WEST SACRAMENTO – When he was going through a batting slump earlier this season Shea Langeliers resisted the urge to make any sort of tweaks or changes to his swing. In his mind, it was critical that he stick to the process.
That plan is paying off big time for the Athletics’ catcher.
Langeliers provided most of the highlights for the A’s on an otherwise disappointing night in Monday’s 7-4 loss to the Tampa Bay Rays.
Playing before a crowd of 7,731 – the smallest attendance at Sutter Health Park this season – Langeliers had three hits including his 24th home run and drove in three runs.
And it’s all due to the 27-year-old former first-round draft pick not panicking when things weren’t going his way and staying true to what he knew.
“That’s where the game gets a lot of guys,” Langeliers said. “That’s gotten me multiple times in my career. When it’s not going your way, you look at your swing or this that and the other, or try to make adjustments when you don’t necessarily need to.
“Just show up every day, trust the process, keep your mind right and keep moving forward.”
Since the All-Star break Langeliers has been the best hitter in the A’s clubhouse and one of the top batters in all of baseball.
Langeliers’ home run Monday was his 12th since the break, tying him with Phillies’ slugger Kyle Schwarber for most in the Majors.
The A’s have played 23 games since the All-Star game in mid-July. Langeliers has hit safely in 19 of them, getting multiple hits in 11 of those.
Fans and the media have quickly picked up on Langeliers’ recent success, as have several of his teammates.
“Shea’s a great player and a great human as well, so he’s very easy to root for,” Nick Kurtz said. “As a young player, I’m picking his brain every single day trying to learn everything he does.”
In addition to wielding a very hot bat, Langeliers is also one of the anchors on the A’s defense.
Against the Rays he made a rare 2-4-2 putout when in the third inning. Junior Caminero was at first base and broke for second. Langeliers fired the ball to second baseman Luis Urias, who then quickly threw back home as Langeliers made a swipe tag on Brandon Lowe as he slid across home plate.
“We lean on him all the time,” A’s manager Mark Kotsay said. “He’s built for this and it’s great to see him putting together a second half like he is.”
Langeliers missed 23 games earlier this season due to a strained left oblique, which may have played a part in his offensive slump.
His ability to stay focused on the job at hand and avoid making rash changes made the injury pretty much a non-factor.
“Honestly it kind of comes from teammates (and) the hitting coaches, talking through it,” Langeliers said. “A lot of times those guys will talk you off the ledge. More than 90 percent of the time, it’s never your swing. It’s 'your starting late' or 'you’re swinging at balls' or stuff like that.”
The A’s offense was on mute much of the night. Despite allowing two walks and a single, Rays pitcher Ryan Pepiot faced the minimum through four innings.
Langeliers homered leading off the seventh to break up the shutout then had his third hit of the night in the seventh and scored on Tyler Soderstrom’s home run.
Having stayed true to his process, and now seeing the results, has Langeliers – and many A’s fans – beaming.
“It’s awesome,” he said. “Very satisfying and just building confidence too, knowing I am capable of being good at this level.”