Shea Langeliers Leads MLB in Home Runs as Athletics Struggle to Start 2026 Season

The Athletics' star catcher has been a bright spot amid a 1-5 start for the team.

Apr. 3, 2026 at 11:23am

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A fragmented, cubist-style painting depicting a baseball player in mid-swing, with the ball and player's form broken down into overlapping geometric shapes and planes in the Athletics' green and gold colors, capturing the raw energy and motion of the home run swing.Shea Langeliers' power surge provides a glimmer of hope for the struggling Athletics amid their difficult start to the 2026 season.Atlanta Today

The Oakland Athletics have stumbled out of the gate to begin the 2026 MLB season, opening with a 1-5 record after being swept by the Toronto Blue Jays and dropping two of three games against the Atlanta Braves. However, the lone bright spot for the A's has been the power-hitting exploits of catcher Shea Langeliers, who leads the league in home runs early on.

Why it matters

The Athletics' poor start raises questions about the team's ability to compete in the AL West this season, especially with the reigning champion Blue Jays and a talented Braves squad proving to be tough opponents. Langeliers' hot hitting is a positive sign, but the A's will need more production from the rest of the lineup to turn things around.

The details

In the opening series against Toronto, Langeliers hit a game-tying solo home run in the 9th inning of the first game, and then smashed a grand slam in the 7th inning of the second game to give the A's a 6-2 lead, though they ultimately lost 7-6 in 11 innings. Langeliers also hit a solo shot in the series finale, but the A's were swept by the Blue Jays. Against the Braves, Langeliers hit another solo homer, but the A's dropped two of three in that series as well.

  • The Athletics opened the 2026 MLB season with a 1-5 record.
  • Shea Langeliers hit a game-tying solo home run in the 9th inning of the first game against the Blue Jays.
  • Langeliers hit a grand slam in the 7th inning of the second game against the Blue Jays.
  • Langeliers hit a solo home run in the series finale against the Blue Jays.
  • Langeliers hit a solo home run in the series against the Braves.

The players

Shea Langeliers

The Athletics' star catcher who leads MLB in home runs early in the 2026 season.

Toronto Blue Jays

The reigning American League champions who swept the Athletics to start the 2026 season.

Atlanta Braves

A talented team that took two of three games from the struggling Athletics.

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What they’re saying

“We must find a way to get the bats going and support Shea. He's carrying us right now, but we can't rely on him to do it all.”

— Mark Kotsay, Athletics Manager

What’s next

The Athletics will look to turn things around as they return home to face the Los Angeles Angels in a three-game series starting on Friday.

The takeaway

While Shea Langeliers' power surge has been a bright spot, the Athletics' 1-5 start raises concerns about their ability to compete in the AL West this season. The team will need to find more offensive production from the rest of the lineup to support their star catcher and get back on track.