Why J.T. Ginn could have an inside track at a rotation spot in 2025

Jason Burke | 3 Hours Ago

Sep 3, 2024; Oakland, California, USA; Oakland Athletics starting pitcher J.T. Ginn (70) delivers a pitch against the Seattle Mariners during the first inning at Oakland-Alameda County Coliseum. Mandatory Credit: D. Ross Cameron-Imagn Images / D. Ross Cameron-Imagn Images

The Athletics are a team on the rise, and there are a number of roster spots that have been accounted for, particularly in the lineup and the bullpen. The starting rotation has a number of candidates that many fans would be comfortable with, but not too many players set in stone, leaving the starting five fluid.

One name that could emerge this spring is right-hander J.T. Ginn, whom the A's originally acquired in the Chris Bassitt deal with the New York Mets.

The 25-year-old made his MLB debut with the A's in Oakland in late August, making two appearances out of the bullpen before being added to the starting mix, where he would make six starts the rest of the way, including the final game at the Oakland Coliseum.

He went at least five innings in five of those six starts, which is a nice starting place for a young pitcher. One thing that manager Mark Kotsay and his staff want is innings from their starters, and Ginn was able to go at least five frames consistently. The one time he fell short came against the White Sox in Chicago when he lasted just four innings.

In his time in the bigs, Ginn held a 1-1 record with that first MLB win coming in that final game in Oakland. He finished with a 4.24 ERA (3.96 FIP), a 1.32 WHIP, 20.4% strikeout rate, and a 6.3% walk rate. Not bad for someone just starting out.

The reason that he could be a factor for the A's in 2025 is because of something we've been mentioning quite a bit of late: ground ball rate. With the A's set to play in Sacramento beginning in 2025, there is a question of how the ballpark will play. Typically parks in the Pacific Coast League (like Sutter Health) are more hitter friendly, though the A's front office is taking more of a wait-and-see approach before making any brash decisions.

They have, however, been adding some ground ball pitchers on minor-league deals, so perhaps they're tipping their hand to how they think it'll play.

Of the players on the A's with at least 30 innings pitched, Ginn ranked No. 5 among 20 hurlers, and two of the guys ahead of him--Scott Alexander and Lucas Erceg--are no longer with the club. T.J. McFarland ranked second with a 57.3% ground ball rate, and he has since re-signed with the A's.

The other player ahead of Ginn is Mitch Spence (48.4%), then Ginn at 47.1%. That was also the first time at any level that Ginn has had a GB% below 50, so it would appear as though he may have more grounders in store moving forward.

The way the A's rotation currently looks to be constructed is JP Sears, Joey Estes, Spence, Ginn, and Osvaldo Bido, with lefty Ken Waldichuk looking to return at some point during the season. Brady Basso, Hogan Harris, and Joe Boyle are all also in that mix, along with recent addition Jason Alexander. Over the course of the season, Mason Barnett could also work his way in there.

With the way the roster is currently constructed, it's tough to see Sears, Estes, or Spence not being in the rotation on Opening Day if everyone is healthy, but the remaining two spots could go to anyone. Ginn's ability to keep the ball on the ground could be the way he makes his first opener, with the team unsure of what to expect in Sacramento.