OAKLAND -- Listed at 5-foot-11 and 180 pounds, JP Sears does not carry the prototypical “size” of a Major League starting pitcher. Even as he rose through the Yankees’ farm system, the smaller stature led to scouts labeling him a likely long-term reliever due to durability concerns.

So when Sears earned a spot in the A’s rotation over the final week of Spring Training, he entered the 2023 campaign on a mission to prove his body could hold up over the long haul. Validation of that objective was reached in Monday’s 5-0 loss to the Mariners at the Coliseum, as Sears took the mound for his team-leading 30th start of the season.

“To see a young player set a goal and accomplish it, that’s a true testament to his character,” A’s manager Mark Kotsay said of Sears. “His work ethic and determination to go out and take the ball and go compete is really nice to see.”

In a year that has seen the A’s utilize 23 starting pitchers, just one short of the Major League record set by the 1915 Philadelphia A’s, Sears has provided stability as the only pitcher who has remained in Oakland’s rotation since Opening Day. 

Adding to the impressiveness of the feat is the fact that the 27-year-old is going through his first full season as a big leaguer. Now at 163 1/3 innings pitched over his 30 starts, Sears has blown past his previous career high as a professional of 104 innings, which came as a Minor Leaguer with the Yankees in 2021.

The milestone is one Sears would have preferred to have accomplished with a better outing, though. While he struck out six Seattle batters, the left-hander dealt with command issues, allowing four runs on six hits along with four walks and a hit-by-pitch.

“Right now, it’s hard to be proud of that or happy,” Sears said of reaching the 30-start mark. “I am. A goal of mine to start the year was 150 [innings] and 30 starts, and we’re there. It’s just bittersweet tonight because I felt like I could have done a lot more to help my team tonight. But 30 starts is a big goal of mine that I’m at.”

One glaring issue that has plagued Sears this season is the long ball. The two-run homer surrendered to José Caballero in the fourth was his 32nd home run allowed, the fifth-highest total in the Majors. Monday’s outing, however, was less about the homer for Sears and more about the free bases that prevented him from pitching deeper into the game.

“The walks are what kind of got me in the hole early,” Sears said. “Just a little bit out of the strike zone and walking some guys early. I thought I did good in the middle innings of coming back. The homer was on an ambush fastball. I’m mainly just upset with the two-out hits. I feel like I could’ve done a lot more to prevent that.”

With likely two more starts remaining this season, Sears -- whose ERA now sits at 4.52 -- is aiming for a strong finish. Regardless of how the numbers end up, though, this durable season he’s putting together has provided a valuable lesson on what it takes to maintain his health for the duration of an entire season.

“A big part of being able to pitch a whole season is counting your reps and knowing when to work on your stuff to get better and when to give your body a rest,” Sears said. “I’ve learned a lot about managing my workload and listening to my body. Our trainers and strength coaches here have done a great job of guiding me along the way. I’ve thrown a lot of innings in my career, but not this many and not at this rate. I’m the one doing the work, but there’s a lot of people behind the scenes that come into it.”