MESA, Ariz. -- If Matt Chapman were to select a profession based on a personality profile that career placement centers distribute, ballplayer might not be a good fit for him.

A self-described perfectionist, Chapman would chafe at the failure that’s inherent in baseball. You’ve heard it before: Even the best hitters record outs in seven of 10 at-bats, on average. And hard-hit pitches frequently travel into a fielder’s glove.

“It’s a blessing and a curse,” the A’s third baseman said of the trait that he claimed to have inherited primarily from his mother, Lisa. “I think it just runs in our DNA.”

Sometimes, Chapman’s frustration overflows due to his pursuit of something that’s unattainable. “You can only imagine how many times I’m banging my head against the wall,” he said.

Entering his third full Major League season, Chapman has often achieved his goals. In each of the last two years, he has won Gold Glove Awards for his defensive prowess at third base, while scoring 100 or more runs.

Yet despite developing into one of the game’s most dynamic performers, Chapman, 26, wants more. That’s because the A’s have lost the American League Wild Card Game despite finishing 97-65 in both of the last two years.

“Pressure’s on, huh?” Chapman said jovially.

Though Chapman constantly delivers his best effort, he refuses to dwell on improving upon himself.

“I tend to have a short-term memory when it comes to those things,” said Chapman, whose 36 home runs eclipsed the franchise record among third basemen that Eric Chavez set in 2001. “Obviously, I’m proud of the things I’ve accomplished, but I still have a lot more that I want to accomplish, from the team standpoint and personally. I feel like all the good things that happened in the past are great. I’m still shooting for that season where we can put it all together, when you can have personal success and win the World Series.”

Chapman understands the disappointment that comes with thriving in the regular season and then dissolving in the postseason. Escaping that rut might require some re-examination of priorities.

“Me personally, for us to say that we’re sizing ourselves up for the World Series might be a bit of a stretch at the moment because I want to win our division first,” he said. “I fully expect to play in the World Series. I want to win the World Series this year, but it starts with winning the division. I want to win the division and go from there.”

Chapman demonstrated his intent to deliver his best day after day when he launched himself into the seats in an attempt to snare a foul pop-up in Friday’s 11-5 loss to the Reds. His hustle was totally unnecessary. But not in Chapman’s view. It’s how he copes with disappointment.

“When you never forgive yourself for messing up, you learn to play as hard as you can all the time,” he said. “That’s the only way I can forgive myself if I mess something up.”