Credit: Dennis Lee-Imagn Images

Former Yankees Prospect Sends Clear Message After Athletics Series

Originally posted on Athlon Sports | By Amulya Shekhar | Last updated May 12, 2025 9:43 AM ET

The New York Yankees took their road series against the Athletics at Sacramento 2-1 after sealing a 12-2 win on Sunday. Aaron Judge racked up more hits and kept his average high with 4 hits in the win.

The team's only loss came at the hands of a starting pitcher whom they traded in 2022. The Yankees lost their Saturday game 11-7 after conceding late home runs against the surging A's offense.

JP Sears led the charge for the Athletics, conceding four hits but only one run off a homer. Through five innings of pitching, Sears had four strikeouts. Although Judge hit a homer against him at his own home ground, Sears held steady through his stint on the mound.

Sears has been in redoubtable form this season. His ERA of 2.80 is 24th in the major leagues. He has 36 strikeouts and only 38 hits conceded through 45 innings pitched for the A's. His output is generating some buzz for the 29-year-old as a first-time All-Star selection.

Speaking to a reporter after the victorious Saturday, Sears laid out how his career trajectory is on the rise:

"I think consistency for me has been the number one thing that has been driving me since I got to the big leagues. Just learning my routine and trying to stick with it. There's always things every year that I feel like I've tried to add or tweak a little bit, and it's an ever-changing game."

"You're always kind of making adjustments. So I'm trying to stay in my routine, but also not trying to stick to it too much and just make little adjustments when I can."

Sears has powered the A's to a good start to 2025 as the team looks to win the wide-open AL West division. As the leading ace on the Athletics, Sears will have a huge role to play in the months to come.

This article first appeared on Athlon Sports and was syndicated with permission.

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