The Oakland Athletics are off to a strong start this season, leading the AL West with a 17-14 record—1.5 games ahead of the Seattle Mariners. While the team is firing on all cylinders, one of their biggest stars is still finding his footing.

Newcomer Aaron Civale has started 2-1, and Jeffrey Springs is 3-2, giving the A's the solid pitching they lacked last year. At the plate, the offense is clicking as expected. Shea Langeliers is on fire, leading the team with a .328 batting average and eight home runs. Tyler Soderstrom tops the squad with 18 RBIs, and reigning AL Rookie of the Year Nick Kurtz boasts a .424 on-base percentage.

But not everyone is thriving. Brent Rooker, a two-time All-Star who has crushed at least 30 home runs in each of the last three seasons, is off to a slow start. A right oblique strain sent him to the 10-day IL, which may explain his struggles. Bleacher Report's Kerry Miller recently called Rooker the A's "least valuable player," noting that aside from a two-homer, six-RBI game on April 5, he's batting just .080 with no extra-base hits.

Here's the exciting part: the A's are already in first place despite getting almost nothing from their biggest slugger. If Rooker finds his rhythm, this team could be unstoppable. With improved pitching keeping them in games, Oakland's offense is thriving—and the best may be yet to come.