"The number: 12.7 That was the combined WAR for Nick Kurtz (5.4), Tyler Soderstrom (4.3) and Jacob Wilson (3.0), each in their age-23 (Soderstrom and Wilson) or age-22 (Kurtz) season. The A's became just the sixth team in the divisional era to have three 23-and-under position players post at least 3.0 WAR in the same season. Does this mean a bright future for the A's? Let's see what happened to the other five:"
"* 2013 Braves ( Freddie Freeman, Jason Heyward, Andrelton Simmons): Missed the playoffs the next four seasons. * 1978 Tigers (Jason Thompson, Lou Whitaker, Steve Kemp): Also had 20-year-old Alan Trammell (2.8 WAR), 22-year-old Lance Parrish (1.0 WAR), 21-year-old pitcher Dave Rozema (4.0 WAR) and 23-year-old pitcher Jack Morris (0.1 WAR), one of the greatest collections of young talent ever assembled (plus 1976 Rookie of the Year Mark Fidrych, who got injured). Didn't break through until winning the 1984 World Series."
Oakland's trio of Nick Kurtz, Tyler Soderstrom and Jacob Wilson combined for 12.7 WAR in 2025, each aged 23 or younger. The club became the sixth in the divisional era to field three 23-and-under position players with at least 3.0 WAR in the same season. Historical precedents produced varied outcomes: the 2013 Braves missed the playoffs for four seasons, the 1978 Tigers required years to win a title, the 1977 Expos peaked around 1979–1981, the 1975 Red Sox reached the World Series in 1975, and the 1974 Astros did not reach .500 until 1979. The only 21st-century parallel, the Braves, did not immediately translate youth into sustained success.
Read at ESPN.com
Unable to calculate read time
Collection
[
|
...
]