Oakland Athletics’ Prospects Who Could Make An Impact Next Year

Shortstop Prospect Chad Pinder

May 23, 2015; St. Petersburg, FL, USA; Oakland Athletics hat, glove and ball lay in the dugout at Tropicana Field. Mandatory Credit: Kim Klement-USA TODAY Sports

Andrew Dambrauskas: If the A’s are looking for a high-production alternative to Eric Sogard from within their organization, then Chad Pinder may be making his case to leapfrog from Triple-A to the Majors late next year.

Pinder expeditiously conquered the notoriously pitcher-friendly Security Bank Ballpark last season in his campaign with the Midland Rockhounds, where he finished the season batting .317 and smashing 15 home runs. The A’s recognized his potential and sent him to Arizona, where he is currently batting .353 and has already hit two home runs in four games for the Mesa Solar Sox. He has racked up a mammoth 1.212 OPS.

The only thing keeping him from a big league chance is his defensive struggles. His .945 fielding percentage in Midland last year is a significant drop-off from Sogard’s exemplary .989. Pinder was previously an afterthought when the A’s were sure that the future of their middle infield would be a tandem of Addison Russell and Daniel Robertson. But now that those two are out of the picture, look for Pinder to get as many innings as possible to refine his defensive game.

Next: A Second Baseman