Scott Kazmir, Sonny Gray and Jesse Chavez Dealing for A’s

The Oakland Athletics are sitting in first place in the AL West, and their starting pitching has been a key factor. A’s starting pitchers currently carry a 2.97 ERA, with strikeout and walk rates of 21.2 percent and 6.7 percent, respectively.

Last season the A’s used their spacious ball park and cadre of speedy outfielders to their advantage by utilizing a rotation of flyball pitchers. With the departure of Bartolo Colon and the injury to A.J. Griffin, the A’s have a new look to their rotation.

Sonny Gray made a big splash last year, as he authored a 2.67 ERA with strikeout and walk rates of 25.7 percent and 7.7 percent. The Vanderbilt product outdueled Justin Verlander in the playoffs, and expectations were sky-high going into this season. Thus far in 2014, Gray has been excellent. He continues to get ground balls at a very high rate, and he’s striking out 22 percent of hitters. Through his first 16 big league starts, his number match up well with almost any pitcher in baseball.

Scott Kazmir, the A’s offseason acquisition, rebuilt his career with the Cleveland Indians last season, posting an 85 xFIP- in 150 innings and showing renewed fastball velocity. This year Kazmir has posted a 2.11 ERA in his first six starts, with peripherals that are almost as good. Right now his velocity isn’t quite where it was last season, but he’s throwing his changeup and curveball more often wtih good results. That two-year, $22 million deal is looking very good.

Jesse Chavez has been brilliant in what is his first go-round as a starting pitcher. Prior to this season he had made just two major league starts. Over the past two seasons, he’s relied heavily on a cutter, and that pitch has been very good to him. As of now he has an ERA hovering around 2.00, with a strikeout rate just north of 25 percent and a walk rate that hovers around five percent. Maybe the 30 year-old veteran won’t keep this up all year, but he seems a good bet to be a solid starting pitcher for the remainder of the year.

The A’s have been one of baseball’s best teams in recent years, and it’s been their ability to find players that other teams have castoff that has kept them on top. If their rotation can maintain most of the success they’ve had to this point, this could be the year they break through and bring home some World Series rings.