{"id":823041,"date":"2026-10-06T16:21:30","date_gmt":"2026-10-06T16:21:30","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.rawchili.com\/mlb\/823041\/"},"modified":"2026-10-06T16:21:30","modified_gmt":"2026-10-06T16:21:30","slug":"why-athletics-jump-enters-2027-with-most-to-prove","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.rawchili.com\/mlb\/823041\/","title":{"rendered":"Why Athletics&#8217; Jump Enters 2027 With Most To Prove"},"content":{"rendered":"<p id=\"inline-text-0\" class=\"mt-[18px] md:mt-0 mb-[18px] [&amp;_a]:text-primary my-f-1.5\" q:key=\"0\" q:id=\"9t\">The Athletics&#8217; rotation in 2027 could be in serious trouble.<\/p>\n<p id=\"inline-text-1\" class=\"my-[18px] [&amp;_a]:text-primary my-f-1.5\" q:key=\"0\" q:id=\"9y\">Looking at the Athletics&#8217; likely 2027 rotation, some serious issues are clear. First, we are at the beginning of a full rotation rebuild. The Athletics will likely shed Jack Perkins and Jeffrey Springs this offseason, leaving just <a href=\"https:\/\/www.si.com\/mlb\/athletics\/onsi\/las-vegas-grading-gage-jump-rookie-season\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\" target=\"_blank\">Gage Jump<\/a>, JT Ginn, and maybe <a href=\"https:\/\/www.si.com\/mlb\/athletics\/onsi\/las-vegas-grading-jacob-lopez-2026-season\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\" target=\"_blank\">Jacob Lopez.<\/a> <\/p>\n<p>Why Jump Needs To Step Up<img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/www.rawchili.com\/mlb\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/10\/01m487hdjm73tebyhayx.jpg\" alt=\"Jump\" title=\"Jump\" width=\"360\" height=\"203\" class=\"undefined w-full w-full blur-[5px]\" q:id=\"af\"\/><\/p>\n<p>Aug 25, 2026; West Sacramento, California, USA;  Athletics starting pitcher Gage Jump (61) throws to first base for an out against the Minnesota Twins during the fourth inning at Sutter Health Park.  Mandatory Credit: Dennis Lee-Imagn Images | IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect<\/p>\n<p id=\"inline-text-4\" class=\"my-[18px] [&amp;_a]:text-primary my-f-1.5\" q:key=\"0\" q:id=\"al\">As mentioned earlier, the Athletics&#8217; 2027 rotation looks rough. For one, Ginn is realistically the only trustworthy pitcher among the three likely arms. Jacob Lopez, while he looked great in the second half, would <a href=\"https:\/\/www.si.com\/mlb\/athletics\/onsi\/las-vegas-why-lopez-outing-has-horrifying-implications-future\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\">struggle big time<\/a> in September, posting an 8.14 ERA in his last 24.1 innings of the season. <\/p>\n<p id=\"inline-text-5\" class=\"my-[18px] [&amp;_a]:text-primary my-f-1.5\" q:key=\"0\" q:id=\"aq\">This brings us to Jump, a player who may have even surpassed Ginn in terms of dominance during the first half. To start his career, Jump went 3-4, with a 3.51 ERA and a 1.29 WHIP. He also posted about a 1.2 WAR from May 26 (his first start) to July 11.<\/p>\n<p><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/www.rawchili.com\/mlb\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/10\/01m488dk7x8gcyqxmck6.jpg\" alt=\"Jumo\" title=\"Jumo\" width=\"360\" height=\"203\" class=\"undefined w-full w-full blur-[5px]\" q:id=\"b2\"\/><\/p>\n<p>Aug 14, 2026; West Sacramento, California, USA; Athletics starting pitcher Gage Jump (61) throws a pitch against the Texas Rangers during the first inning at Sutter Health Park. Mandatory Credit: Dennis Lee-Imagn Images | IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect<\/p>\n<p id=\"inline-text-7\" class=\"my-[18px] [&amp;_a]:text-primary my-f-1.5\" q:key=\"0\" q:id=\"b8\">Many people have forgotten how good Jump was on the road early in his MLB career. In his first 24.0 road innings, Jump posted a mind-blowing 0.75 ERA and a 0.88 WHIP. Jump&#8217;s K\/9 was also amazing at 9.00. The Athletics couldn&#8217;t ask for a better pitcher.<\/p>\n<p id=\"inline-text-8\" class=\"my-[18px] [&amp;_a]:text-primary my-f-1.5\" q:key=\"0\" q:id=\"bd\">However, back home, Jump would look terrible. In his first 24.2 home innings, he posted a very ugly 6.20 ERA and a 1.70 WHIP. While everyone talks about the Athletics&#8217; ballpark factor, the difference in Jump&#8217;s splits was very significant and implied a rough second half.<\/p>\n<p><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/www.rawchili.com\/mlb\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/10\/01m488qe688638zxh0qh.jpg\" alt=\"Jump\" title=\"Jump\" width=\"360\" height=\"203\" class=\"undefined w-full w-full blur-[5px]\" q:id=\"bp\"\/><\/p>\n<p>Aug 8, 2026; Boston, Massachusetts, USA; Athletics pitcher Gage Jump (61) reaches for the ball during the sixth inning against the Boston Red Sox at Fenway Park. Mandatory Credit: Bob DeChiara-Imagn Images | IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect<\/p>\n<p id=\"inline-text-10\" class=\"my-[18px] [&amp;_a]:text-primary my-f-1.5\" q:key=\"0\" q:id=\"bv\">After the break, Jump would be elected as the team&#8217;s opening starter vs. the Nationals \u2014 a move that proved Jump had made serious strides with the coaching staff. However, by the end of the half, Jump posted an abysmal 7.38 ERA and a 1.74 WHIP. He was then placed on the IL on Sept. 15 and didn&#8217;t pitch another game.<\/p>\n<p id=\"inline-text-11\" class=\"my-[18px] [&amp;_a]:text-primary my-f-1.5\" q:key=\"0\" q:id=\"c0\">So, knowing his rise and eventual fall, we know that something needs to change in 2026. For starters, he needs to get comfortable at home. Even though Sutter Health is terrible for pitchers overall, Jump needs to learn to evolve his game to become a cornerstone of a very weak Athletics rotation. <\/p>\n<p><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/www.rawchili.com\/mlb\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/10\/01m4894fvbnekv2etthv.jpg\" alt=\"Jump\" title=\"Jump\" width=\"360\" height=\"203\" class=\"undefined w-full w-full blur-[5px]\" q:id=\"cc\"\/><\/p>\n<p>Jul 28, 2026; West Sacramento, California, USA; Athletics starting pitcher Gage Jump (61) throws a pitch against the Boston Red Sox during the first inning at Sutter Health Park. Mandatory Credit: Dennis Lee-Imagn Images | IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect<\/p>\n<p id=\"inline-text-13\" class=\"my-[18px] [&amp;_a]:text-primary my-f-1.5\" q:key=\"0\" q:id=\"ci\">Another thing that Jump can work on is his fastball location. <a href=\"https:\/\/baseballsavant.mlb.com\/savant-player\/gage-jump-695611?stats=statcast-r-pitching-mlb\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\" target=\"_blank\">Looking at his hot zones<\/a>, he likes to throw his fastball down the middle or high and in the middle. Both spots mean trouble for Jump and could be the reason why Jump&#8217;s collapse in 2026 was so sudden and ugly. <\/p>\n<p>Concluding Thoughts<img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/www.rawchili.com\/mlb\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/10\/01m489apfvf9yn0awfbf.jpg\" alt=\"jump\" title=\"jump\" width=\"360\" height=\"203\" class=\"undefined w-full w-full blur-[5px]\" q:id=\"cz\"\/><\/p>\n<p>Jun 18, 2026; West Sacramento, California, USA; Athletics pitcher Gage Jump (61) walks off the mound during the seventh inning against the Los Angeles Angels at Sutter Health Park. Mandatory Credit: Sergio Estrada-Imagn Images | IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect<\/p>\n<p id=\"inline-text-16\" class=\"my-[18px] [&amp;_a]:text-primary my-f-1.5\" q:key=\"0\" q:id=\"d5\">Gage Jump needs to turn things around. With the Athletics organization in a state of uncertainty, a GM search underway, and an offseason that might not even happen because of the lockout, Jump needs to be ready to headline the Athletics rotation next season.<\/p>\n<p id=\"inline-text-17\" class=\"my-[18px] [&amp;_a]:text-primary my-f-1.5\" q:key=\"0\" q:id=\"da\">But if there was anyone who could flip the script suddenly, it would be Gage Jump.<\/p>\n<p>Don&#8217;t Miss Our Latest Podcast<img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"22\" height=\"22\" alt=\"\" src=\"https:\/\/assets.minutemediacdn.com\/platform\/google_discover_icon.svg\" class=\"shrink-0\"\/>Add us as a preferred source on Google<a aria-label=\"Follow si.com on Google News\" href=\"https:\/\/www.google.com\/preferences\/source?q=si.com\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer nofollow\" preventdefault:click=\"\" class=\"flex h-[30px] w-[30px] shrink-0 items-center justify-center rounded-full bg-primary font-group-large text-sm font-medium text-white transition-colors hover:bg-secondary focus:bg-secondary md:w-auto md:gap-2.5 md:px-4 md:py-[5px]\" on:click=\"q-CJF2xdKy.js#s_lDqay9E5m5g[0]\" q:id=\"dr\">Follow<\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"The Athletics&#8217; rotation in 2027 could be in serious trouble. Looking at the Athletics&#8217; likely 2027 rotation, some&hellip;\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":823042,"comment_status":"","ping_status":"","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[2391],"tags":[537,5,4,3226],"class_list":["post-823041","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","category-athletics","tag-athletics","tag-baseball","tag-mlb","tag-mlb-athletics"],"share_on_mastodon":{"url":"https:\/\/channels.im\/@mlb\/117394885251635033","error":""},"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.rawchili.com\/mlb\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/823041","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.rawchili.com\/mlb\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.rawchili.com\/mlb\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.rawchili.com\/mlb\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/2"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.rawchili.com\/mlb\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=823041"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.rawchili.com\/mlb\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/823041\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.rawchili.com\/mlb\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/823042"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.rawchili.com\/mlb\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=823041"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.rawchili.com\/mlb\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=823041"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.rawchili.com\/mlb\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=823041"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}