Athletics hitters struggle with low walk rates and high chase percentages

The Athletics offense currently ranks 17th in baseball in walks, a figure that appears deceiving when isolating individual player performance. Outside of Nick Kurtz, who maintains an 18.2% walk rate, most of the lineup demonstrates a high propensity for chasing pitches outside the strike zone. Players including Jacob Wilson, Alika Williams, Colby Thomas, Tommy White, and Joshua Kuroda-Grauer each post walk rates below 4%. This approach results in hitters frequently swinging at bad pitches, leading to weaker contact and a high volume of outs. The organization appears to have shifted away from its historical internal mandate requiring a 10% walk rate for prospect promotions, as several recent call-ups reached the major leagues with significantly lower figures. This approach allows opposing starting pitchers to record outs with fewer pitches and remain in games longer.

• 5:33 PMYahoo Sports — Your 2026 Hacktastic A’s