The Athletics have a pretty clear case study for what happens when the Draft breaks right: a lineup full of homegrown talent.
On a typical night, the A’s starting nine is loaded with players they selected themselves, from reigning American League Rookie of the Year Nick Kurtz, a 2024 first-round pick, to runner-up Jacob Wilson, the club’s 2023 first-rounder. The group also includes Henry Bolte, Zack Gelof, Lawrence Butler, Joshua Kuroda-Grauer, Max Muncy and Tyler Soderstrom, who is working back from a left hip injury.
That pipeline has been especially strong in the 2024 class. Kurtz and Kuroda-Grauer are already in the mix, and Gage Jump, a 2024 Competitive Balance Round B pick, has reached the big leagues as one of the organization’s top starting pitchers.
“I’m very proud of our scouting group and the job they’ve done in the last five, six years,” said A’s general manager David Forst. “There are so many guys drafted and developed through our system that are here on the big league field.
It also speaks to the change in the game. … These guys are coming into our system as ready as they’ve ever been and feeling like they can get to the big leagues without too many Minor League at-bats.”
Even with that success, the Draft Lottery hasn’t exactly smiled on Oakland. Since the system arrived in 2023, the A’s have repeatedly watched better odds turn into worse results.
They slipped out of the top three in both 2023 and 2024 despite holding the best shot at the No. 1 pick each time. In 2025, they were out of the Lottery entirely and couldn’t pick earlier than 10th because of revenue-sharing payouts and the lottery picks they had already received in 2023 and 2024.
Back in the Lottery this year, they still came away with the No. 8 selection in the 2026 MLB Draft, even though they entered with the fifth-best odds for the top pick.
“It was nice to have the opportunity to be back in it,” Forst said. “Obviously, we feel like we’ve capitalized on our Draft spot very well the last couple of years.”
The A’s will make five Day 1 picks: 8, 47, 73, 83 and 111. Their bonus pool comes in at $13,840,300, the 10th-highest total in MLB.
Last year’s first-rounder, Jamie Arnold, is already moving through the system. The left-hander, the A’s No. 2 prospect, was in big league camp this spring before being sent to Double-A Midland to start his pro career. Through 16 starts, the 22-year-old has posted a 4.15 ERA with 85 strikeouts and 38 walks over 80 1/3 innings.
Another 2025 pick is also making noise. Devin Taylor, the club’s No. 7 prospect, was viewed as one of the best college power bats in his class, and the A’s are seeing that pop translate quickly.
He moved out of High-A Lansing after just 51 games and has kept producing at Double-A Midland. Across the two levels, Taylor entered Wednesday hitting .316/.424/.510 with 14 home runs, 15 doubles and 64 RBIs in 82 games.
His glove still needs work, but the bat is forcing the issue and could push him to the Majors sooner than expected.
In Other News...
As Just Made A Lineup Change Fans Saw Coming
Tyler Soderstrom is back in the Oakland Athletics mix after the club activated the left fielder from the 10-day injured list ahead of its second game against the Tigers. Soderstrom had been out with a left hip impingement, and his return gives the As another bat they have leaned on this season while he works back into the everyday lineup.
To clear a spot, the club sent Max Muncy to Triple-A, a move that had been building for a while given how much he has struggled on both sides of the ball. Muncy opened the year as the teams third baseman, but the As now have to sort out the hot corner without him, and the next step there will be worth watching as they try to stabilize a lineup that has been changing more than they likely wanted. [Read more 🡒]
This Lefty Could Be The A's Rotation Fix Fans Want
Pitching has been the soft spot all season, and the Athletics have spent plenty of time trying to patch together a rotation that has been hit by injuries and inconsistency. With J.T. Ginn currently carrying the load, the search for help is less about luxury and more about survival, especially for a club that needs steadier innings from the front of the staff.
One name worth watching is a left-hander in Washington who has quietly put together a strong year with a 2.87 ERA over 103.1 innings. His path has been interesting too, as he has gone from a four-pitch mix to a seven-pitch arsenal after three seasons in Japan, and his one-year, $5.5 million deal could make him a movable piece if the right opportunity comes along. [Read more 🡒]