Athletics’ Community Prospect List: Henry Bolte finally finds his place at #9

As we round out the top 10 of our Community Prospect List, Athletics Nation got dangerously close to leaving Henry Bolte out of it. Fortunately, he finally got his flowers with a landslide victory, earning 68% of the votes. The dynamic 21-year-old outfielder possesses many of the tools that led Denzel Clarke to get voted #4 in our rankings, yet he’s three years younger and has already joined his elder at Double-A this past season.

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

He definitely has a few more warts to work out, carrying an even higher strikeout rate than Clarke with not as much in-game power yet. However, he seems to be a faster runner as he stole 46 bases across two levels this past season. With plenty more time to refine his plate approach, cut down on his swing-and-miss, and learn how to tap into the raw power we know he has, Bolte has the chance to be a legitimate five-tool player, the kind that the A’s rarely seem to get — please don’t mention Esteury Ruiz in this conversation.

Joining the poll this time is an even younger prospect in Steven Echavarria, the 19-year-old right-hander that the A’s took in the third round of the 2023 draft. With a wide range of profiles among our candidates, I expect a much closer result this time around.

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:

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1: Jacob Wilson, SS

2: Nick Kurtz, 1B

3. Luis Morales, RHP

4. Denzel Clarke, OF

5. Max Muncy, SS

6. Colby Thomas, OF

7. Mason Barnett, RHP

8. Jack Perkins, RHP

9. Henry Bolte, 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.

Gunnar Hoglund, RHP

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.

Chen Zhong-Ao Zhuang, RHP

Expected level: AA | Age 24

2024 stats (A): 1.67 ERA, 32 1⁄3 IP, 37 K, 4 BB, 1 HR, 2.65 FIP

2024 stats (A+): 2.56 ERA, 31 2⁄3 IP, 29 K, 3 BB, 2 HR, 2.72 FIP

2024 stats (AA): 2.05 ERA, 22 IP, 18 K, 5 BB, 2 HR, 3.77 FIP

MLB Pipeline foolishly still doesn’t have Zhuang in its Top 30 prospects, so here’s the scouting report from Nathaniel Stoltz at Excessive Prospect Analysis, who ranked him 10th last season:

Zhuang is starting to get a bit of buzz this year, but as I’ve written and this ranking reinforces, I think he’s probably the most underrated prospect in the system (One could argue some of the unknown Rookie-level guys get that honor, but that’s semantics). He’s dominated when healthy, and fundamentally I start at the same place here as I did with Jack Perkins at 11: I’ve got a ton of confidence in Zhuang’s two primary offerings. In this case, that’s his carrying mid-90s fastball and his changeup/splitter/both/whatever you want to make of his offspeeds, which have been untouchable in A-ball and which he commands very well. He does a nice job balancing an aggressive approach–coming right at hitters with the heat–with all sorts of cunning, changing speeds and shapes on pitches in ways that can really hold up several times through the order.

Zhuang is only a few months shy of turning 24 and still in A-ball–due to injury layoff, certainly not performance–so he still has a lot to prove, even if I think he’ll prove it quickly. First and foremost, he’s got to prove he can stay healthy. Beyond that, there’s still the matter of his breaking stuff–particularly the harder breaking ball that keeps morphing between slider and cutter, and his extreme flyball tendency. But as I noted in the longform analysis, Zhuang’s two best pitches + command are tough for anyone in the system to equal. He looks the part of a solid midrotation starter and should be able to move up the remaining levels quickly if health allows.

Daniel Susac, C

Expected level: Double-A | Age 25

2024 stats (AA): 370 PA, .257/.300/.434, 19 doubles, 12 HR, 50 RBI, 16 BB, 96 K, 7 SB

MLB Pipeline grades and scouting report:

Scouting grades: Hit: 55 | Power: 45 | Run: 40 | Arm: 60 | Field: 50 | Overall: 45

There is some athleticism to the 6-foot-4 Susac, who was a standout dual-threat quarterback in high school. His stylish swing comes with good bat-to-ball skills and an ability to drive the ball to all fields. There is some legit raw power that was touted as an amateur that the A’s hope to see emerge as he continues his transition to pro ball.

Susac’s defensive prowess was part of the package that made him such a highly ranked catcher in his Draft class. His overall catching skills, particularly his receiving, improved as his first full season went along. Lauded for his strong arm and natural leadership characteristics, he will look to continue his impact on both sides of the diamond as he progresses through the system.

Steven Echavarria, RHP

Expected level: Low-A | Age 19

2024 stats (A): 6.55 ERA, 57 2⁄3 IP, 59 K, 36 BB, 4 HR, 5.06 FIP

MLB Pipeline grades and scouting report:

Scouting grades: Fastball: 55 | Slider: 55 | Curveball: 50 | Changeup: 50 | Control: 55 | Overall: 45

Echavarria brings a four-pitch mix that features a fastball that consistently hits 96 mph and has reached up to 98, carrying ride up in the zone that lends to a good amount of swing-and-miss. Other pitches in the arsenal include a sweeping slider, curveball and low-80s changeup. He also throws a 92-93 mph two-seamer down in the zone, which should develop more consistent velocity as he grows into his 6-foot-1 frame.

For a prep arm in a cold-weather state, Echavarria shows off very good pitchability with an ability to consistently throw all his offerings for strikes. Continuing the recent run of early-round Draft picks from the New Jersey high school ranks, headlined by first-rounders Anthony Volpe in 2019 and Chase Petty in 2021, he enters his first full year as a pro with high expectations.

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