It’s not as difficult to qualify for the MLB playoffs as it was in years past, as the field has been expanded to feature six teams from each league. However, there are still some ballclubs that obviously look like non-contenders now that the 2025 campaign has begun.

For example, you would not expect the Athletics (who are now playing in Sacramento) to make the postseason this year, as they won just 69 games a year ago and rank 27th in baseball in payroll.

However, Mike Axisa of CBS Sports says otherwise, predicting that the A’s will actually make a push for an MLB playoff berth well into the summer.

“Do I think the Athletics will be a particularly good team in 2025, their first season in Sacramento? No, I do not. But I do think they’ll be more competitive than I think a lot of people expect,” Axisa wrote. “Competitive enough that when the calendar flips to July, the A’s will be sitting in a postseason spot. It has been foretold.”

Axisa notes that the Athletics did go 39-37 over their final 76 games in 2024, so perhaps they actually will be somewhat competitive this season.

One thing is for sure: Mark Kotsay’s club has a couple of very interesting young hitters in Brent Rooker and Lawrence Butler, and rookie Max Muncy (no, not that one) will also be fun to monitor. Throw first baseman Tyler Soderstrom into the mix, too.

However, the Athletics’ starting pitching is a massive question mark, even after the offseason additions of Luis Severino and Jeffrey Springs, both of whom have extensive injury histories.

The A’s do carry the benefit of playing in the very weak AL West, which is no longer being terrorized by the Houston Astros dynasty. For that reason, it’s not inconceivable that they could hang around for the first few months of the MLB season. It would still be pretty surprising, though.

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