Top 50 Oakland Athletics
The history of the Athletics began in Philadelphia in 1901, where they were a charter member of the American League. Under the tutelage of the legendary Connie Mack, the Athletics has two runs of glory. The first in the second decade of the 1900s where they won the 1910, 1911 and 1913 World Series Titles.
After years of futility, they reemerged in the late 1920s as an American League power. They would win the 1929 and 1930 World Series, but that would be the end of their run as a power in the American League. At least in Philadelphia anyway.
The A’s were bought and relocated to Kansas City in 1955, but they would be sold to Charlie Finlay in 1960. After little success in KC, Finlay moved the team to California, and the Oakland Athletics were born.
Oakland would become one of the most intriguing teams in baseball both on the field and off of it, and they built a team that would win three straight World Series Titles (1972-74). Free Agency rendered them a small market team, but they would eventually rebuild and won the World Series again in 1989. They would follow the road of sabermetrics, and while that has not generated a title, it revolutionized the game.
Now, the Athletics are in limbo, playing in Sacramento while awaiting for their eventual move to Las Vegas.
This list is up to the end of the 2025 season.
Note: Baseball lists are based on an amalgamation of tenure, traditional statistics, advanced statistics, playoff statistics, and post-season accolades.
Back in the late 1940s, when Bobby Shantz was working his way through the semi-pro circuits of Pennsylvania, traditional baseball wisdom didn't see him as a future star. Scouts from major league teams mostly overlooked this little left-hander, thinking his 5-foot-6, 140-pound frame might be too small for the tough demands of a big-league starting pitcher. However, Connie Mack looked beyond his size, recognizing a quick, powerful arm and an impressive, fading changeup. The Philadelphia Athletics took a chance on him in 1948. After a few modest developmental summers, this undersized southpaw rose to unexpected heights, delivering a brief but…
By the end of the 1946 season, the general consensus about Edwin Donald Joost was essentially settled. After a serious disagreement with Boston Braves management, the veteran infielder was banished to the minor leagues within the St. Louis Cardinals organization. At 31, his career seemed headed for a quiet conclusion. Most believed his best years were behind him, but Connie Mack dismissed this idea, offering Joost a chance to revive his career. This opportunity triggered an impressive late-career resurgence in Philadelphia. When Joost first entered the Shibe Park infield in 1947, he appeared to be a textbook example of a…
When looking back at the incredible rosters of the late 1980s and early 1990s Oakland Athletics, it’s natural to be drawn to the dazzling superstars, the thunderous home runs of the "Bash Brothers,” or Rickey Henderson’s exciting base running. But behind the scenes of those tense pennant races, manager Tony La Russa needed a smart, steady presence behind the plate. He found that in Terry Steinbach, a former infielder who proved over many years to be one of the most reliable, clutch-hitting catchers of his era. Originally starting out as a third baseman from the University of Minnesota, Steinbach spent…
During his early years with the Oakland Athletics, Gene Tenace's distinctive offensive skills were largely neglected by conventional baseball evaluations. Selected in the second round of the 1965 draft, the resilient catcher made his debut in 1969 but initially spent several seasons in a part-time capacity, listed low on the depth chart. To contemporary observers, his modest batting averages indicated limited potential. However, Tenace possessed an exceptionally advanced and innovative approach to hitting—one that would eventually achieve national recognition on the sport's most prominent platform. His permanent entry into baseball folklore occurred during the 1972 postseason. When manager Dick Williams…
George Earnshaw took an unconventional path to major-league stardom. Because he prioritized finishing his college education and then spent several years refining his arsenal in the minor leagues, he didn't officially debut in the big leagues until he was 28 years old. But once the towering 6-foot-4 right-hander finally stepped onto a big-league mound, he wasted no time proving he belonged at the front of a rotation. Connie Mack had personally scouted Earnshaw dominating hitters for the legendary Baltimore Orioles of the International League, and he aggressively pulled the trigger to secure his contract. Earning the nickname "Moose" due to…
“Stuffy” McInnis first signed with the Philadelphia Athletics prior to the 1909 season, but his immediate path to the lineup was completely blocked. Connie Mack’s legendary infield was already crystallizing, forcing the versatile teenager to bide his time as a utility player, primarily logging reps at shortstop off the bench during his first two major league summers. Mack saw a unique blend of contact ability and defensive instinct in the young player. When a vacancy at first base appeared before the 1911 season, McInnis quickly claimed the role, becoming the youngest and fiercest member of Philadelphia's renowned "$100,000 Infield,” joining…
The Oakland Athletics acquired Miguel Tejada from the Dominican Republic in 1993, as an inexperienced and undeveloped youth escaping severe poverty. By the time he secured a permanent spot on the major league roster in 1997, he introduced an energetic and dynamic style of play to the East Bay that soon came to characterize the left side of the infield. By 1999, as the regular starting shortstop, Tejada broke traditional expectations for the position, emerging alongside Alex Rodriguez and Derek Jeter as part of a revolutionary movement of elite, power-hitting shortstops who fundamentally transformed the sport. Tejada quickly became the…
"Bing" Miller was a relatively late bloomer by baseball standards, not making his first extended major league appearance until he was a 26-year-old rookie with the Washington Senators. Seeking an injection of right-handed bat speed, Connie Mack engineered a trade to bring the Iowa native to Shibe Park ahead of the 1922 campaign. The move proved highly fruitful. During his first four years with Philadelphia, Miller demonstrated exceptional contact-hitting skills, surpassing a .300 batting average three times. He narrowly missed a perfect four-for-four record, finishing at .299 in 1924. Despite his impressive performance, the team’s management viewed him as a…
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Mark Ellis is not the first name you come up with on a “best of” list, but the fact remains that he accumulated over 1,000 Hits with the team, which is an impressive feat for any franchise. Casual baseball fans often recall the 2000s Oakland Athletics’ star pitchers and power hitters. Mark David Ellis, however, rarely made national headlines. Drafted by the Royals in 1999, a trade sent him to the East Bay before he pitched in the Midwest. By 2003, he earned the everyday second base role and compiled a steady decade of efficient play with 137 hits. His…
Wally Moses joined the Philadelphia Athletics in 1935, stepping into a gap left by the dismantled Connie Mack dynasties caused by the Great Depression. He quickly became the starting right fielder as a rookie, using his fast left-handed swing to dominate American League pitching for a decade. His sophomore campaign in 1936 was an exemplary display of offensive prowess. Moses surpassed the prestigious 200-hit milestone by achieving 202 hits, integrating exceptional speed with a refined line-drive swing to attain a commendable .345 batting average and securing a 14th-place position in the American League Most Valuable Player voting. Rather than hitting…
Ferris Roy Fain entered the majors with a reputation that preceded him, though it wasn't exactly the kind that traditional managers favored. The son of a professional boxer, Fain possessed a notoriously combustible, high-velocity temper and a complete willingness to speak his mind. He spent several long years refining his craft in the Pacific Coast League before Connie Mack finally brought the left-handed hitting first baseman to Philadelphia in 1947. At 26, he brought a unique offensive style. Unlike typical mid-century first basemen who relied on power, Fain focused on a disciplined approach, turning walks into an art. He rapidly…
Mark Mulder entered the league with massive expectations as the second overall pick in 1998 out of Michigan State. The smooth-throwing lefty didn't waste time, fast-tracking his way to the Coliseum by 2000. That rookie campaign was rough around the edges, yielding a 5.44 ERA over 27 starts, but it served as the necessary baseline for what would become a rapid transformation. Everything clicked in 2001. Mulder anchored the rotation with a league-leading 21 wins, commanding the strike zone with an aggressive sinker-splitter combination that kept hitters completely off-balance. He finished as the American League Cy Young runner-up to Roger…