Another round to vote!
*In an effort to make the nomination voting easier for everyone, I will comment, “NOMINATIONS”, and you may reply to that with your picks and upvote the player you’d like to see on the next nominee list.
The voting continues and the winner of this round of voting is right-handed reliever Yunior Tur. A 26-year-old out of Cuba, Tur was always considered a large project as a pitcher but also one that has a high ceiling if he can learn how to pitch instead of throwing. His first couple years in the system were a big learning curve as he struggled to adjust to the States and better hitters, but Tur put up a solid season this past year, spent mostly at Double-A. The jury is still out on his ultimate role with the big league club in the future, whether that’s starting or relieving so watching his progress this coming year should provide answers on that front.
Joining the next list of nominees is outfielder Ryan Lasko. The Athletics’ second-round draft pick in the 2023 Draft, Lasko’s calling cards are his above-average speed and defense, though those also come with questions about his abilities in the batter’s box. That should provide him with a high floor as a possible defensive-oriented center fielder or fourth outfielder, but if he can show some improvement with the bat and unlock the power he’s shown he has in the past, Lasko would be yet another quality outfielder in the Athletics’ farm system.
The process for this public vote is explained below. Please take a moment to read this before participating:
- Please only vote for one. The player with the most votes at the end of voting will win the ranked spot. The remaining four players move on to the next ballot where they are joined by a new nominee.
- In the comments, below the official voting, the community will nominate players to be put onto the ballot for the next round. The format for your comment should be “Nomination: Player Name”.
- If a prospect is traded, his name will be crossed out, and all other players will be moved up a space. If a prospect is acquired, a special vote will be put up to determine where that player should rank.
Click on the link here to vote!
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A’s fans top prospects, ranked:
- Leo De Vries, SS
- Jamie Arnold, LHP
- Gage Jump, LHP
- Wei-En Lin, LHP
- Braden Nett, RHP
- Henry Bolte, OF
- Johenssy Colome, SS
- Edgar Montero, SS
- Steven Echavarria, RHP
- Devin Taylor, OF
- Mason Barnett, RHP
- Tommy White, 3B
- Henry Baez, RHP
- Zane Taylor, RHP
- Cole Miller, RHP
- Gunnar Hoglund, RHP
- Shotaro Morii, SS/RHP
- Junior Perez, OF
- Joshua Kuroda-Grauer, SS
- Kade Morris, RHP
- Yunior Tur, RHP
The voting continues! Time to vote for the 2nd-best in the A’s farm. Here’s a quick rundown on each nominee— the scouting grades (on a 20-to-80 scale) and scouting reports come from MLB Pipeline.
Nominees on the current ballot:
Eduarniel Nunez, RHP
Expected level: Triple-A/Majors | Age: 26
2025 stats (AA/AAA): 2.51 ERA, 39 appearances, 46 2/3 IP, 71 K, 25 BB, 2 HR, 2.90 FIP
2025 stats (Majors): 7.11 ERA, 10 appearances, 12 2/3 IP, 11 K, 11 BB, 2 HR, 6.77 FIP
MLB Pipeline grades and scouting report:
Scouting grades: Fastball: 60 | Curveball: 45 | Slider: 70 | Control: 40 | Overall: 40
Núñez has an electric fastball that sits 97-99 mph and reached up to 101 last year, though the movement is somewhat lacking as hitters are able to see it a little longer. His upper-80s slider is his best pitch. It’s at least a plus offering that gets good depth and has posted high whiff and chase rates in the Minors. He occasionally throws a curveball, but that is a distant third pitch in his arsenal, leaving him with drastic handedness splits.
Núñez is inconsistent in his delivery at times, and that was evident with his inability to consistently throw strikes in his short time with the A’s last year. The arm talent is there to carve out a role for himself in a Major League bullpen, perhaps as a quality late-inning weapon, though he will always come with some volatility given his challenges with locating pitches.
A.J. Causey, RHP
Expected level: Double-A | Age: 23
2025 stats (A+/AA): 1.72 ERA, 48 appearances, 73 1/3 IP, 75 K, 18 BB, 0 HR, 2.28 FIP
Causey thrives with a fastball that hovers around 90 mph, but that’s because he has a funky sidearm delivery that helps him get crazy movement and deception with his arsenal. Causey excelled in his first full pro season, posting a 1.72 ERA across High-A Quad Cities and Double-A Northwest Arkansas. He’s a fast mover with a different look that could add to the Royals’ bullpen in the coming years.
Causey began the year with a sinker, changeup and sweeper, but he added a four-seam fastball this season to help him at the top of the zone. After years of working on adding a cutter, Causey finally found something that works with the four-seamer.
Chen Zhong-Ao Zhuang, RHP
Expected level: Double-A | Age: 25
2025 stats (AA): 4.08 ERA, 26 starts (28 appearances), 145 2/3 IP, 145 K, 35 BB, 22 HR, 4.19 FIP
MLB Pipeline grades and scouting report:
Scouting grades: Fastball: 50 | Curveball: 45 | Slider: 45 | Changeup: 50 | Control: 55 | Overall: 40
Zhuang leans heavily on his four-seam fastball that he can change speeds quite a bit with, throwing heaters that range anywhere from 86-96 mph, though it generally sits in the low-90s. His low-80s changeup has emerged as his best secondary pitch. He also brings a mid-70s curveball, low-80s slider and mixes in a low-80s splitter, providing a decent starter repertoire.
Zhuang, nicknamed ‘Z-Man’ within the organization, did a good job of staying healthy last season to silence some previous injury concerns. But while he has above-average command and enough pitches to remain a starter in the Minors, questions still remain about the effectiveness of his offspeed stuff, especially against higher competition, which could eventually lead to him switching to a bullpen role where his fastball can play up in shorter stints.
Gavin Turley, OF
Expected level: A+ | Age: 22
2025 stats (A): 125 PA, .243/.336/.430, 8 doubles, 0 triples, 4 HR, 20 RBI, 14 BB, 34 K, 0 SB
MLB Pipeline grades and scouting report:
Scouting grades: Hit: 45 | Power: 55 | Run: 55 | Arm: 60 | Field: 50 | Overall: 40
Turley falls in line with similar A’s draft picks in recent years — like Denzel Clarke and Rodney Green Jr. — as a toolsy outfielder with some concerns about his ability to make consistent contact. He’s got big power and is able to drive the ball out to all fields with great bat speed, but his strikeout rates throughout his career with the Beavers were somewhat alarming. The question over whether he can hit enough to tap into that raw power is something he’ll have to prove early in his pro career. He has a tendency to chase breaking stuff often, though he mitigates that issue somewhat with his strong ability to draw walks.
A big knock on Turley coming out of college was poor defense, but the A’s believe he is plenty athletic and speedy enough to improve and envision that happening as he grows into his 6-foot-1 frame. His body type and look in the box remind some within the organization of Mark Canha, and he’ll look to move through the system as a power-hitting corner outfielder.
Ryan Lasko, OF
Expected level: Double-A | Age: 23
2025 stats (ROK/A/AAA): 375 PA, .244/.355/.343, 9 doubles, 2 triples, 6 HR, 42 RBI, 46 BB, 86 K, 14 SB
MLB Pipeline grades and scouting report:
Scouting grades: Hit: 45 | Power: 40 | Run: 55 | Arm: 60 | Field: 60 | Overall: 40
Lasko is still trying to learn his craft from an offensive standpoint. He brings good plate discipline and bat speed, but pitch recognition is something he’s still working to improve. The A’s have also worked with him to rein in his high intensity during games. The power element he showed in college has also yet to show up much in pro ball.
Defense is Lasko’s calling card. He’s a plus defender in the outfield with a great arm and plays center field fearlessly with high energy. His speed is evident in his range, as well as on the basepaths. He’s another talented center fielder in the A’s system who could one day provide stellar defense in the Majors, but the hit tool is something he’ll have to continue improving to become anything more than a fourth outfielder at the highest level.
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Category: General Sports
