Oakland A’s announce prospects for Arizona Fall League

Feb 20, 2020; Mesa, Arizona, USA; Oakland Athletics Shortstop Logan Davidson poses during photo day. Mandatory Credit: Rick Scuteri-USA TODAY Sports
Feb 20, 2020; Mesa, Arizona, USA; Oakland Athletics Shortstop Logan Davidson poses during photo day. Mandatory Credit: Rick Scuteri-USA TODAY Sports

The Arizona Fall League is a great opportunity for prospects. It is a place where some of the top minor leaguers in the game can test their mettle against other top prospects. For others, it is a chance to get some additional game action after their seasons were shortened due to injury. In the Oakland A’s case, there is a combination of both of those reasons.

The A’s announced that nine of their minor leaguers will be heading to the AFL this season. Amongst that group are four of their top 30 prospects, giving those players a chance to prove themselves once again.

Oakland A’s sending nine minor leaguers to AFL

Logan Davidson is easily the most recognizable name amongst those nine players. The A’s first round draft pick in 2019, and 12th ranked prospect, was sent to Double-A for the 2021 season as a challenge. He failed miserably, posting a .620 OPS with seven homers and 22 doubles in his 515 plate appearances. Davidson also led A’s minor leaguers with 155 strikeouts. He will be looking to prove that those struggles are behind him.

This will also be a chance for another pair of prospects to make up for lost time. Jeff Criswell pitched just 12 innings last year due to arm issues, with the AFL a chance to make up for lost time. Jeremy Eierman had begun to heat up in Double-A when he was lost for the season due to a quad injury. A strong followup in the AFL would make a major difference.

Out of the other players heading to Arizona, Pedro Santos may be the most intriguing. He clearly has a great deal of potential, having struck out 87 batters in his 68.1 innings, but he also issued 62 walks and uncorked 21 wild pitches. If he could harness his arsenal, he could develop into a weapon, either in the bullpen or the rotation if the A’s keep him there. That is going to be a large part of what the A’s hope to see during his time in the AFL.

Next. Get ready for the teardown of the A's. dark

Nine members of the Oakland A’s organization are heading to the Arizona Fall League. This is a great chance for those players to prove themselves.