Inside The As

Brent Rooker is Batting Over .300

Jason Burke

Aug 30, 2024; Arlington, Texas, USA; Oakland Athletics outfielder Brent Rooker (25) reacts as he rounds the bases after hitting a home run against the Texas Rangers in the seventh inning at Globe Life Field. Mandatory Credit: Tim Heitman-Imagn Images
Aug 30, 2024; Arlington, Texas, USA; Oakland Athletics outfielder Brent Rooker (25) reacts as he rounds the bases after hitting a home run against the Texas Rangers in the seventh inning at Globe Life Field. Mandatory Credit: Tim Heitman-Imagn Images / Tim Heitman-Imagn Images
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Oakland A's DH (and somehow not a two-time All Star) Brent Rooker is one of eight qualified players in Major League Baseball batting .300 this season, currently sitting at .301 after a 3-for-5 night against Cy Young contender Tarik Skubal and the Detroit Tigers.

Rooker is also one of just 15 players to have hit 30+ home runs this season, and one of five players to have both a .300+ average and 30+ homers. The other four batters are Aaron Judge, Yordan Alvarez, Bobby Witt Jr., and Marcell Ozuna. Rooker is not mentioned in the same sentences as those other players as being one of the best hitters in baseball. Heck, he wasn't even added to the All Star team.

Now, we don't know if Rooker is fueled by vengeance, but here are two pieces of information that seem pretty key before making a decision on the matter. The first is that since his All Star snub, Rooker has gone on to hit .319 with a .381 OBP and 14 home runs in 42 games since the break. The timeline there could also be aided by the added Dad Power that is surging through Rooker's veins after the birth of his second child.

The other piece of information here is a tweet from before the season when the A's released their renderings of the proposed ballpark in Las Vegas.

While most of the lineup above is already outdated, the one thing that is the most accurate is the fact that Rooker is batting over .300.

The A's DH has grown so much as a hitter these past two seasons. Beginning as a waiver claim, then being the last guy to make the A's out of camp a year ago, to being the team's All Star representative in 2023, to quieting that voice that questions if he belongs in the big leagues, to becoming a guy that can hit like few others in this league. He is constantly looking for ways to tinker and improve, and it's definitely working.

The scary part is, he believes there is still more of his game to unlock.

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Jason Burke

JASON BURKE

Jason is the host of the Locked on A's podcast, and the managing editor of Inside the A's. He's a new father and can't wait to take his son to his first baseball game at the Coliseum. 

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