Athletics Prospects: Denzel Clarke hits for the cycle

It seems to all be coming together for Clarke, while in Vegas Jacob Wilson continues to prove he’s the system’s top prospects

The major leaguers are out on their rehab assignments for the Oakland Athletics, with four guys down in Stockton building back up to strength. The stars of the system were the prospects though, with big weeks at the plate from Jacob Wilson, Denzel Clarke, and Myles Naylor. Jack Perkins had the best performance of the week in the system, though Steven Echavarria didn’t trail far behind with his seven strikeouts for Stockton.

Las Vegas Aviators

Record: 43-44, 6-6 2nd half, 3rd in PCL West (5.5 GB)

Season stats

• Nick Allen - 43 G, 202 PA, 2 HR, 9.4% BB, 13.4% K, .346/.406/.475, 122 wRC+
• Joe Boyle - 15 ⅓ IP, 11.15 ERA, 30.5% BB, 22.0% K, 2 HR, 8.36 FIP
• Logan Davidson - 38 G, 149 PA, 4 HR, 6.7% BB, 35.6% K, .289/.349/.467, 99 wRC+
• JT Ginn - 39 ⅔ IP, 7.03 ERA, 10.0% BB, 27.2% K, 9 HR, 6.07 FIP
• Max Muncy - 22 G, 87 PA, 2 HR, 9.2% BB, 23.0% K, .274/.379/.438, 108 wRC+
• Ryan Noda - 55 G, 250 PA, 12 HR, 20.4% BB, 28.8% K, .232/.400/.495, 123 wRC+
• Colby Thomas - 17 G, 77 PA, 3 HR, 9.1% BB, 27.3% K, .273/.377/.485, 115 wRC+
• Jacob Wilson - 15 G, 70 PA, 4 HR, 7.1% BB, 4.3% K, .446/.486/.738, 202 wRC+

Top Performers

Jacob Wilson has seemed not to miss a single beat since his promotion and injured list stint, and if anything he has been better at Triple-A than Double-A. Wilson had two more home runs last week, giving him seven on the season and 31 extra base hits in 42 games. Everyone knew that Wilson had generational contact skill, but it’s still been amazing just how much better he has been at putting the ball to the bat compared to everyone else. Wilson has a 3.4% whiff rate in his 15 games at Triple-A this season, a number that is less than half of the second-lowest whiff rate of 7.7%. The current major league leader in that category is Steven Kwan, whose 5.9% whiff rate is by a significant margin the lowest in the Statcast era, with second place being 7.1%. Wilson’s chase rates are still a concern and among the highest on the Aviators roster, and accordingly his results on changeups and breaking balls are less than ideal even though he does make contact at a high rate. What Wilson does do well is turn on anything on the inner half of the plate, and while his overall hard hit and exit velocity numbers are mediocre Wilson has an 89.6 average exit velocity to the pull side. I think that as long as he is hitting for that pull side power that will be enough to mitigate his offensive weaknesses elsewhere, but the real question is going to be whether he can find an attack plan on changeups that doesn’t involve him rolling over or popping up the pitch. It’s a pitifully small sample, but Wilson has an average exit velocity of 77.9 mph on changeups.

Colby Thomas is hitting the wall there was some expectation he would hit at the Triple-A level, as his approach is starting to pose problems. Without the same level of contact skill that Wilson has Thomas is being tested with everyone out of the zone and has struggled to make contact with everything including fastballs. He made both a combination of little contact and awful contact last week and was unsurprisingly in for a terrible week. Thomas will have to improve his approach, and while I think he can survive having trouble with spin and offspeed stuff given his power, he can’t miss fastballs at a rate over 30% and still be a major league player. It’s a tough adjustment and I don’t expect Thomas to continue to have as many issues as he has with fastballs, but right now it is ugly and the idea of a smooth transition to Triple-A has been left thoroughly in the dust.

Logan Davidson has been solid since returning from the injured list, though he is still facing issues with making contact. Davidson’s whiff rates are concerningly high and he doesn’t draw enough walks to offset it, but at the very least he has been hitting the ball hard and showing that there is a semblance of power there is he gets to it. On the pitching side of things we got a funky outing from Joe Boyle, as his command is still unplayably bad. That said this time he had his stuff dialed in a bit more and Oklahoma City was completely helpless. They could not even come close to hitting his fastball or slider, and it’s great to see him in dominant form. I really see Boyle as one of the organizations X-Factors the rest of this year and going into the next. The A’s are probably not as far from being a contending team as you might think — having Wilson come up will help their infield defense and hitting and the team is probably a good defensive center fielder and an all star level pitcher away from being a team that contends for the final wild card spot. A lot would have to go right, but the right guys have emerged and if Boyle can get back on track and stay healthy, and be even half the pitcher he was at the end of last year, the A’s are going to be right on the cusp of having a solid team.

Midland Rockhounds

Record: 48-34, 8-5 2nd half, 3rd TL South, (2.5 GB)

Season stats

• Henry Bolte - 6 G, 30 PA, 1 HR, 13.3% BB, 36.7% K, .308/.400/.462, 145 wRC+
• Cooper Bowman - 67 G, 307 PA, 8 HR, 12.1% BB, 21.5% K, .262/.359/.412, 119 wRC+
• Denzel Clarke - 65 G, 261 PA, 10 HR, 5.7% BB, 34.9% K, .248/.299/.455, 107 wRC+
• Ryan Cusick - 26 ⅓ IP, 7.18 ERA, 14.3% BB, 21.8% K, 3 HR, 5.15 FIP
• James Gonzalez - 56 IP, 3.54 ERA, 8.5% BB, 21.2% K, 2 HR, 3.33 FIP
• Gunnar Hoglund - 93 ⅔ IP, 2.88 ERA, 6.9% BB, 22.4% K, 11 HR, 4.20 FIP
• Brennan Milone - 74 G, 315 PA, 7 HR, 10.5% BB, 21.9% K, .273/.359/.415, 119 wRC+
• Royber Salinas - 36 ⅔ IP, 3.68 ERA, 15.8% BB, 25.5% K, 5 HR, 5.40 FIP
• Daniel Susac - 49 G, 205 PA, 6 HR, 3.9% BB, 27.8% K, .290/.327/.440, 113 wRC+

Top Performers

I am almost daring to say that it’s happening for Denzel Clarke, and now my only hope is that he can just stay healthy long enough to actually let these improvements stick. Clarke has three home runs this month already and hit for the cycle on the 4th, and now he is starting to make contact at a high rate. Clarke’s approach on breaking balls still leaves much to be desired, but he is making contact at a solid rate and when he is making contact he is so strong to all fields that he is going to have success. I expect Clarke, like Thomas, to struggle when he eventually makes it to Triple-A and I wouldn’t mind him playing the rest of 2024 out in Midland, but when he is rolling it is a thing of beauty and since the start of June Clarke has a 25% strikeout rate, a 182 wRC+, and a .346 isolated power.

Henry Bolte has been somewhat exposed by Double-A pitching, which is something I also expected would happen at least for a bit. Bolte has some contact questions and has struck out quite a bit, but he has made hard contact when he puts the ball in play and his command of the zone and his ability to recognize spin is better than Clarke’s right now. I think the strikeouts will come down as he adjusts, but he doesn’t at all look out of place in the league and seems to be handling higher level pitching with relative ease. Daniel Susac has kept his hot-hitting up and has been on a tear, with a 278 wRC+ and sub-20% strikeout rate over his past 20 games. His swing path has been simplified a bit and it’s allowing him to get to contact more consistently, and I think Susac is strong enough that he will still find power as long as he is making that contact. The approach is really his red flag, and it’s work than even a player like Thomas, to the point that I’m not even sure he’s ready to make the Triple-A transition yet even with his improvements. Susac will take a bit of time, but I still like him more than most probably do.

It was a terrific week for the pitching in Midland as well, which is probably why they went 5-1. We’ve been waiting on Jack Perkins to get healthy for the entire season, and finally he is on the field and has looked excellent in Midland. Perkins struck out nine batters over four scoreless innings, changing levels well and really landing his slider glove side. This was the best I’ve seen his slider look, granted with very few looks this season, and with the pitch he showed last week that would give him a true major-league quality out pitch and a good enough mix with his fastball, changeup, and cutter behind it to see him as a #4 starter even if the command never fully progresses. Gunnar Hoglund kept his consistent course with another five scoreless innings, and James Gonzalez had five strikeouts over four scoreless innings. Gonzalez has settled in to Double-A well after a solid start, though I’m still not sure I think his arsenal is deep enough to overcome his less-than-stellar command. Hoglund has been a steady improver, and the more he pitches the more impressive he looks. Everything is rounding into form for him, and he could very well end up getting a shot at the rotation in the major leagues next year. Perkins though is the best of the group, and I think Oakland should seriously consider pushing to get him a chance at least in Triple-A and maybe in the major leagues this season. I want to see a bit more slider consistency, but it’s a pitch mix that is nearly major league ready and I could see him being a real contributor to the team in 2025.

Lansing Lugnuts

Record: 38-43, 6-10 2nd half, 6th in MWL East, (4 GB)

Season stats

• Euribiel Angeles - 73 G, 309 PA, 6 HR, 4.9% BB, 11.7% K, .293/.327/.424, 111 wRC+
• Brayan Buelvas - 74 G, 331 PA, 6 HR, 12.7% BB, 23.0% K, .261/.360/.428, 124 wRC+
• Will Johnston - 40 ⅓ IP, 5.58 ERA, 9.8% BB, 28.7% K, 5 HR, 4.05 FIP
• Luis Morales - 43 ⅔ IP, 4.12 ERA, 9.9% BB, 23.1% K, 5 HR, 4.37 FIP
• Will Simpson - 72 G, 311 PA, 9 HR, 15.8% BB, 26.7% K, .275/.389/.473, 143 wRC+
• Chen Zhong-Ao Zhuang - 22 IP, 2.05 ERA, 3.6% BB, 25.3% K, 0 HR, 2.00 FIP

Top Performers

A couple of home runs last week certainly made Will Simpson’s line look a little brighter, and overall I think he is on the right track. Power output was a bit of a red flag early in the season for him, but he is swinging with and hitting with more authority now with five home runs and a .244 isolated power over his last 22 games. Simpson doesn’t really have the high-level contact skill to be a major league contributor without hitting for power, so I’m fine with him selling out for home runs and hoping the bat develops enough to make up for it. It’s a tough profile but I like the progressions so far.

The offense though was generally unexciting, with the only other interest coming from Luke Mann. Mann had a home run and an .850 OPS last week, and he’s been a great find for a 14th round pick. He’s nothing I could project to a starting role because there isn’t really enough of a hit tool there and he doesn’t play a premium defensive position, but there is a lot of power there to see a bench role as a possibility.

The one performance that jumps out from last week was Will Johnston, who struck out eight batters over four scoreless innings. Johnston’s mediocre command of his pitches and lack of a quality secondary has led to some struggles at High-A, but with his fastball shape he can be fantastic when he locates that pitch well. I don’t see him starting long term, but he shows flashes of a guy who can be a legitimate major league reliever. The question now centers around Luis Morales, who has had a couple of odd starts and then only threw 25 pitches before being pulled from his start last night. Morales hasn’t been missing many bats as of late, though I haven’t seen a dip in his stuff that would indicate reason for concern. However he left after two scoreless innings where nothing seemed to be particularly wrong with him.

Stockton Ports

Record: 32-48, 6-10 2nd half, 4th in CAL North, 6 GB

Season stats

• Steven Echavarria - 36 IP, 6.00 ERA, 11.5% BB, 20.8% K, 1 HR, 4.40 FIP
• Ryan Lasko - 76 G, 362 PA, 4 HR, 14.9% BB, 26.8% K, .222/.356/.316, 93 wRC+
• Nate Nankil - 68 G, 294 PA, 8 HR, 13.3% BB, 18.4% K, .286/.408/.465, 138 wRC+
• Myles Naylor - 71 G, 310 PA, 8 HR, 17.1% BB, 31.9% K, .200/.339/.333, 89 wRC+

Top Performers

Stockton is now a hub of intrigue, with four key Oakland players making rehab appearances there. The biggest of these is Esteury Ruiz, who played on Tuesday and had a hit and a walk. Ruiz is one of those whose progression will be key if the A’s are to reach the next level and start to contend, and I’m curious to see if they send him straight back to Oakland or give him some time again in Vegas after he struggled this season after promotion. Paul Blackburn’s first start back was a poor one, as he walked two batters and didn’t get out of the first inning. Blackburn seemed to be quite off, throwing only 11 of his 24 pitches for strikes, and the A’s will probably give him at least two more starts to stretch out though it’s not clear what level he’ll make those starts at.

Ross Stripling also struggled yesterday, though at least he threw 17 of his 24 pitches for strikes. Stripling was the one who made the start in that game, but didn’t get out of the first inning as he allowed a run on two hits and a walk. Kyle Muller had his rehab transferred to Stockton last week, and being further along in the process looked better with three innings on 61 pitches. The Athletics seem to be stretching him out so I wonder if they’re going to give him another shot to be a starter, though I personally think that ship has long ago sailed.

The players who actually belong in Stockton outperformed their rehabbing counterparts, especially Steven Echavarria. Echavarria is really finding his footing, and the strike zone, and over his last three starts has been nothing short of dominant. This week was by far his best, as he struck out a career-high seven batters over 4 ²⁄₃ innings. When Echavarria is consistently in the zone it is clear his fastball and slider are advanced over what A-ball hitters can handle, and if we can get more of this he will answer some of the questions I had about him coming into the year. He was matched in strikeouts by Jackson Finley, who struck out seven of the nine batters he faced. Over his past six outings Finley is striking out over ¹⁄₃ of his batters faced and has thrown strikes consistently, and I don’t see how there is enough talent in Lansing to not give him a promotion though the A’s may be waiting to add depth in the draft before making wholesale moves.

Myles Naylor has had a good week, with two home runs and four doubles over his past five games. It’s a show when Naylor can make contact, he has such easy power that it’s easy to see why the Athletics were so excited to take him last season. Naylor’s approach and swing have been inconsistent, but he’s not been a disappointment at all for me especially if he can get back to hitting for power like earlier this season. Nate Nankil has remained the most consistent player on the team, and is now on a 12 game hitting streak. Nankil has a 1.262 OPS in that time, and while his strikeouts have ticked up in the past few weeks it has also come with a relative increase in power production. Nankil is another that could worth promoting soon, and I have been very impressed by his defensive versatility and hit tool.

ACL Athletics

Record: 16-31, 5th in ACL East, 15.5 GB

Season Stats

• German Ortiz - 41 G, 187 PA, 2 HR, 16.6% BB, 17.6% K, .291/.425/.384, 121 wRC+
• Carlos Pacheco - 34 G, 133 PA, 2 HR, 10.5% BB, 25.6% K, .234/.371/.364, 99 wRC+

Top Performers

We are finally going to get to see Max Muncy back in action, and it’s been tough seeing him basically lose the entire year so far. Muncy really was coming into his own in Vegas at such a young age, and while there is a bit more of a crowd there now he and Wilson will be a fun duo. His rehab is going well as he has four hits, three of them doubles, in ten at bats though he also has five strikeouts. The standout performer from the past week was Joseph Rodriguez, who had three home runs with two of them coming in the same game. Rodriguez is 21 and doesn’t really have a hit tool to speak of, but it is always interesting to see these guys have randomly good weeks. Carlos Pacheco is much less random, and even though the strikeouts remain high he has been getting hits and had a 1.283 OPS last week. I have concerns about the hit tool here, but it seems like Pacheco hits the ball hard and could be Stockton’s most interesting player next year.

DSL A’s

Record: 9-14, 7th in DSL West, 7.5 GB

Season Stats

• Erick Matos - 15 ⅓ IP, 4.70 ERA, 17.6% BB, 18.9% K, 0 HR, 5.34 FIP
• Edgar Montero - 23 G, 103 PA, 1 HR, 17.5% BB, 22.3% K, .214/.353/.369, 98 wRC+
• Jose Ramos - 22 G, 91 PA, 0 HR, 17.6% BB, 30.8% K .187/.330/.267, 74 wRC+
• Sebastian Rojas - 21 G, 82 PA, 1 HR, 9.8% BB, 13.4% K, .234/.370/.328, 107 wRC+
• Oliver Sirotti - 5 ⅓ IP, 3.38 ERA, 4.2% BB, 37.5% K, 1 HR, 3.74 FIP
• Franco Zabaleta - 16 ⅔ IP, 5.40 ERA, 11.5% BB, 25.6% K, 0 HR, 3.52 FIP

An interesting player to watch in the DSL is Oliver Sirotti, a guy I know nothing about but who is 17 years old, listed at 6’3, and so far has 11 strikeouts to three walks in 6 ¹⁄₃ innings. This comes after his worst game on Sunday when he issued two walks in his lone inning, but he has otherwise been dominant. It’s not often you get performances like this from the guys down in the DSL and I’m going to see what info I can find out on him because often the top international pitchers are guys who just develop at the right time and come out of nowhere.

The offense in the DSL has been struggling, with Sebastian Rojas not even reaching base last week. All of the guys that came in as highly regarded prospects have been mediocre to bad, though largely I discount most DSL statistics as noise especially in these samples.

The guys over at Baseball America dropped their midseason top 30s for every team, and as always they did great work. Among the national publications it’s by far the best Athletics list in my opinion. Link to that.

I’ve got a bit of draft coverage I’m going to go through in the next few days, and overall we have a lot of draft stuff planned. I’ll be around heavily this weekend and we’ll be writing up the top picks individually, along with some thoughts after the draft. Before the draft I’ll get a round up of any mock drafts and rumors, as well as a look at what I think Oakland should do at #4, then after the draft I’ll run a signing tracker to keep up with everyone the A’s are able to sign.