4 Oakland Athletics' prospects to watch in 2024

The Oakland Athletics have a number of prospects in the system worth getting excited about. From guys who made their debuts in 2023 and are still prospect eligible, to players who will look to build off strong minor league campaigns, there are a few reasons to be optimistic about the Athletics future on the field.

Off the field, there's still a bit of room left to hope that the A's don't end up leaving Oakland. The Las Vegas stadium financing piece hasn't been completely sorted out, and John Fisher might be forced back to the bargaining table with Oakland.

At mid-season in 2023, MLB.com ranked the Athletics' system as the 26th best in baseball. The industry perception of the A's system as a whole isn't great, especially after the graduation of Zack Gelof last year. However, there are some top-line guys worth keeping an eye on in 2024 and beyond.

Another guy who started making some noise at the major league level in 2023 is righty Joe Boyle. Acquired in the Sam Moll trade back in 2022, Boyle joined the Athletics and has been an effective starter at multiple levels.

Boyle posted a sub 2.20 ERA between Double-A and Triple-A the past two years and had a strong debut in Oakland at the end of 2023. Boyle started three games for the Athletics, posting a 1.69 ERA with a 3.13 FIP and a 25% strikeout rate.

Statcast loves the lanky righty. Coming in at 6' 7", Boyle's high-90's fastball puts him in the 95th percentile league-wide and his big frame gets him great extension on the mound. He primarily throws a fastball and a slider, but does mix in a curveball from time to time.

Boyle is currently slated to be in the conversation for the opening day rotation. Ken Waldichuk's availability is up in the air, so Boyle will be in competition with guys like Luis Medina, Osvaldo Bido, Freddy Tarnok, and Adrian Martinez.

Given Boyle's performance in 2023, both in Oakland and in the minors, he should be one of the first guys to get a chance to grab a spot. It'll be a bit dependent on his performance in the spring but we expect Boyle to win a starting job and excel in 2024.

Jacob Wilson was the Athletics first round pick in the 2023 draft. He made a strong impression in the complex league and at High-A as a 21 year old last year. In 99 plate appearances with Lansing, Wilson slashed .318/.378/.455 and showed impressive plate discipline.

Wilson's 10% strikeout rate is substantially better than average and a strong sign for success at higher levels. He's also a strong defender at shortstop and has the chance to move quickly through the A's minor league system.

The biggest knock on Wilson at the moment is his lack of power. Despite the excellent plate discipline and contact hitting, he posted a ground ball rate just shy of 58% which may not work at higher levels. Wilson is still on the light side, coming in at 6' 3" and 190lbs.

With that frame, Wilson should be able to add a bit of muscle without sacrificing mobility or athleticism. While he won't make the opening day roster, Wilson did receive a non-roster invite to spring training and will get a crack at some higher level pitching in the spring.

Whether he's able to add power to the profile will be a big part of how successful he becomes as a major leaguer. He has a pretty high floor with the current skill set but the power will be the difference between him becoming a defensive replacement and an everyday middle infielder.

Signed in January 2023, Luis Morales quickly made an impression in the Athletics' system. He moved through four levels, finishing the year at High-A Lansing.

Morales compiled a 2.86 ERA across 44 innings with a strikeout rate just below 30%. He has a fastball that sits in the upper 90's with a wipeout slider and curveball combo that he uses to get whiffs. He's a little wild but not concerningly so.

Baseball America has Morales as the Athletics' fourth best prospect heading into 2024. Their biggest knock against him is that the curveball and slider sometimes blend into similar looking pitches, and that he needs to differentiate them more in order to have success as a starter.

Morales didn't earn a non-roster spring training invite. His lack of innings at the professional level is likely the biggest reason why, as the A's will look to further refine his pitches at lower levels before introducing him to more advanced hitters.

However, if Morales is able to dial in the breaking pitches, he could become a monster. He forced the A's to move him quickly through the system last year and it's certainly possible he does so again in 2024.