The A¡¯s significantly enhanced their farm system after kicking off a rebuild by trading away a handful of their stars during Spring Training. Since then, that depth has only strengthened with several talented prospects joining the club.
Shea Langeliers, who immediately took over as Oakland¡¯s No. 1 prospect as part of the haul acquired from the Braves in exchange for Matt Olson back in March, is close to receiving his first callup to the Major Leagues as he continues his tear against Triple-A pitching. Of course, the catcher is just one of many players on the A¡¯s Top 30 prospect list who truly have the organization excited about the near future.
Joining Langeliers on MLB Pipeline¡¯s updated Top 100 Prospects list are Tyler Soderstrom, Ken Waldichuk and Zack Gelof. Waldichuk, the centerpiece of the four-player return from the Yankees for Frankie Montas and Lou Trivino just before the Trade Deadline, is currently part of the starting rotation at Triple-A Las Vegas and could very well find himself in Oakland along with Langeliers before the end of the season.
Rounding out Oakland¡¯s top five prospects is catcher Daniel Susac, who was selected 19th overall in the 2022 MLB Draft. The newcomer brings an elite bat that shined over two college seasons at the University of Arizona. That along with his strong arm and improving receiving skills behind the plate should give him a strong chance to quickly ascend through the A¡¯s system.
Here¡¯s a look at the A's top prospects:
1. Shea Langeliers, C (MLB No. 36)
2. Tyler Soderstrom, 1B/C (MLB No. 50)
3. Ken Waldichuk, LHP (MLB No. 70)
4. Zack Gelof, 3B (MLB No. 100)
5. Daniel Susac, C
Biggest jump/fall
Here are the players whose ranks changed the most from the preseason list:
Jump: Denzel Clarke, OF (Preseason: 17 | Midseason: 11) -- Clarke¡¯s tantalizing tools have been on full display this year. After quickly conquering Low-A Stockton to begin his first full professional season, the outfielder earned a promotion to High-A Lansing in June and later played in the All-Star Futures Game at Dodger Stadium. Between the two levels this season, Clarke is slashing .266/.374/.508 with 15 homers, 23 doubles, 43 RBIs and 22 stolen bases.
Fall: Colin Peluse, RHP (Preseason: 12 | Midseason: 26) -- Part of the reason for Peluse¡¯s deep fall in the rankings has to do with the amount of talent the A¡¯s added through the Draft and Trade Deadline. Though he possesses a power arm that earned him Oakland¡¯s Minor League Pitcher of the Year honors last year by MLB Pipeline, his strikeouts have gone down a bit this season at Double-A Midland, where he holds a 5.62 ERA with 64 strikeouts over 89 2/3 innings.
New to the list
Here are the players added to the Top 30 from outside the organization:
No. 3, Ken Waldichuk, LHP (trade with Yankees)
No. 5, Daniel Susac, C (2022 MLB Draft)
No. 6, Henry Bolte, OF (2022 MLB Draft)
No. 12, Luis Medina, RHP (trade with Yankees)
No. 13, Clark Elliott, OF (2022 MLB Draft)
No. 16, Colby Thomas, OF (2022 MLB Draft)
No. 17, JP Sears, LHP (trade with Yankees)
No. 27, Jacob Watters, RHP (2022 MLB Draft)
No. 29, Cooper Bowman, 2B (trade with Yankees)
Impact callup
Ken Waldichuk, LHP (No. 3/MLB No. 68)
Waldichuk didn¡¯t make a great first impression in his first start since coming over from the Yankees in the Frankie Montas deal, but the left-hander¡¯s stuff is ready for a big league test. And as the A¡¯s rebuild, it could be a very good look to let their fans see what the best prospect in that trade has to offer for 2023.
Best tools
Players are graded on a 20-80 scouting scale for future tools -- 20-30 is well below average, 40 is below average, 50 is average, 60 is above average and 70-80 is well above average. Players in parentheses have the same grade.
Hit: 60 -- Tyler Soderstrom
Power: 60 -- Shea Langeliers
Run: 65 -- Henry Bolte
Arm: 70 -- Shea Langeliers
Defense: 65 -- Shea Langeliers
Fastball: 75 -- Luis Medina
Curveball: 60 -- J.T. Ginn (Luis Medina, Jacob Watters)
Slider: 55 -- Ken Waldichuk (Ryan Cusick, J.P Sears, Jeff Criswell, Colin Peluse, Garrett Acton)
Changeup: 55 -- Ken Waldichuk (Luis Medina, Jeff Criswell)
Control: 60 -- Gunnar Hoglund