Zack

Gelof

Gelof knocked a base hit in the third inning to drive in a pair of runs. He later took Ryan Johnson deep for a solo homer in the seventh for his sixth of the season. He’d add a base hit and a run scored in the ninth, ending his day hitting .269/.320/.505 with 18 runs scored, 16 RBI, and four steals across 102 plate appearances. The biggest improvement Gelof has made has been in his strikeout rate, sitting at 22.5 percent.

Gelof’s homer off Ryne Stanek was part of a three-run seventh that gave the A’s a 4-3 lead. He’s hit .270/.316/.527 in 81 plate appearances, and he’s making a good case to stick as the Athletics’ third baseman after Max Muncy returns, even though Muncy was off to a strong start offensively before getting hurt.

Gelof smacked an RBI triple in the fifth inning that increased the A’s lead to 9-1. He then added the exclamation point to the blowout with a 389-foot (101.8 mph EV) two-run blast after a nine-pitch battle with Chase Shugart in the seventh. The dynamic 26-year-old has looked at least capable since returning from Triple-A, slashing .269/.309/.519 with three homers and 10 RBI.

Gelof has mostly played against lefties since getting called up, but this is his second straight start against a righty. Hernaiz had started nine straight games prior to yesterday. Sporting both the best strikeout rate and bat speed of his career, Gelof is batting .255/.300/.426 through 52 plate appearances. If he reemerges as a regular and gets back to stealing bases, there’s a chance he could offer some mixed-league value in a fantastic situation for hitters in Sacramento.

Gelof makes his first career start in right field with Lawrence Butler getting the night off from facing Rangers lefty MacKenzie Gore. The 26-year-old’s contact issues have kept him from reaching his lofty power-speed ceiling, but he’s definitely added some defensive versatility to his toolkit, which might help him stick around in a bench role.

The dynamic 26-year-old infielder was off to a hot start at Triple-A Las Vegas, slashing .366/.519/.732 with four homers, 10 RBI, three stolen bases and an impressive 7/13 K/BB ratio over 54 plate appearances in his first 11 games. Gelof is not in the A’s starting lineup for Friday night’s showdown against Clay Holmes and the Mets in New York.

It’ll be veteran Jeff McNeil opening the season as the Athletics’ starting second baseman with Andy Ibáñez occupying a versatile bench role. Gelof endured an injury-shortened campaign last year and continues to be plagued by contact issues. There’s enough power/speed combo upside to keep him relevant in deeper fantasy leagues but he needs to scale back the strikeouts to be impactful again.

Gelof is coming back from a dislocated shoulder that ended his 2025 season 10 days early. He has a lot to prove this year after failing to hit in 2024 and then missing more than half of last year due to injury. The A’s have replaced him with Jeff McNeil at second base, but they have third base open for him if he shows he’s worthy.

Butler is in the final stages of rehab after an offseason surgery to repair a partial tendon tear and debridement of chronic scar tissue. He’ll go cheaper in drafts this year and still maintains plenty of power/speed upside entering his age-26 season, but we’d sure like to see him in spring training games before giving him a full endorsement as a post-hype sleeper. Zack Gelof will also miss the start of Cactus League action as he builds up his swing progression.

Rodriguez is a 17-year-old that the A’s signed a year ago. According to ESPN’s Jeff Passan, the Mets are giving the A’s $5.75 million of the $15.75 million that McNeil is owed next year and will also cover his $2 million buyout on his $15.75 million option for 2027, assuming that it’s not exercised. McNeil, who was cast aside in favor of Marcus Semien in New York, figures to take over at second for the A’s, who previously tried to sign Ha-Seong Kim for that spot. Zack Gelof will get to battle Max Muncy and others for the third base job, assuming that the A’s also don’t fill that spot with a veteran.