Athletics' offense is thriving despite an early-season slump from a big bopper

The Athletics have gotten off to a fine start this season. They sit atop the AL West with their 17-14 record, 1.5 games ahead of the Seattle Mariners. 

Pitching has been solid for the squad this year, with newcomer Aaron Civale off to a 2-1 start and Jeffrey Springs off to a 3-2 start. Offensively, the A's are doing what everyone expected, with no trouble pushing runs across the board.

Shea Langeliers is tearing it up with a team-leading .328 batting average and a team-leading eight home runs, while Tyler Soderstrom leads the club with 18 runs batted in. And reigning AL Rookie of the Year Nick Kurtz leads the team with his .424 OBP. 

MORE: Michael Wacha’s wardrobe malfunction sparks bizarre ejection of A's coach

Athletics' offense is thriving despite an early-season slump from a big bopper

One player who is off to a bit of a slow start is Brent Rooker. He's been good for at least 30 home runs over the last three seasons, but this season, he's slumping. 

Now, he had been dealing with a right oblique strain, which saw him hit the 10-day IL. So, that could be a big reason for his struggles. 

Either way, with how he has played so far, Bleacher Report's Kerry Miller tags him as the A's "least valuable player."

"Take out the two-homer, six-RBI game on April 5 and Rooker is batting .080 with no extra-base hits. He missed two weeks on the IL with an oblique strain, but he was struggling before that injury. From the 'glass half full' perspective, though, it's wild that the A's are alone in first place in the AL West while getting virtually nothing out of a slugger who hit at least 30 home runs in each of the past three years."

Now, if Rooker finds it at the plate, there is no telling how far the A's could go this season. They are finally getting some pitching to keep them in games, which was their downfall last season. 

More MLB news:

• Royals' offseason trade addition is off to a lackluster start
• White Sox trade addition has not caught on as some had hoped
• Marcus Semien claims title of Mets 'least valuable player' one month into the season
• Reds' Sal Stewart has been the 'bopper' the team needed this year
• Giants face a difficult catching rotation once Daniel Susac returns