A's Spring Breakout Roster
The Athletics are set to play their Spring Breakout contest today, taking on the top prospects in the San Diego Padres system. First pitch is scheduled for 2:40 p.m. (PT) and can be viewed on MLB.tv.
The whole purpose of Spring Breakout is to showcase some of the top prospects around the game, and give those prospects on each club a chance to shine.
The A's will be sending 20 of their top 30 for this game. The roster breaks down like this.
Luis Morales, RHP | No. 5 |
|---|---|
Steven Echavarria, RHP | No. 13 |
Gage Jump, LHP | No. 15 |
Gunnar Hoglund, RHP | No. 16 |
Kade Morris, RHP | No. 17 |
Will Johnston, LHP | No. 23 |
Chen Zhong-Ao Zhuang, RHP | No. 30 |
Tyler Baum, RHP | Not Ranked |
James Gonzalez, LHP | Not Ranked |
Jake Walkinshaw, RHP | Not Ranked |
Morales, 22, was signed as an international free agent in 2023 and has impressed in his time in the minors thus far. Some view this season as a potential breakout year for him.
Echavarria, 19, was selected by the A's in the third round of the 2023 MLB Draft out of high school. He started 19 games with the Stockton Ports last season and held a 6.55 ERA, but he is another candidate to take a big step forward.
Jump was a second rounder out of LSU last year, and has not yet made his pro debut. He did strikeout 101 batters across 83 innings in college last year, however.
Both Hoglund and Morris were acquired in trades. Hoglund, being the main piece of the Matt Chapman deal with the Toronto Blue Jays, and Morris being the return for Paul Blackburn at the 2024 trade deadline.
Walkinshaw was one of the last players to wear "Oakland" across his chest in the Arizona Fall League. A former 36th round pick, Walkinshaw told Athletics on SI at the time, that even though he never played in Oakland, he still felt like he developed a connection to the city by following the team so closely the past five years.
He was thankful to be one of the last players to wear "Oakland" across his chest.
Daniel Susac, C | No. 12 |
|---|---|
Davis Diaz, C | Not Ranked |
Dylan Fien, C | Not Ranked |
Susac was a former first rounder for the Athletics in 2022, and appears primed to make his Triple-A Las Vegas debut this season.
Nick Kurtz, 1B | No. 2 |
|---|---|
Max Muncy, SS | No. 7 |
Tommy White, 3B | No. 8 |
Joshua Kuroda-Grauer, SS | No. 11 |
Myles Naylor, 3B | No. 25 |
Brennan Milone, 1B | No. 26 |
Shotaro Morii, SP/SS | No. 28 |
Both Kurtz and Muncy were first round picks by the A's, with the first baseman being selected No. 4 overall in last year's draft, while the shortstop was taken out of high school in 2021. Both look like they could make it to West Sacramento to play for the A's in 2025.
White, Kuroda-Grauer, and Naylor were all selected last season as well, but have more development left before they reach the upper minors. Morii was the A's big splash in the international free agent market this offseason, and he will be serving as both a shortstop and a starting pitcher to begin his pro career.
Colby Thomas, OF | No. 3 |
|---|---|
Denzel Clarke, OF | No. 6 |
Henry Bolte, OF | No. 9 |
Rodney Green, OF | No. 21 |
Brayan Buelvas, OF | No. 29 |
Junior Perez, OF | Not Ranked |
After a huge year in 2024, Thomas could be another player pushing his way to Sacramento in 2025, especially if the A's need help in left field. He hit 31 home runs and stole 15 bases last season.
Clarke is a toolsy centerfielder that will certainly have the team making a difficult decision before long. Do they make room for him on the roster, or do they move him to add on to another area of need?
The A's roster is filled with talent, and for many A's fans, this could be their first time seeing any of them in game action, so it's certainly worth checking out.
Jason has been covering the A’s at various sites for over a decade, and was the original host of the Locked on A’s podcast. He also covers the Stanford Cardinal as they attempt to rebuild numerous programs to prominence.