To start the 2026 MLB season, the Athletics were swept by the Toronto Blue Jays and dropped two of three vs. the Atlanta Braves. The lone bright spot has been the home run prowess of catcher Shea Langeliers.
Results
FRI: TOR 3, ATH 2
Shea Langeliers got the scoring started for the 2026 Athletics. He took Kevin Gausman deep in the 4th inning to put the A’s ahead, 1-0. But, that would be the lone hit Toronto’s starter would allow. He struck out 11 and walked zero batters in six innings.
The Blue Jays took a 2-1 lead in the 5th. After Luis Severino walked Kazuma Okamoto, he allowed a double to Ernie Clement before Andres Gimenez technically notched a two-run triple. The reason for that wording on the triple is because it was a miscommunication between Denzel Clarke and Tyler Soderstrom that turned a likely caught fly ball by one of them into a three-bagger. Jeff Hoffman attempted to save the game in the 9th and struck out Nick Kurtz (0/4, 3 Ks) to start the frame. Langeliers picked his team up again and tied the game with a solo homer off of the Blue Jays closer. With the game tied 2-2, Justin Sterner entered for the A’s. He got groundouts from Alejandro Kirk and Daulton Varsho to begin the bottom of the 9th. Then, Okamoto singled, Clement doubled, and Gimenez walked it off with a single.
SAT: TOR 8, ATH 7 (11 innings)
For the second consecutive game, the A’s were going up against a Toronto starting pitcher throwing the ball exceptionally well. In his Blue Jays debut, Dylan Cease struck out 12 in 5.1 innings. He allowed a double to Tyler Soderstrom in the 6th, just the third Athletics’ hit of the day, that tied the game at 1. After he walked Vlad Guerrero Jr. to start the bottom of the inning, A’s starter Jeffrey Springs got Kazuma Okamoto to pop out before being replaced by Mark Leiter Jr. Alejandro Kirk grounded out before Daulton Varsho put the hosts ahead with an RBI single. With the earned run going to Springs, that closed out his final line at 5.1 innings, five hits, two earned runs, and two strikeouts.
The A’s had three infield singles in the 7th, including an RBI single for Denzel Clarke to tie the game at 2. After Nick Kurtz was walked to load the bases, Shea Langeliers smashed a grand slam to dead center to put the Athletics in the lead. The Blue Jays chipped away at the four-run lead, scoring once in the 7th and twice in the 8th. After getting Vladdy to line out to end the 8th with the bases loaded, Michael Kelly remained on the mound for the 9th. With one out, Kirk hit a solo, game-tying home run. Each team scored once in the 10th before Ernie Clement hit a walk-off single against Scott Barlow in the 11th.
SUN: TOR 5, ATH 2
In the series finale, the long ball was the undoing of Athletics’ starter Luis Morales. In his 4.1 innings of work, he allowed home runs to George Springer (to lead off the 1st), Jesus Sanchez, and Kazuma Okamoto. Outside of those three big blasts, he allowed just two more hits and struck out five.
Max Muncy cut the lead in half with a two-run homer in the 5th. Morales walked two batters in the bottom of the inning before exiting in favor of J. T. Ginn. With runners on 1st and 2nd, Ginn allowed a single to Vladimir Guerrero Jr. before walking Addison Barger to push another run across for Toronto. The A’s never threatened and were swept by the reigning American League champions to start the season.
MON: ATL 4, ATH 0
Bryce Elder and three Atlanta relievers combined to shutout the A’s to open the series. The hosts scored three runs in the first inning. Matt Olson sliced a double to the opposite field to get the scoring going before Mauricio Devon blooped in a single to plate two more runs. With Jacob Lopez known for limiting hard contact, Olson’s double had an exit velocity of just 82 MPH while Dublin’s was only 61 MPH. An RBI triple from Mike Yastrzemski in the 8th closed out the scoring.
For the Athletics offensively, it wasn’t a matter of not getting on base. They were only outhit 9-7 by the Braves. The A’s were undone by their poor situational hitting. They left seven runners on base, went 0-6 with runners in scoring position, and grounded into a pair of double plays.
TUE: ATH 5, ATL 2
The 2026 Athletics picked up win #1 on Tuesday. After Drake Baldwin took Aaron Civale deep in the 1st inning, the visitors battled back in the 2nd. Atlanta’s starter Jose Suarez walked three batters and allowed an RBI single to Andy Ibáñez and a two-run ground rule double to Jacob Wilson. Ibáñez added another RBI knock in the 4th.
In the 5th, Shea Langeliers hit his fourth home run of the season. Meanwhile on the mound, Civale didn’t allow a hit in the 2nd, 3rd, or 4th. But, he did allow some traffic on the bases in the 5th and Ronald Acuña Jr made it 5-2 with a sacrifice fly. Hogan Harris, Justin Sterner, and Scott Barlow covered the 6th-8th and allowed zero hits combined. Mark Leiter Jr. gave up a couple of hits in the 9th but picked up his first save of the season.
WED: ATL 5, ATH 1
The Athletics closed out their opening road trip with another loss. Drake Baldwin knocked in a pair of runs with a single in the 2nd inning. Shea Langeliers continued to mash as he hit a solo home run to cut the lead in half.
But, Baldwin struck again with a two-run double in the 4th. Matt Olson plated him to make it 5-1. Luis Severino had trouble finding the zone as he walked five batters in just 3.1 innings. Elvis Alvarado relieved him and gave up both RBI hits (with two of those runs going to Sevy). It could have been an even bigger day for Baldwin as he almost took Luis Medina deep in the 7th. However, Denzel Clarke patrols center for the A’s and he robbed the Braves’ catcher of a home run.
What Else?
- While the offense as a whole has not lived up to the offseason hype thus far, Shea Langeliers is doing his part and then some. The 28-year-old catcher has five home runs already, leading all MLB hitters. Last season was a big step forward for Shea and it seems he’s carried that momentum into 2026.
- As good as Langeliers has been, Nick Kurtz has been the opposite for the A’s. Expected to be the driving force in the lineup, he has one hit (a single) in 17 at-bats with 11 strikeouts. Obviously, it’s a long season and he’s a very young player, so the panic meter should be low. But, he set himself a high bar with his rookie season and will need to get it going.
- It’s not just Kurtz that has struggled out of the gate. A big part of the struggles offensively is the strikeouts. The A’s struck out a record (for a three-game opening series) FIFTY times against the Blue Jays. They added 24 more in Atlanta. That amount of striking out is certain to level out a bit, but if this team wants to score some runs, they need to cut way down on the Ks. After their first six games, they are LAST in the league in hits, OBP, and OPS.
- One of the biggest changes entering this season in Major League Baseball is the ability to challenge balls and strikes with ABS. After their first six games, the A’s have the following numbers (per Baseball Savant) in the ABS challenge world: 4/6 as the hitting team, 4/6 as the pitching team. Their eight successful overturns are tied for 6th-most in MLB.
System Spotlight
Zack Gelof (AAA): After missing out on an MLB roster spot, Gelof has hit the ground running with the Las Vegas Aviators. Through six games, he already has three home runs, eight RBIs, and an 1.273 OPS.
Rodney Green Jr. (A+): The 22-year-old outfielder got his season started on the right foot last night. He hit two home runs (3 RBIs) in his four at-bats in the season opener for Lansing. A fourth-round pick in 2024, Green Jr. struggled last season between Stockton and Lansing, so he will look to build on a big opening night.
Wei-En Lin (AA): After representing Chinese Taipei in the World Baseball Classic, Lin (ATH #4 prospect) had a nice start to his Double-A season last night. The 20-year-old struck out six batters and allowed just one run in 3.1 innings.
What’s Next?
Starting tonight, the Athletics will host the Houston Astros for a weekend series. Then, they travel to the Bronx for a three-game set vs. Aaron Judge and the New York Yankees.
(Top photo of Shea Langeliers, courtesy: Athletics)
