Washington Nationals: 5 to watch in Oakland
By Ron Juckett
YONDER ALONSO
Another player possibly on the trade block for Oakland is Yonder Alonso.
The free-agent-to-be is having a career year for the Athletics. Already with a career-high 14 home runs, Alonso is the heart of the Oakland offense. A slash line of .291/.391/.657 translates to a whopping OPS of 1.048. When you adjust it, it comes to 186. His OPS is fifth in the AL.
Traded from the San Diego Padres with old friend Marc Rzepczynski before the 2016 season, not much was expected. Sixth in the NL Rookie of the Year vote in 2012, he never found that level of production again until now.
As we start June, this is his first ever ten-plus home run season. He is a free swinger with 34 strikeouts, but has a good eye with 21 walks. He found the regular playing time and success here that he could not with the Padres. Staying healthy helps.
Alonso loves Oakland. At home, he is hitting .304 and eight of his homers have come at the not-so-friendly confines of the Coliseum.
With his time in San Diego and Cincinnati, Alonso has 22 games under his belt against Washington. With a robust .306 average, he swatted four homers and seven doubles versus the Nationals.