This is the state of the A's farm system
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The A¡¯s are coming off back-to-back 97-win seasons that resulted in Wild Card Game appearances. Both rosters were largely built via trades, which should give you an idea of what the current farm system will be used for in the future if the A¡¯s continue to be competitive in the AL West.
That¡¯s not to say homegrown players have no place in Oakland. The three prospects in the Top 100, Jesus Luzardo, A.J. Puk and Sean Murphy, all contributed to the 2019 playoff push and Puk and Murphy are both original A¡¯s draftees from the 2016 MLB Draft. And while they did get Luzardo via trade, he was just returning to the mound following Tommy John surgery and was just starting his developmental path, most of which happened with Oakland¡¯s staff.
Beyond that top three, the A¡¯s system has some depth, albeit without true impact talent at this time. But the front office has done a terrific job of keeping the impact talent it has while using other valuable pieces to bring in big league talent that has helped the A¡¯s compete.
TOP 5 PROSPECTS
1) Jesus Luzardo, LHP (No. 18 on Top 100)
2) A.J. Puk, LHP (No. 42)
3) Sean Murphy, C (No. 43)
4) Jorge Mateo, SS/2B
5) Robert Puason, SS
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HITTING & PITCHING PROSPECTS OF THE YEAR
Jorge Mateo, SS (No. 4): Mateo spent his entire year with Triple-A Las Vegas, slugging .507 with 19 home runs and 78 RBIs. He also had 14 triples and 29 doubles.
Daulton Jefferies, RHP (No. 12): Jefferies, who was taken 37th overall by the A's in 2016 out of Cal, pitched for Class A Advanced and Double-A in 2019, posting a 3.42 ERA and 10.6 strikeouts per nine innings in 79 innings. More ?
STOCK UP/DOWN
Greg Deichmann, OF (No. 17): Deichmann¡¯s first two full seasons were interrupted by injuries, so he was unable to show off the power that made him a strong Draft prospect at LSU in 2017. The swing-and-miss is still a concern, but his nine-homer performance in the Arizona Fall League put him back on the map and has the A¡¯s excited to see what he can do over the course of a full healthy season.
Lazaro Armanteros, OF (No. 11): Signed for $3 million in July 2016, Armanteros had shown glimpses of multiple tools over his first two years in the organization, though there was always concern about his strikeout rate. That climbed from a robust 33.8 percent in 2018 to an astronomical 42.2 percent as he racked up 227 K¡¯s in 2019.
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NOTABLE ADDITIONS
Draft: Logan Davidson, SS, 1st round (No. 7); Kyle McCann, C, 4th round (No. 18); Tyler Baum, RHP, 2nd round (No. 20); Drew Millas, C, 7th round (No. 23); Marcus Smith, 3rd round (No. 30).
Complete Draft list ?
International: Robert Puason, SS (No. 2 on International Top 30; No. 5 on A¡¯s Top 30)
The A¡¯s used almost all of their international bonus pool money to sign Puason for $5.1 million, tied for the highest bonus given out when the July 2 signing period began (the Yankees also gave Jasson Dominguez $5.1 million). They went very college-heavy in last June¡¯s Draft, adding four collegiate picks to their Top 30 with Smith giving them a speedy high school outfielder with tools.
2020 IMPACT PROSPECT
Jesus Luzardo, LHP: Had things gone according to plan, Luzardo would have joined the A¡¯s rotation at, or near, the start of the 2019 season. A shoulder strain kept that from happening, though he did get back on the mound in June and pitched his way up to Oakland for a half-dozen relief appearances. He¡¯s a front-line starter long term, though, and should be in the 2020 rotation from Opening Day.
BEST TOOLS
Hit: Luis Barrera
Power: Seth Brown
Run: Jorge Mateo
Arm: Sean Murphy
Field: Nick Allen
Best athlete: Jorge Mateo
Fastball: A.J. Puk
Curveball: Grant Holmes
Slider: Jesus Luzardo
Changeup: Jesus Luzardo
Control: Daulton Jefferies
HOW THE TOP 30 WAS BUILT
Draft: 20
International: 5
Trade: 5
While the A¡¯s Top 30 is decidedly Draft-heavy, the top of the list shows how the organization has acquired top talent in a variety of ways. The top 5 has two trade acquisitions, two draftees and an international signee.
TOP 30 BREAKDOWN BY POSITION
C: 4
1B: 1
2B: 1
3B: 2
SS: 5
OF: 6
RHP: 8
LHP: 3
The A¡¯s are as ¡°hitterish¡± as any organization, tied with the Giants and Twins for the most position players (19) on their Top 30. Their four catchers on the list is also tied for the most with the Blue Jays and Braves.