Athletics vs Colorado Rockies — Mar 22, 2026 | AI Prediction & Stats

Expect a tightly-contested spring matchup, but the Rockies hold just enough advantages to edge Oakland. • Starting pitching: Colorado hands the ball to veteran left-hander Kyle Freeland, who finished Cactus League play with a 2.70 ERA and has historically neutralized a left-leaning A’s lineup. Oakland counters with flame-throwing right-hander Mason Miller; his upper-90s fastball misses bats, yet his spotty command (nine walks in 12 spring frames) is still a concern at altitude. Freeland should work into the sixth, limiting damage to solo shots, while Miller’s pitch count forces an early hook after the fourth. • Lineups: The Rockies’ top three of Tovar, Blackmon and Bryant have combined for a .400 OBP this spring and face a bullpen that surrendered a 1.46 WHIP in March. Colorado’s depth—especially the left-handed bats of Montero and Toglia—matches up well against Oakland’s primarily right-handed relief corps. Conversely, the A’s rely on Shea Langeliers and Zack Gelof for thunder; both have homered off Freeland in the past, but the rest of the order is light on extra-base power. • Bullpens: Colorado’s late-inning trio (Justin Lawrence, Tyler Kinley, Lucas Gilbreath) has allowed just two earned runs over their last 15 combined innings and should protect a narrow lead. Oakland’s middle relief remains volatile—Dany Jiménez and Kirby Sneed have each been tagged for multiple crooked innings this spring—opening the door for a couple of Rockies rallies in the sixth and eighth. • Defense & baserunning: The Rockies’ infield flashes superior glove work (Tovar and Rodgers have yet to commit an error this month), and the team’s focus on aggression means expect at least one stolen base off Miller’s slow slide step. Oakland’s outfield arms are plus, but their infield continues to struggle turning two. Bottom line: Oakland strikes first, but Colorado strings together multi-run frames in the 4th and 8th, then leans on its sturdier bullpen to lock down a 6–4 victory.