17 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 10, 2026, the number is 17.
Mike Norris, No. 17
Mike Norris is the best Athletics player to wear No. 17 because he delivered a true ace-level season in Oakland. For a number with a lot of short stays and role years, his peak stands out.
Norris pitched for the A’s from 1975-83, then returned in 1990. In the middle of that run, he authored one of the best pitching seasons in franchise history.
Why Norris gets No. 17
Norris gets No. 17 because of what he did in 1980. He went 22-9 with a 2.53 ERA across 33 starts and finished second in AL Cy Young voting.
He also handled a heavy workload that year with 284.1 innings and 180 strikeouts. Norris won a Gold Glove in 1980, and he added another in 1981.
Career start and background
Norris was born March 19, 1955, in San Francisco. He went to Balboa High School, then attended City College of San Francisco.
The Oakland Athletics drafted him in the first round (No. 24 overall) of the 1973 MLB January Draft. He debuted with the A’s on April 10, 1975.
Other notable No. 17s
- Adam Melhuse, 2003-2007
- Yonder Alonso, 2016-2017
- Elvis Andrus, 2021-2022
- Ron Darling, 1991-1995
Career check
Norris did not pile up huge career totals, but No. 17 is about impact in Oakland. His 1980 season and two Gold Gloves make him the clear choice.
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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.
