Athletics’ Community Prospect List: Thomas lays claim to #6 spot
Who will be the seventh-best prospect?
We are well underway into the Community Prospect List, where you the reader get to be a voter and vote for who you think should be the next best-ranked prospect in the Athletics’ system. Taking the #6 slot, based off all of your votes, is young outfielder Colby Thomas.
Thomas is a slugging right-handed corner outfielder who the club drafted in the third round a few years ago. He started his pro career in 2023 season at Low-A of the minors but earned a promotion to the next level by years’ end. He started the most recent season at Double-A Midland and again earned a promotion to the next level. In 73 games at the minor’s highest level Thomas looked right at home, slashing .272/.344/.599 with 17 home runs and a trio of stolen bases for the Aviators. Based off those numbers you have to imagine that the club will be taking a look at Thomas in the big leagues at some point this season. Left field is aching for a long-term option and Thomas could end up being that option, and sooner than later based off his quick ascent up the minor league ladder. A’s fans clearly think very highly of him.
It was a narrow vote for the next name to be added to the nominees list. The new name added to the top five nominees is right-hander Gunnar Hoglund, a right-handed starting pitching prospect The final remaining piece from the infamous Matt Chapman trade with Toronto, the former 1st-round draft pick finally looked healthy and had encouraging results at Double-A last year. He struggled a bit at the top level of the minors but could be an option for the big league club depending on how things shake out. Expect to see plenty of him early and often during camp in a couple weeks.
Anyways, the voting continues! The process for this public vote is explained below. Please take a moment to read this before participating:
- Please only vote for one. The player with the most votes at the end of voting will win the ranked spot. The remaining four players move on to the next ballot where they are joined by a new nominee.
- If a prospect is traded, his name will be crossed out, and all other players will be moved up a space. If a prospect is acquired, a special vote will be put up to determine where that player should rank.
- If you wish to nominate a prospect for the next round, clearly comment, “Nomination: (player)” and fellow readers will upvote your comment.
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A’s fans top prospects, ranked:
1: Jacob Wilson, SS
2: Nick Kurtz, 1B
3. Luis Morales, RHP
4. Denzel Clarke, OF
5. Max Muncy, SS
6. Colby Thomas, OF
The voting continues now! Here’s a quick rundown on each one — the scouting grades (on a 20-to-80 scale) and scouting reports come from MLB Pipeline (last updated mid-2024).
Nominees on the current ballot:
Tommy White, 3B
Expected level: A+ | Age 21
2019 stats (A): 107 PA, .224/.303/.299, 2 doubles, 2 HR, 14 RBI, 9 BB, 21 K, 0 SB
MLB Pipeline grades and scouting report:
Scouting grades: Hit: 55 | Power: 60 | Run: 30 | Arm: 50 | Field: 40 | Overall: 50
White generates huge right-handed power to all fields with strength, bat speed and an uncanny ability to barrel balls. Known more for his slugging, he’s underrated as a hitter who makes repeated contact with impressive exit velocities. Though he’s overly aggressive and regularly expands his strike zone, he rarely swings and misses.
As a well-below-average runner with average arm strength, White provides limited value on the bases and in the field. Mostly a DH as a freshman, he primarily played third base after that and likely will wind up at first base in pro ball. He lacks range and is erratic at the hot corner, though he earns praise for gritting through the 2023 season and filling a team need despite his bad shoulder.
Henry Bolte, OF
Expected level: Double-A | Age 21
2024 stats (A+): 318 PA, .278/.393/.519, 19 doubles, 11 HR, 52 RBI, 41 BB, 101 K, 28 SB
2024 stats (AA): 227 PA, .252/.332/.396, 13 doubles, 4 HR, 21 RBI, 20 BB, 88 K, 18 SB
MLB Pipeline grades and scouting report:
Scouting grades: Hit: 45 | Power: 55 | Run: 65 | Arm: 50 | Field: 50 | Overall: 45
The eye-popping raw power Bolte showed during batting practice at the Oakland Coliseum shortly after signing his pro contract has quickly appeared in the Minors. As with most young players, his overall offensive approach is still being refined. There is still some swing-and-miss he needs to cut down on, particularly on offspeed stuff out of the zone, though he did show signs of improvement as his first full year went along.
Bolte’s near-elite speed was on display as he swiped 32 bags. The run tool also helps on defense, which along with a strong arm, makes him a solid defender at all three outfield spots. The five-tool skillset gives him a very high ceiling as he looks to continue advancing levels.
Mason Barnett, RHP
Expected level: AAA | Age 24
2024 stats (AA): 4.20 ERA, 133 IP, 161 K, 49 BB, 13 HR, 3.55 FIP
MLB Pipeline grades and scouting report:
Scouting grades: Fastball: 55 | Curveball: 50 | Slider: 55 | Changeup: 55 | Control: 45 | Overall: 45
Barnett has gotten things done in the past mainly with his above-average fastball and changeup, with his heater sitting mid 90s and reaching 99 mph, though this year he sat 94 mph and topped out at 96. He started going to his mid-80s slider (which features good bite) more and he did start to get more separation velocity-wise with his upper-70s curve. He still used his changeup, sitting around 87-88 mph, effectively at times.
The 6-foot right-hander has shown an understanding of how to get himself back in counts using his breaking stuff to do so. He throws strikes but has fringe-average control, with a goal of being more precise in the zone as he faces tougher hitters. Barnett throws from a three-quarters arm slot and sometimes shows long arm action but is otherwise clean. He gets high marks for his mentality on the mound, a bulldog personality who is cerebral in how he does it, with a chance to start long-term.
Jack Perkins, RHP
Expected level: Double-A | Age 25
2024 stats (AA): 2.96 ERA, 76 IP, 100 K, 35 BB, 2 HR, 2.74 FIP
MLB Pipeline grades and scouting report:
Scouting grades: Fastball: 60 | Curveball: 50 | Cutter: 50 | Changeup: 50 | Control: 45 | Overall: 45
Perkins features a hard riding fastball in the 94-97 mph range. He has gained a good feel for both his breaking ball that can miss some bats and a newly developed changeup implemented this past season, while his cutter tops out around 91 mph and gives hitters a different look.
Perkins still walks his fair share of batters as he continues to work on his command. Refining that aspect could lead to another big jump in 2024 with potential to evolve into a solid back-of-the-rotation piece. Invited to his first big league Spring Training, a lat strain early in camp slowed him, though the A’s are not too concerned about the injury.
Gunnar Hoglund, OF
Expected level: Triple-A | Age 24
2024 stats (AA): 2.84 ERA, 104 2⁄3 IP, 97 K, 27 BB, 12 HR, 4.02 FIP
2024 stats (AAA): 5.88 ERA, 26 IP, 22 K, 10 BB, 5 HR, 5.91 FIP
MLB Pipeline grades and scouting report:
Scouting grades: Fastball: 45 | Curveball: 50 | Slider: 50 | Changeup: 45 | Control: 60 | Overall: 45
There was a thought that Hoglund came to the A’s with arguably the best pure stuff of any pitcher in the organization. Since then, he has yet to regain the fastball velocity that sat around 95-96 mph pre-surgery, topping out at 92-93 last season. His repertoire also includes a slider around 83-84 mph as his main secondary pitch, while his low-80s changeup and curveball provide different looks against hitters.
The A’s still have hope for Hoglund to develop into a quality Major League starter, mainly for his ability to consistently throw strikes. Entering his second year removed from Tommy John, the A’s will wait and see whether his velocity can get back to where it was, which could help accelerate his path this season.
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