ARLINGTON, Texas – For the second straight season, J.T. Ginn made the Athletics’ opening day roster. However, this time around, he was in the bullpen instead of the rotation. But he quickly regained his starting status as Ginn, 26, made his first three appearances of the season in relief before starting the last four games.

In his seven appearances (four starts) thus far, the former Mississippi State standout is 0-0 with a 3.24 ERA and a 1.08 WHIP.

“For me, that’s the goal, to try and pitch in the rotation where I feel comfortable. But whatever the team needs me to do at that time, the ability to get the ball and pitch whenever you’re called upon is important,” Ginn said during a recent road trip to Texas. “I just try to be ready when they call my name and give the team a chance to win.”

Naturally, that team-first mentality is exactly what A’s manager Mark Kotsay wants to see practiced by every member of his roster.

“Coming out of spring training we felt confident in the five guys (in our rotation) we left with,” Kotsay said. “For J.T., fulfilling the role out of the bullpen to start (the season) was more about maybe not having that rotation spot to start him. He’s taken that rotation spot. He showed a lot of maturity, a lot of growth. We want to continue to see that, and we’re hopeful he can continue to maintain that spot and pitch well. He’s always been a starter in our mind, yet he’s got weapons to be a reliever, a good reliever. It’s a bonus for him.”

Along with Brent Rooker, the unquestioned team leader, he is one of two Mississippi State products on the A’s roster. Rooker returned from a 14-game absence due to an oblique injury on Sunday in Texas, a welcome sight for Ginn and his teammates.

“Yeah, obviously we miss him on the field, miss his bat in the lineup, but he’s traveling with us. He’s been with us, and he’s still that same leader (he’s always been),” Ginn said. “He’s done a great job of maintaining that role and being there for the guys.”

State fans remember Ginn well from his two seasons in Starkville, the 2019 and 2020 campaigns when he went 8-4 with a 3.22 ERA in 18 starts with 109 strikeouts, 21 walks, and a 1.075 WHIP.

‘Small world’

After being a fourth-round pick of the A’s in 2020, Ginn made his big-league debut in August 2024. In a month when fellow ex-Bulldogs Nathaniel Lowe made news for four homers for the Reds in a weekend series against Detroit and Jake Mangum for a viral moment in Pittsburgh after throwing a ball into the stands to a fan wearing his jersey who then gave the ball to his sister, he’s happy to see his fellow State products in the limelight.

“It’s awesome. It’s a small world,” Ginn said. “It’s a brotherhood with those guys that played at Mississippi State. Every time I see those guys on the field, even if I don’t know them or didn’t play with them, it’s a head nod.”

And that interest in how his fellow ex-Bulldogs fare in pro ball extends to anyone with ties to the Magnolia State.

“I try to keep up with all the State guys or guys from Mississippi in general. It’s good to see them representing the state,” said Ginn, a Flowood native. “Either they played college there or they’re from there. It’s awesome. There’s a lot of guys that are in the big leagues from Mississippi, and it’s an underrated state for baseball. We have a lot of good players and great athletes come out of that state. It’s awesome to see.”

However, he does take extra pride in seeing how well the 2026 Bulldogs are playing in the SEC.

“Yeah, he (coach Brian O’Connor) is great. The expectations going in there for him were high,” Ginn said. “I got a chance to talk to him this past offseason, he’s a great guy, obviously a great coach. We got a couple of Virginia guys (on the A’s) – (Zach) Gelof is a UVA guy and everybody speaks so highly of (O’Connor). He’s going to do great things.”

Speaking of success, as of an off day on Monday, at 15-13 and after taking two of three in a weekend series at AL West rival Texas, the A’s found themselves in first place, the latest example of how the team is thriving under Kotsay’s tutelage.

“Kots is a hard-nosed guy, was a hard-nosed player. He tries to pass that on to the group, and we’ve adopted that,” Ginn said. “Our situation might be gritty at times, but as a whole we just accept that and take that as a part of our culture and personality. The team does a good job bringing guys together. We’re young, and a lot of us came up together. There’s a mix of the old vets and free agents that come over, it’s a great mix of guys.

“We have a good time and we’re playing winning baseball. We just want to keep it rolling.”

Stephen Hunt is a freelance writer based in Frisco, Texas.