Oakland Athletics' Brent Rooker (25) hits a solo home run against the Cincinnati Reds in the fourth inning at the Coliseum in Oakland, Calif., on Sunday, April 30, 2023. (Nhat V. Meyer/Bay Area News Group)
OAKLAND — Brent Rooker has been hitting home runs at a rate that matches or exceeds that of some of the greatest sluggers in Oakland franchise history.
Not that he’s spending a lot of time overanalyzing it. Where Rooker is concerned, that’s not part of the process. And process, to Rooker, is everything.
“Right now I’m trying to keep the same routine I’ve had going,” Rooker said Tuesday night before the Athletics hosted the Seattle Mariners at the Coliseum. “I’ll keep riding with that. I’ll go back and watch each at-bat for checkpoints I make sure I hit. As long as those things are in place, and I’m in the positions I want, then I think I’ll continue to feel comfortable.”
Whether Rooker is simply riding a hot streak and due to fall back to earth or if he’s suddenly blossomed as a major league hitter at age 28 remains to be seen.
But it’s been one of the few bright spots in the Athletics 6-23 start.
Claimed on waivers from the Kansas City Royals on Nov. 17, Rooker is the reigning American League Player of the Week after hitting .417 (10-for-24) with eight runs scored, a double, five home runs, 11 RBIs and a .545 on-base average.
For the season, Rooker came into Tuesday’s game hitting .353 with 22 RBIs, had the highest slugging percentage in the A.L. (.779) and was second in home runs with nine. Since he didn’t get in the lineup regularly until Seth Brown was lost due to an oblique strain, Rooker doesn’t have enough at-bats to qualify for some of the statistical categories, but that should change because he isn’t coming out of the lineup any time soon.
One of the best three-sport athletes in the state of Tennessee in high school and the Southeastern Conference Player of the Year at Mississippi State, it’s not like Rooker is a stranger to production.
The 35th overall pick by Minnesota out of college in 2017, it was a grind through the minors with the Twins, and briefly the Royals, and included a broken wrist in 2020 when hit by a pitch.
Having hit 28 home runs and 87 RBIs in two minor league stops and 81 games in 2022 was enough to make the A’s intrigued when he showed up on waivers.
And while Rooker (6-foot-4, 225 pounds) is about as far from boastful as possible, the current hot streak has been satisfying, if not yet life-changing.
“I’d be lying if I said it wasn’t a little validating for myself to show what I can be up here, hit for a high level and produce well enough to hopefully stick and continue to get at-bats and playing time,” Rooker said.
The nine home runs in April were the most for an A’s hitter Khris Davis had 10 in 2017. Davis finished with 43. Reggie Jackson had 10 home runs through 29 games in 1969 and finished with 47. Jason Giambi had 11 through 29 games in 200 and finished with 43.
Neither the A’s nor Rooker have any intention of looking farther ahead than the next game, but A’s manager Mark Kotsay likes what he sees.
“This is the same kid we saw in spring training,” Kotsay said. “He’s been great. he’s even starting to talk a little more, which is nice. Overall I haven’t seen any changes in the way Rook approaches his work or in the way he approaches the game. He stays pretty consistent, pretty steady.”
Shortstop Kevin Smith has his locker next to Rooker. The two were friends prior to Rooker joining the team, having met in the Cape Cod league while Smith was at Maryland and Rooker at Mississippi State. They share the same agent and hit together in the offseason.
“It’s been awesome, because this is the guy I know,” Smith said. “It’s not just a hot stretch. He’s getting consistent at-bats in the big leagues and feeling comfortable, and seeing a few weeks of success has helped him a lot.”
The thought of joining the A’s brought with it a legitimate chance to get in the lineup and stay in it.
“I was excited about the opportunity that was here,” Rooker said. “Initially it was just to earn a roster spot in spring training and I did that, then just get at-bats and find a way and get in the lineup and I’ve done that.”
We’ll see what May brings.
Nick Allen returns
Shortstop Nick Allen was recalled from Triple-A Las Vegas and immediately inserted into the starting lineup with veteran Aledmys Diaz heading to the 10-day disabled list with a left hamstring strain.
Kotsay said Allen will get a chance to compete with Smith in hopes one will establish himself as the franchise’s shortstop of the future.
“I think at this point we’re going to look at both him and Smitty while they’re here together and take this time to kind of allow them to go out and earn that spot,” Kotsay said.
Allen was 1-for-16 in eight games when he was sent to Las Vegas. He started slowly for the Avaitors but picked up the pace and was hitting .339 with a home run and six RBIs.
Kotsay said Allen will played mostly at shortstop with Jordan Diaz and Tony Kemp available to play second base. That’s fine with Allen.
“I just needed to play every day and get ready get back to the baseball I know I can play,” Allen said. “I think that’s what happened and I had a good mindset for it and whatever happens up here happens, and I’m going to be ready to play.”
Vogt on Oakland and Las Vegas
Former As catcher Stephen Vogt was back at the Coliseum as the bullpen coach for the Mariners. He loves his new job and said the switch from player to coach has been seamless.
The A’s proposed move to Las Vegas, however, is another story. Vogt said he doesn’t know the specifics of the land deal but hopes for a proper resolution.
“I was sad, of course,” Vogt said. “It’s the Oakland A’s. I know nothing’s final and nothing’s in stone, but it stirred up a lot of emotions. I was a kid, I grew up in California. The A’s are Oakland. I hope the situation gets ironed out wherever they’re going.”
NOTABLE
— Right-hander Adrian Martinez threw a 20-pitch bullpen and will need to have a nail repaired on his pitching hand, but Kotsay expects him to throw 35 pitches Friday. Starting right-hander Paul Blackburn remains on rehab indefinitely.
— Relief pitcher Trevor May, on the injured list with anxiety issues, will make a rehab appearance in Sacramento with Las Vegas.
Originally published at Jerry McDonald