2001 Record: 102-60, 2nd in AL West, lost ALDS to Yankees 2001 Results | 2002 Schedule | 2002 Roster | 2001 Statistics: Batting | Pitching Offense (AL rank) Defense (AL rank) 884 runs (4th) Home: 423 runs (4th) Road: 461 (2nd) 645 runs allowed (2nd) Home: 3.35 ERA (2nd) Road: 3.84 ERA (1st) 2001 Stats Leaders   Average: Jason Giambi, .342 Runs: Jason Giambi, 109 On-base pct: Jason Giambi, .477 Stolen bases: Johnny Damon, 27 Wins: Mark Mulder, 21 Saves: Jason Isringhausen, 34 Home runs: Jason Giambi, 38 RBI: Jason Giambi, 120 Slugging pct.: Jason Giambi, .660 OPS: Jason Giambi, 1.137 ERA: Tim Hudson, 3.37 Strikeouts: Barry Zito, 205

ESPN's Take Q: Who needs to step up and be the primary run producer without Jason Giambi? On the surface it may seem that the Athletics would be devastated by Giambi's defection to New York. This is not the case. The A's have the best rotation in baseball and three young arms -- Mark Mulder, Tim Hudson and Barry Zito -- with a legitimate chance to win the AL Cy Young. But how do the A's replace Giambi? They can't. But look at the nucleus of the lineup. They have four potential All-Stars in Eric Chavez, Miguel Tejada, Jermaine Dye and Terrence Long. The departure of Johnny Damon has left the A's without an experienced trigger-man to ignite the offense, but the A's still have a great chance to win the AL West and beyond. -- Tom Candiotti  ESPN.com's Crystal Ball The A's finally beat the Yankees in the playoffs as Jeremy Giambi scores the winning run when brother Jason boots an easy groundball. Jason Giambi did not top 20 HRs, 81 RBI, 84 runs or bat above .293 before his 27th birthday. That bodes well for brother Jeremy, who gets his first full-time gig (DH, batting leadoff), shows similar natural hitting instincts as his brother and is 27 years old. Look for a career year from the remaining Giambi. Ramon Hernandez hit .291 with 11 HRs in the second half last season, an encouraging step in his major-league education. Blessed with more than a clue at the dish, Hernandez showed the ability to hit for power and average in the minors. Don't be surprised if he raises his game another notch in '02. -- Brandon Funston Batting order Jeremy Giambi, LF/DH Terrence Long, CF Miguel Tejada, SS Eric Chavez, 3B Jermaine Dye, RF David Justice, DH/LF Carlos Pena, 1B Frank Menechino, 2B Ramon Hernandez, C Bench Greg Myers, Scott Hatteberg, Randy Velarde, Olmedo Saenz, Eric Byrnes, Adam Piatt Rotation Tim Hudson, Mark Mulder, Barry Zito, Cory Lidle, Erik Hiljus Bullpen Billy Koch, Jim Mecir, Jeff Tam, Mike Magnante, Luis Vizcaino, Chad Bradford, Mike Venafro, Mike Holtz Esteban German, 2B While veterans Randy Velarde and Frank Menechino battle for playing time at second, German is the heir apparent. He hit .284 at Double-A and .373 in 37 games at Sacramento. He runs (48 SB) and walks (81) and could be starting by the All-Star break.

Catcher: Ramon Hernandez With two full seasons under his belt, Hernandez could be ready to emerge as one of the best catchers in the league. His second-half numbers (.291, .522 slugging) could mean his bat is coming around, and he provides solid D. The A's signed Hernandez to a four-year, $9.5 million deal that locks him up through age 29. AL Position Ranking: 3rd First Base: Carlos Pena Replacing Jason Giambi is an impossible task, but don't be surprised if Pena hits 25 HRs and drives in 100 runs as a rookie. Acquired from Texas for pitching prospect Mario Ramos, Pena follows the Oakland philosophy of excellent plate discipline (90 walks last year) and is an excellent defensive player. AL Position Ranking: 8th Second Base: Frank Menechino Menechino knows how to get on base (.369 on-base percentage), but a second-half slump (.192, .254 slugging) and lack of range on defense forced Oakland to bring veteran Randy Velarde to compete for the job. AL Position Ranking: 7th Third Base: Eric Chavez Is this the year Chavez breaks out and becomes an MVP candidate? He's still just 24 and has seen his slugging percentage improve from .427 to .495 to .540 in three big-league years. Look for him to move into Giambi's slot as the key man in the middle of the lineup. A .300 year with 40 doubles and 40 home runs could be on the horizon. AL Position Ranking: 2nd Shortstop: Miguel Tejada Tejada had his second straight season with 30 HRs, 100 runs and 100 RBI. His low OBP (.326) prevents him from being in the A-Rod/Jeter/Garciaparra class of shortstops, but Tejada is an All-Star-type player. Another plus is his durability: he's missed just five games in three years. AL Position Ranking: 3rd Left Field: David Justice The good news for the A's? The last 10 full seasons of Justice's career, his team has won a division title. Justice struggled last year with injuries, but is just one year removed from a 41-HR season. At his age, expect something between his 2000 and 2001 levels. AL Position Ranking: 8th Center Field: Terrence Long Long returns to center field, where he played in 2000, to replace the departed Johnny Damon. He doesn't match Damon's range and his power dropped off from his rookie season, in part because once he got behind in the count, he hit just .188. AL Position Ranking: 7th Right Field: Jermaine Dye Last year's big midseason acquisition, Dye broke his tibia in the playoffs, which could mean he's not ready for Opening Day. The A's signed him to a three-year, $32 million deal in January. If healthy, he's a 100-RBI slugger with great defense (he won a Gold Glove in 2000). AL Position Ranking: 5th Designated Hitter: Jeremy Giambi He can't run, but Jason's younger brother is better suited for DH than left field, and he can hit and get on base. He had a .391 OBP last year and could top .400 this year. If he hits leadoff on a regular basis, that could mean 100 runs scored. AL Position Ranking: 5th No. 1 Starter: Tim Hudson Ranked fifth in AL in ERA (3.37), tied for first in games started (35), second in innings (235) and fourth in wins (18). Hudson's nasty splitter leads to lots of groundballs and he's proven his small stature has no effects on his durability. He's one of the best. Ranking among AL starters: 5th No. 2 Starter: Mark Mulder The big left-hander emerged to lead the AL in wins, draw the Game 1 playoff start against the Yankees and finish second in the Cy Young voting. He got better in the second half (12-2, 3.11) and appears to be over the back problems that plagued him after his rookie season. Ranking among AL starters: 7th No. 3 Starter: Barry Zito Zito may begin the year as Oakland's third starter, but he may be No. 1 by October. His high strikeout rate (205 in 214.1 IP) indicates the nastiness of his stuff and he surged through August and September, going 11-2 with a 2.29 ERA after the All-Star break. Ranking among AL starters: 4th No. 4 Starter: Cory Lidle One of baseball's most surprising starters in 2001, Lidle was a throw-in from the Devil Rays in a trade and won 13 games. Lidle was the fourth member of the rotation to finish in the top 10 in the AL in ERA (3.59). He may not match that, but he wasn't a fluke. Ranking among AL starters: 23rd Bullpen: Jim Mecir, Jeff Tam, Mike Magnante, Mike Venafro, Luis Vizcaino, Chad Bradford The Oakland bullpen may not have a dominating setup guy like an Arthur Rhodes or Felix Rodriguez, but it is deep and effective, with help from both sides. The A's finished second in the AL with a 3.27 bullpen ERA and should once again be solid. AL Position Ranking: 4th Closer: Billy Koch Koch replaces Jason Isringhausen, who signed as a free agent with St. Louis. Like Izzy, Koch often plays with fire and he was hardly dominant last year despite his high-90s heater. Expect him to improve upon the 4.80 ERA he had with the Blue Jays as he uses the fastball more and the junk less. AL Position Ranking: 8th

Overall Power Index Rankings (AL rank):
Position: 5.33 (3rd, tie) | Pitching: 2.67 (2nd)

-- David Schoenfield