*In an effort to make the nomination voting easier for everyone, I will comment, “NOMINATIONS”, and you may reply to that with your picks and upvote the player you’d like to see on the next nominee list.
Our CPL is rolling right along as we now have the top 14 prospects according to the fans. Right-hander Zane Taylor came away on top this time around as A’s fans like the potential that the 23-year-old offers. Last year’s fifth-round pick, Taylor only appeared in one professional game this past season at the Triple-A level and pitched just two innings. That said he’s been a popular sleeper pick by lots of the fanbase because he showed elite control during his college days at North Carolina. Having pitched four years there many scouts believe he will be a fast riser through the system. In spite of his lone start being at Triple-A he’s expected to begin the season in Double-A but a promotion could come quick.
Taking his spot among the nominees for the next round will be another righty in Kade Morris. A former third-round pick by the Mets, the A’s brought him into the fold in exchange for former All-Star Paul Blackburn. While Blackburn has struggled since the trade, Morris has made the acquisition look great for the A’s. He dominated Double-A this past year and earned a promotion to Triple-A for his first extended look at that level. The righty predictably ran into some growing pains against stiffer competition so the A’s will give him plenty of time to work on his craft at that level for the time being. If he progresses fast enough though who knows, we could be seeing him donning the Green & Gold as soon as this summer.
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.
- In the comments, below the official voting, the community will nominate players to be put onto the ballot for the next round. The format for your comment should be “Nomination: Player Name”.
- 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.
Click on the link here to vote!
* * *
A’s fans top prospects, ranked:
- Leo De Vries, SS
- Jamie Arnold, LHP
- Gage Jump, LHP
- Wei-En Lin, LHP
- Braden Nett, RHP
- Henry Bolte, OF
- Johenssy Colome, SS
- Edgar Montero, SS
- Steven Echavarria, RHP
- Devin Taylor, OF
- Mason Barnett, RHP
- Tommy White, 3B
- Henry Baez, RHP
- Zane Taylor, RHP
The voting continues! Who will A’s fans pick as the 15th-best prospect in the system today? Here’s a quick rundown on each nominee— the scouting grades (on a 20-to-80 scale) and scouting reports come from MLB Pipeline.
Nominees on the current ballot:
Kade Morris, RHP
Expected level: Triple-A | Age: 23
2025 stats (AA/AAA): 4.38 ERA, 28 starts, 150 IP, 128 K, 48 BB, 16 HR, 4.71 FIP
MLB Pipeline grades and scouting report:
Scouting grades: Fastball: 50 | Curveball: 45 | Slider: 55 | Changeup: 50 | Control: 50 | Overall: 40
Morris runs up his four-seam fastball to about 95-96 mph and also throws a sinker with good arm-side run in the 92-95 range. His mid-80s slider has developed into an above-average secondary offering. His mid-70s curveball provides a good variation of pitch speeds, though he is still working to make it a more consistent pitch, along with his improving upper-80s changeup.
Morris is athletic with his 6-foot-3 frame. His competitive drive stands out whenever he takes the mound. Discovering the right arm slot that allows for the most consistency is the next big step in his development. How that pans out as he moves through the system will likely determine his long-term role, though he profiles as a back-end starter given his overall pitch mix and solid control.
Shotaro Morii, SS/RHP
Expected level: Low-A | Age: 19
2025 stats (Rookie Affiliate): 188 PA, .258/.399/.384, 8 doubles, 1 triple, 3 HR, 27 RBI, 36 BB, 47 K, 4 SB
MLB Pipeline grades and scouting report:
Scouting grades (hitter): Hit: 50 | Power: 50 | Run: 55 | Arm: 60 | Field: 50 | Overall: 40
Scouting grades (pitcher): Fastball: 55 | Slider: 40 | Curveball: 45 | Splitter: 50 | Control: 45 | Overall: 40
At the plate, Morii features a smooth left-handed swing with tremendous balance. His power stands out, as he clubbed 45 home runs as a high schooler. He is considered an advanced hitter with good barrel control. On the mound, his fastball has been clocked as high as 95 mph and sits around 92-93. He also brings a splitter with nasty movement, a true 12-to-6 curveball and a tighter slider with solid bite and depth, though that offering will probably require some fine-tuning. Having only been pitching with regularity for less than two years, Morii’s arm is relatively fresh as he enters the organization.
Morii’s high-octane throwing arm plays well at shortstop, but some evaluators see a possibility of moving to third base as his 6-foot-1 frame fills out. While scouts see Morii’s long-term future in the batter’s box, the A’s plan on giving him every opportunity to succeed as a two-way player, with excitement already building over his impressive physical traits and desire to become one of the next great players out of Japan.
Junior Perez, OF
Expected level: Triple-A | Age: 24
2025 stats (AA/AAA): 587 PA, .231/.348/.473, 29 doubles, 6 triples, 26 HR, 87 RBI, 87 BB, 165 K, 27 SB
Per Billy Owens, Athletics director of player personnel and assistant GM: “Perez is a live-bodied specimen with high-caliber tools. His range and athleticism stand out defensively. Offensively, he can be streaky, but he has displayed plus bat speed, patience and real power. Solid package. Development is not linear. Patience will be required to realize his significant potential.”
Gunnar Hoglund, RHP
Expected level: Triple-A/Majors | Age: 26
2025 stats (Triple-A): 2.43 ERA, 6 starts, 29 2/3 IP, 30 K, 7 BB, 3 HR, 4.17 FIP
2025 stats (Majors): 6.40 ERA, 6 starts, 32 1/3 IP, 23 K, 11 BB, 10 HR, 6.75 FIP
MLB Pipeline grades and scouting report:
Scouting grades: Fastball: 45 | Slider: 55 | Changeup: 50 | Control: 60 | Overall: 45
Though Hoglund may never get back the electric stuff he possessed earlier in his career, the A’s were encouraged to see his fastball velocity tick back up to the low-90s. He has also experimented with adding a two-seamer and cutter. His low-80s slider now features more sweeping action and works as his main secondary pitch. He has also improved his low-80s changeup, creating a solid three-pitch mix that is enhanced by a strong ability to consistently throw strikes.
Now three years removed from Tommy John, the A’s are hopeful that Hoglund can develop into a solid back-end rotation piece, especially if he can successfully develop a fourth pitch. The Florida native was regularly going deep into starts in his big league cameo (6.40 ERA with 23 strikeouts to 11 walks across 32 1/3 innings) before going down with the injury and is expected to make a full recovery before the 2026 season.
Cole Miller, RHP
Expected level: Single-A | Age: 20
2025 stats (ROK, Single-A): 1.90 ERA, 12 starts (15 appearances), 52 IP, 45 K, 11 BB, 1 HR, 3.38 FIP
MLB Pipeline grades and scouting report:
Scouting grades: Fastball: 55 | Slider: 50 | Changeup: 50 | Control: 45 | Overall: 40
The A’s were working on some mechanical adjustments with Miller prior to his injury. His electric fastball ticked up to 96 mph in high school and displayed excellent movement down in the zone. The mid-80s slider is a hard breaker and was showing signs of improvement. His low-80s changeup showed some potential as an average third pitch.
There was real excitement within the organization for Miller’s professional debut. His three-pitch mix and large 6-foot-6 frame give off the potential of a workhorse-type starting pitcher in the big leagues. The A’s also loved the competitiveness they saw from him on the mound while scouting him. After an unfortunate delay, he finally got his first opportunity to make an impression this summer.
* * *
Programming Note: Each CPL vote will run for around 48 hours, so don’t delay in making your vote!