Monday, May 18

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MESA, Ariz. -- Jacob Wilson and Leo De Vries dominate the conversation when it comes to shortstops in the Athletics organization, one coming off an impressive campaign as American League Rookie of the Year runner-up and the other one of MLB’s elite prospects who could debut as early as this year.

As the new A’s Top 30 Prospects list released by MLB Pipeline on Wednesday, however, don’t forget about another shortstop who has steadily been climbing his way through the system: Joshua Kuroda-Grauer.

Ranked the A’s No. 10 prospect, Kuroda-Grauer entered Spring Training with much less fanfare than the two aforementioned shortstops, but there’s a reason why the club invited him for his first big league camp.

“He’s a really good defender,” A’s director of player development Ed Sprague said. “He’s in the Wilson profile in terms of bat-to-ball skills. … He played really good defense at short, then got some time at third when we moved Leo to Double-A and he played outstanding at third. I was really surprised.”

Drafted by the A’s in the third round of the 2024 MLB Draft out of Rutgers, Kuroda-Grauer has risen multiple levels in a short time thanks to his strong play. Last season, he began at High-A Lansing and earned a second-half promotion to Double-A Midland, combining to slash .296/.359/.372 with 33 extra-base hits in 121 games. He also got some time in the Arizona Fall League, where he hit .345 with an .898 OPS in 18 games.

What has really stood out about Kuroda-Grauer, or “JKG” as some teammates and coaches call him, is his ability to make contact. Much like Wilson in the Majors, Kuroda-Grauer has been extremely difficult to strike out in the Minors. Last year, he struck out just 49 times in 549 plate appearances.

“I definitely think it’s a natural ability,” Kuroda-Grauer said. “It’s not something that I try to work on. I hate striking out. So, just being able to put the ball in play and chase hits, that’s the biggest thing for me.”

When it comes to Kuroda-Grauer’s development, Sprague pointed to his lack of power as an area of his they’d like him to improve. They want to see him drive balls into the gap with more force.

Heeding those words this offseason, Kuroda-Grauer added 25 pounds to his 5-foot-10 frame this winter, jumping up in weight to about 205 pounds.

“It was a ton of lifting,” Kuroda-Grauer said. “I probably lifted about six days a week in the offseason. Then, just eating a lot of chicken and rice. That was my go-to.”

The added muscle is something Kuroda-Grauer will help to hit the ball harder and increase his overall exit velocities. So far this spring, the 23-year-old infielder has already noticed the ball jumping off his bat much harder than it ever has in his career.

“I’m going to always be a great bat-to-ball guy,” said Kuroda-Grauer. “Adding these pounds and being able to take some chances in some plus counts, I think that’s going to help me get the ball in the air more to the pull side.”

Another word that constantly pops up in Kuroda-Grauer’s scouting reports is something you can’t teach: Character.

Since joining the organization, and even dating back to college, Kuroda-Grauer has been lauded for his “makeup” and “leadership qualities” at an early age.

Where does that come from?

“I think it just comes from my parents,” Kuroda-Grauer said. “I was raised just trying to always be a nice person. Always be caring, give back and be respectful. Things they instilled me that I think are pretty normal things to have. Just be a good person. … Not everyone’s like that, but that’s how they raised me.”

Kuroda-Grauer was raised by two mothers, Sumi Kuroda and Edie Grauer. The two have been his biggest supporters throughout his career and life.

“They’re the reason I get up and go to work every day,” Kuroda-Grauer said. “I hope that I’m able to get to the big leagues and get them a house and everything. The support they give me all the time, it’s unmatched.”

Kuroda-Grauer will likely continue that big league journey at Double-A to begin the season. Before that, though, he’s making good impression on A’s manager Mark Kotsay and his staff.

“The looks we’ve had, I’ve been impressed,” Kotsay said. “We had a meeting with the development staff prior to camp, and there are a lot of guys who are really impressed with his abilities and how he plays the game.”

“I feel like we're a lot deeper. The younger guys got some experience last year, which is always crucial. Then, guys like Gage Jump and Jamie Arnold are knocking on the door any minute. I've seen them throw a couple of times now, and they’re very, very, talented left-handers. … I expect us to pitch a whole lot better as a staff this year.” -- Jeffrey Springs, on the pitching talent in A’s camp this spring.

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