Kuzul

Look ahead to 2012 if your an A’s fan. Let’s face it, that’s the best way to remain positive about the results of this current season. With just over 30 games remaining, rookies Jemile Weeks and Brandon Allen stand out as the main reasons for optimism moving into another long offseason.

True, the team has been hitting and scoring runs at a pace that would make any manager proud since the All Star break.

What is also true is that the pitching through most of the first half of the season was the best in the American League, and looked like it was going to repeat its success from the 2010 season.

Unfortunately, both have been wildly inconsistent when you look at the season as a whole.

We likely won’t have Brett Anderson in the rotation at all next season and both Trevor Cahill and Gio Gonzalez have been inconsistent since coming out of the gate hot to begin the 2011 campaign.

Add into the consideration that our hottest hitter for the entirety of the season, Josh Willingham, and the hottest hitter since the All Star break, Hideki Matsui, are both impending free agents, gives more reason for concern than optimism.

Trades from recent seasons have not paid off how the A’s had hoped (i.e. Carlos Gonzalez & Huston Street for Matt Holiday for Brett Wallace for Michael Taylor, amongst others) and the draft had failed to yield an impact hitter since Andre Ethier (who was also traded away).

The managing? Well, few would argue that former skipper Bob Geren was given the optimal situation to succeed, but fewer would argue that he didn’t deserve his dismissal either.

And then, almost instantly, the glass goes from half-empty to half-full.

Bob Geren out, Bob Melvin in—and the entire feel of the team changes.

Fan favorite Mark Ellis goes down to injury and his era with the A’s ends; In large part because highly touted, yet often injured rookie, Jemile Weeks performs fantastically.

How does Weeks respond? He hits his way into the lineup and sets up the longest tenured A’s veteran for his ticket out of town, and the hits just keep coming.

Weeks is batting .291 on the season with 75 hits in just his first 62 games while displaying good speed on the base paths. He has 13 stolen bases in 20 attempts so far this season.

Whether the A’s choose to retain Coco Crisp following the season, the A’s seem to have found a dynamic leadoff man in Weeks.

Not surprisingly, the arrival of Weeks coincided with the beginning of the A’s resurgence offensively.

A trip to the 15-day disabled list by Josh Willingham opened an opportunity for Chris Carter to come back to Oakland and showoff his bat, unfortunately he failed to capitalize.

All of the excitement surrounding Weeks would seemingly intensify the disappointment A’s fans felt about Carter. The difference could not have been any more the polar opposites of each other.

Fast-forward just a few weeks though and General Manager Billy Beane makes a low-profile trade at the deadline, sending veteran reliever Brad Ziegler to Arizona for minor league first baseman Brandon Allen.

How has the power-hitting prospect, Allen, responded to his audition in Oakland? He has taken the Jemile Weeks approach and just kept hitting, inserting himself right into the starting lineup nightly.

He was batting .391 since being traded to the A’s entering Saturday’s game against the Blue Jays.

In his first eight games with the A’s, he already has 10 hits, including a pair of triples, and has shown great athleticism at first base (something Carter failed to do in his opportunities).

And just like that, an impact bat produced by the draft and an impact bat produced via a low-profile trade.

The A’s have a very promising right side of their infield to give fans something to look forward to for years to come.

Carter can now be given the time necessary to develop into a big league hitter capable of filling the designated hitter role and Michael Taylor won’t have the pressure of high expectations when he finally does arrive in Oakland.

The pair of moves, although dealing within a small sample size, demonstrate that Beane has not lost the magic touch that previously earned him the “genius” label.

You see, Allen and Weeks represent more than just their promising production on the field. They represent the thought that the A’s front office has not lost touch with the current way the game is played. They have not been left behind by the rest of the league.

Allen and Weeks should give A’s fans a reason to be excited again about future trades, future draft picks, current prospects in the system and their own production while wearing the green and gold for at least the next five seasons.

If Beane can bring back Willingham (another trade that went in the A’s favor) for 2012 and the pitching staff can perform to their capabilities, optimism should quickly turn to excitement and real opportunity towards contention next season.

Now, if we could just do something about that stadium issue…

Read more MLB news on BleacherReport.com

Derrek Lee, 1B Baltimore Orioles (26 percent owned in Yahoo, 28.8 percent in ESPN)

Current Stat Line: .247 AVG/26 R/5 HR/19 RBI/2 SB

Lee has certainly not lived up to expectations so far in 2011, but his bat seems to be coming alive. In the past seven games, Lee has hit .438 with five XBH and six runs.

He has been shuffled between the fourth and sixth spot in the lineup, so if he can stay healthy, he should help your team in AVG and RBI.

Projection (rest of season): .283 AVG/39 R/11 HR/44 RBI/2 SB

Alexi Casilla, 2B/SS Minnesota Twins (28 percent owned in Yahoo, 55.6 percent in ESPN)

Current Stat Line: .260 AVG/32 R/2 HR/15 RBI/11 SB

Casilla has been on fire for the past month. Since May 24th he has hit .327 AVG/9 R/2 HR/11 RBI/8 SB. Casilla is currently batting second for the Twins and he should stay there. I don’t expect him to hit .327 for the rest of the year, but he should be a solid contributor in AVG, R, SB. 

Projection (rest of season): .280 AVG/36 R/4 HR/23 RBI/11 SB

Jemile Weeks, 2B Oakland Athletics (20 percent owned in Yahoo, 35 percent in ESPN)

Current Stat Line: .305 AVG/11 R/0 HR/6 RBI/6 SB

Weeks started out with a .400 BABIP and one walk in 44 AB. Since then he has shown more patience at the plate with four walks in 19 at bats and he is batting leadoff for the Athletics.

The stolen bases is a huge plus, but it will only be a matter of time before pitchers start adjusting to him. Pick him up while he is hot but don’t expect a long-term fix.

Projection (rest of season): .260 AVG/26 R/2 HR/19 RBI/10 SB

Alcides Escobar, SS Kansas City Royals (29 percent owned in Yahoo, 73.5 percent in ESPN)

Current Stat Line: .246 AVG/34 R/1 HR/21 RBI/12 SB

In the minors, Escobar was an annual three category producer in AVG, R and SB. When called up by the Brewers, he was planted in the eight hole where he was unable to showcase his true potential.

Now that he is batting ninth for an AL team, he will have more opportunity to steal bases and score runs. Since June 7th he has hit, .411 AVG/13 R/8 RBI/6 SB. I would rather roster Escobar than Chone Figgins, Gordon Beckham, Darwin Barney and Omar Infante.

Projection (rest of season): .265 AVG/40 R/2 HR/27 RBI/15 SB

Carlos Carrasco, SP Cleveland Indians (39 percent owned in Yahoo, 47.1 percent in ESPN)

Current Stat Line: 7 W/4 L/53 K/3.62 ERA/1.21 WHIP

Carlos Carrasco, a regular on “Spot Starting,” has been untouchable on the mound in his last four starts. During that time he has thrown 29.2 IP/2 ER/21 K/5 BB. His current K/9 sits at 5.48, but last year it was at 7.66 even though his current SwStr% of 8.4 is nearly identical to his 8.7 mark in 2010.

Expect a slight uptick in strikeouts. 

Projection (rest of season): 6 W/4 L/78 K/3.5 ERA/1.20 WHIP

For other entries in our waiver-wire gems series, click here!

Brian “Killboy” Kilpatrick is a Senior Writer for 4thandHome.com, where this, and other work, can be found. Additionally, he is co-host of The 4th and Home Show on Blog Talk Radio.

Read more MLB news on BleacherReport.com

It is getting harder and harder to justify keeping Daric Barton on a major league roster, especially one still struggling to find consistent offense.

The Oakland Athletics showed Barton a lot of loyalty during the offseason and pegged him as their starting first baseman and a major part of the future.

So far this season, Barton has not rewarded the team for their faith in his abilities.

He has admitted that a potential contract extension is in the back of his head, and he is thinking and pressing too much while at the plate.

The result has been a season-long slump that has him batting close to the Mendoza line at .211, without a single home run, and with just 12 extra base hits (all doubles). He set the record last night for most consecutive games without a home run by a first baseman at 64 games.

Barton, still widely considered one of the better defenders at first base, has also seen his struggles carry over to his defense. Last season Barton committed 10 errors in 157 games.

So far this year he already has eight errors in just 64 games.

Kevin Kouzmanoff, arguably a more established major leaguer, already was handed his ticket back to Triple-A for a similar display of total defensive and offensive ineptitude.

You have to wonder: How much longer until a similar fate befalls Barton?

Yesterday, Rotoworld.com claimed the A’s may already be considering such a move:

The A’s might be considering sending Daric Barton to the minors. The .212-hitting Barton has an option left, and he’s simply never been able to escape his season-long funk. Sending him down to get his head on straight might not be a bad idea at this point. If a move is made, Conor Jackson and/or Adam Rosales would likely handle first base.

This is another significant example of a major move that would send the signal that the A’s are committed to making a run this season. The A’s still believe that Barton is a part of their future—the team has not made any indications that they are ready to hand over the reigns to Chris Carter.

There is still a feeling around this club that Barton’s defense is highly valued. A trip to Sacramento would be an opportunity for Barton to turn things around, clear his head, and build some confidence by beating up on Triple-A pitching for a little while just as Kouzmanoff is now doing (.333/.355/.700 2 HR 7 RBI 30 AB).

With Mark Ellis scheduled to come off the disabled list this Wednesday, this could be Barton’s final few games to turn things around before packing his bags for Sacramento. Presumably, the A’s would option Barton to the minor leagues in favor of keeping the hot-hitting Jemile Weeks in the majors.

Ellis’s return creates a position dilemma for new manager Bob Melvin.

Weeks needs playing time to continue developing at second, but Mark Ellis is better than a utility player. Plus, the more versatile Adam Rosales already fills that role, anyway.

Scott Sizemore, another utility-type player, would appear the most likely to head back to Sacramento if the club chooses to stick with Barton, creating a third-base platoon opportunity for Rosales and Ellis.

Ellis could become a trade chip to bring in a young prospect, although Melvin’s praise of Ellis’s intangibles indicates the A’s would like to let him play out the final year of his contract in an Oakland uniform.

The most likely scenario is that the club will choose to stick with Ellis, Sizemore, and Rosales.

Barton will be rooming with Kouzmanoff in Sacramento and waiting for his next opportunity in Oakland.

I’m not willing to wager a guess as to whether Ellis shifts to a third-base platoon with Scott Sizemore or if he becomes the utility player while Rosales and Jackson platoon at first base (as Rotoworld suggested).

Ellis could even become the super-sub-type player the A’s turned Bobby Crosby into two years ago, or he could settle into a role similar to Marco Scutaro’s and see occasional time in the outfield as well.

There are a lot of unknowns that will need to be sorted out between now and Wednesday.

One thing is becoming increasingly more clear, though: The decision does not come down to whether or not Jemile Weeks will stay in the majors.

It is whether or not Daric Barton stays.

Brandon McClintock covers the Oakland Athletics and Major League Baseball for BleacherReport.com. You can follow him on Twitter:       @BMcClintock_BR.

Read more MLB news on BleacherReport.com

In the midst of their (still) ongoing 10-game losing streak, adding players outside the organization to the roster doesn’t seem to be an option at this point. 

But with a new manager, lineup adjustments and utilizing their farm system—including entertaining trades for their veterans that have value—must be considered to jump-start their woefully impotent lineup, which ranks in the bottom five of all of MLB entering Friday’s action in these offensive categories: Runs (227 in 64 games), HR (35), Total Bases (755), BA (.239), OBP (.304) and SLG (.347). 

Begin Slideshow

I went to the Red Sox game against the visiting Athletics today, and it was one of the craziest games I have ever been to. It started with a bang when Adrian Gonzalez hit a home run over the Green Monster. Despite the fact it barely cleared the Monster, it was still a considerable feat considering he went opposite field.

After that, however, both offenses stalled over the next few innings. But the bats turned back on when J.D. Drew singled home Carl Crawford. This wouldn’t be the last time that would happen, however. The A’s quickly tied the game with two runs of their own in the sixth, but it didn’t stay like that for long.

The Red Sox answered with a 3-run sixth inning of their own to take the lead 5-2. The A’s narrowed the gap with a run, but again the Red Sox answered in big fashion, scoring two runs in the eighth inning to take a 7-3 lead heading into the ninth.

At the time, Jonathon Papelbon was warming up in the bullpen, and I wondered whether or not the Red Sox should bother putting him in with such a large lead. It turns out, they shouldn’t have.

The Sox indeed decide to pitch him, and he promptly came in to give up four runs, allowing the A’s to tie it up. And to make matter worse, amidst all of Papelbon’s frustration over calls of strikes and balls, he yelled at the ump and charged him. Needless to say, he was ejected. And soon after, Jason Veritek followed Papelbon’s poor example also arguing to no avail, getting the same result—an ejection.

Even without Tek and Papelbon, the game went on to extra innings. Things seemed bleak, though, when the Red Sox’ bats turned off for the next few inning, and the A’s were able to score a run in the 11th.

But with two outs in the bottom half of the 11th, however, Jacoby Ellsbury hit a double to send Jarrod Saltalamacchia home the game-tying run, sending the Fenway crowd into a frenzy.

But both offenses would stall for another three more innings before an outcome would finally be reached. This came in the 14th inning when Nancy—I mean J.D.—Drew stepped to the plate and, far exceeding the low expectations,delivered a walk-off single, sending Crawford home again.

In summary, after spending nearly six hours at Fenway today, I got to see 15 runs, a blown save by Papelbon, two ejections, five extra innings, and a walk-off hit by Drew. Certainly not your average day at the ballpark.

Read more MLB news on BleacherReport.com

It’s a little bit rare for multiple mock drafts to have a consensus pick deep into the first round, but this year that seems to be the case for the No. 18 selection of the Oakland Athletics.

Several sources have the A’s targeting University of Connecticut’s George Springer, a power-hitting outfielder with good speed.

Springer, currently a center fielder, was originally drafted in the 48th round of the 2008 draft by the Minnesota Twins (1,437th overall) out of Avon Old Farms High School in Connecticut. He chose to attend the University of Connecticut instead, a decision that has propelled him into the first round, and have him ranked as high as the 11th best player in the draft by some experts.

The Athletics used their first pick in last year’s draft to select a center fielder as well, Michael Choice, currently one of the organization’s top-five prospects.

If the Athletics select Springer, they could look to move Choice to a corner outfield position, a position several scouts speculated last season may be better suited for him in the long term.

On the other hand, Springer is a natural center fielder, with the potential to win several Gold Gloves. He has above-average speed and can cover a lot of ground. He has an accurate cannon for an arm and has reached 90 mph on his throws from the outfield. He patterns his play after Torii Hunter, and makes spectacular leaping and diving catches.

Offensively, Springer has above-average power, too, and has displayed good hand-eye coordination, hitting the ball to all fields. He has a long swing, but has shown the ability to make the adjustment to offspeed pitches. He currently projects as a 20-plus home run player, even in the spacious Oakland Coliseum. If he is able to shorten his swing and square up the ball better as he develops, he could turn into a consistent power threat and a 30-plus home run star.

On the basepaths, he has speed that has been described as “aggressive-yet-savvy”. He does not have the type of speed that makes him a constant threat to opposing batteries, yet he makes good reads and gets good jumps. He should be able to pick his spots and reach 20-30 stolen bases a year consistently. In college he stole with an 85 percent success rate.

Back in February, ESPN’s Keith Law, ranked Springer the second-best prospect in the draft, calling him:

“An athletic outfielder with an above-average arm who projects to hit and hit for power and just needs to refine his approach, especially with two strikes.”

Springer conducted an interview with MLBTradeRumors.com’s Ben Nicholson-Smith in March. 

The two questions Nicholson-Smith asked that I enjoyed reading the most were as follows:

BNS – When you’re at your best, what might be some of the specific things that we would see from you on the field?

GS – One hundred percent – this’ll probably sound dumb – but just balls out all the time. Not playing with any fear. Not afraid to fail. I just go out and I let the game come to me – I just go out and I play as hard as I possibly can and if for some reason the game says that I have to run into a wall, I’ll run into a wall.

BNS – I’ve seen your game written up as a combination of power and speed. Do you see yourself as a power guy, or a speed guy, or somewhere in between.

GS – I see myself as a guy that can hit for power, but I don’t necessarily see myself as hitting for power [primarily]. I see myself as hitting the ball hard and however far it goes, if it stays in the ballpark, I just keep running.

If Springer does fall to the Athletics—and things can certainly change between now and Monday that could see him taken before the A’s pick at No. 18—then it is conceivable we could see an outfield of Michael Choice in left field (ETA: 2013), George Springer in center field (2014 in my opinion) and Michael Taylor in right field (2012) as soon as late 2013 or spring training 2014.

While Taylor’s power projection has dropped over the past two seasons, he was originally projected as a 20-30 homer guy. Meanwhile, Choice is showing good power with Stockton so far this season. The A’s could have three legitimate power threats in their outfield, as well as a fourth power threat in Chris Carter at either first base or the designated hitter role.

I know a lot of things can change as players start to come off the board, but if Springer does fall to Oakland with their first pick, he appears to be as close to a no-brain selection as there is in this deep field of first-round options.

Brandon McClintock covers the Oakland Athletics and Major League Baseball for BleacherReport.com. You can follow me on Twitter:      @BMcClintock_BR.

Read more MLB news on BleacherReport.com

In an unexpected move, recently acquired left-handed reliever David Purcey was dealt to the Detroit Tigers for second baseman Scott Sizemore.

Sizemore, who was the Tigers minor league player of the year in 2009, was immediately sent to Triple-A Sacramento. 

The most likely scenario seems to be that the A’s acquired Sizemore as a feasible option—with some long-term potential, still, at just 26 years old—at third base in case the A’s pull the plug on Kevin Kouzmanoff and Andy LaRoche in favor of Sizemore and Rosales, who is due to return before the All-Star break. 

Susan Slusser of the San Francisco Chronicle wrote today that, in part, the trade was made with Andrew Bailey in mind. 

Bailey is due back in a week or so, Slusser argued, and the only players who have options are Brad Ziegler and Joey Devine, thereby making Purcey the odd man out. 

I don’t see any way this wasn’t part of the A’s thinking, but it is also highly unlikely that the A’s don’t expect Sizemore to play a role with this club very soon. 

Sending Sizemore to Triple-A may just be to get his feet wet with the organization and hopefully put together a good string of at-bats, for the A’s may be close to making a move at third base. 

The idea that he will challenge Mark Ellis for starts and at-bats at second base is far-fetched in my view.  Ellis, with his history with the club and stability he provides defensively, will almost certainly play out the last year of his contract regardless of the quality of his play. 

In the long term, Jemile Weeks, their first-round pick in 2008, seems to be an easy guess to fill Ellis’ role next year. 

I don’t see any way the A’s did this deal without the idea that Sizemore can help them—i.e, an upgrade—now, and at third base. 

In 2009, Sizemore was the Tigers’ lone representative in the All-Star Futures Game and was named to Baseball America’s minor league All-Star team.

Since winning the starting job in 2010, Sizemore has struggled and been shifted back and forth between the major and minor leagues. 

For his career, he has a .223 BA, .306 OBP, and hit three HR and 18 RBI in just 65 games.  The small sample size is a reason for optimism.  In the minors, he has posted a career line of .296/.376/.446 in 454 games. 

The A’s move to acquire some organizational depth also speaks to their apprehension towards bringing up Triple-A infield prospects Adrian Cardenas and Jemile Weeks to fill their hole at 3B, while they are still fighting for the playoffs.

Also, Kouzmanoff has battled some injuries and may need a stint on the DL, if not an outright release. LaRoche makes the minimum salary and may be close to being cut loose.  Sizemore could also be insurance if the A’s are skeptical regarding Rosales’ return.

Read more MLB news on BleacherReport.com

What has been the strength of the Oakland A’s team—starting pitching—has been bitten by the injury bug once again.

Less than a week after announcing starting pitcher Dallas Braden will be out the rest of the season, the pitching depth of the A’s farm system will be tested with the loss of their fourth and fifth starters—Brandon McCarthy and Tyson Ross—to the 15-day DL. 

Ross left his last start on Wednesday with a strained oblique muscle, while the A’s announced out of nowhere that McCarthy has a problem with his right scapula, the same shoulder that has plagued McCarthy throughout his career.

The three pitchers added to the roster today (Trystan Magnuson was sent down as well)—Joey Devine, Jerry Blevins and Fautino De Los Santos—will all contribute out of the bullpen by sheer luck that the A’s top-three starters are scheduled to go this weekend against the Giants.

Come Monday, the A’s will need to add two starters to the rotation.

Stating the obvious, A’s assistant general manager David Forst told John Shea of The Chronicle on Thursday he doesn’t know that teams are willing to trade quality starting pitchers at this stage of the season.

In other words, the A’s have no choice but to look for internal options. 

Josh Outman, who battled for a starting gig in the spring, is the logical choice for one of these two temporary rotation spots, and almost certainly will get the call on Tuesday against the Angels. He is a left-hander who throws hard and posts a 3.77 ERA and1.29 WHIP in 16 career starts.  His undesirable numbers this spring and in AAA have been attributed to his lack of mechanics and consistency from missing so much time last year recovering from Tommy John surgery.

The other spot is less certain because there are no proven options in AAA Sacramento. 

Graham Godfrey, who was drafted in the 34th round by the Blue Jays in 2006 and acquired by the A’s in 2007 in the Marco Scutaro deal, has the best numbers among AAA starters.  In six starts, he has pitched 33 INN, posted a  2.41 ERA, 1.11 WHIP, 31 K and a .220 BAA.  

Guillermo Moscoso has posted good numbers also (40 INN, 43 K and .231 BAA) but is a career journeyman. 

Since these DL stints may not be for very long, the A’s may be content with promoting these non-prospects up to the big leagues, especially considering that much of the A’s better pitching prospects are not big league-ready. 

Read more MLB news on BleacherReport.com

The 2010 San Francisco Giants shocked the baseball world when they tore through the postseason with an 11-4 record to win their first World Series championship since 1954.

How did they do it?  One word would suffice in explaining their amazing run—pitching.

San Francisco’s staff gave observers of the game something to remember.  With performance after performance of historic proportions, Giants hurlers utterly shut down offensive juggernauts from Philadelphia and Texas on their way to claiming the crown.

When all was said and done, San Francisco’s arms had produced four shutouts, compiled an ERA of 2.47, and struck out 133 opposing hitters while limiting opponents’ batting average to just .196 in 15 postseason games.

After being labeled underdogs in the NLCS and the World Series, with the chief reason being that their opponents had better offensive capabilities, the Giants proved the old adage true yet again—good pitching always beats good hitting—always.

In a season that was called the “Year of the Pitcher”, pitching won the day when Tim Lincecum tossed eight masterful innings in Game 5 of last year’s fall classic, helping his Giants clinch the title.

San Francisco’s success has led many baseball analysts to ask, who will be 2011’s version of the Giants that won it all last season?

Looking Across the Bay

The search for this year’s version of the 2010 Giants could involve just a short drive across the Bay.

The Oakland A’s led the American League with a 3.56 team ERA in 2010.  Oakland’s staff also led the league in shutouts, with 17.  A’s arms yielded just 566 earned runs last season, lowest in the league, while holding opposing hitters to just a .245 batting average.

This season, the staff in Oakland has picked up right where it left off, leading the American League, with a 2.86 team ERA and just 127 earned runs allowed so far in 2011.  And opponents’ batting average?  Just .244, a point lower than in 2010.

The A’s, much like the Giants in 2010, are struggling offensively in 2011.  They currently rank 23rd in baseball in runs scored, and 25th in team batting average.

But if there’s one thing the 2010 Giants proved about winning, it was that a lot of pitching mixed with a little timely hitting is a recipe for success.

Potential World Series Preview?

The Giants and A’s are two teams on very different tracks.  While the composition of their clubs may be very similar, with pitching as the centerpiece and strength, and hitting being almost a secondary consideration, the Giants are the defending world champions while the A’s are still in a success-building mode.

That doesn’t mean, however, that we won’t see both of these clubs in the playoffs.  The Giants are primed to make another serious run in the NL West, having nearly the same personnel back to defend the title. 

The A’s have the potential to become what the Giants were last season, given their young pitching talent and the presence of veterans Hideki Matsui and Josh Willingham to provide just enough offense.

Much like San Francisco last season, if Oakland can just reach the playoffs, whether by winning the AL West or claiming the AL Wild Card spot, anything can happen.  With the likes of Trevor Cahill, Brett Anderson, and Gio Gonzalez leading a stellar pitching staff in a short series, the A’s could find themselves in the American League Championship Series before they know it.

With the A’s visiting AT&T Park this weekend for a three-game set with the Giants, look for low-scoring games, playoff-caliber baseball, and maybe even a preview of what’s to come this October.

Read more MLB news on BleacherReport.com

Trevor Cahill, age 23, has exceeded all expectations in the early going of the 2011 MLB season. 

Cahill was 18-8 last season with a 2.97 ERA. He had a 118:63 strikeout to walk ratio. 

Cahill has now started off the 2011 season with a 6-0 record, which is tied for best in the American League. His ERA is a very low 1.72, which is best in the American League. 

His strikeout to walk ratio this season is 45:16. He has a WHIP of 1.09 as well. 

Two other pitchers in the AL have six wins also. Jered Weaver came out the gates on fire winning his first six starts. Since that hot start, Weaver has lost his last two starts. 

Detroit Tigers pitcher Max Scherzer has matched Cahill’s 6-0 start. Scherzer has nearly double the ERA of Cahill though, at 3.60.

There are plenty of great pitchers in the AL like David Price, C.C. Sabathia, and last year’s AL Cy Young award winner Felix Hernandez. Winning the 2011 AL Cy Young will not be easy.

The only thing that will hurt Cahill in the long going is the fact that the A’s offense is less than stellar. The A’s have scored a total of 129 runs this season, which is 27th worst. 

Cahill pitches in the pitcher-friendly Oakland Coliseum, which bodes well for Cahill. 

If Cahill continues on with his hot start, he will easily be leading the AL Cy Young talks when the season is over. 

A’s fans have had to sit and watch as Tim Lincecum has won two Cy Young awards across the bay in the last few years. This may finally be the year that the A’s get to celebrate a Cy Young of their own— the last was Barry Zito in 2002. 

Read more MLB news on BleacherReport.com