Elephant Rumblings: Wilson is A’s lone Top 100 prospect

MLB news roundup

Happy Wednesday, Athletics Nation!

MLB Pipeline released its updated Top 100 prospects rankings on Monday. Shortstop Jacob Wilson is the only Athletic on the list, making the A’s are one of just five teams with a lone entry. It isn’t crazy to suppose that the A’s may suffer from a certain degree of big market team bias when it comes to prospect rankings, but it’s hard not to be disappointed at the state of the Athletics farm system, considering how many great players were dealt when the last contending roster was torn down.

One can also argue that Wilson deserves a higher spot on the rankings. Not everyone celebrated when the A’s took the wiry 22-year-old sixth overall in last year’s draft; his contact skills are elite, but some felt he might not have enough power to make it in today’s game.

Since then, Wilson has done much to dispel doubts in his nascent professional career: he slashed .455/.473/.705 in 93 plate appearances in Double-A earlier this season, and is now slashing .447/.490/.660 in Triple-A. So he’s definitely delivering as expected in the bat-to-ball department, and along the way, he’s shown respectable pop with 17 doubles and 5 HR. He’s the guy with the “absurd” .463 average mentioned in this tweet.

Whether or not Wilson is fairly ranked, he’s definitely worth keeping an eye on. He made the Pipeline Prospect Team of the Week along with teammate Brett Harris, who just got called back up to the big league squad.

Meanwhile, No. 2 prospect Luis Morales made the 2024 All-Star Futures Game.

Congrats to Wilson, Harris, and Morales on the well-deserved recognition they’re getting. Here’s to their continued success!

A’s Coverage:

• A’s snap losing streak, beat Angels 7-5
• A’s roster moves: Harris, Ferguson recalled; Newcomb, Aledmys DFA’d
• A’s motion to intervene in SB1 lawsuit ruled upon by Nevada judge
• Kotsay joins mentor’s All-Star Game staff
• Giants’ Bryce Eldridge, A’s Luis Morales named to 2024 Futures Game rosters ($)
• Grateful Dead’s Jerry Garcia to be honored with series of MLB tribute nights ($)

MLB News & Interest:

• MLB Power Rankings: Orioles reach a season-high perch, plus trade deadline predictions ($)
• Marlins Designate Tim Anderson For Assignment
• MLB trade deadline report: Key storylines with 1 month to go, plus 3 intriguing targets ($)
• Top-10 prospects Marcelo Mayer, Ethan Salas, Dylan Crews, Max Clark highlight Futures Game rosters ($)
• Checking In On 2024’s Reliever-To-Rotation Experiments: July Edition
• Blue Jays Place Isiah Kiner-Falefa On Injured List, Recall Leo Jimenez For Major League Debut
• James Wood’s Nationals debut keeps the line of young, potential superstars in D.C. moving ($)
• Diamondbacks Place Jordan Montgomery On Injured List
• Johnny Cueto Opts Out Of Minor League Deal With Rangers
• Today in Baseball History

Best of X:

Roster moves.

An auspicious date from early Oakland A’s history.

Injury updates

#9,000

Good deal/

/bad deal.