Two Outfielders Athletics Need More From in 2027

Despite the rough record this season, we saw the A's get some elite production from players we might not have expected.

Henry Bolte came up from the minors early in the season and instantly became one of the best players on the team. His elite speed and his bat make him an early candidate to be the team's leadoff hitter once again in the 2027 season.

The A's also got shocking production from veteran Jeff McNeil. McNeil seemed like an aging veteran who wouldn't provide much value, but he finished the season as one of the best bats in the lineup.

Even though the A's got some good production from those unexpected guys, it feels like they could have used more offensive production from more expected players next season.

Lawrence Butler

Since Butler debuted back in 2023, he's shown he has the potential to be a strong offensive presence in the A's lineup. His strong second half of 2024 landed him a long-term contract extension, keeping him with the team well into their years in Las Vegas.

In 2025, he had a disappointing year, posting a .234 batting average in 630 plate appearances.

Butler would also get off to a super slow start in 2026, which led us to think he should have been sent back to the minor leagues to work on some things. Just like he did in 2024, he had a strong second half this past season, and it got some people excited to think he could be a contributor once again for the team.

However, he's finished each of the last two seasons with a sub-.240 batting average, which is unfortunate for a player who is getting paid as much as he is. Although his strong second half made up for his brutal first half, he will need to get off to a better start next season.

Denzel Clarke

The A's have seen some defensive masterpieces from Denzel Clarke since his 2025 debut, but unfortunately, his bat has not quite lived up to the hype.

In 246 career plate appearances in the Green and Gold, Clarke holds a rough .205 batting average. Although he's a great defender, it's tough for Mark Kotsay to keep him in the lineup with his offensive struggles.

If Clarke wants to take the next step, he's going to have to improve his bat skills over the offseason. If he's unable to improve offensively, we could certainly expect the A's to move on from Clarke and potentially turn to more offensively-friendly players like Devin Taylor.