Henry Bolte had been considered to have some of the best tools in the 2022 MLB Draft class. The problem was that he had a strong commitment to join the University of Texas that was going to be difficult to overcome. Then the Oakland A’s came calling.
As it turned out, joining his hometown team and the franchise he grew up rooting for was a bigger draw than heading to the collegiate powerhouse. He signed with the A’s on Monday, receiving a $2 million signing bonus, far above the slot value for that pick.
Oakland A’s ink hometown prospect Henry Bolte
For Bolte, it was a childhood dream come true. He said that he could not pass on the chance to play for his favorite team growing up, potentially wearing the same uniform as Rickey Henderson and his favorite players – Matt Chapman and Coco Crisp.
Bolte is an intriguing prospect in his own right. He was rated as the 40th best draft prospect by MLB.com, a player with close to elite speed and plenty of raw power. However, he needs work with his swing and approach, as he has a tendency to chase offspeed pitches out of the zone and has some swing and miss issues.
Nonetheless, the upside is there. If those problems with his swing can be fixed, he has the potential to be an all around asset, someone that could end up as a 30-30 player. Even if he continues to have those issues with his swing, his speed and power potential could result in his getting a look at the major league level at some point down the road.
He is also the type of prospect that the A’s need. Their farm system may have a trio of top 100 prospects, but they desperately needed other high upside players after them, especially those who do not call catcher as their defensive home. Bolte, if he can develop as hoped, could be the type of player that the A’s can build around.
The Oakland A’s have signed second round draft pick Henry Bolte. He has the potential to be a significant piece of their future.