the minors on Friday. He started Sunday in place of Shea Langeliers in the day game after a night game. 'This is part of the talk that we had in spring training, it was going to take the whole army that was in the room,' said manager Mark Kotsay, who watched the end from the clubhouse following his first ejection this season. MacIver, hitting .389 with two homers and 30 RBIs at Triple-A Las Vegas, grounded out in the second and fourth against Jesus Luzardo, then struck out in the sixth. After Trea Turner homered in the eighth off Hogan Harris for a 4-3 lead, another Friday call-ups sparked the rally. Logan Davidson walked and scored on Lawrence Butler's triple against Matt Strahm. MacIver fouled off a fastball, then drove a cutter into center field to bring home the go-ahead run. 'I'm always upset about walks,' Strahm said. 'I just feel like I've had too many too close together.' A day after blowing a ninth-inning lead, Mason Miller allowed a two-out single in the ninth to Alec Bohm. Johan Rojas pinch ran and MacIver, who had been in the minors since 2018, threw to shortstop Jacob Wilson, who tagged the sliding Rojas on an elbow. 'I had family here, friends, teammates, ex-teammates,' MacIver said. 'It's a dream come true. I can't even put it into words.' Rojas at 29.9 feet per second has the fifth-highest sprint speed in the majors among players with 10 or more opportunities, according to Statcast. MacIver was selected by Colorado in the ninth round of the 2018 amateur draft from the University of Washington. He played in the 2021 Futures Game with Bobby Witt Jr., Julio Rodríguez and Spencer Torkelson. MacIver became a minor league free agent last November and signed a minor league contract with the Athletics a month later. 'I'm so grateful for my family and for my support system,' he said. 'They've been everything to me and I obviously wouldn't be here without them and like I can't thank them enough. ... The fact that they could be here and see my first hit and how that game ended, man, it's awesome.' Davidson started at first a day after Nick Kurtz left the game because of a left hip issue. He had two hits and two RBIs a day after a forgettable debut. Davidson entered as a pinch runner for Kurtz in the 10th inning. He was thrown out at the plate, called for obstruction and ended a 9-6 loss by striking out. 'There's a lot of confidence that I have in this kid,' Kotsay said. 'I've invested a lot of time, we've had a lot of conversations through the last two seasons about what it was going to take for him to be a big leaguer and he has not backed down from anything that I've given him and to see the reward come today and just his first start and contributing and having such an impact to the win, was awesome.' ___ AP MLB: recommended
Winnipeg Free Press
26-05-2025
- Sport
- Winnipeg Free Press
A's catcher MacIver gets go-ahead hit, throws out runner to end game in big league debut at age 28
WEST SACRAMENTO, Calif. (AP) — Willie MacIver hit a go-ahead single in the eighth inning of his major league debut. Minutes later, the 28-year-old catcher threw out a runner trying to steal second for the final out that ended the Athletics' 11-game losing streak. 'I woke up hoping for a Gatorade bath at the end of the game and, man, I've never felt such a good feeling with such cold water,' he said after the A's beat Philadelphia 5-4 on Sunday and stopped the Phillies' nine-game win streak. MacIver was among five players brought up from the minors on Friday. He started Sunday in place of Shea Langeliers in the day game after a night game. 'This is part of the talk that we had in spring training, it was going to take the whole army that was in the room,' said manager Mark Kotsay, who watched the end from the clubhouse following his first ejection this season. MacIver, hitting .389 with two homers and 30 RBIs at Triple-A Las Vegas, grounded out in the second and fourth against Jesús Luzardo, then struck out in the sixth. After Trea Turner homered in the eighth off Hogan Harris for a 4-3 lead, another Friday call-ups sparked the rally. Logan Davidson walked and scored on Lawrence Butler's triple against Matt Strahm. MacIver fouled off a fastball, then drove a cutter into center field to bring home the go-ahead run. 'I'm always upset about walks,' Strahm said. 'I just feel like I've had too many too close together.' A day after blowing a ninth-inning lead, Mason Miller allowed a two-out single in the ninth to Alec Bohm. Johan Rojas pinch ran and MacIver, who had been in the minors since 2018, threw to shortstop Jacob Wilson, who tagged the sliding Rojas on an elbow. 'I had family here, friends, teammates, ex-teammates,' MacIver said. 'It's a dream come true. I can't even put it into words.' Rojas at 29.9 feet per second has the fifth-highest sprint speed in the majors among players with 10 or more opportunities, according to Statcast. MacIver was selected by Colorado in the ninth round of the 2018 amateur draft from the University of Washington. He played in the 2021 Futures Game with Bobby Witt Jr., Julio Rodríguez and Spencer Torkelson. MacIver became a minor league free agent last November and signed a minor league contract with the Athletics a month later. 'I'm so grateful for my family and for my support system,' he said. 'They've been everything to me and I obviously wouldn't be here without them and like I can't thank them enough. … The fact that they could be here and see my first hit and how that game ended, man, it's awesome.' Winnipeg Jets Game Days On Winnipeg Jets game days, hockey writers Mike McIntyre and Ken Wiebe send news, notes and quotes from the morning skate, as well as injury updates and lineup decisions. Arrives a few hours prior to puck drop. Davidson started at first a day after Nick Kurtz left the game because of a left hip issue. He had two hits and two RBIs a day after a forgettable debut. Davidson entered as a pinch runner for Kurtz in the 10th inning. He was thrown out at the plate, called for obstruction and ended a 9-6 loss by striking out. 'There's a lot of confidence that I have in this kid,' Kotsay said. 'I've invested a lot of time, we've had a lot of conversations through the last two seasons about what it was going to take for him to be a big leaguer and he has not backed down from anything that I've given him and to see the reward come today and just his first start and contributing and having such an impact to the win, was awesome.' ___ AP MLB:
