The Oakland Athletics, believe it or not, made the playoffs every year from 2018 to 2020 and were contenders in 2021 as well.
After the failed 2021 playoff hunt, they teared it all up and decided to rebuild.
The process hasn’t been a particularly smooth one: they finished with the worst record in the American League in 2022, and despite trading several stars in the last couple of years, still have a bad farm system.
The A’s ranked 27th out of 30 teams in Keith Law’s recent exercise.
.@keithlaw ranked all 30 MLB farm systems.
Once again, the Dodgers rise to the top.
Read more: https://t.co/4SsKP7io96 pic.twitter.com/YTgh3uf53b
— The Athletic (@TheAthletic) February 2, 2023
The Washington Nationals had the worst farm system in baseball a couple of years ago, but turned Max Scherzer, Trea Turner, Josh Bell, and Juan Soto into the right prospects and are now 11th.
The A’s turned Matt Olson, Matt Chapman, Frankie Montas, Sean Murphy, and others into the fourth-worst farm system in baseball.
Recent draftees haven’t panned out, and the international market hasn’t been kind either.
Evidently, something will need to change in the A’s talent evaluation system or approach for them to eventually take a step forward, stop rebuilding, and start competing.
Scouting and player development should be priorities going forward for the much-maligned organization.
Of course, solving their current stadium situation and finding/confirming their long-term home may be more important.
There is just so much uncertainty at this point for a historically relevant MLB franchise.
It’s a shame, because their fans certainly deserve much better.
They haven’t won a World Series since 1989.
It’s a long, long time, and supporters want the current cycle of rebuilding and barely contending to stop.
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