I’ve always struggled to find 20 legitimate players to include in the A’s list. But, this year, it was easier. Are all of them guaranteed to be in the Major Leagues? No, but there’s no denying that the system is better.
Nick Kurtz and Jacob Wilson lead the list and are entirely different players. Kurtz could be a power-hitting first baseman with high OBP skills, and Wilson is a light-hitting middle infielder who could hit .300. Both are great defenders and could become fixtures in Oakland by the end of the 2025 season.
Colby Thomas jumped up this season and showed power and speed (31 home runs and 15 stolen bases) but also struck out 30% of the time in Double-A. Luis Morales is the top-ranked pitcher and can touch 100 MPH with his fastball.
There is also plenty of depth in the system, more than I’ve seen in years.
Prospect Snapshot
- Top Prospect: Nick Kurtz
- Biggest Mover: Colby Thomas
- Biggest Disappointment: Darrel Hernaiz – I thought he would be better, but he didn’t hit in his time in Oakland.
- Emerging Prospect: Gage Jump
1. Nick Kurtz (1B, #4)
- Highest Level: Double-A ETA: 2025-26 Fantasy Ceiling: Top 15 1B
- Last Updated: 01/07/2025
- Tools Summary: He has an elite understanding of the strike zone and 25+ home run power but is limited defensively.
There was an early buzz of Nick Kurtz going 1:1 last July, but he had to settle for going as the fourth overall pick. While he was a walk-machine in college (30% BB-Rate), overly passive approaches in professional ball usually don’t end up well. I’ve heard some Kyle Schwarber comps and some Andrew Vaughn comparisons. I think he’s somewhere between the two, as he doesn’t have Schwarber’s raw talent, but he has more bat speed than Vaughn. However, I always thought Vaughn would hit as a professional, and he hasn’t.
He got off to a solid start to his professional career, showing power and the type of understanding of the strike zone he showed in college. In seven games in Low-A, he hit .400 with four home runs and was quickly promoted to Double-A. Unfortunately, after a week, he pulled his hamstring and spent the last three weeks of the season on the IL. He’s expected to be ready for Spring Training.
If it all comes together, the ceiling is a power-hitting 1B/DH with 25+ home run pop and a .250/.350/.450 slash line.
2. Jacob Wilson (SS)
- Highest Level: Majors ETA: 2025 Fantasy Ceiling: Middle Infielder
- Last Updated: 01/07/2025
- Tools Summary: He makes extreme contact with modest speed and power.
Jacob Wilson’s father, Jack Wilson, played in the big leagues for 12 years, mainly with the Pittsburgh Pirates. Like his father, he’s a plus defender with little power but makes crazy contact. He flew through the minor leagues in 2024, playing three weeks at each level (High-A, Double-A, and Triple) before making his MLB Debut on July 19. He got his first hit in his first at-bat and promptly pulled his hamstring. He missed over a month of playing time.
Wilson can flat-out hit. He rarely strikes and posted a 99.2% z-contact rate in Triple-A (93.5% in MLB). In other words, he hit everything that was a strike. He will expand the strike zone but chokes up with two strikes to avoid striking out. There’s not much power or speed, so he won’t contribute much from a fantasy standpoint. It smells and feels like Luis Arraez 2.0 to me,
3. Colby Thomas (OF)
- Highest Level: Triple-A ETA: 2025 Fantasy Ceiling: Top 50 OF with upside
- Last Updated: 01/07/2025
- Tools Summary: He’s a toolsy outfielder with 20 to 25 home run pop and some stolen bases with pressure on his batting average.
Colby Thomas is a toolsy outfielder with some contact issues. He was a better hitter in college and was one of the reasons the A’s took him in the third round in 2022. However, his chase rate (36%) has increased as he’s moved through the minor leagues, and consequently, the strikeout rate has increased. In 2024, he looked better in Double-A, as he only struck out 18% of the time. However, after his promotion to Triple-A in mid-June, the strikeouts returned.
Not to bury the lead, Thomas hit 31 home runs and stole 15 bases. That will play. Sure, it might come with a low batting average with only 50 points more for OBP, but he could be a source of cheap power with a little bit of speed. I don’t think it will be at the level of Brent Rooker, who also strikes out a lot, but Thomas could pop 20 to 25 home runs with a .250 batting average and steal 8 to 10 bases. That would make him a solid number-three outfielder but with downside pressure on his batting average.
4. Luis Morales (RHP)
- Highest Level: High-A ETA: 2026 Fantasy Ceiling: Top 45 starter or Closer with extreme risk
- Last Updated: 01/07/2025
- Tools Summary: He has a big fastball that will touch 100 MPH. His control is inconsistent, but plenty of athleticism suggests he will eventually develop at least average control.
Luis Morales is a Cuban Émigré that the A’s signed for a robust $3 million in the 2023 International window. He has a big arm with a fastball that sits 97 to 98 MPH (T 100) but is pretty firm through the zone. He also throws a 90 MPH change-up that lacks fade and a mid-80s curveball with an excellent shape. He has some reverse splits, which might indicate that his curveball needs improvement. He has a grip-it and rip-it delivery that has some effort. He doesn’t always throw strikes, but I like the athleticism and believe he’ll throw more strikes over time.
He looks like a starter to me but needs more time to develop. I wish he pitched in another organization, but at worst, I think he’s a high-leveraged arm out of the bullpen. He’s a kid to invest in.
5. Steven Echavarria (RHP)
- Highest Level: Low-A ETA: 2027 Fantasy Ceiling: Top 45 SP
- Last Updated: 01/07/2025
- Tools Summary: His fastball is topping out at 98 MPH with a great-looking delivery. He has a long way to go, but with the building blocks of a mid-rotation starter.
Steven Echavarria was the A’s third-round pick in 2023 and signed for $3 million, which was $2 million overslot. He’s a projectable right-handed pitcher starting to see more velocity – hitting 98 MPH a few times during the season. He showed an improved curveball but has yet to master the change-up. Echavarria’s simple and athletic delivery should allow him to throw strikes eventually—something he didn’t do well in 2024 (5.3 BB/9).
While there’s a lot to work on, there are the building blocks for a number three starter, if not more. Echavarria is a kid to invest in now in deeper Dynasty Leagues.
6. Tommy White (3B, #40)
- Highest Level: Low-A ETA: 2026 Fantasy Ceiling: Top 15 3B
- Last Updated: 01/07/2025
- Tools Summary: He has 70-grade power and should make enough contact to reach 25 home runs annually. He is aggressive at the plate, which could limit his ceiling.
Tommy White lasted until the first pick in the second round of the 2024 Draft. I think the A’s got value here, particularly if he can improve his OBP skills. The power appears legit.
He had back-to-back 24 home run seasons for LSU. His exit velocities were some of the best at the MLB combines, which supports his 70-power grade. He is aggressive at the plate but only struck out 12% of the time in his draft year in college. He’s a solid defender at third base, but there is no speed.
The A’s assigned him to Low-A shortly after he signed, but he didn’t play well. In 119 plate appearances, he hit .224 with two home runs. I don’t want to read too much into the stats because it was a small sample size.
If it all comes together, he could be a 25-home-run power bat who hits .260 with a low .300s OBP.
7. Cooper Bowman (2B)
- Highest Level: Triple-A ETA: 2025 Fantasy Ceiling: Middle Infielder
- Last Updated: 01/07/2025
- Tools Summary: Plus speed with an improved approach at the plate.
Cooper Bowman was part of the return when the Yankees traded for Frankie Montes and Lou Trivino at the trade deadline in 2022. He was a fourth-round pick in 2021 who controls the strike zone well, showing plus speed with enough pop to at least hit for plenty of doubles at the highest level. While I wouldn’t characterize him as a burner, he stole 38 of 41 bases in 2023 and 43 of 49 in 2024.
I don’t see a star, but he plays for a team where he should get a chance. That chance might come in 2025. I would be making a small investment here.
8. Henry Bolte (OF)
- Highest Level: Double-A ETA: 2026 Fantasy Ceiling: Top 50 OF if he can make enough contact
- Last Updated: 01/07/2025
- Tools Summary: He has loud tools but with significant swing-and-miss in his game.
Henry Bolte was the A’s second-round pick in 2022. He has loud tools with serious swing-and-miss in his game. In 112 games in Low-A in 2023, he struck out a third of the time. In 69 games in High-A in 2024, he’s struck out… a third of the time. In Double-A…wait for it…he struck out a third of the time (actually 39% of the time).
He’s a 70-runner with excellent bat speed that should translate into future power. However, if he doesn’t reduce his strikeout rate, he’ll likely end up in the Sam Hillard “what could have been players.”
9. Max Muncy (SS)
- Highest Level: Triple-A ETA: 2025 Fantasy Ceiling: Middle Infielder
- Last Updated: 01/07/2025
- Tools Summary: He spent a good chunk of the season on the IL with a hand issue. When healthy, he provides 12-12 type of upside with pressure on his batting average.
Max Muncy spent most of the first half of the season on the IL with a hand problem. He returned in July, and after a rehab assignment in the ACL, he was assigned to Triple-A.
Muncy brings excellent defense, a little pop, and above-average speed to the field. I don’t see him as an impact performer, but his defense gives him a floor of a utility player. If he made better contact, I would be more bullish on his offensive upside. But he expands the strike zone too much and doesn’t recognize spin well. His chase rate and z-contact rank are in the bottom third of the league.
From a fantasy standpoint, the upside is a middle infielder with 10 to 12 home run pop and similar speed potential. It might come with a .250 batting average, limiting his appeal.
10. Mason Barnett (RHP)
- Highest Level: Double-A ETA: 2025 Fantasy Ceiling: Top 60 SP or bullpen arm
- Last Updated: 01/07/2025
- Tools Summary: His fastball and control have taken a step forward in 2024.
Mason Burnett was the Royals’ third-round pick in 2022 and has pitched with an improved fastball and better control in 2024. The fastball now sits in the mid-90s and will touch higher. His curveball continues to be his best pitch. The most encouraging aspect of his game is that he’s throwing more strikes. That didn’t stop the Royals from trading him at the deadline to the A’s for Lucas Erceg. He pitched even better with Oakland, posting a .261 ERA in seven starts.
He’s only 6 feet tall, and conventional wisdom suggests he will be homer-prone. To emphasize the point, his home run rate has been creeping up as he’s moved to the upper levels of the minor leagues. The upside is a number four starter or a bullpen arm.
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