Despite his arrival coming earlier than expected, A's utility player Joshua Kuroda-Grauer has become an instant staple in the team's lineup. When Tyler Soderstrom and Jacob Wilson both landed on the IL at the end of June, joining Zack Gelof, JKG was called up initially as someone that had versatility and could be plugged into a few different spots.

He started off at second base against left-handers, then moved to third base where he supplanted Max Muncy. When Gelof returned from the IL, he was moved to left field due to his own versatility, and Soderstrom's IL stay. When Gelof landed back on the IL with a knee laceration, that solidified Kuroda-Grauer's spot at third base.

Since making his MLB debut on June 29, he has yet to have a game outside of the starting lineup as he has just continued to hit. 

In that debut against the Dodgers, he went 3-for-4 with a double and an RBI, and he has continued collecting hits since. He has more three-hit games (3) than zero-hit games (2), and has gone 23-for-57 (.404) to begin his career. On Saturday, he earned his 22nd hit in just his 14th game, which is the most through a player's first 14 games in A's franchise history.

His bat-to-ball hitting style at the plate has been his most notable attribute, with a whiff rate of just 15.2% and a strikeout rate of 10.8%, lower than Jacob Wilson's. While his .404 batting average certainly isn't sustainable, his expected batting average of .319 is promising. 

There are some similarities to Wilson, notably in his approach at the plate, but JKG is a little faster with a 64th percentile sprint speed, swings harder with a 68.4-mph bat speed, and hits the ball harder with an 88.9-mph exit velocity. 

One reason to believe in his early offensive success: he's had success against fastballs (.256 xBA), breaking pitches (.365 xBA), and offspeed pitches (.355 xBA), so there isn't a clear way to get him out just yet. 

Watching Kuroda-Grauer game after game, he's doing things that just don't show up in the box score. On Sunday, he hustled to the tarp behind third base and laid out for a ball that ended up dropping in foul territory, but he provided all-out effort. 

With the A's struggling of late, the one thing that they can control every day is their effort level, and JKG has been a shining example of that. 

"You talk a lot about a young player coming here and not being scared to go out and compete, and [Kuroda-Grauer] has really taken that on," A's manager Mark Kotsay said of his rookie after Saturday's game. 

"I love the way he plays the game fearlessly, and very confident," Kotsay continued. "For a young player to come in and help impact this club right now — with the guys out that are out — helping the offense, the key at-bats that he's taken, this is a kid that is just generating more and more excitement every day." 

We also wanted to draw attention to two similar defensive plays from the past few games — one play he made, and the other where the communication was messed up, leading to the ball dropping and the Detroit Tigers producing a four-run frame.

Here is that play first.

With JKG at second base for this game in Detroit, you can see him ranging out to the outfield grass, but then at the last second he veers off with Lawrence Butler calling for the ball, resulting in the ball dropping in. 

Mark Kotsay said after that game that the ball needed to be caught. "It's a communication play, and KG went after it, calling it," Kotsay said. "Lawrence is coming in from right calling it. Obviously it's the outfielder's priority to come make that play. It was a play that obviously should be made."

On Saturday at home against the Washington Nationals, JKG was at third base on a similar play to the left side, only with an extra defender in the mix. 

We asked him about the difference between going back on each ball, and what led to this result being different.

"Honestly on [Saturday's play] it was kind of the perfect triangle ball, so it was do-or-die," Kuroda-Grauer said after the game. "There wasn't too much communication. Willy [Jacob Wilson] said go get it, and I laid out and made a play." 

When Gelof returns from the IL in the next couple of weeks, the A's will have a difficult decision to make with the roster. Both Donovan Walton and Jeff McNeil are versatile left-handed bats, but JKG has become a part of the heartbeat of this club in under a month. 

Both Gelof and Kuroda-Grauer can play second base, where McNeil/Walton have received most of their playing time, as well as a solid defensive third base. One could easily take third base with the other at second on a daily basis, which would leave the two veterans out of a role on the club. 

What could end up happening is that the A's look to trade McNeil for even a small return, taking a flier on a modest pitching prospect while eating some of McNeil's remaining salary for 2026. If they find a suitor, that problem takes care of itself. 

McNeil holds a 67 wRC+ on the season and has been unplayable against left-handers, holding a 19 wRC+ (100 is league average). He's been better against right-handers, but not necessarily good there either, with a 78 wRC+. 

Walton got the start at second base on Friday with McNeil on the bench, and then stayed at second while McNeil slid over to first base on Saturday. Walton's glove work only strengthens the case for keeping him over McNeil. 

Those factors could be what end up determining who stays and who goes in the coming weeks, and it's all because Kuroda-Grauer is producing results wherever he's slotted.