Oakland A’s: To harness Wandisson Charles
The Oakland A’s added hard throwing Wandisson Charles to their 40 man roster. If he can harness his stuff, he could make a major impact upon their future.
Wandisson Charles is the type of pitcher that seemingly every organization has several of. His big time fastball and swing and miss stuff make him an intriguing prospect. But there are warts – especially a lack of command that limits his effectiveness. Nonetheless, teams dream that these players can put everything together and be a force in the future.
Naturally, the A’s have the same sort of hopes for Charles. His triple digit fastball and wipeout slider give him the potential to be a weapon in the back of the A’s bullpen. That could be seen in his gaudy strikeout totals in the minors, as Charles struck out 226 batters in 170.1 innings.
But there is also that wildness. Charles has yet to truly harness his stuff, losing the zone with maddening frequency. In those 170.1 innings, he has issued 150 walks and uncorked 57 wild pitches. That wildness led to his being left unprotected prior to the Rule V Draft last year, but he went unclaimed.
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But that was last year. Although he was never a realistic option to join the A’s bullpen this year, he was a part of the group of prospects brought to the alternate training site in San Jose. There, he made enough of an impression to be added to the 40 man roster, giving hope that he can be a part of the future.
Of course, it remains to be seen when that future will take place. Charles, for all of his potential and his electric stuff, has just 14.1 innings above A ball. Interestingly, he displayed the best command of his professional career in AA, striking out 17 batters with just five walks, and zero wild pitches, in that time.
Should those gains in his command be more than a blip on the radar, Charles could make an impact at the end of the upcoming season, or early in 2022. But he has to show that the improved command displayed in Midland is sustainable for that to happen.
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Wandisson Charles is an intriguing arm who could blossom into a late inning role. That is, if he can harness his stuff.