The Athletics are in need of one more player stepping up big time.
Throughout the 2026 season, the Athletics faced a multitude of problems, but the one that stood out most was injuries. The Athletics were without their three All-Stars as well as a few players who could have earned the nod. Because of this, someone else needs to break out in order for the Athletics to be — almost — invulnerable to these issues.
The Player Who Must Step Up
Although Joshua Kurdoa-Grauer was part of the Athletics' cast that got injured last season, he will clearly be a top contributor next season. That's because of his skill set. He is a pure contact hitter with the ability to play all across the infield.
Contact hitters like JKG are nearly immune to cold stretches similar to what we saw among the Athletics in the second half. Having a bat in the lineup that, four times out of 10, can put the ball in play is huge in maintaining momentum for the team as a whole. If injuries occur and JKG is not on the list, the Athletics will be able to remain fairly stable unless this past season repeats itself. Knock on wood...
Last season, Kuroda-Grauer hit .366 with a .899 OPS in 21 games and 71 at-bats. Also, keep in mind that his average before his injury was .417, and he had just hit his first MLB home run. Without this injury, we might have seen one of the greatest rookie seasons outside of Nick Kurtz in 2025.
Why Him?
As mentioned earlier, JKG was on the laundry list of Athletics who found themselves on the IL in the second half of the season. To his credit, that means the injury he suffered does not scream "lingering" or "repeatable." In all of MLB history, very few players have ruptured their testicles. So assuming he will be injured in the same way next season would be a massive stretch.
In a previous section, we also spoke about his ability to make contact at an elite level. This past season, he whiffed only 16.8% of the time and, if qualified, would have been ranked near the top of baseball. JKG also has an elite strikeout rate of just 13.5%. This alone proves that, when the going gets tough, JKG will provide consistency.
But by far the biggest reason JKG will hold the keys to a 2027 playoff berth is the role he will likely fill: second base. In a previous article, we discussed the top candidates for the job. While many of them had very strong cases, it is clear that on paper, JKG is the right answer.
If JKG can remain consistent while improving his SLG%, he will be one of the best players on the Athletics overall. Because he will likely stay healthy, it will mean that the Athletics will always have a bat in the lineup that can make things happen more often than not.
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