A’s 2019 projections: Stephen Piscotty expected to have career season

Editor's note: Over the next few weeks, NBC Sports California will be analyzing a different A's player each day to project their numbers for next season.

Stephen Piscotty was forced to play through unimaginable circumstances last season, as his mother Gretchen passed away following a yearlong battle with ALS.

The A's acquired the Pleasanton native from the St. Louis Cardinals last offseason, allowing him to help care for his ailing mother in her final months. Understandably, Piscotty struggled on the field early on, batting just .248 with two home runs and 13 RBI in his first 34 games.

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On May 15, Piscotty famously hit a home run in his first at-bat following his mother's funeral, and his performance improved dramatically the rest of the season. The 27-year-old ended up hitting .267/.331/.491 with 27 homers, 41 doubles, and 88 RBI.

Now with a full season under his belt in Oakland, Piscotty should be even more comfortable heading into 2019. A's manager Bob Melvin routinely credits Piscotty as being the unsung hero on the team, and his bat has become a huge part of the Oakland lineup.

Somewhat surprisingly, Baseball Reference projects a drop-off to .257/.332/.442 with 19 home runs and 68 RBI. If anything, we expect Piscotty to put up even better numbers than last year, especially if he continues at his second-half rate.