2020 Oakland Athletics season

The 2020 Oakland Athletics season was the 120th season for the Oakland Athletics franchise, all as members of the American League, and their 53rd season in Oakland. The season saw the Athletics win the American League West for the first time since 2013.

On March 12, 2020, MLB announced that because of the COVID-19 pandemic, the start of the regular season would be delayed by at least two weeks in addition to the remainder of spring training being cancelled. Four days later, it was announced that the start of the season would be pushed back indefinitely due to the recommendation made by the CDC to restrict events of more than 50 people for eight weeks. On June 23, commissioner Rob Manfred unilaterally implemented a 60-game season. Players reported to training camps on July 1 in order to resume spring training and prepare for a July 24 Opening Day.

The A's hit two walk-off grand slams in their first 11 games of the season. They became the 17th team to hit two walk-off slams in the same year, the third team to hit two in an 11-game span and the fastest to do so from the start of the season.

On September 21, 2020, the A's clinched the American League West championship and then defeated the Chicago White Sox in three games in the 2020 American League Wild Card Series. This was the A's first postseason series victory since 2006, and they won their first winner-take-all postseason game since Game 7 of the 1973 World Series (snapping an MLB record nine-game losing streak in such contests). However, they lost to the Houston Astros in the 2020 American League Division Series.

The 2020 season was the Athletics' most recent postseason appearance. This was also the final postseason appearance as the Oakland Athletics, considering the team left Oakland after the 2024 season and has since rebranded as just "Athletics" on November 4, 2024.

Offseason

Rule changes For the 2020 season, MLB instituted several new rule changes including the following:

Single trade deadline – there will no longer be a waiver trade deadline later in the year. 26-man roster – rosters will expand from 25 players, but no team may carry more than 13 pitchers. Three-batter minimum for pitchers - a pitcher must face three batters in a game before they can be removed unless there is an injury or the end of an inning.

Further rule changes came into effect in response to the COVID-19 pandemic including the use of the DH in the National League, a shortened schedule, and starting extra innings with a runner at second base.

Regular season Standings

Record against opponents

Game log

|- style="background:#bfb;" | 1 || July 24 || Angels || 7–3 || Smith (1–0) || Robles (0–1) || — || 1–0 || W1 |- style="background:#fbb;" | 2 || July 25 || Angels || 1–4 || Bundy (1–0) || Manaea (0–1) || Robles (1) || 1–1 || L1 |- style="background:#bfb;" | 3 || July 26 || Angels || 6–4 || Petit (1–0) || Ohtani (0–1) || Hendriks (1) || 2–1 || W1 |- style="background:#bfb;" | 4 || July 27 || Angels || 3–0 || Smith (2–0) || Canning (0–1) || Soria (1) || 3–1 || W2 |- style="background:#fbb;" | 5 || July 28 || Rockies || 3–8 || Senzatela (1–0) || Mengden (0–1) || — || 3–2 || L1 |- style="background:#fbb;" | 6 || July 29 || Rockies || 1–5 || Márquez (1–1) || Montas (0–1) || — || 3–3 || L2 |- style="background:#fbb;" | 7 || July 31 || @ Mariners || 3–5 || Walker (1–1) || Manaea (0–2) || Williams (2) || 3–4 || L3

|- style="background:#bfb;" | 8 || August 1 || @ Mariners || 3–2 || Soria (1–0) || Altavilla (1–1) || Hendriks (2) || 4–4 || W1 |- style="background:#bfb;" | 9 || August 2 || @ Mariners || 3–2 || Bassitt (1–0) || Graveman (0–2) || Hendriks (3) || 5–4 || W2 |- style="background:#bfb;" | 10 || August 3 || @ Mariners || 11–1 || Montas (1–1) || Sheffield (0–2) || — || 6–4 || W3 |- style="background:#bfb;" | 11 || August 4 || Rangers || 5–1 || Hendriks (1–0) || Vólquez (0–1) || — || 7–4 || W4 |- style="background:#bfb;" | 12 || August 5 || Rangers || 6–4 || McFarland (1–0) || Gibaut (0–1) || Soria (2) || 8–4 || W5 |- style="background:#bfb;" | 13 || August 6 || Rangers || 6–4 || Fiers (1–0) || Minor (0–3) || Hendriks (4) || 9–4 || W6 |- style="background:#bfb;" | 14 || August 7 || Astros || 3–2 || Wendelken (1–0) || Sneed (0–1) || — || 10–4 || W7 |- style="background:#bfb;" | 15 || August 8 || Astros || 3–1 || Montas (2–1) || Valdez (0–2) || Hendriks (5) || 11–4 || W8 |- style="background:#bfb;" | 16 || August 9 || Astros || 7–2 || Luzardo (1–0) || Javier (1–1) || Smith (1) || 12–4 || W9 |- style="background:#fbb;" | 17 || August 10 || @ Angels || 9–10 || Peña (1–0) || Petit (1–1) || Buttrey (2) || 12–5 || L1 |- style="background:#fbb;" | 18 || August 11 || @ Angels || 0–6 || Bundy (3–1) || Fiers (1–1) || — || 12–6 || L2 |- style="background:#bfb;" | 19 || August 12 || @ Angels || 8–4 || Bassitt (2–0) || Canning (0–3) || — || 13–6 || W1 |- style="background:#bfb;" | 20 || August 14 || @ Giants || 8–7 || Soria (2–0) || García (0–1) || Hendriks (6) || 14–6 || W2 |- style="background:#bfb;" | 21 || August 15 || @ Giants || 7–6 || McFarland (2–0) || Gott (1–1) || Hendriks (7) || 15–6 || W3 |- style="background:#bfb;" | 22 || August 16 || @ Giants || 15–3 || Fiers (2–1) || Webb (1–2) || — || 16–6 || W4 |- style="background:#fbb;" | 23 || August 17 || @ Diamondbacks || 3–4 || Crichton (2–0) || Soria (2–1) || — || 16–7 || L1 |- style="background:#fbb;" | 24 || August 18 || @ Diamondbacks || 1–10 || Weaver (1–3) || Montas (2–2) || — || 16–8 || L2 |- style="background:#bfb;" | 25 || August 19 || Diamondbacks || 4–1 || Luzardo (2–0) || Kelly (3–2) || Hendriks (8) || 17–8 || W1 |- style="background:#bfb;" | 26 || August 20 || Diamondbacks || 5–1 || Manaea (1–2) || Young (1–1) || — || 18–8 || W2 |- style="background:#bfb;" | 27 || August 21 || Angels || 5–3 || Fiers (3–1) || Heaney (1–2) || Hendriks (9) || 19–8 || W3 |- style="background:#fbb;" | 28 || August 22 || Angels || 3–4 || Andriese (1–1) || Bassitt (2–1) || Buttrey (3) || 19–9 || L1 |- style="background:#bfb;" | 29 || August 23 || Angels || 5–4 || Hendriks (2–0) || Buttrey (1–1) || — || 20–9 || W1 |- style="background:#fbb;" | 30 || August 24 || @ Rangers || 2–3 || Lynn (4–0) || Luzardo (2–1) || Montero (6) || 20–10 || L1 |- style="background:#bfb;" | 31 || August 25 || @ Rangers || 10–3 || Manaea (2–2) || Gibson (1–3) || — || 21–10 || W1 |- style="background:#bfb;" | 32 || August 26 || @ Rangers || 3–1 || Fiers (4–1) || Allard (0–3) || Hendriks (10) || 22–10 || W2 |- style="background:#bbb;" | — || August 27 || @ Rangers || colspan=7 | Postponed (strikes due to shooting of Jacob Blake); Makeup: September 12 |- style="background:#bbb;" | — || August 28 || @ Astros || colspan=7 | Postponed (strikes due to Jacob Blake shooting); Makeup: August 29 |- style="background:#fbb;" | 33 || August 29 || @ Astros || 2–4 || McCullers Jr. (3–2) || Bassitt (2–2) || Pressly (5) || 22–11 || L1 |- style="background:#fbb;" | 34 || August 29 || @ Astros || 3–6 || Greinke (2–0) || Montas (2–3) || Pressly (6) || 22–12 || L2 |- style="background:#bbb;" | — || August 30 || @ Astros || colspan=7 | Postponed (COVID-19); Makeup: September 8

|- style="background:#bbb;" | — || September 1 || @ Mariners || colspan=7 | Postponed (COVID-19); Makeup: September 14 |- style="background:#bbb;" | — || September 2 || @ Mariners || colspan=7 | Postponed (COVID-19); Makeup: September 14 |- style="background:#bbb;" | — || September 3 || @ Mariners || colspan=7 | Postponed (COVID-19); Makeup: September 26 |- style="background:#fbb;" | 35 || September 4 || Padres || 0–7 || Davies (6–2) || Luzardo (2–2) || — || 22–13 || L3 |- style="background:#bfb;" | 36 || September 5 || Padres || 8–4 || Manaea (3–2) || Paddack (3–4) || — || 23–13 || W1 |- style="background:#fbb;" | 37 || September 6 || Padres || 3–5 || Richards (2–2) || Fiers (4–2) || Rosenthal (8) || 23–14 || L1 |- style="background:#bfb;" | 38 || September 7 || Astros || 6–0 || Bassitt (3–2) || Javier (4–2) || — || 24–14 || W1 |- style="background:#bfb;" | 39 || September 8 || @ Astros || 4–2 || Montas (3–3) || Greinke (3–1) || Hendriks (11) || 25–14 || W2 |- style="background:#fbb;" | 40 || September 8 || Astros || 4–5 || Paredes (2–2) || Wendelken (1–1) || Pressly (8) || 25–15 || L1 |- style="background:#bfb;" | 41 || September 9 || Astros || 3–2 || Hendriks (3–0) || Pressly (1–2) || — || 26–15 || W1 |- style="background:#bfb;" | 42 || September 10 || Astros || 3–1 || Manaea (4–2) || Urquidy (0–1) || Hendriks (12) || 27–15 || W2 |- style="background:#bfb;" | 43 || September 11 || @ Rangers || 10–6 || Fiers (5–2) || García (0–2) || — || 28–15 || W3 |- style="background:#fbb;" | 44 || September 12 || @ Rangers || 2–5 || Benjamin (1–0) || Jefferies (0–1) || Montero (8) || 28–16 || L1 |- style="background:#bfb;" | 45 || September 12 || @ Rangers || 10–1 || Bassitt (4–2) || Allard (0–6) || — || 29–16 || W1 |- style="background:#fbb;" | 46 || September 13 || @ Rangers || 3–6 || Lynn (6–2) || Montas (3–4) || — || 29–17 || L1 |- style="background:#fbb;" | 47 || September 14 || @ Mariners || 5–6 || Gonzales (6–2) || Soria (2–2) || Hirano (2) || 29–18 || L2 |- style="background:#bfb;" | 48 || September 14 || @ Mariners || 9–0 || Minor (1–5) || Yacabonis (0–1) || — || 30–18 || W1 |- style="background:#fbb;" | 49 || September 15 || @ Rockies || 1–3 || Senzatela (4–2) || Manaea (4–3) || — || 30–19 || L1 |- style="background:#bfb;" | 50 || September 16 || @ Rockies || 3–1 || Fiers (6–2) || Márquez (2–6) || Hendriks (13) || 31–19 || W1 |- style="background:#bfb;" | 51 || September 18 || Giants || 6–0 || Bassitt (5–2) || Webb (2–4) || — || 32–19 || W2 |- style="background:#bfb;" | 52 || September 19 || Giants || 6–0 || Luzardo (3–2) || Gausman (3–3) || — || 33–19 || W3 |- style="background:#fbb;" | 53 || September 20 || Giants || 2–14 || Anderson (3–3) || Minor (1–6) || — || 33–20 || L1 |- style="background:#fbb;" | 54 || September 22 || @ Dodgers || 2–7 || May (2–1) || Montas (3–5) || — || 33–21 || L2 |- style="background:#bfb;" | 55 || September 23 || @ Dodgers || 6–4 || Diekman (1–0) || Treinen (3–3) || Hendriks (14) || 34–21 || W1 |- style="background:#fbb;" | 56 || September 24 || @ Dodgers || 1–5 || Floro (3–0) || Fiers (6–3) || — || 34–22 || L1 |- style="background:#bfb;" | 57 || September 25 || Mariners || 3–1 || Diekman (2–0) || Gerber (1–1) || — || 35–22 || W1 |- style="background:#fbb;" | 58 || September 26 || Mariners || 1–5 || Graveman (1–3) || Hendriks (3–1) || — || 35–23 || L1 |- style="background:#fbb;" | 59 || September 26 || @ Mariners || 3–12 || Dunn (4–1) || Blackburn (0–1) || — || 35–24 || L2 |- style="background:#bfb;" | 60 || September 27 || Mariners || 6–2 || Petit (2–1) || Hirano (0–1) || — || 36–24 || W1

|- style="text-align:center;" | Legend:      = Win      = Loss      = PostponementBold = Athletics team member

Roster 2020 Oakland Athletics Roster Pitchers Catchers

Infielders Outfielders

Other batters Manager

Coaches

Player stats

Batting Note: G = Games played; AB = At bats; R = Runs; H = Hits; 2B = Doubles; 3B = Triples; HR = Home runs; RBI = Runs batted in; SB = Stolen bases; BB = Walks; AVG = Batting average; SLG = Slugging average PlayerGABRH2B3BHRRBISBBBAVGSLGMarcus Semien53211284791723425.223.374Matt Olson602102841411442134.195.424Mark Canha591913247122533437.246.408Ramón Laureano54183273981625224.213.366Robbie Grossman511662340122823821.241.482Stephen Piscotty4515917366052949.226.358Matt Chapman37142223392102508.232.535Sean Murphy43116212750714024.233.457Tommy La Stella2797162862111012.289.423Tony Kemp499315235004315.247.301Khris Davis308591750210010.200.329Vimael Machín24631113200008.206.238Chad Pinder2456813302805.232.393Jake Lamb1345512403902.267.556Jonah Heim133858000503.211.211Austin Allen143116101301.194.323Franklin Barreto151050000000.000.000Nate Orf6710000000.000.000Seth Brown7500000000.000.000Team totals60190827443091117126426238.225.396 Source:

Pitching