22 days remain until Athletics Opening Day at the Toronto Blue Jays on March 27, 2026. With Las Vegas on the horizon, this daily countdown tracks the best A’s players by jersey number.
Today, March 5, 2026, the number is 22.
Alex Kellner, No. 22
Alex Kellner is the pick at No. 22 because he actually gave the Athletics years in the rotation when the franchise needed innings. This number has plenty of modern short stays, but Kellner was a true long-haul arm for the early A’s.
Kellner spent most of his career with the Philadelphia and Kansas City Athletics from 1948-56. He won 101 big league games and made an All-Star team.
Why Kellner gets No. 22
Kellner gets No. 22 because he has the strongest Athletics-era footprint at the number. He logged 1,730.1 innings for the franchise and won 92 games with the A’s.
He also delivered a signature season in 1949, going 20-12 with a 3.75 ERA. For a number without a clear modern icon, that kind of season carries weight.
Career start and background
Kellner was born Aug. 26, 1924, in Tucson, Ariz. He attended Amphitheater High School in Tucson.
He debuted in the majors in 1948 and became a long-time Athletics starter.
Other notable No. 22s
- Rick Langford, 1977-1986
- Ramon Laureano, 2018-2023
- Eric Byrnes, 2000-2005
- Josh Reddick, 2015-2016
Career check
No. 22 is a number with a lot of names and not many anchors. Kellner earns it because he gave the Athletics real rotation volume and a 20-win peak.
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Dice City Sports editor Mark Hebert covers the Vegas Golden Knights, Las Vegas Raiders, Athletics, and UNLV baseball and softball. He has 24 years of journalism experience, is also a senior reporter at Exhibit City News, and previously covered the Dallas Stars and Texas Rangers. Follow him on X or connect on LinkedIn.
