MESA, Ariz. -- Like most people back home in Memphis preparing for a frigid winter storm over the offseason, Brent Rooker engaged in a little amateur meteorology by following the weather, sharing shared his findings on social media.
Little did he know that he was about to stir up his own firestorm.
Rooker’s post about snowstorm forecasts on Jan. 21 went viral in the blink of an eye, garnering over 1.5 million views and generating replies from accounts such as The Weather Channel and even Angels superstar Mike Trout, whose passion for weather is well documented.
"Sometimes I tweet things that I expect to gain some traction,” Rooker said. “That was not one of the things I expected to gain traction. That was an unexpected bit of publicity.”
Rooker survived the freezing Memphis temperatures, and the social media hubbub eventually subsided. Now back with the Athletics for Spring Training in a much warmer climate, the All-Star slugger has traded in his meteorology hat for a much more familiar bat in his hands, and he’s back doing what he does best: Hitting dingers.
After a hitless first two spring games, Rooker got off the schneid in a 7-3 win over the Rangers at Hohokam Stadium on Thursday. He notched his first hit -- a single -- in the first inning before clobbering a 406-foot two-run home run to right-center in the third to help the A’s log their first Cactus League victory.
"It felt good to get the first hit and homer out of the way,” Rooker said. “I feel like I’ve taken some good swings and at-bats before today. … But I feel comfortable.”
There wasn’t much adjusting Rooker did in his offseason training. After all, he’s crushed 99 homers over the past three seasons and has emerged as one of the more consistent power hitters in baseball.
Still, as Rooker put it, there is always a way to “improve at the margins” as a hitter, and he sought to do that this winter.
"I probably hit a little more this offseason than I have in the past,” Rooker said. “I did some overload/underload training just to work on some sequencing and try to move as efficient as I can. I looked into some bat speed stuff to see if I can find something at the margins to pick up a mile an hour or two.
"It wasn’t like I was going in trying to make any wholesale changes to my swing or change an approach or anything like that. Just fine-tune things I do well.”
Since moving back to his hometown of Memphis, Tenn., three years ago, Rooker has mostly worked out by himself every winter. This offseason, however, he linked up with Rockies All-Star slugger Hunter Goodman, who also hails from the Memphis area.
Spending a good amount of time working out together at a facility about halfway between both of their homes, Rooker and Goodman picked each other’s brains about hitting.
"Any time I’m around good hitters who have success, I’m always asking questions,” Rooker said. “Seeing what he does in certain situations or against certain types of pitchers. It’s nice to get into an environment where you’re working with someone you respect who you know is also very good at their craft and you can try to feed off each other and help each other improve.”
The A’s enter 2026 with high expectations around the Majors as a lineup projected to perform as one of the better offenses in MLB. A centerpiece of that talented group is Rooker, who will once again be counted on to produce in the heart of the order.
"It’s a confident feeling,” Rooker said. “We know the cohesiveness we have and the different skill sets we have one-through-nine and how deep our lineup is. We’re looking forward to getting everybody together on the field at the same time and seeing what we can do.”
MOMENT OF SILENCE
Before Thursday’s game, the A’s and Rangers joined in for a moment of silence for Gina Aldrete, wife of A’s hitting coach Mike Aldrete, who passed away Tuesday night after a long bout with cancer.
Aldrete has remained back home in Monterey, Calif., with his family since the start of Spring Training.
"Mike has been through a lot,” manager Mark Kotsay said. “Gina battled and showed the fight of a champion. Definitely a tough day, and it’ll be a tough way to go forward. We’ll welcome him back with open arms when he’s ready.”