Athletics: lineup and rotation patterns
How the Athletics built their lineups and used their rotation in 2023–2025: two fixed points, turnover almost everywhere else, and the lowest day-after-night start rate for any primary catcher.
A record of past seasons, not a forecast: 2027 projections will be added once rosters take shape. About these team pages.
The franchise played as the Oakland Athletics in 2023 and 2024 (Retrosheet code OAK) and as the Athletics in 2025 (code ATH). This page treats the three seasons as one franchise.
Two fixed points in a lineup that kept changing
Between 2023 and 2025 the Athletics turned over almost every position, but two names never moved. Shea Langeliers led the club in starts at catcher in all three seasons (116, 123 and 104), and Brent Rooker led at designated hitter every year (71, 131 and 134). In 2025 Rooker took 83% of the DH starts, the fourth highest share for any club's top DH. Around them the leaders changed: first base went from Ryan Noda to Tyler Soderstrom to Nick Kurtz, shortstop from Nick Allen to Max Schuemann to Jacob Wilson, and center field from Esteury Ruiz to JJ Bleday to a 2025 split between Lawrence Butler (51) and Bleday (49).
The record improved each year, from 50–112 to 69–93 to 76–86, and the rotation settled after the 2023 season, when 24 pitchers made a start. That fell to 13 in 2024 and 15 in 2025, with Jeffrey Springs (30) and Luis Severino (29) at the front.
How Langeliers was rested
The clearest pattern in the 2025 data is how the club handled its catcher. In the 42 day games that followed a night game, Langeliers started behind the plate only 8 times, the lowest rate for any primary catcher in the league; in all other games he started 96 of 120. Willie MacIver (29 starts), Austin Wynns (17) and Jhonny Pereda (12) filled in. On days Langeliers did not catch he sometimes stayed in the lineup at DH, where he made 16 starts, second only to Rooker.
Built for right-handed starters
The 2025 lineup was much more settled against right-handers than against left-handers. Butler, the usual leadoff hitter with 99 starts there, started 121 of the 123 games against right-handed starters but only 19 of the 39 against left-handers. Soderstrom, with 100 starts in left field, also sat against some left-handers. Nick Kurtz, the first baseman in 111 games, led off 18 times. The most common nine against right-handers appeared 9 times; against left-handers no group of nine appeared more than twice.
The season also had a visible low point. The Athletics went 7–21 in May, the month in which five players made their first start of the year, before going 13–11 in July, 15–12 in August and 13–11 in September. JP Sears made his last start of the season on July 28, while Luis Morales made his first on August 10 and finished with 9. For 2027 the questions start where the data showed the least continuity: third base, where nine players started and the starter changed from the previous game in 48% of games, the outfield corners, and the lineup against left-handed pitching.
Where the Athletics ranked in 2025
| Athletics | Avg | Rank | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Wins | 76 | 81.0 | T-22 |
| Different batting orders | 139 | 135.9 | 15 |
| Same order as previous game | 6.8% | 4.8% | 10 |
| Most uses of one order | 4 | 4.8 | T-18 |
| Same leadoff as previous game | 64% | 75% | 22 |
| Players in the lineup | 25 | 24.4 | T-11 |
| Games vs LHP | 39 | 42.6 | 23 |
| Lefty hitters vs RHP | 3.5 | 3.6 | 19 |
| Lefty hitters vs LHP | 2.4 | 2.0 | 11 |
| Starting pitchers | 15 | 13.2 | T-8 |
| Top-five starters' share | 70% | 76% | T-24 |
| Starts on 4 days' rest or less* | 34% | 31% | 11 |
| Starts after 10+ days* | 5% | 5% | T-13 |
| Primary catcher's starts | 64% | 58% | 11 |
| Players at DH | 8 | 10.7 | T-23 |
| Top DH's share | 83% | 51% | 4 |
Three seasons at a glance
| Season | W–L | Games vs RHP / LHP starters | Different batting orders | Different players in the starting lineup | Starting pitchers used |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2023 | 50–112 | 116 / 46 | 156 | 23 | 24 |
| 2024 | 69–93 | 123 / 39 | 143 | 23 | 13 |
| 2025 | 76–86 | 123 / 39 | 139 | 25 | 15 |
Who played where, 2023–2025
| Position | 2023 | 2024 | 2025 |
|---|---|---|---|
| C | Shea Langeliers (116) | Shea Langeliers (123) | Shea Langeliers (104) |
| 1B | Ryan Noda (106) | Tyler Soderstrom (53) | Nick Kurtz (111) |
| 2B | Zack Gelof (69) | Zack Gelof (136) | Luis Urias (83) |
| 3B | Jace Peterson (63) | Abraham Toro (49) | Giovanny Urshela (47) |
| SS | Nick Allen (92) | Max Schuemann (87) | Jacob Wilson (124) |
| LF | Tony Kemp (53) | Miguel Andujar (71) | Tyler Soderstrom (100) |
| CF | Esteury Ruiz (100) | JJ Bleday (144) | Lawrence Butler (51) |
| RF | Ramon Laureano (53) | Lawrence Butler (105) | Lawrence Butler (89) |
| DH | Brent Rooker (71) | Brent Rooker (131) | Brent Rooker (134) |
Month by month in 2025
| Month | Games | W–L | Games vs LHP | Different batting orders | Starting pitchers used | First start of the season |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| March/April | 31 | 16–15 | 7 | 25 | 7 | – |
| May | 28 | 7–21 | 5 | 25 | 7 | 5: CJ Alexander, Denzel Clarke, Drew Avans and others |
| June | 28 | 12–16 | 6 | 24 | 7 | Austin Wynns |
| July | 24 | 13–11 | 3 | 19 | 6 | Carlos Cortes, Colby Thomas, Darell Hernaiz, Zack Gelof |
| August | 27 | 15–12 | 7 | 24 | 8 | Brett Harris |
| September | 24 | 13–11 | 11 | 23 | 7 | none |
Batting order and positions in 2025
Most starts by batting slot: 1. Lawrence Butler (99); 2. Brent Rooker (61); 3. Brent Rooker (71); 4. Shea Langeliers (51); 5. Tyler Soderstrom (27); 6. Miguel Andujar (22); 7. Luis Urias (34); 8. Giovanny Urshela (23); 9. Denzel Clarke (42).
| Position | Next most starts (leader: see above) | Players who started there | Starter changed |
|---|---|---|---|
| C | Willie MacIver (29) | 4 | 54% |
| 1B | Tyler Soderstrom (44) | 6 | 17% |
| 2B | Zack Gelof (26) | 6 | 32% |
| 3B | Max Muncy (30) | 9 | 48% |
| SS | Darell Hernaiz (22) | 4 | 15% |
| LF | Miguel Andujar (23) | 9 | 41% |
| CF | JJ Bleday (49) | 7 | 30% |
| RF | Brent Rooker (20) | 7 | 44% |
| DH | Shea Langeliers (16) | 8 | 35% |
Against left- and right-handed starters
| Opposing starter | Left-handed | Right-handed | Switch-hitters |
|---|---|---|---|
| Right-handed | 3.5 | 5.5 | 0.0 |
| Left-handed | 2.4 | 6.6 | 0.0 |
| Player | Bats | Start rate vs RHP (starts) | Start rate vs LHP (starts) |
|---|---|---|---|
| Lawrence Butler | left-handed | 98% (121) | 49% (19) |
| Tyler Soderstrom | left-handed | 97% (119) | 67% (26) |
Gaps may reflect timing, not a platoon (guide).
Rotation and rest in 2025
| Pitcher | Throws | Starts | First start | Last start | Median days of rest | Starts on 4 days or fewer |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Jeffrey Springs | LHP | 30 | March 28, 2025 | Sept. 23, 2025 | 5 | 12 |
| Luis Severino | RHP | 29 | March 27, 2025 | Sept. 24, 2025 | 5 | 12 |
| JP Sears | LHP | 22 | March 30, 2025 | July 28, 2025 | 5 | 8 |
| Jacob Lopez | LHP | 17 | April 29, 2025 | Aug. 24, 2025 | 5 | 5 |
| J. T. Ginn | RHP | 16 | April 12, 2025 | Sept. 25, 2025 | 5 | 3 |
| Osvaldo Bido | RHP | 10 | March 29, 2025 | Aug. 26, 2025 | 5 | 2 |
| Luis Morales | RHP | 9 | Aug. 10, 2025 | Sept. 27, 2025 | 5 | 2 |
| Mitch Spence | RHP | 8 | June 5, 2025 | Sept. 21, 2025 | 4.5 | 3 |
| Rest before start | Athletics | League average |
|---|---|---|
| 4 days or fewer | 34% | 31% |
| 5 days | 46% | 49% |
| 6 to 10 days | 15% | 15% |
| More than 10 days | 5% | 5% |
Catcher and DH in 2025
| Games | Team-games | Primary catcher started | League average |
|---|---|---|---|
| All games | 162 | 64% | 58% |
| Day game after a night game | 42 | 19% | 44% |
| All other games | 120 | 80% | – |
| Player | DH starts | Share of DH starts |
|---|---|---|
| Brent Rooker | 134 | 83% |
| Shea Langeliers | 16 | 10% |
| Nick Kurtz | 5 | 3% |
Most common lineups in 2025
The most common exact batting order was used only 4 times (club average 4.8).
Lineup 1 (4 times, last on July 8, 2025): 1. Lawrence Butler RF, 2. Jacob Wilson SS, 3. Brent Rooker DH, 4. Nick Kurtz 1B, 5. Shea Langeliers C, 6. Tyler Soderstrom LF, 7. Max Muncy 3B, 8. Zack Gelof 2B, 9. Denzel Clarke CF.
Lineup 2 (3 times, last on April 15, 2025): 1. Lawrence Butler RF, 2. Brent Rooker LF, 3. Tyler Soderstrom 1B, 4. Shea Langeliers C, 5. JJ Bleday CF, 6. Miguel Andujar DH, 7. Jacob Wilson SS, 8. Giovanny Urshela 3B, 9. Max Muncy 2B.
Lineup 3 (3 times, last on April 19, 2025): 1. Lawrence Butler RF, 2. Brent Rooker DH, 3. Tyler Soderstrom 1B, 4. Shea Langeliers C, 5. JJ Bleday CF, 6. Jacob Wilson SS, 7. Miguel Andujar LF, 8. Giovanny Urshela 3B, 9. Max Muncy 2B.
Top nine vs RHP (9/123): Brent Rooker, Giovanny Urshela, JJ Bleday, Jacob Wilson, Lawrence Butler, Max Muncy, Miguel Andujar, Shea Langeliers, Tyler Soderstrom.
Top nine vs LHP (2/39): Brent Rooker, Denzel Clarke, Jacob Wilson, Lawrence Butler, Luis Urias, Max Muncy, Nick Kurtz, Tyler Soderstrom, Willie MacIver.
Our own calculations from Retrosheet game logs, regular seasons only: notes, methodology.