A's Minor League Standouts, Including Max Muncy's 3-Homer Game

Jason Burke | Aug 6, 2024

Feb 23, 2024; Mesa, AZ, USA; Oakland Athletics infielder Max Muncy (72) poses during Photo Day at Mesa Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Rick Scuteri-USA TODAY Sports / Rick Scuteri-USA TODAY Sports

Oakland A's No. 8 prospect Max Muncy said he would love to make his big-league debut in Oakland, because playing at the Coliseum has been the dream since he signed with the team after Oakland selected him with the 25th overall pick in 2021. He then spent two months on the IL in Triple-A Las Vegas, which may have hurt his chances at a 2024 debut as fellow shortstop and former high school teammate Jacob WIlson reached Vegas, then got the call to Oakland himself.

Muncy hasn't been squeezed out of a spot in the big leagues by any means, but his opportunities may lay at a position other than shortstop when the time comes.

On Sunday in Vegas, Muncy made up for some lost time with one heck of a game, going 5-for-5 with three home runs, five runs scored, and eight RBI as the Aviators clubbed the Albuquerque Isotopes 21-5. After singling and doubling in a 10-run third, Muncy clubbed a solo shot in the bottom of the fifth, a two-run homer in the seventh, and a grand slam in the eighth.

21 can you do somethin for me

Max Muncy with a grand-slam and his 3rd homer of the night makes it a 21-4 game 👏👏#AviatorsLV pic.twitter.com/9fhhkjynAe

— Las Vegas Aviators (@AviatorsLV) August 5, 2024

Coming into the game, Muncy was batting .237 with a .338 OBP through 35 games played. By the end of the night, he was up to .268 with a .361 on-base. If he goes on a real tear the next few weeks, there could be hope yet that he could make his debut before the season is over.

While Muncy had the great night, it was Jordan Díaz that earned Pacific Coast League Player of the Week honors (July 29-August 4). He is the third Aviators player to receive the honor, following in the footsteps of Daz Cameron (April 29-May 5) and Seth Brown (June 17-23). In both of their cases, Cameron and Brown were called up to Oakland just a couple of weeks after their award wins. We'll have to wait and see if Díaz follows the trend.

Díaz went 12-for-24 (.500) in five games played with three doubles, four home runs, and 13 RBI.

Widely regarded as the A's No. 2 prospect behind Wilson, 21-year-old Luis Morales has been quietly turning in an impressive season down in High-A Lansing. Across 61 innings he holds a 3.23 ERA with a 1.13 WHIP in his first full season. He has 61 strikeouts and 23 walks allowed in that time.

He also had a heck of a game on Sunday, tossing six shutout innings, while allowing just two hits and hitting one batter while striking out six. The six innings pitched is a new career high, and extends his streak to six straight starts of allowing one or fewer runs. In that span he has tossed 22 2/3 innings, given up 12 hits, seven walks, and struck out 20.