This afternoon, the Athletics begin their 2026 MLB season against the reigning American League champions, the Toronto Blue Jays.
The 2026 Opening Day Roster Reaction
Lineup
There aren’t any major surprises amongst the position player group. Shea Langeliers and Austin Wynns will be the catching tandem. The starting infield will be Nick Kurtz at 1B, Jeff McNeil at 2B, Jacob Wilson at SS, and Max Muncy at 3B. Muncy was the star this spring for the A’s, finishing Cactus League play with a 1.266 OPS and five home runs.
The outfield trio will be Lawrence Butler in RF, Denzel Clarke in CF, and Tyler Soderstrom in LF. Carlos Cortes will be the fourth outfielder with Andy Ibanez seeing time in the infield and outfield. Darell Hernaiz is available off the bench in the infield and Brent Rooker will continue to star at DH.
Rotation
Luis Severino will start today against Toronto, his second Opening Day honor for the A’s. After a rocky start to his first season with the team, he was better down the stretch in 2025 (5.16 ERA pre-All Star Game and 3.10 ERA post-All Star Game) and had some nice moments for the Dominican Republic in the World Baseball Classic this spring. Veteran lefty Jeffrey Springs, who also joined the team prior to last season, will slot in behind Sevy in the rotation.
The highest upside in the group is undeniably 23-year-old Luis Morales. He was called up in August after striking out 107 batters in 89.1 innings (AA & AAA). The Cuban RHP threw in ten MLB games (nine starts) and will look to build on that opportunity entering this season. Unlike the exciting potential of Morales, free agent signing Aaron Civale has become a journeyman in recent years but can eat innings. The final rotation spot will belong to Jacob Lopez, who was something of a breakout player last season. Without high-end fastball velocity, he succeeded by limiting hard contact (94th percentile average exit velo) and will look to prove 2025 wasn’t a fluke.
Bullpen
The oft-injured Luis Medina will open the season in long relief. J. T. Ginn and Elvis Alvarado should work primarily in low-leverage situations. After serving a suspension for gambling, Michael Kelly was a serviceable arm last season. He should be destined for middle relief in 2026. Scott Barlow and Mark Leiter Jr. both signed as free agents this offseason. Barlow had back-to-back sub-3.00 ERA seasons in his prime back in 2021 and 2022. Since totaling 40 saves in those two campaigns, he has not been a bonafide closer and has 16 combined saves in the past three seasons while playing for the Royals, Padres, Guardians, and Reds. While his ERA has worsened, Leiter Jr. has maintained a good strikeout rate and should find himself in some save situations.
According to Fangraphs’ closer depth chart, it will be a closer committee of the aforementioned Leiter Jr., Justin Sterner, and Hogan Harris. Sterner was claimed off waivers from the Rays in November 2024 and split 2025 between AAA and MLB. He has swing and miss stuff (86th percentile chase rate & 87th percentile whiff rate) and should get a first full season in the majors. Like Sterner, Harris bounced between Las Vegas and the big leagues last year. In his 20 MLB games after the All Star break, he pitched to a 1.69 ERA and converted 4/4 save opportunities. His changeup was ELITE in 2025, throwing it 148 times and allowing just one hit. With that trio at the backend, you’d expect manager Mark Kotsay to ride the hot hand until someone grabs a hold of the job for the long-term.
What Else?
- Fangraphs projects the A’s to finish 79-83 and 4th in the AL West. That projection includes a 25% chance to make the playoffs.
- On the individual side, FanDuel gives Nick Kurtz the fifth-best odds to win AL Most Valuable Player. In 2025, he finished 12th for the award, while unanimously winning AL Rookie of the Year.
- According to MLB Pipeline, the Athletics have three prospects in the Top 100: Leo De Vries at #4, Jamie Arnold at #41, and Gage Jump at #57.
System Spotlight
Below are the dates for each MiLB affiliate of the A’s getting their seasons underway.
Las Vegas (AAA): Tonight (3/27)
Midland (AA): 4/2
Lansing (High-A): 4/2
Stockton (Low-A): 4/2
Athletics-Rookies (Arizona Complex League): 5/2
What’s Next?
After finishing up this series north of the border, the Athletics are off to Atlanta for a three-game set vs. the Braves.
