Oakland Athletics: Four September Call-Ups Who Have Impressed Thus Far
May 31, 2015; Oakland, CA, USA; Oakland Athletics first baseman Max Muncy (50) hits a single against the New York Yankees during the second inning at O.co Coliseum. Mandatory Credit: Kelley L Cox-USA TODAY Sports
The MLB’s September roster expansion has been a hot topic this season. Some think that it allows teams to provide extra depth to certain positions. Others believe that this is not a fair system because some teams have more qualified players to call up than their opponents. However, it does allows teams that are out of postseason contention to bring up minor league players to evaluate them for the next season.
The Oakland Athletics have made the most of the expanded roster. On September 1, they called up a total of eight players. This included some familiar faces like Dan Otero, Arnold Leon, and Cody Martin, but it also brought in some new faces. The A’s have had a tough season, but these young bats and arms have been a breath of fresh air for the team. Some of these recent call ups have been making the most of their playing in the big leagues.
These youngsters are the future of the Oakland Athletics, and it is nice to see that they can perform well as the Major League level. Let’s take a look at which September call-ups have been making a positive impression this month.
Next: Relief Pitcher Ryan Dull
1. Ryan Dull (P)
Sep 8, 2015; Oakland, CA, USA; Oakland Athletics relief pitcher Ryan Dull (66) throws a pitch against the Houston Astros during the ninth inning at O.co Coliseum. The Oakland Athletics defeated the Houston Astros 4-0. Mandatory Credit: Ed Szczepanski-USA TODAY Sports
This reliever has been outstanding since being called up on September 1 – especially for being a 32nd round draft pick back in 2012. Since being brought up to the Majors, Dull has pitched a total of 11 innings where he has allowed only three hits and zero runs. Dull’s ERA currently resides at 0.00. Additionally, he has already earned his first Major League save just the other night against the Houston Astros.
Dull’s performance has refreshed the bullpen. The A’s relief staff has been disastrous this entire season and Dull’s outings so far this month provides a glimmer of hope for the future bullpen. He has worked his way quickly up the Minor League ladder and, based on his numbers this season, it is not surprising that he was called up this September.
Dull split his time between Double-A and Triple-A this year. He had an accumulated 0.74 ERA and only allowed five runs over 61 innings pitched. Dull is proving this September that he is ready to assume a spot in an MLB bullpen. Based on how terrible the bullpen was this season, it would not be surprising to see Dull earn a full time relief position with the Athletics in 2016. Hopefully A’s fans will be seeing a lot more of Dull in the future.
Next: Starting Pitcher Sean Nolin
2. Sean Nolin (SP)
Sep 6, 2015; Oakland, CA, USA; Oakland Athletics starting pitcher Sean Nolin (47) pitches the ball against the Seattle Mariners during the second inning at O.co Coliseum. Mandatory Credit: Kelley L Cox-USA TODAY Sports
Nolin was a top prospect when the Oakland Athletics acquired him in the Josh Donaldson deal during the offseason. However, due to a nagging injury, Nolin did not pitch for most of the 2015 Minor League season. Finally, he took the mound somewhat regularly in mid-August and was called up to the Major Leagues on September 4. The A’s were ready to see what Nolin could bring to the table.
Even though Nolin’s pitch count had only just reached into the 70s during his last Minor League start on August 31 before being brought up to Oakland, the A’s had Nolin take the mound for his first MLB game of the 2015 season on September 6. The Athletics may have lost, but Nolin made a good impression during this start. He went six innings and only allowed three earned runs – all which occurred in the fifth.
His second and third starts were equally as consistent. On September 12 against the Texas Rangers, Nolin only allowed one run over 5.2 innings. He also struck out five. On September 17 against the Chicago White Sox, he pitched five innings allowing just two runs and walking three.
Even though his most recent outing on September 22 against the Texas Rangers has been his worst thus far, it must be remembered that he did not pitch consistently for the majority of the Minor League season. Based on his past performances, Nolin should be a reliable and consistent starter for the A’s once he is in a more regular routine.
Next: Catcher Carson Blair
3. Carson Blair (C)
Sep 18, 2015; Houston, TX, USA; Oakland Athletics catcher Carson Blair (39) gets a single during the third inning against the Houston Astros at Minute Maid Park. Mandatory Credit: Troy Taormina-USA TODAY Sports
Blair’s bat may be quiet since being called up the Major Leagues, but he has stepped up to the plate in a big way. With both regular season catchers Stephen Vogt and Josh Phegley injured and unable to field behind the plate, Blair has become the A’s go-to platoon catcher with Bryan Anderson. This has been a valuable time for Blair to prove that he can play at the Major League level.
Unfortunately for him, he has not had great luck at the plate. He is only batting .120 over nine games. On the upside, he did hit his first Major League home run on September 13. But, this is a very small sample size and Blair has never played in the Majors before being called up on September 1 and had only been brought up to Triple-A from Double-A on July 1. It is expected that there will be a slight learning curve since he has moved up through the Minors and into the Majors so quickly.
With the Athletics’ Triple-A affiliate the Nashville Sounds, Blair batted .252 with a .785 OPS. While withe the Midland RockHounds, Oakland’s Double-A team, he was named Texas League Player of the Week when he batted .350 from May 25-31, which included three doubles and two triples for a total of five extra-base hits. Additionally, he is a great defensive catcher. Over his entire minor league career, Blair has a .987 fielding percentage. Blair may need a little time to adjust to the level of play in the big leagues, but so far, he has done an adequate job filling in for both Vogt and Phegley.
Next: Utility Man Tyler Ladendorf
4. Tyler Ladendorf (2B)
Apr 11, 2015; Oakland, CA, USA; Oakland Athletics second baseman Tyler Ladendorf (25) bunts during the seventh inning against the Seattle Mariners at O.co Coliseum. Mandatory Credit: Bob Stanton-USA TODAY Sports
Ladendorf started out on the Oakland Athletics roster in April, but then had to undergo ankle surgery later that month which caused him to miss much of the season. However, he returned to Triple-A in early August and quickly jumped back on the horse. This year with the Nashville Sounds, Ladendorf batted .260/.314/.333.
Even though Ladendorf’s bat was pretty average in Triple-A, the Athletics are more interested in his fielding abilities. Ladendorf is very versatile and can play numerous positions. The A’s are hoping that he will be the next Ben Zobrist. Throughout his eight year Minor League career, Ladendorf has played at second, short, third, and all of the outfield positions. In the Majors, the Athletics have already stuck Ladendorf at all of those previously mentioned positions except for center field. Additionally, in the nine games he has played in five different positions with Oakland, Ladendorf has yet to commit a fielding error.
Since being called up on September 1, Ladendorf is hitting better than he did in the Minors. Currently, he is batting .286. Unfortunately, because the A’s currently have a lot of depth in most of the fielding positions, Ladendorf is not going to receive that much playing time during the last couple of weeks of the season. However, his performance this September has definitely been impressive.
Next: Oakland Athletics Should Consider Re-Signing Edward Mujica