Spotting the Real Problem with A's Bullpen Usage

The A’s came home from a brutal Philly-Baltimore road trip sitting two-and-a-half games up in the AL West, and Hobbs is officially sounding the alarm for the rest of baseball. This episode of Habit Hunter breaks down a gritty series win over the Orioles that showed something the A’s haven’t consistently had in years: real pitching stability. Hobbs dives deep into the numbers behind the rotation turnaround, the reduction in walks, and the biggest trend changing the season — starters finally keeping the team alive instead of detonating games by the third inning. Jacob Lopez continues flashing both promise and warning signs, Luis Severino battles through another frustrating outing, and Mitch Spence… well, “Mr. Foot Traffic” still exists in spirit through Mark Leiter Jr. chaos. At the plate, the stars are beginning to separate themselves from the pack. Shea Langeliers is turning into a full-blown superstar before everyone’s eyes, Nick Kurtz keeps stacking quality at-bats like a veteran ten years older, and Brent Rooker is slowly dragging himself out of the Mendoza Line graveyard one loud RBI at a time. Hobbs also unloads on the team’s horrifying strikeout totals, questionable bullpen usage, and the obsession with trying to squeeze “one more out” from exhausted pitchers. Add in ABS drama, Jacob Wilson’s scary injury, reverse-jinx wizardry from Booney, and a roll call that paints the picture of a first-place club learning how to win ugly, and this episode feels like the moment the A’s stopped being a cute story and started looking dangerous. Follow Us on "X": @lasvegasaspod Podbean: https://lasvegasathleticspodcast.podbean.com/