by Ethan Kassel / A’s Farm Stockton Contributor
Austin Beck
A high-profile outfield featuring the likes of Lazaro Armenteros, Austin Beck and Jameson Hannah is likely to steal the spotlight in Stockton this season, but the rest of the roster possesses plenty of talent as well, making the Ports one of the most promising teams in the California League in 2019.
Of course, the Ports’ outfield will be the main attraction in Stockton this season. 20-year-old Austin Beck, the A’s top draft pick in 2017, homered just twice all last season for the Snappers, but he did collect 29 doubles and increased his extra-base totals in the second half. Beck appears to have bulked a bit and added some strength in the offseason, and having the chance to play in the friendly confines of the California League this year can only help to increase his power numbers.
19-year-old left fielder Lazaro Armenteros, the A’s much-hyped Cuban bonus baby, will be looking to limit his large strikeout numbers (115 in 292 at-bats last year) while continuing to show the power that allowed him to post a .401 slugging percentage for the Snappers last season.
21-year-old Jameson Hannah, the A’s second-round draft pick last year, handled the bat well in Vermont last season and looks to continue his development in Stockton while sharing time in center field with Beck. With Hannah on the roster though, it’s possible that Beck, and his strong arm, could end up seeing a little more time in right field this season.
Looking around the infield at Stockton, first base should be shared by last year’s fourth-round pick, Alfonso Rivas, and 2017 25th-rounder Hunter Hargrove, with each likely to see some time in the designated hitter’s spot as well. Rivas impressed with his plate discipline at Vermont last year, walking 36 times in just 61 games. He also made it into five spring training games with the big-league club, which shows that the organization must think fairly highly of him. Meanwhile, Hargrove hit nine homers for Beloit last year and turned in a big three-homer game at Burlington on May 26.
Stockton’s middle infield will be manned by 2018 second-rounder Jeremy Eierman and 2017 third-rounder Nick Allen, who are expected to split time at shortstop and second base. Allen earned his promotion to the Ports primarily based on his defensive prowess, despite posting an OPS of just .603 last year at Beloit. The San Diego native did show signs of turning the corner late in the season though, batting .286 with seven extra-base hits in August, and the organization felt that Allen was hitting the ball with much more authority this spring.
Last year’s 23rd-round draft pick for the A’s, third baseman Jonah Bride, will make the big leap directly from Vermont to the California League this season. Bride posted a .796 OPS last year during a strong campaign in the New York-Penn League. Versatile Trace Loehr will likely be asked to spend time all over the infield after primarily playing second base for Stockton and Beloit last season. Mickey McDonald, who’ll be the fourth outfielder on the roster behind Beck, Hannah and Armenteros, could also see some time at third base, where he started 18 games for the Snappers last year. McDonald, who batted .284 and stole 22 bases for Beloit in 2018, follows in the footsteps of catcher Collin Theroux as the next Serra HS alum to play for the Ports.
The Ports’ catching corps will be comprised of 2018 eighth-round draft pick JJ Schwarz, who caught pitcher A.J Puk at Florida, and 2015 26th-rounder Jordan Devencenzi. Schwarz arrives after hitting .230 and drawing 10 walks in just 18 games for Vermont last season, while Devencenzi batted .266 for Beloit last year.
Making our way to the mound, Daulton Jefferies is primed to return to action for the Ports for the first time since undergoing Tommy John surgery in 2017. The 23-year-old will likely be deployed as part of a pitching tandem with another one of Stockton’s starters. Wyatt Marks, Xavier Altamirano, Mitchell Jordan, Jared Poche and Brady Feigl are the other starters on the Stockton staff.
Marks compiled a 3.23 ERA across 20 appearances for Beloit and a 3.58 ERA over five late-season starts for Stockton last year. And if the flame-thrower can continue putting up strong numbers in the hitter-friendly California League, then a quick promotion to Midland could be in order.
Altamirano had a harder time after making the jump from Beloit to the California League last year, putting up a 6.62 ERA for Stockton after posting a 3.09 ERA for the Snappers. Altamirano’s Stockton numbers were marred by a pair of rough outings in which he gave up nine and seven runs. If he can avoid those blowups and perhaps manage to induce a few more grounders, then it should be much smoother sailing for the 24-year-old righty, who issued just 33 walks over 140 2/3 innings last year.
Jordan, Poche and Feigl will all be making the jump from Beloit to Stockton this season, with Poche as the lone lefty in the mix. Meanwhile, Feigl is the only member of Oakland’s 2018 draft class to make Stockton’s mound staff in 2019.
While relief pitching in the Cal League is typically suspect, the Ports should have a promising mix of arms in the bullpen this season. Seth Martinez led the Snappers with 15 saves last season, while Nick Highberger limited batters to a .236 average over 34 appearances for Beloit, and Jesus Zambrano struck out 81 in 76 2/3 innings for the Snappers.
Sam Sheehan returns to Stockton after battling inconsistency in 2018. But when he was on his game, Sheehan showed some of the best stuff in the Stockton bullpen. Trey Cochran-Gill returns as well after splitting time between Stockton and Midland last year.
The Ports ‘pen will also feature a pair of lefties. Pat Krall and Will Gilbert both impressed for Stockton last season. Krall posted a 1.06 ERA over 42 1/3 innings while allowing just eight walks, and Gilbert recorded 62 strikeouts in 63 innings while putting up a 2.71 ERA for the Ports.
Webster Garrison, who previously served as Stockton’s skipper from 2011 to 2013, returns to manage the Ports in his 21st season as a minor league coach or manager in the A’s organization. Brian McArn, another longtime organizational fixture, will again serve as Stockton’s hitting coach, while Chris Smith, who pitched for Oakland in 2016 and 2017, will take over as the Ports’ new pitching coach. Javier Godard, who played with Vermont last season, is also set to join Stockton’s coaching staff this year. And Vic Zapien, well on his way to becoming Stockton’s own version of Steve Vucinich, will be returning for his 14th season as the Ports’ clubhouse manager.
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