12 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 15, 2026, the number is 12.
Sean Murphy, No. 12
Sean Murphy is the best Athletics player to wear No. 12 because he brought rare two-way value at catcher during a transitional era for the franchise. He wasn’t just a bat in the lineup — he was a legitimate defensive anchor who also produced real power, and he did it while wearing 12 for Oakland.
Murphy fits the series rule: his value is strong (15.8 career WAR), and his Oakland years carry real weight. He spent four seasons with the A’s (2019-2022), made his name there, won a Gold Glove, and left as one of the best catchers the team developed in decades.
Why Murphy gets No. 12
Murphy gets No. 12 because catcher value counts extra in this kind of franchise-by-number exercise. He was a true everyday backstop for Oakland, handled big innings, and still hit enough to be an impact player. His best A’s season came in 2022, when he posted 3.7 WAR with 18 home runs and earned MVP votes.
There are plenty of No. 12s in A’s history, but most are short-term, lower-impact, or didn’t define the number the way Murphy did.
Career start and background
Murphy was born Oct. 4, 1994, in Peekskill, N.Y. He played at Wright State and was drafted by the Athletics in the third round in 2016. He debuted in 2019 and quickly became Oakland’s primary catcher, peaking with a Gold Glove in 2021 and an all-around 2022 season before being traded after that year.
Other notable No. 12s
- Sean Murphy
- Matt Stairs
- Terrence Long
- Dusty Baker
- Don Baylor
Career check
No. 12 goes to Sean Murphy. He delivered the best combination of position value, defense, and impact seasons in Oakland, and he wore the number long enough to own it in the modern A’s era.
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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.
