Junius Worth
David Kerr
Charlie Nehl
gawlowskib
Andrew Martin
Jonathan C. Mitchell
johnczech
Daniel Marino
Michael Schwartze
mlbdirtstaff
Spencer Schneier
William J. Tasker
The Oakland Athletics were one of the biggest surprises last year as they took the AL West by storm, beating out the loaded Rangers and Angels for the division title. Prior to last season, the A’s shipped off a lot of major league arms and the team relied on a lot of young players. The system lost a lot of notable players who graduated to the majors but it still has a nice mix of pitchers close to the majors as well as raw potential impact players in the lower minors. Below are our top 16 prospects with 2013 opening day age, position, and comments on each player. Below the top 16 is a small list of additional notable names. Enjoy. -Michael Schwartze
| Player | Comments | |
| 1 | Addison Russell (19-SS) | It looks like Russell, who has a shot at staying at short, could be a steal even though he was taken in the first half of the first round. He struggles against breaking stuff but has incredible bat speed and well above-average hit tool and power. He has solid range and a great arm. His bat will likely play anywhere but if he can stick at short, he has show the work ethic and ability to, he can be a star. -Jonathan C. Mitchell |
| 2 | Dan Straily (24-RHP) | Straily was one of the biggest surprise prospects last year and he really improved all aspects of his game. Straily put together a terrific year at AA and AAA and I had the chance to see him pitch for AAA Sacramento. He has a smooth, effortless delivery and projects to be a real middle of the rotation innings eater. His fastball sits in the low to mid 90s and he has three secondary pitches (changeup, slider, and curveball) that all project to be solid pitches. Straily got a cup of coffee in the bigs last year but I think he’ll break camp in the A’s rotation. -Michael Schwartze Scouting Report. Video. |
| 3 | A.J. Cole (21-RHP) | Cole still has projection in his 6’4” 180 pound frame and his mid-90s fastball could reach the upper-90s if he fills out. His breaking ball and change-up are both improving but he commands his plus fastball very well and keeps it down in the zone and limits walks. He has the upside of a #2 starter and has time to reach that ceiling. -JCM |
| 4 | Michael Choice (23-OF) | Plus raw power to go with solid patience at the plate but he does have pitch recognition problems and strikes out a bit much. His season was cut short thanks to a broken hand, but at age 22 in AA he held his own with a 117 wRC+ while playing passable defense in CF. He has the arm for RF but if he can stay in CF, many have their doubts, his ceiling is much higher. -JCM |
| 5 | Sonny Gray (23-RHP) | The stuff is there with a fastball that sits 91-94 and can go even higher in short outings and an above-average breaking ball. He needs to improve his command and change-up if he wants to remain a starter but his current mix could likely play in high-leverage situations right now. The A’s know the value of a starter will give him the proper time to prove he can remain a starter. -JCM |
| 6 | Brad Peacock (25-RHP) | Peacock really raised his stock two years ago while in the Nationals organization and was then traded last offseason to the Athletics as a part of the Gio Gonzalez deal. Peacock took a bit of a step back last season in Sacramento but he still projects to be a solid middle of the rotation starter. He has great arm strength helping him get his fastball up the mid to upper 90s. His curve is above average and his out pitch and he has a developing change-up that could be the difference in him making it in the rotation or the back of the bullpen. -MS |
| 7 | Grant Green (25-UT) | Green was drafted as the 13th overall pick in the 2009 draft as a shortstop but the A’s moved Green to center field a couple years ago. He is a pure hitter with an aggressive approach at the plate but last season was a bit of a disappointment for him and he took a step back in the organization. He still projects to hit for a solid average but he may end up reaching the majors as a second baseman where he could develop into a league average second baseman. -MS |
| 8 | Daniel Robertson (19-3B) | Fast start in rookie ball where he posted a 145 wRC+ and walked more than he struck but he struggled in a small sample in the NYPL. He has the hands and arm to play short and third but many believe third is where he will wind up. He has a mature knowledge of the strike zone, an above-average hit tool, and at least average power with the chance for more. -JCM |
| 9 | Miles Head (21-1B) | Head has a decent approach at the plate and will not let a hittable pitch go by without a solid swing on it. His hit tool and power are well above-average but I am highly skeptical that he can stay at 3B and will wind up at 1B. After posting a ridiculous 190 wRC+ in High-A he was hit in the head in AA and it may have affected his play as he posted a 109 wRC+, which is not bad for a 21 year old. -JCM |
| 10 | Renato Nunez (19-3B) | Nunez made his debut in the states this year at the age of 18 and put together a very good year. He has big time potential in his bat but he’ll be a project. He has plus power potential thanks to plus bat speed and great hands. He projects to develop into a solid defender at third and if the bat develops and translates to the major league level he could be an impact middle of the order bat. -MS |
| 11 | Michael Ynoa (21-RHP) | Ynoa entered 2012 with nine pro innings since signing as a bonus baby in the summer of 2008. Still just 21, the lanky right-hander finally got healthy this past season. He had a 6.46 ERA and 25 walks in 30.2 innings between the AZL and short-season Vermont. However, he also struck out nearly a batter per frame while flashing a mid-90′s fastball, promising breaking ball and change-up. The A’s still think enough of him that he was given a coveted spot their 40-man roster last month; nearly unheard of for a player of his level of development. No longer a sure thing, Ynoa still has the time to be a solid MLB starter if he can just maintain his health and let his natural talent grow. -Andrew Martin Interview. |
| 12 | Max Stassi (22-C) | Stassi has missed significant time with shoulder injuries, an ankle injury, and an oblique injury. He shows decent patience at the plate and the ability to hit for above-average power. He is above-average defensively and could be a solid regular in the Majors in time. -JCM |
| 13 | Raul Alcantara (20-RHP) | His fastball has the potential to be a plus pitch and his breaking ball can be above-average but he lacks consistency and his change-up is currently used for batting practice. He is still raw and young with the upside of a mid-rotation starter but the floor of someone who can fade out in AA. -JCM |
| 14 | Matt Olson (19-1B) | Huge raw power that showed in his pro debut at age 18 with 8 homeruns, a .521 SLUG, and .239 ISO. He showed solid patience with an 8.9% walk rate but he strikes out a heckuva lot and can only play 1B. -JCM |
| 15 | Nolan Sanburn (21-RHP) | I was glad to see the A’s give him the chance to start despite the consensus stating he is a reliever. He has a mid-90s fastball and above-average breaking ball and they both go up a notch in short stints. He will need to develop a third pitch but his floor looks like that of a high-leverage reliever. -JCM |
| 16 | Stephen Parker (25-3B) | Parker put up solid power, walk, and strikeout rates until he reached AAA in late 2011. Since then, his walk rate and power have decreased while his strikeouts have increased. He has a solid hit tool and could provide solid power while playing average defense at third base. This season may be his final one to prove he belongs. -JCM |
A few more: Ian Kroll (LHP), Michael Taylor (OF), B.A. Vollmuth (3B)
Be sure to follow @Mike_Schwartze, @FigureFilbert, @HistorianAndrew and @BaseballSpencer on Twitter, all of whom collaborated to put together these rankings.
Filed under: On the Farm - Prospects Tagged: | Grant Green, Michael Taylor, Prospects, Oakland A's, Brad Peacock, Raul Alcantara, Miles Head, A.J. Cole, Sonny Gray, Michael Choice, Oakland Athletics, Renato Nunez, B.A. Vollmuth, Max Stassi, Addison Russell, 2013 Top Prospects, Michael Ynoa, Dan Straily, Nolan Sanburn, Stephen Parker, Matt Olson, Daniel Robertson, Ian Kroll
[...] reliever but there is hope that he can become a potential #3-#5 starter. Peacock ranked 6th on our 2013 Oakland A’s top prospects [...]
[...] MLB Dirt’s Top A’s Prospects [...]