A closer look at the four A’s prospects in the Top 100

Franklin Barreto leads off the A’s prospects at No. 52.

Franklin Barreto was just 16 years old when he was signed by the Toronto Blue Jays as an international free agent in July of 2012.

He spent a two seasons playing in rookie leagues with the Blue Jays before being moved to Low Class-A ball near the end of 2014.

Of course, as almost everyone knows, he was a key piece in the trade that sent 2015 American League MVP Josh Donaldson to the Blue Jays in November 2014.

He jumped quickly in the 2015 season straight to the A’s High-A affiliate in Stockton, California and spent most of 2016 with the Double-A Midland Rockhounds hitting .281 with a .340 on-base percentage.

Barreto hit 10 homers and drove in 50 runs in 118 games with Midland before being called up in September to the A’s Triple-A team, the Nashville Sounds. Despite playing in just four games with the Sounds at the end of the season, Barreto got six hits in 17 at-bats including a triple and a home run. He drove in three runs, scoring two of them and finished the season on a tear.

Barreto is the kind of player who will likely hit for both average and more power, once he learns to be a little more selective of pitches he swings  at, at the plate. Already he hits strong live drives and uses the entire field.

Defensively Barreto is seen by most as ending up a second baseman in the big leagues which makes some sense for the A’s since he blocked by Marcus Semien, who the team seems committed to and won’t be a free agent until 2021.

Does this mean we will be seeing Barreto in 2017? It’s unlikely given his young age, however, you can expect him in September and more than likely in 2018.