Brent Rooker: The Duality of Success and Self-Criticism on the Diamond
In a sunny afternoon in late February in Mesa, Arizona, Athletics’ designated hitter Brent Rooker radiates joy. This feeling is due, in part, to the fact that, two days earlier, he achieved his first hit in spring training, after an 0-5 start. No, it’s not a typo, 0-5. Rooker, known for his self-criticism, shares his thoughts on various topics: the salary cap, meteorology, shooting a basketball, the X platform, karaoke, country music, throwing an American football, his two daughters, and changing diapers, a skill in which, according to him, he has unwavering confidence. However, in other aspects, he is charmingly modest.“I’m not good at baseball most of the time,” Rooker confessed.
Brent Rooker
This statement comes from a player who, in the last three MLB seasons, has hit 99 home runs, participated in the Home Run Derby, and has been selected for two All-Star teams. Rooker explains that self-criticism is his coping mechanism. He recognizes the importance of positivity, but emphasizes that each person handles failure differently and uses different mechanisms to regain mental stability. For him, self-deprecation and negative self-talk are his tools.
This perspective explains his harsh self-assessment during the “slump” of spring training, which finally broke with a single. A’s manager Mark Kotsay humorously recounts how Rooker constantly worries. Rooker confesses that every spring he faces the uncertainty of whether he can still perform at the highest level. These feelings, especially for hitters, arise constantly. The player has the right to feel this, given that his career was full of challenges until three years ago, when he emerged as a prominent power hitter, leader of a young and talented A’s team. Currently 31 years old, he achieved financial security in the sport he loves after signing a five-year, $60 million contract in 2025. However, true to his nature, Rooker doesn’t talk much about his current success. He seems more comfortable reliving his time before arriving in Oakland in 2023: his three years in Triple-A, his two disappointing years with the Minnesota Twins, his seven at-bats with the San Diego Padres and 25 with the Kansas City Royals. Rooker was a great player in his three years at Mississippi State and was selected by Minnesota in the first round of the 2017 MLB draft. He had excellent seasons in the minor leagues, even being labeled by his former Twins teammate, Mitch Garver, as “the best Triple-A hitter of all time”. His debut in the Major Leagues was in 2020. He had an impressive first week, but then he got injured. In 2021, he batted .201 and struck out 70 times in 189 at-bats. Garver mentioned that, despite the ups and downs, everyone on the team knew that Rooker was the best hitter. Rooker, laughing, revealed that he was unaware of this perception at the time. During 2021, he experienced periods of despair and questioned his performance on the field. He acknowledges that confidence is fragile in this sport, but it is something that most players experience. In 2022, bad at-bats outweighed the good, so the Twins traded him to the Padres, where he had a record of 0-7, and then to the Royals, with a 4-25. In 32 at-bats in 2022, he didn’t hit any home runs and only had one extra base. Kansas City designated him for assignment. The A’s, recognizing his potential for power, claimed him on waivers. Near the end of spring training 2023, Rooker wasn’t sure of his place on the team, so he asked the team’s travel secretary, Mickey Morabito, what he should do with his car. He was advised to send it to Oakland, as he had been selected for the team. He then hit 30 home runs, earning him his first All-Star selection that season, followed by 39 home runs in 2024 and another 30 last season. When did the light come on? Rooker recalls a specific moment in the second half of 2024, when he was undergoing an MRI on his elbow. There, Seattle Mariners star closer Andres Munoz was in the same office. Rooker told him he hated seeing him at the doctor’s, but preferred not to face him on the field. Munoz replied that the entire pitching staff feared him. It was then that he realized that opposing pitchers viewed him with the same respect that he felt for good pitchers. After a year and a half of playing consistently in the Major Leagues, he thought that maybe he was actually decent. But even now, after three consecutive productive seasons, Rooker’s stardom hasn’t fully settled in. He reminds himself that he has been successful. Sometimes, in the offseason, he replays his own highlights to convince himself that he is good and that he can hit. Former A’s teammate Ross Stripling compares Rooker to players like Max Muncy and Justin Turner. Stripling highlights that Rooker persevered until he found his swing. The search for success was marked by failure, which was crucial for his development. Now, he has overcome that stage and is an influential voice on the team. Rooker is also very active on social media, where he comes across as authentic and genuine. Rooker is the clear leader of the team thanks to his frank and honest voice. He has been of great help to the young stars of the A’s, such as first baseman Nick Kurtz and shortstop Jacob Wilson. Rooker has played various roles in his career in the Major Leagues, from being a high draft pick to being a bench player. Therefore, he can offer advice and guidance to players no matter what stage of their career they are in. His family, his wife Allie and his daughters Blair and Blake, have facilitated his performance and strengthened him. They provide him with unconditional support and modify their routines, which allows him to focus on the game more effectively. For Rooker, the game is never easy. But, perhaps, for the first time, he will start a season knowing that the last hit of his career hasn’t happened yet.
