Oakland Athletics: Ranking The Top Ten Prospects

Feb 27, 2015; Surprise, AZ, USA; Oakland Athletics pitcher Sean Manaea poses for a portrait during photo day at Surprise Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Mark J. Rebilas-USA TODAY Sports

No. 3: Sean Manaea, LHP

Talent: 55/100
Minor League Performance: 23/30
Major League Need: 20/20
Final Score: 65

Sean Manaea was just acquired from the Royals in the deal that sent Ben Zobrist to Kansas City, and he is here to provide some much-needed depth to the pitching staff.

His fastball is a nightmare for batters. It fluctuates anywhere from 90 to 96 MPH, and he uses his 6’5” body to create a severe downward angle. The result is that it bears down on batters and induces uncomfortable swings.

The fastball is his main offering, but his slider is an acceptable secondary pitch, complemented by a changeup to keep batters guessing.

In 2014 when he pitched for High-A Wilmington, he owned a 3.11 ERA and threw 146 strikeouts, or 10.8 SO/9. He followed this up with a 3.66 ERA and 10.1 SO/9 ratio in High-A in 2015, as well.

More from White Cleat Beat

• Zach Logue yet another disappointing Oakland A’s trade return
• Luis Barrera heading to familiar foe in Los Angeles Angels
• Looking back at Ruben Sierra with the Oakland A’s
• San Francisco Giants showing Oakland A’s offseason could be worse
• Lucas Luetge what Oakland A’s need in bullpen

His minors score could be higher, but he has had a rough time with batters since his recent promotion to Double-A. He has only thrown two games in Double-A, so we won’t judge this small of a sample size too harshly, but so far batters are seeing his pitches a lot better and getting more hits off of him. His Class A WHIP of 1.322 is now a 2.143 in Double-A, and he is also now throwing the highest proportion of walks that he has in his professional career.

This is a slightly worrisome trend because control is not known to be one of Manaea’s better tools. The A’s will be watching very closely to see how quickly he can figure out these sudden control issues. If he can overcome them, Manaea will certainly audition for a spot on the A’s rotation during Spring Training next year.

No. 2: Dakota Chalmers, RHP

Talent: 56/100
Minors: 25/30
Need: 20/20
Final Score: 67

Dakota Chalmers was one of the biggest steals of the 2015 draft. The A’s were inexplicably able to pick him up in the third round and 97th overall, even though he was a candidate to be taken in the first round.

Chalmers is the only one of the A’s top three draft picks from 2015 that was drafted directly out of high school. He blew away opposing hitters with a fastball that consistently hit anywhere between 92-95 MPH, and sometimes topped out at 98 MPH. His curveball and slider are currently ranked as above average in the scouting report, though these will probably develop into plus offerings with time to develop in the minor leagues.

Simply put, Chalmers is made out of raw talent, and a few years of development will make him an incredibly important part of the A’s rotation.

The organization is currently keeping his starts short in the Rookie League. He has pitched 10 innings through five starts, and he has kept runs to a minimum while owning a 1.80 ERA. His nine walks through those ten innings are partially responsible for his 1.800 WHIP, but his control is certainly one of the pieces the organization will work on in the coming years.

MLB Prospect Pipeline ranks Chalmers as the A’s ninth overall prospect, but that is an incredible underestimation of his ability. Watch for Chalmers to be an incredibly productive homegrown talent that will be Major League ready by 2019.

Next: Prospect Countdown: Number One