Grading Jacob Lopez's 2026 Season With Athletics

Another major factor in the A's rough season was the pitching staff. Their starters rarely delivered consistent outings, and in the first half of the season, they had the worst bullpen ERA in all of baseball.

Among the starters who gave the team at least something to be excited about was the second half of 2026 for Jacob Lopez.

Jacob Lopez's Rough First Half

When the A's seemed like they had a chance to be competitive, Jacob Lopez was really struggling. The southpaw opened the season in the team's rotation and would eventually be optioned to Triple-A to work on his stuff.

Jacob Lopez would finish his first half of the season with a 6.83 ERA in 55.1 innings pitched. Obviously, those numbers show a lack of confidence, considering he was one of the best arms in the A's rotation last season.

It seemed like Lopez was due for a big season. From the big second half of 2025 to making the Opening Day rotation this season, he was due for it.

Lopez has always drawn Chris Sale comparisons, but he certainly didn't look like Chris Sale in the first half. Luckily, when the lefty returned from Triple-A, things started looking up for Lopez.

Lopez's Strong Second Half and His 2026 Grade

Things turned around real fast for Lopez in the second half, as he returned from Triple-A and rejoined the A's rotation.

He made a handful of really impressive starts and posted a 2.48 ERA in the month of August. He pitched 29 innings in that span. Opponents only batted .190 against Lopez in that month, and it looked like he was a co-ace with JT Ginn.

September has been a little bit less productive for Lopez, as he posted an 8.14 ERA, but it doesn't help that in one of his last starts, he allowed 10 earned runs.

His final grade for the 2026 season is a B- because he could have been better at the beginning and end of the season, but he showcased his true ace potential for a couple of months.