A’s fans are very high on Ginn
You, the fans, have spoken. Taking the 12th spot on our Community Prospect List is right-hander JT Ginn. We’ve already seen Ginn in the Green & Gold after he made 8 appearances (six starts) for the club last season. Originally acquired from the Mets as part of the return for Chris Bassitt, Ginn struggled with injuries but finally overcame them and got healthy in 2024. He began last year in Double-A before rocketing up the system to the big leagues. He posted less-than-stellar numbers at both stops but the team was aggressive with Ginn, bringing him to the big leagues in mid-August when the team was well out of contention and needed more arms. Doesn’t hurt to get a good look at a young pitcher, right?
2024 stats (AA/AAA): 5.26 ERA, 102 2⁄3 IP, 97 K, 40 BB, 13 HR, 4.90 FIP
2024 stats (MLB): 4.24 ERA, 34 IP, 29 K, 9 BB, 4 HR, 3.96 FIP
While he finished last year’s campaign in the starting rotation, Ginn likely won’t begin the year in the starting rotation or even with the big league club. That doesn’t mean we won’t be seeing him at some point in the coming season as pitching injuries always occur. Ginn could make himself the first man up if he comes out of the gates hot and pitches well for Triple-A. We could also see him eventually move to the bullpen if the team feels he’d thrive there. The righty has a high ceiling and will serve as an interesting young depth arm for the team in 2025.
As with every vote we now have a new nominee for the next spot. The new name the fans have nominated to the list will be left-handed pitcher Gage Jump. Jump only just joined the organization last summer when the Athletics made him their 2nd-round draft pick. The Louisiana State alumni hasn’t yet thrown a professional pitch because of his recovery from Tommy John surgery but we won’t have to wait long until we finally get to see him on the mound. If he can overcome the injury concerns Jump has the stuff to be a solid mid-rotation starter down the line.
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.
- 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.
- If you wish to nominate a prospect for the next round, clearly comment, “Nomination: (player)” and fellow readers will upvote your comment.
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A’s fans top prospects, ranked:
1: Jacob Wilson, SS
2: Nick Kurtz, 1B
3. Luis Morales, RHP
4. Denzel Clarke, OF
5. Max Muncy, SS
6. Colby Thomas, OF
7. Mason Barnett, RHP
8. Jack Perkins, RHP
9. Henry Bolte, OF
10. Steven Echavarria, RHP
11. Tommy White, 3B
12. JT Ginn, RHP
The voting continues now! Here’s a quick rundown on each one — the scouting grades (on a 20-to-80 scale) and scouting reports come from MLB Pipeline (last updated mid-2024).
Nominees on the current ballot:
Gunnar Hoglund, RHP
Expected level: Triple-A | Age 24
2024 stats (AA): 2.84 ERA, 104 2⁄3 IP, 97 K, 27 BB, 12 HR, 4.02 FIP
2024 stats (AAA): 5.88 ERA, 26 IP, 22 K, 10 BB, 5 HR, 5.91 FIP
MLB Pipeline grades and scouting report:
Scouting grades: Fastball: 45 | Curveball: 50 | Slider: 50 | Changeup: 45 | Control: 60 | Overall: 45
There was a thought that Hoglund came to the A’s with arguably the best pure stuff of any pitcher in the organization. Since then, he has yet to regain the fastball velocity that sat around 95-96 mph pre-surgery, topping out at 92-93 last season. His repertoire also includes a slider around 83-84 mph as his main secondary pitch, while his low-80s changeup and curveball provide different looks against hitters.
The A’s still have hope for Hoglund to develop into a quality Major League starter, mainly for his ability to consistently throw strikes. Entering his second year removed from Tommy John, the A’s will wait and see whether his velocity can get back to where it was, which could help accelerate his path this season.
Chen Zhong-Ao Zhuang, RHP
Expected level: AA | Age 24
2024 stats (A): 1.67 ERA, 32 1⁄3 IP, 37 K, 4 BB, 1 HR, 2.65 FIP
2024 stats (A+): 2.56 ERA, 31 2⁄3 IP, 29 K, 3 BB, 2 HR, 2.72 FIP
2024 stats (AA): 2.05 ERA, 22 IP, 18 K, 5 BB, 2 HR, 3.77 FIP
MLB Pipeline foolishly still doesn’t have Zhuang in its Top 30 prospects, so here’s the scouting report from Nathaniel Stoltz at Excessive Prospect Analysis, who ranked him 10th last season:
Zhuang is starting to get a bit of buzz this year, but as I’ve written and this ranking reinforces, I think he’s probably the most underrated prospect in the system (One could argue some of the unknown Rookie-level guys get that honor, but that’s semantics). He’s dominated when healthy, and fundamentally I start at the same place here as I did with Jack Perkins at 11: I’ve got a ton of confidence in Zhuang’s two primary offerings. In this case, that’s his carrying mid-90s fastball and his changeup/splitter/both/whatever you want to make of his offspeeds, which have been untouchable in A-ball and which he commands very well. He does a nice job balancing an aggressive approach–coming right at hitters with the heat–with all sorts of cunning, changing speeds and shapes on pitches in ways that can really hold up several times through the order.
Zhuang is only a few months shy of turning 24 and still in A-ball–due to injury layoff, certainly not performance–so he still has a lot to prove, even if I think he’ll prove it quickly. First and foremost, he’s got to prove he can stay healthy. Beyond that, there’s still the matter of his breaking stuff–particularly the harder breaking ball that keeps morphing between slider and cutter, and his extreme flyball tendency. But as I noted in the longform analysis, Zhuang’s two best pitches + command are tough for anyone in the system to equal. He looks the part of a solid midrotation starter and should be able to move up the remaining levels quickly if health allows.
Daniel Susac, C
Expected level: Double-A | Age 25
2024 stats (AA): 370 PA, .257/.300/.434, 19 doubles, 12 HR, 50 RBI, 16 BB, 96 K, 7 SB
MLB Pipeline grades and scouting report:
Scouting grades: Hit: 55 | Power: 45 | Run: 40 | Arm: 60 | Field: 50 | Overall: 45
There is some athleticism to the 6-foot-4 Susac, who was a standout dual-threat quarterback in high school. His stylish swing comes with good bat-to-ball skills and an ability to drive the ball to all fields. There is some legit raw power that was touted as an amateur that the A’s hope to see emerge as he continues his transition to pro ball.
Susac’s defensive prowess was part of the package that made him such a highly ranked catcher in his Draft class. His overall catching skills, particularly his receiving, improved as his first full season went along. Lauded for his strong arm and natural leadership characteristics, he will look to continue his impact on both sides of the diamond as he progresses through the system.
Joshua Kuroda-Grauer, SS
Expected level: Double-A | Age 22
2024 stats (A,A+,AAA): 108 PA, .324/.421/.343, 2 doubles, 0 HR, 8 RBI, 12 BB, 9 K, 5 SB
MLB Pipeline grades and scouting report:
Scouting grades: Hit: 55 | Power: 40 | Run: 60 | Arm: 50 | Field: 50 | Overall: 45
Compact, strong and athletic, Kuroda-Grauer does a lot of things well from the right side of the plate. He almost never strikes out and seldom swings and misses, combining his contact skills with an advanced approach that points toward becoming at least an above-average hitter in the future. Utilizing an upright stance and a simple swing, he works counts and makes good swing decisions. There hasn’t been a ton of pop yet, but there is some belief he could grow into 15-homer power in the future.
While he’s not a burner, Kuroda-Grauer does run well and can steal some bases. Because of his above-average hands and actions to go along with a good internal clock, he has the chance to stick at shortstop, even though he has an arm that is just average. He could be a plus defender at second base should a move be necessary, but it’s those bat-to-ball attributes the A’s will be banking to carry him to the big leagues.
Gage Jump, LHP
Expected level: Low-A | Age 21
MLB Pipeline grades and scouting report:
Scouting grades: Fastball: 55 | Curveball: 55 | Slider: 55 | Changeup: 40 | Control: 50 | Overall: 45
Hitters have a difficult time picking up Jump’s fastball, which ranges from 90-95 mph with significant induced vertical break and carry at the top of the strike zone. It pairs well with his upper-70s curveball that has significant downer break coming out of his high arm slot. He also spins a low-80s slider with more lateral movement and has some feel for a fading low-80s changeup.
Jump lacks typical starter’s size but he has gotten stronger since having his elbow reconstructed and generates his stuff with arm speed more than effort. He attacks hitters and had a history of throwing four pitches for strikes before getting hurt. If he can maintain his stuff while upgrading his command, he could become a mid-rotation starter.
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