The Athletics could surprise people in 2025. While everybody was focused on their move out of Oakland, they were quietly a strong team in the second half of 2024. Now with some high-profile free-agent signings, they could do better than expected. The other part is that the team has quietly built up a strong farm system that is moving quickly. Top pick Nick Kurtz headlines the list of prospects dynasty managers need to know.
Head over to the Pitcher List dynasty page to check out the other prospect rankings already published.
- NL East: Phillies, Mets, Marlins, Nationals
- NL Central: Reds, Cardinals, Brewers, Pirates, Cubs
- NL West: Diamondbacks, Dodgers, Giants
- AL East: Red Sox, Yankees, Orioles, Rays, Blue Jays
- AL Central: Tigers, Guardians, Twins, White Sox, Royals
- AL West: Astros
Top A’s Prospects
The Top Tier
1) Nick Kurtz – 1B, 21 YO
2024 Stats (A/AA): .360 AVG | .520 OBP | .763 SLG | 4 HR | 1 SB | 20.0 K% | 24.0 BB%
An excellent collegiate career at Wake Forest resulted in the Athletics taking Nick Kurtz fourth overall in the 2024 draft. The big left-handed first baseman was one of, if not, the best pure hitter to come out of the draft. In three seasons at Wake Forest, Kurtz hit .338, .353, and .308 respectively. Everything starts with Kurtz’ simple and mature approach at the plate. He has a great feel for the strike zone and rarely chases. When pitchers come over the plate, his swing is effortless with excellent barrel control. He makes contact at an above-average rate with strong batted ball data. He hits tons of line drives which should lead to strong BABIPs and batting averages. Kurtz profiles to be an on-base machine for the Athletics.
When you look at Kurtz, a contact-oriented first baseman is not what you think. He stands at 6’5″ and the ball jumps off his bat. While his hit tool and contact skills shine, there is plenty of pop for dynasty managers to get excited about. Kurtz has a natural feel for pulling the ball. This combined with his size should result in at least 25 home runs. If he were to get the ball in the air more, he could hit 35+ at the Major League level. Kurtz is not going to steal many bases, but he has a chance to become an elite four-category contributor. As polished as they come, Kurtz should move quickly through the Athletics’ system.
2) Colby Thomas – OF, 24 YO
2023 Stats (AA/AAA): .277 AVG | .342 OBP | .563 SLG | 31 HR | 15 SB | 24.7 K% | 7.0 BB%
A swing change midway through the 2023 season has helped turn Colby Thomas into a prospect that dynasty managers need to know about. Thomas is a former third-round selection by the A’s back in 2022. Since being drafted, Thomas has performed at every level of the Minor Leagues but is flying way under the radar. He has a combination of power and speed that should get fantasy managers excited. His power stems from a great feel for getting to his pull side. He hits the ball in the air and pulls it, leading to 25+ home run potential. Thomas also projects to steal 15-20 bases a season at the Major League level.
His ability to reach his potential will come down to his hit tool. Thomas seemed to make notable strides in his contact and strikeout rates early in 2024 before his promotion to Triple-A. Each of these numbers took a step back in Triple-A although Thomas still managed to hit .272. A strong line drive rate helps his average overcome his strikeout issues. Keeping his strikeout rate in check against Major League pitching is crucial to his profile. Do not be surprised if Thomas struggles some in his first Major League stint, but remember there is plenty of fantasy upside to his profile.
3) Henry Bolte – OF, 21 YO
2024 Stats (A+/AA): .267 AVG | .368 OBP | .466 SLG | 15 HR | 46 SB | 34.7 K% | 11.2 BB%
If you are shooting for the stars, circle Henry Bolte on your prospect list. The second-round pick from 2022 is filled with upside. Rarely do prospects have the tools to finish as the 1.01 in fantasy. Bolte is one of those prospects. Standing at 6’3″. Bolte’s athleticism is off the charts. He has great speed and phenomenal baseball instincts. This resulted in 46 stolen bases last season and he has the potential for 40+ at the Major League level. Bolte also has plenty of pop in his bat. His HR/FB rates have been well above the league average throughout his professional career. If everything clicks, he could hit 30+ in a single season.
The issue is that is a big “if”. For starters, Bolte swings and msises a lot. His whiff rate is a major concern and has resulted in strikeout rates well above the 30% mark so far. This tends to only get worse against Major League pitching. Bolte also struggles to get the ball in the air consistently. Yes, there is big power upside, but groundballs have limited him to a career-high of 15 home runs. Bolte is still just 21 but entering his fourth professional season, Bolte will need to show improvements to his hit tool if dynasty managers are going to rely on him. He is a high-risk high-reward prospect to roster in dynasty leagues.
4) Jacob Wilson– SS, 22 YO
2024 MiLB Stats (CPX/AA/AAA): .433 AVG | .473 SLG | .668 OBP | 7 HR | 2 SB | 6.6 K% | 6.2 BB%
2024 MLB Stats: .250 AVG | .314 SLG | .315 OBP | 0 HR | 0 SB | 9.7 K% | 7.8 BB%
After being drafted in the first round of the 2023 draft, Jacob Wilson moved quickly through the Athletics system. The shortstop out of Grand Canyon University already has some of the best contact skills in all of professional baseball. These contact skills are what allowed him to shoot through the Minor Leagues. Batting average is clearly going to be his biggest carrying tool for fantasy managers. He has an extremely stable floor thanks to his hit tool and appears to be the A’s shortstop of the future.
What else is there for fantasy managers to look forward to? In small sample sizes in Triple-A and the Major Leagues, Wilson’s batted ball data left plenty to be desired. He has just eight professional home runs to his name and dynasty managers should not count on much power to come in the future. His 6’2″ frame and pull-side awareness allow for some power projection but increasing his game power would likely require a complete overhaul to his approach at the plate which could do more harm than good. Wilson’s speed is also below average. He projects to steal a handful of bases but nothing to get fantasy managers excited. Wilson is a high-floor, low-ceiling prospect.
5) Max Muncy– SS, 22 YO
2024 Stats (CPX/AAA): .292 AVG | .378 OBP | .525 SLG | 10 HR | 5 SB | 27.0 K% | 7.7 BB%
Despite being selected in the first round, Max Muncy has never received much attention from those in the dynasty community. Muncy stands at 6’0″ with good bat speed and a smooth swing from the right side. He has shown off strong line drive rates and an increased ability to pull the ball over the past couple of seasons. Injuries limited Muncy to just 58 games in 2024 but his power ticked up. Muncy’s 600 PA home run pace last season was 26. Although some of the credit certainly goes to the hitter-friendly PCL, Muncy does project to hit for solid power.
Elsewhere, Muncy’s tools are underwhelming. His ability to hit line drives helps keep his batting average afloat, but his contact skills are below average. Muncy struggles with breaking pitches as evidenced by his 39% whiff rate against sliders last season. Major League pitchers will likely have no problem exploiting this weakness. Muncy has average speed but has not been much of a base stealer throughout his professional career. He will likely provide a handful of steals for fantasy managers but nothing to write home about. Overall, Muncy projects as a .250 hitter with 20ish home runs and 5-10 stolen bases. He is not the flashiest but his athleticism and proximity make him a prospect to keep tabs on.
6) Luis Morales – SP, 22 YO
2024 Stats (A+): 81.0 IP | 4.22 ERA | 24.9 K% | 10.7 BB%
The A’s made signing Luis Morales their top priority back in January of 2023. Originally from Cuba, Morales defected to Mexico and later signed with the A’s after being considered one of the top international free agents available. With a lively arm, Morales moved quickly through the partial season ball in his first season. He pitched all of 2024 in High-A where things did not go quite as well. Morales battled the rigors of a full season of professional baseball with inconsistent results. He lasted only five-plus innings twice all year struggling a bit down the stretch. Still, Morales is the top pitching prospect in the Athletics system and holds plenty of upside for dynasty managers.
Morales has a lively arm. His fastball is a plus-plus offering sitting in the upper 90s. He uses the pitch to get ahead of hitters working it well at the top of the zone. This is clearly the pitch he is most comfortable throwing. Beyond his fastball, there is a lot of potential, but no sure things. Once ahead of batters, Morales struggles to put them away. The control on his secondaries is inconsistent and allows hitters back into counts. His slider has great horizontal movement away from righties but he regularly over throws the pitch. His changeup could be an average offering to attack lefties, but he is not super comfortable with it yet. The development of his secondary offerings will be key to unlocking his full potential as a starting pitcher.
7) Denzel Clarke – OF, 24 YO
2024 Stats (AA): .269 AVG | .339 SLG | .445 OBP | 13 HR | 36 SB | 29.9 K% | 8.2 BB%
Not every prospect drafted is going to find instant success. Denzel Clarke was far from a finished product when selected in the fourth round of the 2021 draft out of Cal State. However, what was a sure thing were his physical tools. Standing at 6’4″, Clarke is a pure athlete. He has excellent speed and natural baseball instincts. As is often the case, with big power comes a big swing. Clarke’s hit tool has always been a concern. He has the tendency to swing out of his shoes and has run high strikeout rates throughout his professional career. Although Clarke struck out 29.9% of the time this season, from June 29 forward, his strikeout rate was down at 23.4%. Any sustained improvement to his hit tool could turn Clarke into an elite dynasty asset.
There should be no surprise that as Clarke’s strikeout rate dropped, his numbers took off. From that point forward, Clarke slashed .303/.387/.470. This success continued in the AFL where he hit .392. If his hit tool is fixed, Clarke is in for a massive 2025. He has big-time raw power that could lead to 30 home runs in a season. Clarke also has tremendous speed and could steal 35+ bases. Players with 30/30 potential do not grow on trees. Clarke has plenty of volatility but might have turned a corner in the second half of 2024. Ranking him this low could look silly in a few months.
Prospects Dynasty Managers Should Know
8) Tommy White – 3B, 21 YO
2024 Stats (A): .224 AVG | .303 SLG | .299 OBP | 2 HR | 0 SB | 17.6 K% | 7.6 BB%
Tommy White has some of the best game power in the 2024 draft class. He hit 79 home runs in three seasons at LSU. There is 30+ home run potential here, but he will need to develop more patience at the plate to fully unlock his potential. There are questions over whether or not his hit tool will play up enough to turn him into a Major League regular, but he has the kind of power that makes him a player to keep an eye on for dynasty leagues.
9) Gage Jump– SP, 21 YO
2024 Stats: DNP
If not for an injury that forced Gage Jump to miss the entire 2023 season, he might have found himself going much higher in the 2024 draft. Jump posted solid numbers in LSU and features a fastball in the mid to high 90s. Coming from the left side, Jump’s delivery comes with plenty of deception, making him a tough at-bat for lefties. The development of his changeup could be key to unlocking his full potential against professional hitters. There is significant upside here for dynasty managers to be aware of.
10) Nate Nankil – OF, 22 YO
2024 Stats (A/A+): .303 AVG | .404 OBP | .458 SLG | 11 HR | 3 SB | 18.7 K% | 10.9 BB%
The seventh-round pick from 2023 should be getting more attention than he is amongst dynasty circles. After never hitting more than five home runs at Cal State Fullerton, the Athletics have unlocked the raw power in Nankil’s 6’2″ frame. He continued to show off the impressive hit tool that was on display throughout college and is a deeper dynasty name for managers to keep their eye on. Continuing this success in more advanced levels of the Minor Leagues will be Nankil’s biggest challenge.
11) Daniel Susac – C, 23 YO
2024 Stats (AA):.257 AVG | .300 OBP | .434 SLG | 12 HR | 7 SB | 25.9 K% | 4.3 BB%
Daniel Susac has struggled to produce consistent results in his professional career. The biggest driving force behind his struggles has been his hit tool. Susac is not only aggressive but also has holes in his swing that are easily exploited. Despite his projectable power, Susac is looking less and less like a future dynasty asset.
12) Joshua Kuroda-Grauer- SS/2B, 21 YO
2024 Stats (A/A+/AAA): .324 AVG | .421 OBP | .343 SLG | 0 HR | 5 SB | 7.1 K% | 9.5 BB%
Joshua Kuroda-Grauer put his name on the map after batting .428 in his final collegiate season at Rutgers. Kuroda-Grauer’s hit tool is certainly a plus. He has an incredible feel for the strike zone and makes contact at a well-above-average rate. Outside of his hit tool, Kuroda-Grauer has well below-average pop and an issue elevating the ball which will cause issues against tougher competition.
13) Mason Barnett – SP, 23 YO
2024 Stats (AA): 133.0 IP | 4.20 ERA | 28.5 K% | 8.7 BB%
Mason Barnett was acquired by the Athletics at this year’s trade deadline coming over from Kansas City. A former third-round pick, Barnett has posted strong strikeout numbers throughout his professional career and saw his control improve considerably with his new organization. His slider is far and away his best pitch. The Athletics seem intent on trying Barnett as a starter although his long-term projection is likely coming out of the bullpen.
14) Cole Miller – SP, 19 YO
2024 Stats: DNP
The Athletics took Cole Miller out of UCLA in the fourth round of the 2023 draft. Miller stands at 6’6″ with an intriguing blend of stuff, but underwent Tommy John surgery this past spring. Having not seen Miller on the mound, it is difficult to project how his stuff will play at the professional level.
15) Steven Echavarria – SP, 19 YO
2024 Stats (A): 57.2 IP | 6.55 ERA | 20/9 K% | 12.8 BB%
The Athletics gave Steven Echavarria $3 million in the 2023 draft to get him to sign after drafting him in the third round. The righty has projectable stuff with room for upside as he continues to develop. His fastball sits in the mid 90s and his curveball and slider could both be plus offerings. His debut season was disappointing as he struggled with control and command leading to a 6.55 ERA across 19 starts. There is potential here, but plenty of development to still be done.
The Next Five
Although these prospects do not crack the top 15, dynasty managers should keep their eye on these five players.
Myles Naylor – 19 YO- Athletic shortstop who has plenty of potential but serious hit tool concerns.
Gunner Hoglund – 25 YO- A fringe pitching prospect on the doorstep of the Major Leagues but with low dynasty expectations
Jack Perkins – 25 YO- A starting pitcher who saw his stuff tick up in 2024 but has suspect control and significant relief risk
Carlos Pacheco – 20 YO- Speed-oriented outfielder with good plate discipline but limited power projection.
Brayan Buelvas – 22 YO- An athletic outfielder who has never posted numbers impressive enough for dynasty managers to get excited about.