Athletics Fire Pitching Coach Scott Emerson Amid Pitching Crisis

On July 13, 2026, the Oakland Athletics terminated pitching coach Scott Emerson after a nine-game losing streak that left the club at 41-55. Bullpen coach Dan Hubbs was named interim pitching coach for the remainder of the season.

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Emerson joined the Athletics organization as a minor-league pitching coach in 2002, later serving as the major-league bullpen coach before being promoted to pitching coach in 2017. During his first four full seasons, the staff ranked in the top half of MLB in ERA and the team reached the postseason in 2018, 2019 and 2020. Over the past five seasons, however, the rotation has faltered; veterans such as Luis Severino, Jeffrey Springs and Aaron Civale posted ERAs above 5.00, and the staff’s overall performance has slipped to the league’s bottom tier.

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The Athletics’ starting rotation posted a combined 5.21 ERA, the worst in the American League and only marginally better than the Colorado Rockies’ 5.44 ERA, which is inflated by Coors Field. The team lost 13 of 14 games before the All-Star break and has dropped from second to fourth place in the AL West.

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Oakland’s communications office released a brief statement confirming Emerson’s dismissal and Hubbs’s interim appointment. The announcement emphasized the organization’s intent to evaluate options before the trade-deadline period that follows the All-Star break.

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• “ The A’s have dismissed pitching coach Scott Emerson.” — A’s Communications

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• “Bullpen coach Dan Hubbs will serve as interim pitching coach for the remainder of the 2026 season.” — A’s Communications

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• “Emerson, 54, started his coaching career in the Pittsburgh Pirates organization before joining the A’s as a minor-league pitching coach in 2003.” — The New York Times

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• “He joined the big-league staff as bullpen coach in 2015.” — The New York Times

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• “He was promoted to replace longtime pitching coach Curt Young in 2017.” — The New York Times

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