Matt Olson Employs Ambush Tactics

Best Player

After two straight mediocre seasons, first baseman/outfielder Matt Olson knew it was time to make some changes, both physically and mentally.

So he altered his hand setup, moving from a deep position almost behind his head to more in front, and he found a new mindset on hitting altogether.

“He took a lot of pitches, and he was notorious for getting deep into counts,” farm director Keith Lieppman. “Now he’s ambushing pitchers and being more aggressive. He’s found a little dark side in himself. It’s a little, ‘I’m coming at you.’ ”

After hitting 37 homers in the high Class A California League in 2014, Olson hit 17 in both 2015 and 2016 as he climbed to Double-A and then Triple-A. In a statistical oddity, he hit 17 in the first half this year at Triple-A Nashville before being called up to the majors in June when the Athletics hastened their rebuild.

Olson’s more aggressive approach helped him produce a .271/.365/.561 batting line at Nashville, and it also earned the lefthanded batter a chance to audition for the right-field job in Oakland.

Keep An Eye On

From the moment they saw Sean Murphy, the A’s knew they had a potential defensive gem of a catcher. They grade his throwing arm an 80 on the 20-80 scouting scale, and his work behind the plate is outstanding.

The question is whether the 2016 third-rounder out of Wright State can hit. Murphy has responded by scorching the California League, hitting .297/.343/.527 through 45 games at high Class A Stockton with nine home runs.

“He’s really good gap to gap,” Lieppman said. “He knows how to stay within himself. I think he will only get better the more at-bats he gets, and the more he will be able to learn and make adjustments.”

Murphy put up his numbers despite battling a wrist injury that cost him two weeks of playing time. Lieppman also praised Murphy for having a “certain knack with pitch calling,” a skill he is developing with more experience.