J.T. Ginn making up for lost time in Arizona Fall League

The Oakland A’s have high hopes for J.T. Ginn.

The centerpiece in the return that sent Chris Bassitt to the Mets, Ginn is expected to be a key part of the A’s rotation going forward. His ascension was expected to happen in relatively short order, something that was clear when the A’s assigned him to Double-A to start the 2022 season.

Oakland A’s seeing what they hoped for with J.T. Ginn

Injuries and ineffectiveness ruined those plans for 2022. Ginn posted a disappointing 6.11 ERA and a 1.472 WHiP over his 35.1 innings for the Midland RockHounds, striking out 41 batters with 14 walks. That type of performance was clearly not what the A’s had expected.

But things have changed in the Arizona Fall League. After firing four shutout innings on Friday, he has allowed just three runs on eight hits and four walks over his 12 innings, striking out 12 batters. His power sinker is starting to look like a weapon once more as the opposition have been hammering it into the ground, giving hope that Ginn can reach his potential.

That was the hope with his time in the AFL. Ginn had pitched just 42.1 innings in total in 2022, his rehab time in the Arizona Complex League included after he missed three months due to forearm tightness. He was there to add some more innings to his ledger and, ideally, show that ability that made him a target in trade talks.

So far, Ginn is doing exactly that. He is showing the potential that led the A’s to envision him as a future part of the rotation. It is now a matter of finishing his time in the AFL on a positive note and carrying that success over in 2023. Should that happen, Ginn could get a look in Oakland by the end of the year.

J.T. Ginn is showing flashes of what the Oakland A’s had hoped for. Hopefully, this continues and he can remain on track heading into 2023.