Friday, October 16

Hello! Welcome to another edition of the A’s Beat newsletter.

The Athletics have developed a promising young core of players at the Major League level over the past few years, with homegrown talent such as Nick Kurtz, Tyler Soderstrom, Jacob Wilson and Lawrence Butler laying the foundation for what the organization believes will be the group that can lead it back to the playoffs.

The pipeline does not stop there. Here’s a look at some other young players who could soon make an impact:

3 players who forced their way onto the radar this year

OF Henry Bolte

Bolte graduated from his status as a top prospect to a budding star this season. Called up from Triple-A Las Vegas on May 12, Bolte quickly seized an everyday role in center field for the A’s. He finished his rookie campaign slashing .277/.359/.405 with 11 home runs, 16 doubles, 38 RBIs, 57 runs and 21 stolen bases in 119 games, becoming just the third rookie in franchise history with 10 homers and 20 steals in a season and the first since Mitchell Page in 1977.

With his exciting combination of speed and power, Bolte might only just be scratching the surface of the type of player he will develop into. The A’s certainly see superstar potential in the 23-year-old outfielder.

2B/SS Joshua Kuroda-Grauer (A’s No. 4 prospect)

The A’s 2024 Draft class produced three more big leaguers this season, including Kuroda-Grauer, who got off to a sensational start by showing off his excellent bat-to-ball skills before sustaining a brutal injury in July that required emergency surgery due to a ruptured testicle. At the time of injury, the infielder was batting .417 (25-for-60), with his 25 hits tied with “Honest” Eddie Murphy (1912) for most in A’s history by a player over his first 16 games.

Kuroda-Grauer was able to return for five games before the end of the season. Even with all the time missed on the IL, the 23-year-old has positioned himself well to enter Spring Training as a strong candidate for what should be an open second base job.

C Cole Conn (No. 21 prospect)

Somewhat unheralded at the time he entered the organization in 2023 as a 12th-round Draft pick out of the University of Illinois-Chicago, Conn has flown under the radar with modest production at each level. His production took a sizable step forward this season, earning a move to Triple-A on Aug. 4 after slashing .281/.400/.438 with seven home runs, 15 doubles and 37 RBIs in 70 games for Double-A Midland. With Las Vegas, Conn hit .295 with an .875 OPS, six homers, 11 doubles and 23 RBIs in 36 games.

With Jonah Heim set to become a free agent, the backup catcher role should be wide open for the A’s coming into Spring Training. A switch-hitting backstop who is also versatile with the ability to play all three outfield spots, Conn stands a strong chance to make his Major League debut at some point next season, perhaps as early as Opening Day.

2 possible breakout players to watch in 2027

LHP Jamie Arnold (A’s No. 3 prospect/MLB No. 55 prospect)

Arnold, the 11th overall pick by the A’s out of Florida State in the 2025 MLB Draft, earned a promotion to Triple-A Las Vegas in September. His season came to a scary end as he was struck in the face by a line drive on Sept. 8, but the left-hander fortunately did not require surgery and is expected to have a normal offseason. The A’s must improve their pitching next season to take that step forward into hopeful playoff contention, and Arnold is expected to be part of that improvement.

OF Devin Taylor (No. 7 prospect)

It doesn’t get much better for a first full season of pro ball than what Taylor just turned in. Starting the year out at High-A Lansing, Taylor dominated the level to earn a promotion to Double-A Midland after just 57 games. Performing even better in the Texas League, he was then promoted to Triple-A in September, where the massive success at the plate continued. Between the three levels, Taylor combined to slash .308/.411/.493 (.904 OPS) with 23 homers, 29 doubles and 106 RBIs in 141 games. The A’s outfield is crowded, but Taylor is doing all he can to force his way to the Majors at some point next season as arguably the organization’s top Minor League hitter.

1 big question for next season

What is the timeline for Leo De Vries?

Slashing .290/.378/.458 (.836 OPS) with 13 homers, 21 doubles, 55 RBIs and 34 stolen bases through his first 93 games at Double-A Midland, De Vries was well on his way towards a promotion to Triple-A when a shoulder injury derailed his season and ultimately led to surgery to address instability in his right shoulder. Looking at a recovery time of around eight months, the 20-year-old phenom is looking at a return to action around May at the earliest. That leaves his ETA to the big leagues a bit more unclear, though he is certainly talented enough to hop right back onto that fast track if he can pick back up where he left off.

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