Shea Langeliers

Langeliers was the Athletics' bell cow catcher for the second straight season. His 137 games and 534 plate appearances were both career highs, while his 131 appearances behind the plate were second most in MLB. Fewer strikeouts and more plate appearances from hitting higher in the order fueled personal bests in homers, runs and RBI. He features above average, but not elite quality of contact, but even with the improvement, his strikeout rate is high. Despite poor defense, the Athletics are committed to Langeliers with no one in the pipeline to challenge him for playing time. His power will play anywhere, though Langeliers could benefit from leaving the Coliseum. Just 27 years old, he could continue to improve his strikeout rate, but is best considered a plus power, low average backstop hitting in the meat of a less potent lineup. Read Past Outlooks