Athletics Spring Training Prospects Update: 3/6-3/12

Joe Boyle made two starts last week as he chases an opening day rotation spot

It was a busy week for the Oakland Athletics, as they played two games each on Friday and Saturday giving the prospects a good chance to get some playing time with the big league squad. Following a knee injury to Luis Medina much of the attention shifted towards pitching prospects, as the rotation now has a gaping hole that one of these players is likely to fill. In other injury news, pitching prospect Freddy Tarnok is currently out of action due to his ongoing recovery from hip surgery.

Lazaro Armenteros

Armenteros finally broke through this spring, slugging a ninth inning home run against the Angels to put a cap on a 12-5 win for Oakland. That remains his only hit this spring and he went 0-5 with three strikeouts in his other five plate appearances.

Brady Basso

Brady Basso got his first extended outing of the spring on Friday against the Brewers, and he put up a solid outing after coming in during the sixth inning. Basso pitched a perfect sixth inning and struck out two batters, and ultimately went three scoreless allowing a walk and a hit with four strikeouts.

Henry Bolte

Bolte started to get a bit of playing time late in games over the past week, and while he struggled in that time even being given the opportunity is a good look. Bolte went 0-3 with two strikeouts across three games, and is 1-4 overall this spring.

Cooper Bowman

Cooper Bowman had a huge game in a 4-2 win, putting up a 3-4 performance and scoring a run. Bowman struck out in his first at bat, but was key to a big third inning for the A’s. After an error put Jeisson Rosario on base Bowman ripped a double to put both of them in scoring position, and both would go on to score to give Oakland a 2-1 lead. Bowman beat out an infield single for his second hit of the game in the third inning, then in the seventh capped off his day with a base hit.

Joe Boyle

After two good early starts Boyle hit a rough patch last week, walking eight batters across six innings in two outings. The injury to Luis Medina gives Boyle a clear path to earning the final rotation spot in Oakland, but his struggles to find the strike zone last week were not a great step towards getting that chance. Still Boyle managed to avoid being hit hard and only allowed one hit across those two starts, managing to hold opponents to a run in each game.

Lawrence Butler

Butler had a phenomenal week as he continues to show out in spring training. Butler appeared in four games, going 4-9 with three walks and striking out only once. He also added another double to his total, and so far this spring has three doubles in 31 plate appearances to go along with more walks than strikeouts.

Ryan Cusick

Ryan Cusick got his first taste of spring training action, and it was a bitter flavor. Cusick faced five batters and didn’t retire any of them, going walk, catchers interference, walk, hit batter, and walk before being pulled from the game. All five runners went on to score.

Logan Davidson

Davidson got his first playing time this spring thanks to the split-squad action on Saturday, and he managed to come up with a double in four at bats.

Stevie Emanuels

Emanuels faced only two batters to close out the fourth inning against Milwaukee on Friday, and he didn’t get much help as an error allowed the first batter to reach base. He struck out William Contreras to close out the inning, and has struck out four of nine batters faced this spring.

Joey Estes

Estes faced the reserves against a split Angels squad on Wednesday and they were no match for him. Estes retired all nine batters he faced as he closed out the game, and struck out the final four batters in order and five of the final six. It certainly was not the pinnacle of competition for Estes, but a solid outing nonetheless as he seeks to be part of the players who will rotate through the fifth spot in Oakland’s rotation this season.

Brett Harris

Harris got into a couple of games last week and met them with mixed results. On the 8th Harris went 0-3 and struck out twice, but then on Monday he managed a hit late against Arizona. Harris has had a bit of a rough go this spring with five strikeouts and no walks in 13 plate appearances.

Darell Hernaiz

Hernaiz finished off his week with a strong performance, notching two hits in a win against Arizona. Overall though he had a rougher week than what he did earlier this spring, going 3-12 and striking out three times. Overall reports on Hernaiz have been positive this spring and he has put the ball in play consistently, but in 30 plate appearances he has no walks or extra base hits.

Mason Miller

Miller continues to excel out of the bullpen this spring, tossing two more scoreless outings for Oakland. Sal Frelick managed a double off of him for the first baserunner Miller has allowed this spring, but the numbers are absurd. Opponents are 1-13 with seven strikeouts so far.

Max Muncy

It continues to be rough-going for Max Muncy, who continues to pile up strikeouts this spring. Muncy went 1-8 with three strikeouts last week, and despite only having 21 plate appearances he has the second-most strikeouts on the team with 10.

Royber Salinas

We had the first sighting of Royber Salinas in awhile as he faced off against the Giants on Saturday, throwing a couple of shaky innings in relief. Salinas loaded the bases in the fifth inning with a double and two walks, but got a strikeout and a ground out to escape unscathed. Salinas had a better sixth inning, working around a two-out single by getting a called strikeout to end the inning.

Max Schuemann

Max Schuemann had been struggling going into last week, but he went off and hit safely in all five of his games played. In total Schuemann went 6-13 with a walk, and now hold a .795 OPS this spring.

Mitch Spence

Spence got the start against Milwaukee on Friday, and he got off to a hot start early. He retired six straight batters to start the game with three of those coming via strikeout, and held on to an early 2-0 lead. A bit of trouble started in the third with a leadoff walk, and the inning spiraled a bit as weak contact managed to make its way through for hits. Spence allowed three hits, none hit hard, and Milwaukee managed to squeak in two runs to tie the game. Spence allowed another softly hit single to lead off the fourth inning, but bounced back by getting a pop out and a double play to end what was a much better start than the box score might indicate.

Billy Sullivan

Sullivan had a rough time against the Royals on Sunday, retiring only one of the four batters he faced. The good news is that this did come on a strikeout, but the two walks in the inning ruined the good feelings that brings.

Daniel Susac

Susac got into games twice but only came up to bat once. He did come up with a base hit to load the bases in that one at bat, though Oakland did not come away with any runs. Susac has had little playing time so far this spring, but has reached base in four of his five plate appearances.

Jacob Wilson

We went a few days without getting to see Wilson with the big league squad, but with the four games in two days he managed to get some run in. On Friday Wilson grounded out to the pitcher in his only at bat, but against San Francisco got a much better opportunity. Starting at shortstop for that one he reached base twice in three plate appearances. The first of these was a third inning walk, then in the sixth inning he led off with a base hit up the middle. Oakland went on to load the bases, and though this rally did end with a bit of disappointment Wilson managed to score on a ground out to give the A’s a 1-0 lead in the game. Wilson grounded out in his final at bat.