A’s DH powers his way to his first Silver Slugger Award
The Athletics ‘Season in Review’ series continues today with one of the brightest starts in the Oakland (soon to be Sacramento) sky. Brent Rooker who just a few short years ago was a mere trade throw in and was cut by the Kansas City Royals is now a Silver Slugger and top ten vote-getter in the American League MVP race. Now he strikes fear in MLB pitchers league-wide and is the most solid bat in the A’s lineup.
How was he acquired?
On November 15, 2022, The Kansas City Royals waived Brent Rooker. Two days later, the Athletics picked him up off waivers and added him to the major league roster. This begins Rooker's ascent into stardom for the A’s; but it was far from immediate.
What were the expectations?
Brent Rooker was drafted 35th overall in 2016 by the Minnesota Twins out of Mississippi State University. Rooker was always projected as a bat-first prospect but with plenty of pop in that bat. His early minor league numbers supported this and Baseball America ranked him among their top one hundred prospects heading into 2018. When the A’s signed him, it was with the expectation that he would be a middle of the lineup power source and an RBI machine on a team growing in talent and promise.
2024 Results
Coming off his first All-Star team selection in 2023, expectations were high for the 30-year-old right-handed slugger in 2024. He did not disappoint. This past season was clearly the break-out that A’s leadership and our fans expected. Rook played in 145 games this season and his stat line was impressive. He batted .293 with thirty-nine homers, twenty-six doubles and 112 RBI’s. He led the team in each of those categories except for doubles (JJ Bleday had 43). He was tied for fourth in the American League in homers and was third overall in RBI’s. We can attribute some of his success in 2024 to shortening his swing which reduced his strikeout rate (28.8% in 2024) and improved his ability to hit breaking pitches (.540 SLG in 2024).
A more clarified role with the team also contributed to his focus and success. While in 2023 he began the transition to full time DH, this was absolutely his reality in 2024, playing a mere 100 innings in the field during the entire season. Rooker finished tenth in the American League MVP vote and he was awarded the American League Silver Slugger Award for Designated Hitters.
2025 Outlook
No one is sure how Sutter health Park will play. There are some indicators, but truly none with major league caliber hitters facing major league caliber pitchers. Earlier this season Nico did a quality analysis of the field and what the experts are saying before the season starts, click here for that Athletics Nation piece. There is always speculation that A’s top talent will be used as trade-bait to improve there cache of prospects but for now I think we can comfortably pencil in Brent Rooker into the everyday A’s lineup. If he can stay healthy, the sky is the limit for this A’s star!
