Athletics Fire Scott Emerson, Aim for Pitching Turnaround

Athletics’ Midseason Slide

Just three weeks ago the Athletics sat at .500, a half‑game behind the AL West leaders after a dramatic 10‑inning comeback win over the Los Angeles Angels on June 19. Today at the All‑Star break they sit at 41‑55, fourth in the division and eight games shy of the Texas Rangers. Their recent stretch has been especially rough: a 3‑17 record over the last 20 games, with 13 losses in the past 14 contests and a nine‑game losing streak.

The turmoil on the field prompted a shake‑up in the dugout on Monday, when the organization announced it had dismissed longtime pitching coach Scott Emerson. The move signals an effort to spark a second‑half revival for a staff that has been struggling to keep runs at bay.

PitchingERA Troubles

The A’s rank second‑to‑last in Major League Baseball this season with a 5.21 earned‑run average, trailing only the Colorado Rockies (5.44). In 11 of their last 17 defeats, opponents have posted six or more runs. The shift to a hitter‑friendly venue—Sutter Health Park in Sacramento—has added another layer of difficulty for a rotation already hovering near the bottom of the ERA table.

Emerson’s clubs have been falling down the rankings over the past few years. In 2025 they were 27th (4.70), followed by 25th (4.37) in 2024, 29th (5.48) in 2023 and 24th (4.52) in 2022. The trend reversal is striking compared to his first four full seasons, when the A’s ERA placed them in the top half of MLB and they reached the postseason in 2018, 2019 and 2020.

Coaching Change at the Helm

Scott Emerson, 54, took the reins as pitching coach midway through the 2017 season after replacing Curt Young. He had been a bullpen coach when promoted, bringing a fresh perspective to a franchise he first joined in the early 2000s as a minor‑league pitching instructor. Now the void left by his dismissal will be filled on an interim basis by current bullpen coach Dan Hubbs, who will oversee the pitching staff for the remainder of the 2026 campaign.

Hubbs, already entrenched in the A’s instructional hierarchy, steps into a role that demands immediate tweaks if the rotation is to gain momentum. The organization hopes his familiarity with the players and recent injury‑plagued lineup will help reverse the current downturn.

Injuries Complicate the Picture

Recent weeks have seen the A’s grappling with a rash of injuries that have hampered both the bullpen and the outfield. The cumulative effect has taken a toll on offensive production, forcing the club to rely more heavily on its hitters in a ballpark that already favors batters. With Hubbs now in charge of the pitching staff, the expectation is that a more disciplined approach can offset some of the offensive shortfalls.

The blend of a tough injury report and a struggling rotation creates a crossroads for the franchise. Whether the interim coaching shift can spark the necessary improvements remains an open question as the season progresses.