The Athletics need changes after a disappointing 2026 season. Injuries and pitching staff issues led to the team's rough finish.
Offensively, the club played pretty well for the most part. Even with injuries to key players, their replacements had some success. Jeff McNeil had to step up and become one of the best players in the lineup, and he did in the second half. We have discussed that the team needs to keep him because of that.
Sep 23, 2026; West Sacramento, California, USA; Athletics designated hitter Shea Langeliers (23) hits a hits an RBI double during the sixth inning against the Los Angeles Angels at Sutter Health Park. Mandatory Credit: Sergio Estrada-Imagn Images | IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect
Shea Langeliers was out for much of the 2026 season, as he was expected to miss the rest of the season due to surgery. However, he returned at the end of the season to DH for the team.
Since Langeliers couldn't serve as the catcher, Jonah Heim had to fill in, and his season was filled with plenty of ups and downs.
Sep 25, 2026; West Sacramento, California, USA; Athletics catcher Jonah Heim (15) hits a RBI single against the Houston Astros during the sixth inning at Sutter Health Park. Mandatory Credit: Ed Szczepanski-Imagn Images | IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect
When the A's landed Heim via trade earlier in the summer, he was expected to serve as the primary backup to Langeliers. When Brent Rooker went down with season-ending knee surgery , Heim would get tons of at-bats for the team.
Heim actually hit very well for the team, and his clutch hitting gave them plenty of chances to win some games. He finished June with an impressive .283 AVG and a .916 OPS.
Unfortunately, things fell off quickly for Heim. The switch-hitting Heim would have to stop hitting lefty , and only focused on hitting righty in the last month of the season following his struggles.
In his last 50 at-bats this season, he posted a brutal .140 batting average. Although it was a very rough finish for Heim, he could be part of the team next season.
Aug 26, 2026; West Sacramento, California, USA; Athletics catcher Jonah Heim (15) celebrates with teammates after scoring a run agianst the Minnesota Twins during the sixth inning at Sutter Health Park. Mandatory Credit: Dennis Lee-Imagn Images | IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect
Despite his struggles, Heim might be the best option for the club, should they hold onto Shea Langeliers.
The A's will need to have a backup catcher with experience starting games, so when Shea needs every third day off, the team has some value in their lineup still. Among the free-agent catchers available, guys like Carson Kelly are the best there, but they will land expensive deals for 2027.
The remainder of the catchers available in free agency have all had rough offensive seasons, and even though Heim wasn't super impressive offensively, at least he is very familiar with the A's pitchers, and has had some success in West Sacramento.
This article was originally published on www.si.com/mlb/athletics/onsi as Why Athletics Need To Bring Back Jonah Heim .
