The Oakland Athletics unveiled new renderings of their planned Las Vegas ballpark on Tuesday as part of their efforts to relocate from the Bay Area to Southern Nevada. The renderings sparked significant social media buzz, with many fans noting the stadium’s resemblance to the Sydney Opera House.
One particular post from A’s player Brent Rooker gained widespread attention. Foolish Baseball, a popular baseball content creator, shared a close-up image of the rendering’s fictitious A’s lineup, highlighting Rooker’s batting average of .303 depicted in the picture. This raised eyebrows among fans, given Rooker’s history of power hitting at the plate and his career batting average of .230.
Rooker responded with a clever comeback to the comment, humorously remarking, “Just trying to enjoy my day off, but instead I’m getting roasted over an artist’s rendition of my future batting average.”
Last season, Rooker posted a batting average of .246, marking his first full season in the majors since his debut in 2020. Despite falling short of the fictional .303 average depicted in the rendering, Rooker had a standout year, earning a spot on the A’s roster for the 2023 All-Star Game. He showcased his power with 30 home runs and achieved a career-best .817 OPS. However, his actual batting average of .246 contrasted with the humorous prediction portrayed in the rendering.