Franchise Timeline

2010 - With an 81-81 record, the A's posted their first non-losing record in four years, staying in contention in the American League West until late September, when the Rangers captured the division crown on Oakland's turf Sept.25. The club suddenly found itself in the midst of a six-game losing streak but managed to sweep Seattle in a four-game road series at season's end to rebound and reach the elusive .500 mark and claim second in the West - marking its highest finish since 2006.

Highlighting the season was a young pitching staff that proved to be the best in the Majors. Anchored by 22-year-old All-Star righty Trevor Cahill, Oakland's starting rotation -- averaging 23 years of age for most of the season -- compiled a 3.47 ERA, which ranked first in all of baseball and the lowest by an AL team since 1990, when Boston posted a 3.32 ERA. The team's bullpen, led by second-time All-Star Andrew Bailey, held its own, ranking sixth in the league with a 3.75 ERA with just 13 blown saves, tying them for fewest in the AL. Overall, the A's pitching staff had a 3.27 ERA with Kurt Suzuki behind the plate, which was the lowest catchers ERA in the AL by more than half a run.

The A's did a multitude of damage on the base paths, compiling 156 stolen bases - a mark that represented the ninth best single-season total in Oakland history and the most by an A's club since the 1989 team stole 157. They ranked third in the AL and the Majors in steals and led the AL and ranked second in the Majors in stolen base percentage (80.4 percent).

2011 - With a 74-88 record, the A's were left staring down their fifth consecutive non-winning season. High expectations dwindled into underachieving performances and the usual array of injuries, but a late offensive surge and the arrival of manager Bob Melvin -- who took over for the dismissed Bob Geren -- in early June equated to a strong second-half showing. The A's went 35-35 during that time, all the while boosting its team batting average from .233 to .258.

Adding to the spark was Jemile Weeks, who was one of the American League's best rookies despite not joining the team until June 7. He paced the A's with a .303 batting average, which ranks second-best in Oakland history for a rookie. Around him, Josh Willingham enjoyed perhaps his best offensive season, posting career-bests in both home runs (29) and RBIs (98), the latter number representing the team's highest by an A's player since Frank Thomas tallied 114 in 2006. Coco Crisp stole a career-high 49 bases, which tied for the AL lead.

On the mound, the A's pitching staff compiled a 3.71 ERA, good for third in the AL, and set a franchise record with 1,160 strikeouts. Lefty Gio Gonzalez enjoyed his first All-Star selection, ultimately ending the year with a team-high 16 wins and 197 strikeouts. His 3.12 ERA ranked 10th in the league. Righty Andrew Bailey converted 24 of 26 (92.3 percent) save opportunities, which was the second-best percentage in the AL and the fourth-best single-season mark in Oakland history.

2012 - Coming off their fifth consecutive non-winning season, the A's marched into the 2012 campaign with low expectations following an offseason that brought about a rebuild. Yet they defied all odds and managed to compile a 94-68 record, which was second best in the American League and tied for fourth best in the Major Leagues. Oakland won the AL West for the fifth time in the past 13 years and the 15th time in Oakland history. The A's clinched the division with a win over Texas on the final day of the regular season becoming the first team to come back from a deficit of five games with nine remaining to win a division or pennant. The A's spent one day solely in first place, staging one of the most remarkable comebacks in Major League history. The A's took the Tigers to Game 5 in the AL Division Series, ultimately surrendering to a dominant Justin Verlander to end a remarkable season.

It included a Major League-leading 14 walk-off victories, including eight within a 16-game home stretch from June 21 through July 22 under the watch of manager Bob Melvin, who was later named AL Manager of the Year by the Baseball Writers Association of America. GM Billy Beane was also selected as The Sporting News Executive of the Year.

The A's posted the best pitching staff ERA (3.48) by an Oakland team in 22 years (3.18 in 1990), and the bullpen (2.90) led the AL. The club's staff boasted 12 rookies, who combined for 319 games pitched and 54 wins -- both Oakland records. Youngsters Jarrod Parker and Tommy Milone tallied 13 each, setting an Oakland rookie record for most wins in a season.

At the plate, offseason addition and Cuban defector Yoenis Cespedes hit a team-leading .292 with 23 home runs and 82 RBIs in 129 games during an impressive rookie season. Josh Reddick also enjoyed a breakout season, notching 32 home runs and 85 RBIs in 156 games.

2013 - The A's returned to postseason play for the second consecutive season after claiming their sixth American League West title in the last 14 years. By posting a 96-66 record, they finished 5 1/2 games ahead of the second-place Rangers, which was the A's largest margin since 1992 when they won the West by six games and it also marked the fourth time in Oakland history the A's have won consecutive division championships (1971-75, 1988-90, 2002-03). 2013 marked the A's sixth AL West crown in the last 14 years and their 16th since moving to Oakland. Only the Yankees (18) and Braves (17) have more division championships. The A's appeared in postseason play for the 17th time in Oakland history and 25th time in Athletics history. Only the Yankees (51), Dodgers (27), and Cardinals (26) have more postseason appearances. The A's were the only team in the Majors to post a winning record in all six months of the season. They won their most games since 2003 and spent 82 days in sole possession of first place en route to another AL Division Series appearance. For the second consecutive season, the A's faced the Tigers and, again, took them to five games, in the end bowing down to a dominant Justin Verlander.

Nevertheless, it remained a mightily successful season. Oakland's pitching staff compiled a 3.56 ERA, good for second in the AL. The starting staff finished with a 3.72 ERA, including a 2.65 mark from Bartolo Colon, who at 40 years old won a team-leading 18 games and earned his first All-Star nod.

Closer Grant Balfour also earned an All-Star selection, the first of his career. The right-hander compiled 38 saves, which ranked sixth in the AL. Colon and Balfour were joined in New York for All-Star festivities by teammate Yoenis Cespedes, who, despite not being named an All-Star himself, emerged as the winner of the Home Run Derby.

2013 also proved to be a breakout one for third baseman Josh Donaldson, who was the A's best offensive performer, batting .301 with 24 home runs and 93 RBIs in 158 games. Overall, the A's ranked third in the AL and the Majors with 186 home runs. Following the season, GM Billy Beane was named Baseball America's Major League Executive of the Year.

2014 - The A's finished the season with a 88-74 record under manager Bob Melvin and in second place behind the Angels. They held one of two American League Wild Card spots, ultimately losing an epic 12-inning winner-take-all game to the Royals in Kansas City.

The A's went 29-38 after the All-Star break, and 59-36 before it.

Six A's players (Yoenis Cespedes, Josh Donaldson, Brandon Moss, Derek Norris, Scott Kazmir, Sean Doolittle) were named to the AL All-Star team, the organization's most selections in 39 years. In addition, right-hander Jeff Samardzija was selected to the National League All-Star Team after being traded by the Cubs to Oakland with fellow starter Jason Hammel.

Lester, another All-Star, and Samardzija were phenomenal for the A's, providing 11 wins in a combined 27 starts in green and gold.

Doolittle was anointed closer midseason and owned the best strikeout-walk ratio (11.13) among Major League relievers, fanning 89 and walking just eight in 62 2/3 innings.

Sonny Gray was named AL Pitcher of the Month in both April and July, marking only the third time in Oakland history that a pitcher won the award twice in the same season, and he finished his first full season in the big leagues 14-10 with a 3.08 ERA.

Overall, the A's compiled a 3.22 ERA, which ranked second in the AL and third in the Majors.

2015 - The A's made a series of trades ahead of the season, resulting in the departures of All-Stars Josh Donaldson, Brandon Moss, Jeff Samardzija and Derek Norris, and they struggled out of the gate with their revamped roster, succumbing to a bevy of injuries throughout the year and finishing with the American League's worst ledger at 68-94. That tied for the fourth worst record in Oakland history and was the worst since 1997 (65-97).

The club's rotation, led by Sonny Gray and Scott Kazmir, the latter of whom was dealt to Houston at the Trade Deadline, combined for a 3.91 ERA, good for third in the AL. But the bullpen posted an AL-high 4.56 ERA, contributing to the team's 19-35 record in one-run games. The defense played a part in that, too, committing a Major League-leading 126 errors.

Gray's work was a bright spot throughout, though, as the right-hander went 14-7 with a 2.73 ERA in 31 starts and was named to his first All-Star team. He finished third in AL Cy Young voting.

Gray was joined at the Midsummer Classic in Cincinnati by battery mate Stephen Vogt, who led the A's with a .341 on-base percentage. He had a .277 average while catching, leading all AL catchers. Vogt also took home an Esurance MLB Award, earning the Best MLB Interview Award for his impression of the late Chris Farley's Saturday Night Live character, motivational speaker Matt Foley.

Outfielder Billy Burns hit .294 in 125 games in his rookie campaign, leading Major League rookies in stolen bases (26) and multi-hit games (47) and topping AL rookies in hits (153) to finish fifth in AL Rookie of the Year voting. Fellow rookie Mark Canha also enjoyed a standout season. The Rule 5 selection hit .254 with 16 home runs and 70 RBIs -- most among AL rookies -- in 124 games.

2016 - Injuries plagued the Oakland A's throughout the season as the club used the disabled list an Oakland-record 27 times. The team finished with a second consecutive fifth-place finish in the American League West, compiling a 69-93 record.

The A's struggled on the mound at times, as A's starters compiled a 4.84 ERA, while the pitching staff finished with an overall mark of 4.51. At the plate, the A's ranked last in the AL with 653 runs scored, a .304 on-base percentage, and a .395 slugging percentage.

There were several highlights during the season, especially late in the campaign. Catcher Stephen Vogt earned his second consecutive All-Star nod. Newcomer Khris Davis provided a jolt of power to the lineup and finished with a career-high 42 home runs. Davis was the fifth player in Oakland history (joining Jose Canseco, Jason Giambi, Reggie Jackson and Mark McGwire) to hit the 40-homer mark. The A's marveled at several impressive performances from their many young players. Third baseman Ryon Healy hit 13 home runs in 72 games, starting pitcher Jharel Cotton went 2-0 with a 2.15 ERA in 5 late season starts, and relief pitcher Ryan Dull set an MLB record by stranding his first 36 inherited runners of the season and pitched his way to a 2.42 ERA in 70 appearances. These players, along with other young talent that reached or are expected to reach the Major League level soon, provide hope for the future.

After completion of the season, the Oakland A's announced leadership transitions. Managing Partner Lew Wolff transitioned to Chairman Emeritus and John Fisher replaced him as Managing Partner. Additionally, after almost 20 years as President of the A's, Michael Crowley decided to transition from day-to-day operations. Dave Kaval assumed the role as A's President and reconfirmed the club's commitment to Oakland.

2017 - The A's compiled a 75-87 record for their third consecutive last-place finish in the American League West, marking a six-game improvement on their 2016 season.

Hoping to surprise, the A's instead fell behind quickly, leading them to make a series of trades -- including a deal that sent ace Sonny Gray to the Yankees -- that hastened a youth movement along. Oakland's young players -- notably Matt Chapman, Matt Olson and Chad Pinder -- brought forth excitement and optimism in a strong second half, winning 17 of their final 29 games.

Olson was one of five players to finish with more than 20 home runs, tallying 24 of them in just 59 games -- including 16 in a 23-game stretch from Aug. 27-Sept. 22, helping him earn a fourth-place finish in AL Rookie of the Year voting.

As a team, the A's ranked fourth in the AL in home runs (234), with Khris Davis leading the way with a career-high 43. He also totaled 110 RBIs in his second season in green and gold. First baseman Yonder Alonso chipped in with 22 homers and served as the A's lone All-Star in Miami, before being dealt to Seattle in August.

2018 - The A's shook off three consecutive losing seasons in a big way, compiling a 97-65 record -- marking their best record since a 103-59 showing in 2002 -- to earn entry into the American League Wild Card Game.

Oakland dropped the one-game playoff in the Bronx, but the loss couldn't mitigate an otherwise extraordinary campaign. The A's were 34-36 and 11 games out of the AL Wild Card race at the conclusion of play on June 15, ultimately going 63-29 the rest of the way despite a heap of injuries to their starting staff.

The homer-happy club saw Khris Davis surpass the 40-homer mark for a third straight year; Davis finished with 48, most in baseball, and counted off 123 RBIs. All-Star closer Blake Treinen led a stacked bullpen, becoming the first pitcher in Major League history to save 30 games, compile an ERA under 1.00 and strike out 100 batters. The right-hander tied for sixth in AL Cy Young voting and also received AL MVP votes. Third baseman Matt Chapman (seventh) and Davis (eighth) finished in the Top 10 in the latter category, and Chapman and first baseman Matt Olson took home Gold Glove Awards. Not to be forgotten was the man steering the ship -- Bob Melvin, who earned AL Manager of the Year honors for the third time in his career.

2019 - Every year that the A’s have reached the postseason over the past decade, it seems to come off regular seasons filled with magic and late-inning drama. Their 2019 campaign was no different.

From historic pitching performances to clutch hitting, the A’s found a multitude of ways to defy the odds and make it back to the playoffs for a second straight year. Here’s a list of the top 10 moments along the way:

1. Laureano nabs Bogaerts: April 2 vs. Red Sox
   The reigning World Series champion Red Sox made an early-season visit to the Oakland Coliseum, but Ramón Laureano ended up stealing the show. Having already thrown Xander Bogaerts out on the basepaths the night before (more on that in a bit), it was déjà vu all over again, only in a more important situation. With one out in the ninth, Bogaerts smashed a drive off the right-center-field wall that would have been a game-tying home run in many other ballparks. Laureano played the ball off the wall and delivered a one-hop throw to Matt Chapman, who applied a quick tag on Bogaerts to keep runners off the bases and preserve a 1-0 victory.
2. Laureano throws out Bogaerts ... the first time: April 1 vs. Red Sox
   Before Bogaerts challenged Laureano on April 2 and failed, he tried him the night before and... also failed. Laureano made a throw on the fly from medium-deep center field on a double by Mitch Moreland to nail Bogaerts at home plate in the second inning of a 7-0 win, with Nick Hundley applying a nice sweeping tag. The throw covered 270 feet at a velocity of 96 mph, per Statcast.
3. Olson walks it off against Hader: July 30 vs. Brewers
   Facing one of the toughest lefties in baseball in Josh Hader, Matt Olson wasted no time as he unloaded on a first-pitch fastball that was driven to dead-center for a walk-off 3-2 victory in 10 innings.
4. Laureano's insane double play: April 21 vs. Blue Jays
   In a season filled with defensive gems, Laureano’s unorthodox double play against the Blue Jays in a 5-4 loss is up there with the best of his career. On a rocket hit by Teoscar Hernández, Laureano raced back to the center-field wall at the Coliseum and robbed a two-run homer with a perfectly timed leaping catch. Back to his feet after making the superb catch, Laureano fired a ball that sailed well past first base as he tried to double off Justin Smoak. But Hundley was backing up in foul territory, and he quickly corralled the ball and nabbed Smoak with a perfect throw to Marcus Semien at second base for one of the craziest double plays all year. Even Laureano had a hard time remembering a better play he’s made. “Maybe when I was a kid,” he said. “I don’t remember.”
5. Chaptain Comeback: June 20 vs. Rays
   Down to their final out in a ninth inning that began with the A’s facing a three-run deficit, Chapman completed an exhilarating comeback as he blasted a three-run home run off Rays reliever Diego Castillo for a walk-off 5-4 win at the Coliseum.
6. Fiers throws his second no-no: May 8 vs. Reds
   In what A’s manager Bob Melvin called one of his favorite nights since joining the club in 2011, you can pinpoint the night of May 8 as the day that Mike Fiers turned the tide on his season. Named the A’s No. 1 starter out of Spring Training, the right-hander entered the night with an ERA+ of 64 -- the worst of any starter in the Majors. Looking for a boost, Fiers found it by tossing the second no-hitter of his career in a 2-0 victory over the Reds at the Oakland Coliseum. It was the 300th no-hitter in MLB history, and he became the 35th pitcher with multiple no-hitters in his career, including the postseason. From that point, Fiers was not charged with a loss until Sept. 9.
7. Phegley’s career night in Pittsburgh: May 3 vs. Pirates
   In a 14-1 blowout win over the Pirates, Josh Phegley turned in a historic night as he racked up eight RBIs, the most by a catcher in A’s franchise history. His big night was capped with a solo homer to left in the ninth.
8. Chapman ends it in extras: May 10 vs. Indians
   Chapman’s first career game-winning RBI came on a walk-off homer against the Indians in 12 innings for a 4-3 victory. It was no easy task against Brad Hand, who had not allowed a homer entering the night and had turned in scoreless outings in 15 of his first 17 appearances. After getting ahead in the count 2-0 against Hand, Chapman took the next two pitches for strikes before laying off Hand’s signature slider for a ball to work the count full. Hand threw him the backdoor slider, and Chapman connected for a lined shot over the left-field wall.
9. KD homers four times in 24 hours: April 10-11 vs. Orioles
   Even in a down year, there were still some vintage performances from Khris Davis. His most impressive feat came during a series in Baltimore where he homered twice in back-to-back games, making it a total of four home runs he hit in the span of 24 hours. Davis became the first A's player to hit multiple homers in consecutive games since Josh Reddick on Aug. 9-10, 2013. It was the 12th time an A's player has done it since the team moved to Oakland.
10. Piscotty’s late-inning magic: May 8 vs. Reds
    One night after celebrating Fiers' no-hitter, Stephen Piscotty kept the party going at the Coliseum with the first walk-off hit of his career, a homer, a solo blast off Robert Stephenson for a 5-4 win in 13 innings.

-- By Martin Gallegos, MLB.com