September 30, 2015; Anaheim, CA, USA; Oakland Athletics relief pitcher Ryan Dull (66) pitches the eighth inning against the Los Angeles Angels at Angel Stadium of Anaheim. Mandatory Credit: Gary A. Vasquez-USA TODAY Sports
When the season ended this year for the Oakland Athletics, the front office stated that their goal for 2016 was to build from within and not make too many trades or acquisitions of new players. Additionally, the A’s are building for the future – not just for next year. This being said, the Athletics are definitely going to give some of their rookies and prospects more of an opportunity to show their stuff at the big league level.
As fans saw this September, many prospects have the possibility to make a huge impact. Take relief pitcher Ryan Dull as an example. Dull quickly worked his way up through the Minors after being drafted in 2012 and was called up this September due to his stellar performances in Double- and Triple-A this season. Dull was magnificent for the Athletics and only allowed three hits in his first 11 innings he pitched in relief for Oakland.
Like Dull, there are many other prospects waiting for their chance to shine in the Majors. Oakland has a pretty deep prospect pool with some very high-quality players. While some may be a few years out from joining the A’s in Oakland, others could be called up as soon as next season. With that in mind, the Swingin’ A’s staff tackled this question this week:
Which A’s prospect is most likely to make a splash in the MLB next season?
Scroll through the slide show to see who the staff picked!
Next: A Starting Pitcher