by Bill Moriarity / A’s Farm Editor
June 10, 2024
Just a little over 40% of the minor league season is now in the books. And that should provide us with a large enough sample size to be impressed by the young A’s prospects who’ve really managed to out-perform their peers and put up truly standout numbers so far this season. So let’s take a closer look at some of the A’s current minor league statistical leaders…
OF Colby Thomas (MID)
2022’s 3rd-round pick for the A’s has been the most potent power hitter in the system this season. The 23-year-old outfielder leads all A’s minor leaguers in home runs (14), extra-base hits (33), total bases (122) and RBI (46) and is tied for the lead in doubles (17) with Midland infielder Jack Winkler. He’s also sporting a slugging percentage of .565, which trails only the numbers posted by Jacob Wilson and Daz Cameron among qualified hitters. After tearing up the more pitcher-friendly Texas League, hopefully we’ll get a chance to see what the power-hitting Thomas can do in the friendly confines of the ballpark in Las Vegas in the second half.
OF Henry Bolte (LAN)
2022’s 2nd-round pick for the A’s has been one of the best all-around hitters in the system while appearing in 55 of Lansing’s 57 games so far this season. The 20-year-old outfielder leads all A’s minor leaguers in both hits (61) and runs (49) and is tied for the lead in triples (5) with fellow Lansing outfielder Brayan Buelvas. He’s also second in extra-base hits (28) and stolen bases (22), which is a testament to the lethal combination of power and speed that he possesses. In addition, he’s sporting an OPS of .925, which trails only Jacob Wilson and Daz Cameron among qualified hitters. Bolte also leads all A’s minor leaguers in strikeouts (83), but the young slugger will presumably learn to be more selective at the plate as he gains greater experience.
SS Jacob Wilson (MID/LV)
Last year’s top draft pick for the A’s couldn’t haven’t gotten off to a better start this season. Despite landing on the injured list on May 18 with a knee injury, the 22-year-old shortstop still leads all A’s minor leaguers with at least 100 at-bats in batting average (.438), on-base percentage (.458), slugging percentage (.652) and OPS (1.109). He also managed to collect 15 doubles in just 112 at-bats for Midland and Las Vegas. There’s no word yet on when Wilson is expected to be back in action, but hopefully he’ll get the chance to pick up where he left off before too long.
Other Hitting Leaders
Stockton outfielder Ryan Lasko leads the system with 41 walks, while Lansing first baseman Will Simpson is second with 37. Midland second baseman Cooper Bowman leads the organization with 24 stolen bases, while only being caught 3 times, and Bolte is second with 22.
RHP Gunnar Hoglund (MID)
After missing time due to Tommy John surgery and throwing a total of just 69 innings over his past two seasons in the A’s system, it’s a rather pleasant surprise to see that the former 1st-round pick of the Blue Jays is currently leading all A’s minor leaguers in innings pitched (66), but it’s also nice to know that he’s leading the system in both wins (6) and strikeouts (57) as well. As long as he stays healthy, it seems likely that we’ll get a chance to see the 24-year-old Hoglund join the Triple-A Las Vegas rotation at some point in the second half.
RHP Chen Zhong-Ao Zhuang (STK/LAN)
After being sidelined all of last season, the 23-year-old Taiwanese righty has been outstanding this season. Zhuang, who was recently promoted to Lansing from Stockton, currently boasts the best ERA (2.06), WHIP (0.94) and K/BB ratio (7.7) among all A’s minor leaguers with at least 30 innings pitched. He’s also allowed just one home run in 39 1/3 innings of work this season. And now that he’s finally healthy, Zhuang looks like a real force to be reckoned with on the mound.
Other Pitching Leaders
Lansing LHP Will Johnston, who started the season with Stockton, boasts the best K/9 rate (12.4) among all A’s minor leaguers with at least 30 innings pitched. He’s also second in total strikeouts with 56. Lansing LHP Colton Johnson and RHP Grant Holman, who was recently promoted to Las Vegas from Midland, lead all A’s minor leaguers in saves with 6 each. Holman also has not allowed a run in 21 innings of relief this season. And if he keeps up the good work, it’s quite possible that we could end up seeing the Cal product in the Oakland bullpen before the season’s through.
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