Langeliers crushes 100th career HR (448 ft!) as breakout season continues

WEST SACRAMENTO -- In what continues to be a season in which Shea Langeliers is rapidly evolving into one of the game’s elite hitters, Thursday night saw a significant milestone for the slugging Athletics catcher.

Facing Cardinals right-hander George Soriano in the eighth inning of a 6-4 loss at Sutter Health Park, Langeliers demolished a 1-0 sinker that ran up and inside, lasering a Statcast-projected 448-foot solo shot to left that landed on top of the A’s clubhouse.

The homer was Langeliers’ team-leading 12th of the season and 100th of his career. In doing so, the 28-year-old backstop put himself in rare air as the fourth fastest in franchise history to reach 100 career homers, at 472 games.

Fewest games to reach 100 career home runs in A’s history:
Mark McGwire, 393 games
Matt Olson, 399 games
Jose Canseco, 450 games
Langeliers, 472 games

“It’s a big milestone,” manager Mark Kotsay said. “Hitting 100 home runs at this point in his young career, he’s done just a tremendous job continuing to get better and be an impact player. Obviously, he’s a big part of this lineup and a big part of this team’s success.”

Whereas most hitters in this A’s lineup have gone through hot and cold streaks, Langeliers has been a consistent force from the jump. Also roping a two-run double in the second, Tuesday’s 2-for-4 effort with three RBIs marked Langeliers’ Major League-leading 19th multihit game.

Across the board, Langeliers is performing as one of baseball’s top hitters. He ranks second in the Majors in batting average (.340) and hits (52), third in OPS (1.037) and fourth in slugging percentage (.641). His 12 homers are tied for eighth-most and lead all MLB catchers.

“He’s awesome,” said A’s starter Jeffrey Springs, who took the loss after allowing four runs in five innings. “He’s the heartbeat. He’s such a pro. From the pitching side, everything he does for the pitching staff, commanding the game, and then on the hitting side, you see what he’s doing. It’s unbelievable. It really is impressive to do it on both sides.”

The grind of a 162-game season provides little time to appreciate your achievements. After Tuesday’s game, however, Langeliers stood at his locker – where his 100th home-run ball sat encased on the top shelf – and took a moment to acknowledge his milestone.

“Really cool to have hit 100 career homers,” Langeliers said. “Being able to reflect on the journey from once I got to the big leagues to this moment tonight, it’s pretty cool. The ups and the downs, you kind of just take it all in and you’re just grateful.”

The gradual evolution of Langeliers has been evident since his Major League debut in 2022. Back then, he reached the big leagues touted for his big power, though that tool was accompanied by a good amount of swing-and-miss that led to high strikeout rates. Each passing year, Langeliers has cut down the strikeouts and increased his batting average to become an all-around hitter.

We’re less than two months into the season, but Langeliers has really been doing this for almost a year now. Entering Tuesday, Langeliers was hitting .331 with 30 home runs in 93 games since the 2025 All-Star break, with his .638 slugging percentage in that span leading all hitters with a minimum of 300 plate appearances.

“There isn’t something that I would say is shocking in terms of his performance for me,” Kotsay said. “I’ve expected him to continue this climb. He’s a very mature person and very dedicated to his craft. He spends a lot of time throughout the offseason working on his strengths and building on those. So, for him to continue this progression of success, it’s not something I’m at all surprised by.

“As a player, the more at-bats you get at this level, the more you understand who you are as a player and what you can build. That’s the epitome of a 10-year career, and that’s what he’s on pace for.”

You have to give Langeliers more credit for his production over the past week. His wife, Raegan, gave birth to their first child, Owen Wade, on May 3. Especially since the A’s returned from their recent road trip on Sunday, Langeliers has been running on minimal rest.

“I’m not getting the best of sleep at the moment, but that’s as expected,” Langeliers said. “It’s been awesome so far. Definitely an extra reason to play.”