Outlook

A high-floor prospect, Kuroda-Grauer at least looks the part of a big league bench piece. As the glove has come along at shortstop enough to at least be able to get by there, there’s more appeal to Kuroda-Grauer’s versatility, with the Athletics even mixing in reps at third base late in the 2025 season.

There’s a lot of pressure on the hit tool, but if Kuroda-Grauer can convert more of his ground balls into line drives, there’s an Xavier Edwards type of outcome on the high end. It’s most likely that his is a useful utility infielder who rarely strikes out.

11. Wei-En Lin – LHP – (Double-A)

Height/Weight: 6’2″, 180 | Bat/Throw: L/L | IFA: $1.3M, 2024 (ATH) | ETA: 2027

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Signed out of Taiwan for $1.3 million in 2024, Lin dominated lower level hitters with superb command of his low 90s fastball and a unique splitter/cutter combination. The A’s managed Lin’s workload as his age 19 season progressed, working him mostly in long relief at High-A before finishing the season with a pair of Double-A starts.

Lin generates some sneaky run and ride on his fastball which paired with his ability to execute the pitch, helps it play up, even as it just sits in the low 90s. His mid 80s cutter has late bit, flashing plus, with hitters struggling to pick it up. The splitter looks like it can be an above average third pitch with more consistent execution. The way Lin flew through multiple levels as a 19-year-old in his pro debut was quite impressive. He may have room for more velocity and the feel to pitch is advanced for his age. Lin is a breakout candidate for 2026 if he can add some strength and improve his feel for the splitter.

12. Kade Morris – RHP – (High-A)

Height/Weight: 6’3″, 180 | Bat/Throw: R/R | 3rd Round (101), 2023 (NYM) | ETA: 2026

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Acquired from the Mets in exchange for Paul Blackburn around the 2024 Trade Deadline, Morris compensates for his lack of standout stuff with a kitchen-sink approach and a good feel to pitch. Morris locates his four seamer and sinker well, picking up plenty of ground balls on the latter while picking the right spots to elevate his mid 90s four seamer and generate more in zone whiff than the pitch data may imply.

Morris’ slider is probably his best secondary at this point, with gyro action that makes it effective against hitters of both handedness. He will also mix in a curveball, sweeper and changeup with the curveball looking like the best of the trio. For Morris to reach his ceiling of a back end starter, he will need to see his changeup progress as lefties have consistently put up strong numbers against him. He has the fallback of a long relief or swingman type who could see his stuff play up in shorter spurts.

13. Devin Taylor – OF – (Low-A)

Height/Weight: 6’1″, 220 | Bat/Throw: L/R | 2nd Round (48), 2025 (ATH) | ETA: 20283

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A smooth left-handed swing with above average power potential, Taylor does not provide a ton of vaue beyond the bat, but has the offensive upside to carve out a bulk platoon role. Taylor does a good job of getting the ball up in the air to the pull side against righties with above average exit velocities, helping him slug 18 home runs in 55 collegiate games followed by six homers in 28 Low-A games to start his professional career.

Taylor’s above average plate discipline helps supplement a hit tool that is likely to be fringy. He has the power to hit around 20 homers if he can hit enough with passable defense in a corner.

14. Gunnar Hoglund – RHP – (MLB)

Height/Weight: 6’3″, 180 | Bat/Throw: R/R | 1st Round (19), 2021 (TOR) | ETA: 2025

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A two-time selection in the first 40 picks of the MLB Draft (36th overall by the Pirates in 2018 and 19th overall by the Blue Jays in 2021), the Ole Miss product was added to the Athletics’ 40-man roster ahead of this month’s protection deadline and validated the move with six excellent starts at Triple-A to being the season before being called up to the big leagues.

The right-hander saw mixed results in his first six MLB starts before going down with a hip impingement which would require season-ending surgery. Injuries had unfortunately been a theme for Hoglund before rattling off over 130.2 innings in 2024.

He may not miss a ton of bats, but Hoglund fills up the strike zone a four seamer and sinker that sit 93-95 MPH with an above average changeup and average slider off of it. He looks the part of at least a depth arm, but Hoglund has a decent shot at maneuvering his way through lineups enough to be a No. 5 starter.

15. Gavin Turley – OF – (Low-A)

Height/Weight: 6’1″, 220 | Bat/Throw: R/R | 4th Round (110), 2025 (ATH) | ETA: 2028

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Swing and miss concerns dropped Turley to the fourth round of the 2025 draft despite putting up an OPS north of 1.000 in back to back seasons at Oregon State. The raw power paired with his ability to hit the ball in the air gives him above average power potential. Though he’s not a massive stolen base threat, Turley offers above average wheels and a plus arm in a corner. It’s all going to come down to whether Turley can hit enough.

Other Names to Watch

Edgar Montero – SS – (DSL): Signed for $1.2 million out of the 2024 class, Montero turned in a decent first pro season at the DSL before repeating the level in 2025 where he put up an OPS north of 1.000. A switch-hitter who is now flashing above average pop, Montero is an intriguing bat with the patience to supplement. There’s some swing and miss in his game, which will be tested as he makes the leap stateside in 2026. If he is able to maintain decent contact rates as he gets to the Complex League and Low-A, he could be a big riser in the system.

Shotaro Morii – SS/RHP – (CPX): A two-way Japanese prospect who was the headliner of the Athletics 2025 IFA class when he signed for $1.5 million, Morii can run it up to the mid 90s on the mound and offers an intriguing offensive skillset. We have yet to see Morii pitch at the pro level, but he impressed in spurts at the plate during his season at the Arizona Complex League. There’s above average power to dream on with a good approach and a shot to stick at shortstop if the actions continue to get better considering his easy plus arm. He should make his pro debut on the mound in 2026 where his low 90s fastball and decent feel for a splitter and slider provide even more intrigue.

Eduarniel Nunez – RHP – (MLB): Acquired in the Mason Miller return, Nunez boasts a fastball that averages 98 MPH with a power curveball in the upper 80s that gives him a second plus pitch. It’s all about command for Nunez, walking north of 13% of batters in 2025. If he can throw more strikes he easily has the stuff to be a leverage arm, punching out 35% of batters between Triple-A and the big leagues in 2025.

Daniel Susac – C – (Triple-A): Drafted as a bat-first backstop, Susac has not provided as much of the offensive impact that may have been expected from a first round pick, however the glove has progressed enough at catcher to give him a shot at being a primary backstop. He will need to shore up his swing decisions and blocking ability to get there, otherwise he most likely projects as a part-time catcher who carves out a niche value with his production against LHP.

Will Simpson – 1B – (Double-A): Simpson led all qualified minor leaguers in the A’s organization in wRC+ in 2024, posting a 144 mark in 550 plate appearances between High-A Lansing and Double-A Midland. The A’s selected him in the 15th round in 2023 after his senior season at the University of Washington, and his .872 OPS with 44 doubles, 24 home runs and 113 RBIs in his first 163 MiLB games indicate that he may have very well been one of the steals of the later rounds.

Zane Taylor – RHP – (CPX): A fifth round pick out of UNC-Wilmington in 2025, Taylor’s stuff ticked up in his senior season and he simply overmatched CAA hitters. Up nearly three ticks from 2024, Taylor maintained his fantastic command, combining for one of the best K-BB rates in the entire country (25.8%). Taylor finished his collegiate career with 22 consecutive scoreless innings and heads to pro ball with some intrigue as an underrated arm in the system.

Tommy White – 3B – (Double-A): Big power has always been the calling card for Tommy Tanks, launching 75 homers in 187 collegiate games, but there’s some question as to whether he will be able to do enough damage in pro ball as well as mitigate his poor swing decisions. White may be an outlier who can overcome his unusual mechanics on sheer bat speed and hand-eye coordination, but he seemed to unravel against sharper stuff. His chase rate has sat north of 30% as a pro.

He made improvements defensively, giving him a shot to stick at third base, but the defense is likely to be fringy. White will have to really slug to be an everyday big leaguer and it seems like that could be a difficult proposition given his current mechanics and approach.

Chen Zhong-Ao Zhuang – RHP – (Double-A): Already 25 years old, Zhuang entered the 2025 season having just logged just 128.0 IP in the minor leagues after signing out of Taiwan in 2022 and missing all of 2023 with a shoulder injury. However, those 128 innings were superb, tossing to a 2.95 ERA, a 1.02 WHIP, and issuing just 21 walks compared to his 127 strikeouts. He turned in more solid results in 2025 at the Double-A level, pitching to a 4.08 ERA in 145 2/3 innings with a solid 17.6% K-BB rate.

He fills up the strike zone with his low 90s fastball which features some late carry thanks to its high spin rate. His changeup and slider look like solid secondary offerings as well giving him a chance to be a solid strike-throwing No. 5 starter.