X
Lost password?

Don't have an account?
Join the Best Live Fantasy Chat Community!

X

Receive free daily analysis

NFL
NBA
NHL
NASCAR
CFB
MLB
MMA
PGA
ESPORTS
BETTING

Already have an account? Log In

X

Forgot Password


LINEUP RESOURCES

Articles & Tools
Import Your Leagues
Draft Rankings
Draft Simulator
Enter League Settings
Player Comparisons
Rookies & Call-Ups
24x7 News and Alerts

Oakland Athletics Top MLB Prospects for 2017 Dynasty Leagues

By Scott U (Sonny Gray (3)) [CC BY 2.0 (http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/2.0)], via Wikimedia Commons

Moneyball seems to be losing some of its touch. What once was an innovative way to examine the acquisition of players has now become common knowledge, and teams with more money are able to take advantage of this strategy. Because of this, Oakland with its small budget has had a rough go of it lately. The Athletics have missed the playoffs now in back-to-back seasons and have found their on-field talent diminished thanks to trades involving Yoenis Cespedes going to Boston, Josh Reddick going to Los Angeles and Josh Donaldson going to Toronto (in a move that still boggles the mind).

But Oakland has some help on the way. Their farm system is surprisingly deep and could help them rebound in a season or two. Unfortunately for them, they still have to compete with Houston, Texas and Seattle, three teams who have Oakland beat in on-the-field talent and in Houston’s case, prospect depth. Still, it will be interesting to see what Billy Beane does with this farm depth and how he plans to build the next Green and Gold contender.

By the way, if you are interested in more MLB prospects columns, head on over to our 2017 fantasy baseball rankings dashboard. Throughout the offseason, you will find the rest of our team prospect breakdowns, fantasy baseball prospect rankings, tiered positional rankings, keeper values articles, and more - all in one easy place.

 

Oakland Athletics Top Prospects for Dynasty Leagues

Today I am continuing my list of prospect systems in the AL West. I have already covered the Houston Astros and Los Angeles Angels farm system. Next up, I will delve into the Texas Rangers and Seattle Mariners. To read more about my prospect coverage, click here.

 

Top Overall Talent: Franklin Barreto

Top Prospect to Debut in 2017: Franklin Barreto
Just basing expectations off statistics, Barreto is one of the most exciting prospects in baseball. He consistently hits over 10 home runs (usually projecting for 15 per season) and has stolen over 30 bases in back-to-back seasons. All the while his strikeout rate has remained below the 20% mark and his batting average has always hovered around the .280-.300 area. What’s not to like? Scouts aren’t overly jazzed about his defense, believing either second base or center field to be his future home. But as far as dynasty owners are concerned, he is a dynamic prospect worthy of owning in all leagues, especially considering the likelihood of him seeing big league playing time as early as May of this season. Looking for a comp? Think Jose Peraza with a little less speed and a little more power.

Top Prospect who won’t debut in 2017: A.J. Puk
It was shocking to some to see Puk fall as far as sixth in last season's draft. The fact it was ‘shocking’ to see him fall just outside the top-5 is a testament to how good many believe Puk will be. The 6-foot-7 southpaw has easy upper-90 mph velocity on his fastball and a well above-average slider and changeup. Coming out of college, he is already used to taking on larger workloads so the only part of his development left is mastering his control. If he can figure out a way to consistently hit the strike zone, his stuff gives him the potential to be a future ace in Oakland.

Biggest Boom or Bust: Lazaro Armenteros
Have you seen the grades MLB.com gave to Armenteros? 55 for hit, 60 for power and 65 for speed. Knowing that, it should be clear we are talking about a potentially elite prospect. There are just a few problems. Armenteros has yet to play a single game in professional American baseball and is still only 17 years old. Scouts love his tools, though they acknowledge he might swing and miss too much for his own good. Dynasty owners willing to take a flier on a potentially elite prospect could stash him in the hopes they receive the “Cuban Bryce Harper” some have deemed him, but they must know owning him this early on in his development is a risk.

Biggest Sleeper: Jharel Cotton
It’s easy to underrate someone like Cotton in a system like the Dodgers where pitching prospects seemed to be a dime a dozen. But now in Oakland, Cotton should be considered one of their best pitching prospects and has a real shot to start in the big leagues right out of Spring Training. Now take a look at the numbers Cotton posted at Triple-A between Oakland and L.A. this past season: 28.2% strikeout rate, 7.1% walk rate and .214 opponent’s batting average across 135.2 innings of work. The 4.31 ERA wasn’t great and he did encounter a home run problem in Oklahoma City, but it had never been an issue before this season and shouldn’t hold him back too much moving forward. Owners looking for a sleeper pitching prospect with No. 3 starter upside and high strikeouts should look no further. Jharel Cotton is your guy.

 

Top Prospect Hitters

Best Power Hitter: Matt Chapman
Chapman surpassed 20 home runs for the second consecutive season in 2016, bashing 36 bombs in 135 games split 117/18 in Double-A/Triple-A. The 23-year-old third baseman has always flashed explosive, 30 home run-type power and has a good chance of demonstrating that power to owners right out of Spring Training for Oakland if he can put together a strong enough pre-season. His combination of elite defense and explosive pop give him a great chance to beat out fellow third base prospect Renato Nunez, especially now that Ryon Healy will be playing exclusively first base and designated hitter. Strikeouts remain an issue and he doesn't figure to hit for an average above .260, but Chapman will provide owners with enough home runs to be worthy of ownership.

Most Likely to Hit over .300: Franklin Barreto

Best Burner on the Bases: Franklin Barreto
As discussed earlier with Barreto, he is one exciting prospect to follow. Though not an absolute lock to hit over .300, his ability to make consistent contact and his advanced knowledge of the strike zone certainly give him a leg up over most other Athletics’ prospects. And of course with his speed, he should also be able to beat out infield singles and swipe 25+ bags per season. He stands out as a potential leadoff or No. 2 hitter for Oakland by the middle of this season.

 

Top Prospect Pitchers

Strikeout Machine: A.J. Puk
As discussed earlier, Puk has outstanding stuff. Anytime you talk about a southpaw capable of touching 97 mph late in games, you know you are talking about someone special. Puk wasn’t the Friday night starter while at Florida, but he absolutely had the best stuff and figures to be the best of what was really a great pitching staff. His high-octane fastball/slider combination with an improving changeup give him the potential to consistently post up league-leading strikeout numbers if he makes the necessary improvements in his control. You are looking at a possible 200 K per season arm right here.

Best Command: Jharel Cotton
Cotton has never really had much of an issue with command over the course of his big league career. The right-hander has consistently sub-10% walk rates in the minors and rarely ever exceeds even 8.0%. And though occasionally Cotton gets hammered in the zone, owners can rest assured knowing that he is pitching in a pitcher-friendly ballpark and can balance out the occasional home run with plenty of strikeouts. Even if the home runs end up as a bit of an issue, owners can rest assured knowing he won't get in too much trouble walking high numbers of batters per season.

 

Top 10 Dynasty Prospects for the Oakland Athletics

1. Franklin Barreto (2B/SS, AAA)
ETA: 2017
Barreto's power/speed combination is incredibly valuable, especially if he shifts to second.

2. A.J. Puk (SP, A-)
ETA: 2018
Puk’s biggest issue is his command, but his dominant stuff means he could be a future ace if/when he reaches the big leagues.

3. Jharel Cotton (SP, MLB)
ETA: 2017
One of the most underrated pitchers in baseball, Cotton has been a true strikeout machine throughout his career and will be a big sleeper in dynasty leagues and redraft leagues.

4. Matt Chapman (3B, AAA)
ETA: 2017
I’m not as high on Chapman as others, but he is undeniably powerful and 30 home runs regardless of a poor batting average will be valuable in dynasty leagues.

5. Lazaro Armenteros (OF, NA)
ETA: 2020
The "Cuban Bryce Harper,” Armenteros has insane upside and could be a future .300 hitter with 30/30 potential. Owners just have to wait a little bit and hope he doesn’t flounder out before he gets to the big leagues.

6. Grant Holmes (SP, A+)
ETA: 2018
Holmes’ stock took a huge hit in 2016 as a result of ineffectiveness at High-A, but he certainly has the talent to raise his value quickly with his stuff. Possibly a great buy-low candidate here.

7. Frankie Montas (SP/RP, AAA)
ETA: 2017
Montas missed a lot of time due to an oblique injury, but he has a great fastball and nice slider to help him get plenty of swings-and-misses. He will need to improve his changeup and control if he hopes to remain a starter, but his high-octane stuff would play well as a closer.

8. Matt Olson (1B/OF, MLB)
ETA: 2017
The second coming of Brandon Moss, Olson is another guy who is stuck at DH, first or right field due to his lack of athleticism. For dynasty owners, the only thing that should matter is his capability to belt 25+ home runs per year with a .240-.250 average.

9. Daniel Gossett (SP, AAA)
ETA: 2017
Though not the most dominant of pitchers, Gossett had an outstanding season at Double-A and his above-average repertoire and deceptive arm action help give him a No. 4 starter’s floor.

10. Joe Wendle (2B, MLB)
ETA: 2017
Wendle has always been an underrated prospect, but he started to make a name for himself when he was called up on August 31. He possesses an interesting power/speed combination that could be quite valuable for someone playing second base.

 

Conclusion

I was genuinely surprised by how strong this farm system actually was. Barreto, Puk and Armenteros are probably their only potential “elite or closer” guys, the overall depth of this system is a definite strength.

What do dynasty owners find when they step back and look at the system as a whole? Lots of pitchers and power-hitting middle infielders. But really, the strength is the pitching. The A’s don’t have a lot of frontline starters in their system, but they could easily fill out a rotation with No. 3 starters if they wanted. Guys like Logan Shore, Paul Blackburn and Raul Alcantara provide the team with plenty of reliable starters who all could potentially have big league futures. Then there’s some solid power-hitting middle infielders like Max Schrock (Carson Cistulli’s favorite player) and Chad Pinder who could’ve received a spot towards the backend of the list, but just didn’t quite make the cut. This system is very underrated and I urge dynasty owners to look through it to find some talented dynasty sleeper prospects.




LINEUP RESOURCES

Articles & Tools
Import Your Leagues
Draft Rankings
Draft Simulator
Enter League Settings
Player Comparisons
Rookies & Call-Ups
24x7 News and Alerts

ROTOBALLER PLAYER NEWS

Jae'Sean Tate4 mins ago

Doubtful For Monday
Yoán Moncada6 mins ago

Yoan Moncada Day-To-Day With Bruised Rib
Lauri Markkanen11 mins ago

To Miss Monday's Game
Garrett Mitchell11 mins ago

Back In Cactus League Lineup
Luka Doncic15 mins ago

Downgraded To Out For Monday
Tua Tagovailoa21 mins ago

Dolphins Exercise Tua Tagovailoa's Fifth-Year Option
Tennessee Titans38 mins ago

Titans Finalizing Deal With Sean Murphy-Bunting
Carolina Panthers43 mins ago

Panthers Rookie QB To See Plenty Of Reps
Jerry Jeudy49 mins ago

Cowboys Were In On Jerry Jeudy
O.J. Howard54 mins ago

Raiders Hosting O.J. Howard For A Visit
DJ Chark60 mins ago

Panthers Still Talking With DJ Chark
Trent Sherfield1 hour ago

Bills Sign Trent Sherfield To One-Year Deal
Zach Pascal1 hour ago

Cardinals Agree With Zach Pascal On Two-Year Deal
Casey O'Neill1 hour ago

Takes First Defeat Against Former Champion
Jennifer Maia1 hour ago

Earns Decision Win Over Undefeated Opponent
Roman Dolidze1 hour ago

Suffers Setback With Decision Loss
Marvin Vettori2 hours ago

Picks Up Decision Win
Jhon Romero2 hours ago

Guardians Sign Jhon Romero To Minor-League Deal
Yu Chang3 hours ago

Held Up By Visa Issues
Brayan Bello3 hours ago

Looks Good In Spring Debut
Eury Perez3 hours ago

Reassigned To Minor-League Camp
Michael Soroka3 hours ago

To Make Spring Debut Wednesday
Matt Vierling3 hours ago

Playing Monday Against Blue Jays
Michael Lorenzen3 hours ago

Scratched With Groin Tightness
Kyle Busch3 hours ago

Finishes In Top 10 At Atlanta
Justin Turner3 hours ago

Back In Spring Lineup Monday
Ty Gibbs4 hours ago

Finishes Strong In Atlanta
Erik Jones4 hours ago

Gets His First Top-10 Finish Of The Season
Ryan Blaney4 hours ago

Bounces Back From Speeding Penalty
Denny Hamlin4 hours ago

Has A Strong Showing
Austin Reaves5 hours ago

Becomes Unlikely Hero Sunday
Giannis Antetokounmpo5 hours ago

Picks Up A Triple-Double Sunday
Jalen Green5 hours ago

Scores Game-High 40 Points Sunday
Jimmy Butler5 hours ago

Gets A Double-Double With Assists
Shai Gilgeous-Alexander5 hours ago

Drops 40 Points On Phoenix
Jacob deGrom5 hours ago

Looks Impressive In Spring Debut
Devin Booker5 hours ago

Goes Off For 46 Points
Nikola Jokic6 hours ago

Returns To Triple-Double Form
Jake Fraley6 hours ago

Should Be Fine After Fouling Ball Off Leg
Jesper Bratt6 hours ago

Hits A Hat Trick Against Tampa Bay
K'Andre Miller6 hours ago

Racks Up Four First-Period Points
Nolan Arenado6 hours ago

Expected To Be Fine After HBP
Jaroslav Halak6 hours ago

Keeps Predators Quiet With 22 Saves
Austin Nola6 hours ago

May Have Broken Nose In Cactus League Game
Alex Pietrangelo6 hours ago

Hands Out Four Assists
Jack Eichel6 hours ago

Nets A Hat Trick In Big Win
Matthew Boldy6 hours ago

Extends Points Streak With A Hat Trick
Jhoan Duran6 hours ago

Suffers Leg Contusion On Sunday
Jake DeBrusk6 hours ago

Erupts For Four Points Sunday
Jeremy Swayman7 hours ago

Registers Another Shutout
Tyler Reddick8 hours ago

Hangs in For Fifth Place At Atlanta
Juan Soto9 hours ago

Day-To-Day With Mild Oblique Strain
Corey Lajoie16 hours ago

Corey LaJoie Uses Course To Advantage On Sunday
Christopher Bell16 hours ago

Ends Up With Another Top Five Result
Naz Reid16 hours ago

Is Questionable On Monday
Christopher Bell16 hours ago

Brad Keselowski Noses Christopher Bell Out For Second
Bennedict Mathurin16 hours ago

Questionable To Make Return On Monday
Joey Logano16 hours ago

Goes From Pole To Win Sunday
Kevin Huerter16 hours ago

Uncertain For Monday's Game Against Utah
Kevon Looney17 hours ago

Listed As Questionable For Monday
Rudy Gobert17 hours ago

Receives Questionable Tag For Monday
Jalen Duren17 hours ago

Exits In Third Quarter Against Miami
Detroit Lions17 hours ago

C.J. Gardner-Johnson On The Move To Detroit
Scottie Barnes17 hours ago

Exits On Sunday With Wrist Injury
Courtland Sutton17 hours ago

Broncos Unwilling To Deal Courtland Sutton, Jerry Jeudy
Dallas Cowboys17 hours ago

Travin Howard To Visit The Cowboys On Monday
Ronald Jones18 hours ago

Cowboys To Host Ronald Jones On Monday
Adam Thielen18 hours ago

Agrees To Deal With Carolina
P.J. Tucker20 hours ago

Questionable For Monday
Anthony Edwards20 hours ago

Questionable Versus Knicks
Jaren Jackson21 hours ago

Jr. Questionable For Monday
Lauri Markkanen21 hours ago

Questionable Monday With Back Injury
Tampa Bay Buccaneers22 hours ago

Greg Gaines Joins Buccaneers
New York Jets23 hours ago

Ben Jones Drawing Interest From Jets?
Houston Texans23 hours ago

Laremy Tunsil Gets Extension
Brandin Cooks23 hours ago

Traded To Cowboys
Andrew Vaughn23 hours ago

Took Grounders On Sunday
Seiya Suzuki23 hours ago

Continues Making Progress
Max Kepler23 hours ago

Exits Early On Sunday
Brandon Pfaadt23 hours ago

Reassigned To Minors
Glenn Otto23 hours ago

To Undergo MRI
Roope Hintz1 day ago

Delivers Three Assists
Brandon Hagel1 day ago

Celebrates A Hat Trick Against Montreal
Igor Shesterkin1 day ago

Shuts Out The Penguins
Sebastian Aho1 day ago

Completes A Hat Trick In Overtime
Evander Kane1 day ago

Pots A Hat Trick Versus Seattle
Brad Marchand1 day ago

Tallies Three Assists Saturday
Nathan MacKinnon1 day ago

Has Three Points Against Detroit
Todd Gilliland2 days ago

Starts 23rd
Ryan Preece2 days ago

Starts 24th At The AmBetter Health 400
AJ Allmendinger2 days ago

Eyes Another Strong Finish
NASCAR2 days ago

Ricky Stenhouse Eyes Back-To-Back Superspeedway Wins
Tyler Reddick2 days ago

May Be Overlooked
Erik Jones2 days ago

Is A Value Play At Atlanta
Denny Hamlin2 days ago

Seeks Better Results
Noah Gragson2 days ago

Might Surprise At Atlanta Motor Speedway
Austin Dillon2 days ago

Looks To Bounce Back At Atlanta
Ty Dillon2 days ago

Hoping To Keep Car Running At Atlanta
Pittsburgh Steelers2 days ago

Isaac Seumalo Signs Three-Year Deal With Steelers
NASCAR2 days ago

J.J. Yeley Starts 34th Sunday At Ambetter Health 400
Blaine Gabbert2 days ago

Stops In Vegas For A Visit
Foster Moreau2 days ago

Visits With Saints
Jacksonville Jaguars2 days ago

Adam Gotsis Staying In Jacksonville
Roman Josi2 days ago

Exits With Injury Saturday
Joonas Korpisalo2 days ago

Hopes To Stay Perfect With His New Team
Mads Sogaard2 days ago

Looking For Form Against Toronto
Brian Elliott2 days ago

Starts For Tampa On Saturday
Jonathan Drouin2 days ago

Will Play Saturday
Mark Giordano2 days ago

Rested On Saturday
Kamaru Usman3 days ago

Seeking Second Title Run
Leon Edwards3 days ago

Looks To Defend Crown On Saturday
Rafael Fiziev4 days ago

Earns Huge Co-Main-Event Showdown
Justin Gaethje4 days ago

Set For Another Co-Main-Event Showdown
Jordan Spieth5 days ago

Trying To Pay Off Recent Form With A Win
Victor Perez5 days ago

Making A Rare Start On The PGA Tour
Maverick McNealy5 days ago

Still Shaking Off The Rust In Florida
Mark Hubbard5 days ago

Coming Off Strong Players Championship Result
Nate Lashley5 days ago

Finding Some Form To Start 2023
Wyndham Clark5 days ago

A Dangerous Name At The Valspar Championship
Justin Lower5 days ago

Looking To Capitalize On Weaker Field
Byeong-Hun An5 days ago

Flashing Vintage Form
Stewart Cink5 days ago

Looks To Stay Afloat At Valspar
Ben Taylor5 days ago

A Short-Game Wizard
Gary Woodland5 days ago

Has A Poisoned Putter
Martin Laird5 days ago

Playing Scared
Russell Knox5 days ago

Putting Putridly
PGA5 days ago

Adam Hadwin Looks To Continue Valspar Success
Justin Thomas5 days ago

Hopes To Get Putter Going At Valspar
Keegan Bradley5 days ago

Looking To Bounce Back At Valspar
Eric Cole5 days ago

Continues To Play Well
Matthew NeSmith5 days ago

Could Be Considered At Valspar
PGA5 days ago

J.T. Poston Not An Option At Valspar Championship
Davis Riley5 days ago

Overvalued At Valspar Championship
Matt Fitzpatrick5 days ago

Has Risk At Valspar
RANKINGS
C
1B
2B
3B
SS
OF
SP
RP

RANKINGS

QB
RB
WR
TE
K
DEF