Oakland Athletics Season Predictions: A Guide To 2016

Fill in the Blanks: Prospect Edition

By the end of the season, _____ will rise five spots in the prospect rankings:

Andrew: Andrew Triggs
Mark: Skye Bolt
Melson: Bruce Maxwell
Katrina: Dakota Chalmers
Rylan: Dakota Chalmers
Samantha: Joey Wendle

Last year in Double-A, Andrew Triggs posted a 1.03 ERA in 43 games, including 17 saves in 61 innings. The A’s claimed him off waivers, and he’s ranked 29th in their system. Skye Bolt is ranked 18th, and hit .238/.325/.381 with Short-Season Vermont. Not only did he post a solid OPS, but as Mark said, “With a name like that, how can he miss?”

Chalmers is just 19 years old and already throws a 95 mph fastball that can hit 98 mph – yet he’s only the 11th ranked prospect in the A’s system. Look for all of them to improve in the rankings this upcoming season.

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By the end of the season, ______ will fall five spots in the prospect rankings:

Andrew: Skye Bolt
Mark: Franklin Barreto
Melson: Franklin Barreto
Katrina: Richie Martin
Rylan: Chad Pinder
Samantha: Renato Nunez

Not all of our writers are as enamored by Bolt, as he wound up on both lists – maybe his pun-inspiring name isn’t enough to impress everyone.

Barreto, who is the Athletics’ top prospect at the moment, was mentioned more than once. While he’s showed a lot of talent, he’s still young, and he struggled in the second half of Spring Training. A drop from number-one wouldn’t be too surprising.

Nunez (5th) and Pinder (8th) are both at what might be the peaks of their minor league careers, so if they don’t start making the transition to the majors, their stock could fall. Martin (4th) will miss at least eight weeks of the season as he recovers from knee surgery, after sustaining a meniscus injury while sliding during Spring Training.

Next: 2016 Predictions: The Bests and Worsts