'Loved every moment': Erceg on first big league season

This story was excerpted from Martín Gallegos’ A’s Beat newsletter. To read the full newsletter, click here. And subscribe to get it regularly in your inbox.

ANAHEIM -- When the A’s look back on this rebuilding 2023 campaign, Lucas Erceg will stick out as one of the club’s most encouraging discoveries.

What began as simply taking a flier on a Minor League reliever has evolved into the A’s striking gold with Erceg. Acquired from the Brewers in exchange for cash considerations on May 17, Erceg was toiling through his sixth year in Milwaukee’s farm system unsure if a shot in the Majors would ever come. Four months later, the right-hander entered Saturday’s game against the Angels leading the team with 50 relief appearances.

“When I first got the news that I got called up, I was talking with my agent and he was like, ‘Hey, don’t be surprised if you get optioned or if anything happens. Just take it a day at a time and enjoy every day for what it’s worth,’” Erceg said. “I couldn’t imagine being here the whole year and gaining the experiences that I did, but I’ve loved every moment.

It hasn’t been smooth sailing for Erceg for the entirety of his rookie season. After posting a 2.25 ERA and .583 opponents OPS through his first 16 games, he followed that up with a rough stretch of an 11.94 ERA over the following 19 games.

Dating back to Aug. 24, Erceg has finished strong. He has not allowed a run in 14 of his last 15 appearances, holding a 0.51 ERA in 17 2/3 innings over that span.

“I’ve gotten to live out a childhood dream of mine,” said Erceg, who grew up roughly 35 miles south of Oakland in nearby San Jose, Calif. “I’ve tried to enjoy every moment. Even when the moments didn’t go so well for me on the field, I’ve still reflected on those moments with a little bit of grace and gratitude, just because of where I’m at, and I couldn’t be happier with how the season has ended for me. … I think I’ve taken full advantage of learning from each experience.”

One of those experiences took place in Thursday’s win over the Twins at Target Field. Holding a one-run lead in the seventh, Erceg pitched himself into a jam by loading the bases with two outs, setting the stage for a dramatic showdown with Donovan Solano. The two engaged in a 12-pitch battle that saw Solano foul off eight pitches. On the 12th pitch of the at-bat, Erceg fired a 99.4 mph fastball past Solano for strike three, letting out a roar that almost felt like a sigh of relief as he walked off the mound.

“I think it was like the fifth or sixth in a row that he fouled off,” Erceg said. “I was like, ‘Dude, I don’t know what to throw this guy. I’m throwing him the kitchen sink right now, and he’s fouling off really good pitches.’ I kind of went back to that mindset that I’d rather get hit around rather than walk a run in.”

The mixture of highs and lows for Erceg this season led to his 4.75 ERA in his 50 relief appearances. One highlight has been his total of just one homer allowed over 55 innings, putting him at an average of 0.16 home runs allowed per nine innings that ranks as the lowest by an A’s pitcher with at least 50 innings pitched since 1972. Of course, there is plenty to work on for Erceg, and the experience of his first season in the big leagues has provided him with a plan on how to address those necessary adjustments.

“The big leagues are hard,” Erceg said. “It definitely will expose you in terms of what you need to get better at. I think that’s the best part about having so many games played in the big leagues this year. Now I get to go into this offseason with a list of improvements I need to make. Now that I understand how hard this game is, it’s only going to push me to get better this offseason.”