When the A’s dealt longtime starting 2B Mark Ellis to the Rockies, they handed the starting job to 24-year old, switch-hitting rookie Jemile Weeks. Weeks came into this season as the A’s #5 prospect according to Baseball America. He has played in 78 games for the A’s so far this year and he is 95 for 327 (.291 avg, .732 OPS) with 40 runs scored, 0 homers, 25 RBIs and 21 stolen bases. If Weeks finishes the year strongly, he will head into the 2012 season as the unquestioned starter at 2B for the A’s.

31-year old switch-hitting CF Coco Crisp has been very solid for the A’s this year. He has played in 115 games for the A’s so far in 2011 and he is 120 for 449 (.267 avg, .713 OPS) with 64 runs scored, 7 homers, 44 RBIs and a American League leading 37 stolen bases. The steals are a career high for Crisp and that’s not usually how the A’s roll under GM Billy Beane. In his book “Moneyball”, Beane pretty much said that stolen bases weren’t worth the risk. Personally I think he’s wrong about that and I think Crisp has been a big asset to the offense in 2011.

25-year old lefty swinging 1B Brandon Allen has bumped Conor Jackson to the bench. Allen has played in 11 games for the A’s so far this year and he is 13 for 37 (.351 avg, 1.066 OPS) with 9 runs scored, 2 homers and 4 RBIs. He has now played in 22 games overall for the D-Backs & A’s in which he is 18 for 66 (.273 avg, .963 OPS) with 14 runs scored, 5 homers, 11 RBIs and 1 stolen base. First base is a wide open position for the A’s going forward, and Allen can stake his claim to it if he finishes this year strongly.

37-year old lefty swinging DH/LF Hideki Matsui is on fire right now with the bat for the A’s. In his last 13 games, Matsui is 25 for 50 (.500 avg) with 12 runs scored, 3 homers and 17 RBIs. It seems like the All-Star break warmed up Godzilla’s bat. He has now played in 94 games for the A’s this year and he is 88 for 332 (.265 avg, .744 OPS) with 38 runs scored, 9 homers, 53 RBIs and 1 stolen base. The A’s are glad that Matsui has started ripping the ball because he was a huge disappointment in the first half for them.

29-year old righty swinging 3B Kevin Kouzmanoff played in 46 games for the A’s this year and he was 30 for 136 (.221 avg, .615 OPS) with 13 runs scored, 4 homers, 17 RBIs and 2 stolen bases. That got Kouzmanoff banished to AAA. But, he seems to be in a groove right now at the plate. Kouzmanoff has played in 20 games in AAA-ball so far this year and he is 25 for 81 (.309 avg, .925 OPS) with 11 runs scored, 4 homers and 23 RBIs. I think the A’s are going to try like heck to deal Kouzmanoff this month. He isn’t needed anymore with the A’s as 26-year old righty swinging Scott Sizemore has taken over his old job. Sizemore has played in 21 games since coming over to the A’s and he is 24 for 70 (.343 avg, .895 OPS) with 9 runs scored, 2 homers and 10 RBIs.