Inside The As

A's "Tanking" the Draft

Jason Burke

Jun 26, 2023; Omaha, NE, USA; LSU Tigers third baseman Tommy White (47) gestures after hitting a RBI double against the Florida Gators during the ninth inning at Charles Schwab Field Omaha. Mandatory Credit: Dylan Widger-USA TODAY Sports
Jun 26, 2023; Omaha, NE, USA; LSU Tigers third baseman Tommy White (47) gestures after hitting a RBI double against the Florida Gators during the ninth inning at Charles Schwab Field Omaha. Mandatory Credit: Dylan Widger-USA TODAY Sports / Dylan Widger-USA TODAY Sports
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It's hard to argue with the direction the Oakland A's have gone through two days of the MLB Draft. The final ten rounds are set to commence today at 11 a.m., and the A's will have the first pick in each and every round given that they finished with the worst record in the baseball (50-112) a year ago.

Obvously, number four overall selection Nick Kurtz is the big name in the A's draft, and the team feels confident that they got the right guy. Director of Scouting, Eric Kubota, even compared him to former A's first baseman Matt Olson in his day one wrap-up interview with reporters. Kurtz has the tools, the approach, and the mindset to be a menace for opposing pitchers.

With their second selection, the A's took Tommy White out of LSU with the 40th overall pick. White was also ranked as MLB Pipeline's No. 20 draft prospect, which could mean that the A's have a pretty big steal on their hands. White was one of the best bats in the draft, and the A's believe that he showed enough improvement defensively to stick at third base.

After batting .355 with a .419 OBP and 75 home runs in three college seasons, the last two at LSU, White earned the monicker "Tommy Tanks."

On Day 2, the A's finished out their selections by selecting outfielder Cameron Leary out of Boston College in the 10th round. Leary, 22, hit .272 with a .441 OBP and 15 home runs last season, and his walk total (53) nearly matched his strikeouts (60) across 53 games played. He also stole 23 bases and was caught just twice, making him a pretty decent power/speed threat as he heads to pro ball.

He is the first player in Boston College history to have 40 homers and 40 steals over a career, earning him the nickname "Cam Tanks."

Now excuse me while I prep for Day 3 of the MLB Draft by scouring the remaining field for anyone with a tank-related nickname that may be a fit for the Oakland A's.

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Jason Burke
JASON BURKE

Jason is the host of the Locked on A's podcast, and the managing editor of Inside the A's. He's a new father and can't wait to take his son to his first baseball game at the Coliseum. 

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