BASEBALL

ESPN projects Brent Rooker as lone A’s All-Star representative

Jun 7, 2023, 12:45 PM

Brent Rooker #25 of the Oakland Athletics slides into second base on a double in the bottom of the ...

OAKLAND, CALIFORNIA - MAY 31: Brent Rooker #25 of the Oakland Athletics slides into second base on a double in the bottom of the sixth inning against the Atlanta Braves at RingCentral Coliseum on May 31, 2023 in Oakland, California. (Photo by Lachlan Cunningham/Getty Images)

(Photo by Lachlan Cunningham/Getty Images)

Because of the MLB’s All-Star Gae rules, every team must be represented. Even the Oakland A’s.

In ESPN’s early MLB All-Star projections, they note that stipulation, but still find an Athletic to represent the team at the MLB All-Star game in Seattle this summer.

With the team’s pitching ranked toward the bottom of the league, ESPN went to the bats and found Brent Rooker as a suitable representative for Oakland.

An AL Player of the Week earlier this season, Brent Rooker started the season off hot. Throughout all of April, the 29-year-old outfielder hit .358 with nine home runs, two shy of the record set in 1997 by former Athletic Mark McGwire. Then the bats cooled in May, hitting only two home runs and his batting average dipping to .260 by the end of the month.

Rooker hit .353 with nine home runs in April when he posted an OPS over 1.200. The strikeouts have returned in May, but he has been the second-best DH in a weak group and we need somebody to represent the A’s.

READ MORE FROM SACTOWN SPORTS: How to vote for your favorite Giants & A’s into the MLB All-Star Game!

MLB All-Star starters are announced on Thursday, June 29, with pitchers and reserves announced days later on Sunday, July 2.

Oakland A’s Stadium Updates: 

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ESPN projects Brent Rooker as lone A’s All-Star representative