One member of the Oakland A’s has been a Top 5 hitter in MLB so far in 2020, but it’s not who you might think.
It’s not the red-hot Ramon Laureano, nor the rapidly heating Matt Chapman, nor the powerful Matt Olson. They’re all off to nice starts, but none of their numbers compare with those of Robbie Grossman.
The A’s left fielder ranks fourth in the majors so far with a 196 wRC+, meaning his batting line is around twice as good as league average. He’s gotten there by doing everything well — hitting for a high average, avoiding strikeouts to help fuel that average with lots of contact, drawing a ton of walks, and even doing some uncharacteristic slugging.