Devin Taylor’s climb through the Athletics’ system has put him on the doorstep of the majors, and the 22-year-old outfielder has been named the organization’s 2026 Minor League Player of the Year.
Taylor, the A’s 2025 second-round pick, arrived with plenty of attention after breaking Kyle Schwarber’s career home run record at Indiana. He only sharpened that profile this season, moving quickly from High-A Lansing to Triple-A Las Vegas while showing the kind of offensive polish that has the A’s thinking about a major league debut next season.
Across 138 games, Taylor hit .308/.412/.488 with 22 home runs, 13 stolen bases and 92 walks. That production came against steadily better competition, but the lefthanded hitter kept answering the test.
In his second game at Triple-A, Taylor delivered a loud statement: four hits, two homers and seven RBIs. It was the kind of performance that reinforced what the A’s have seen all year - a hitter who doesn’t look rattled as the level rises.
“It’s fun to watch Devin compete at a high level throughout the 2026 season,” A’s assistant GM of player personnel Billy Owens said. “He’s a true professional hitter who takes quality, competitive at-bats every plate appearance.
The patience, precise ball-striking ability and all-field damage factors are tremendous.”
The offensive résumé is clearly the headline, but the A’s also see a player with the right approach behind the scenes. Farm director Ed Sprague pointed to Taylor’s preparation and routine as major reasons for the rapid progress.
“He’s a very soft-spoken kid, but he’s got quiet confidence,” Sprague said. “He’s very disciplined in his routine, which is something you see a lot in young players, but he clearly has an idea of what he wants to do in his daily routine and he sticks with it.”
Defense remains the area Taylor still has to bring along. The organization says that part of his game is improving, but it still needs more work before he’s ready to handle big league outfield duties on a regular basis.
“His defense is something that we’re constantly working on,” Sprague said. “He has improved quite a bit. The next step for him is to get that defense up there where he can be an average or above-average defender in the major leagues.”
In Other News...
Jack Perkins Gives The As One Reason For Hope After Frustrating Loss
A rain-soaked trip to Cleveland ended the way a lot of difficult road swings do for the Athletics: with frustration, a narrow loss and a manager left arguing a call he could not change. Oakland fell 1-0 to the Guardians after a disputed play in the fourth inning and the kind of game that leaves a clubhouse searching for something more stable than the final score.
Jack Perkins provided that, at least, for a staff still looking for signs of progress. Across two starts on the trip, he allowed just one earned run in 12 2/3 innings and struck out 12, a stretch that stood out even in defeat and offered a reminder that the As may have found one pitcher trending in the right direction after a rough season. [Read more 🡒]
Zack Gelofs Rebound Could Force As Into A Tough Infield Decision
The Athletics have spent the early part of the 2026-27 planning cycle sorting out a crowded infield picture, with Jeff McNeil, Zack Gelof, Henry Bolte, Donovan Walton and Alika Williams all in the mix for roles next season. First base and shortstop look spoken for if Nick Kurtz and Jacob Wilson stay healthy, but second and third base are still very much open, which gives the club some flexibility and, at the same time, a decision it probably would rather not have to make too quickly.
Gelofs resurgence has only complicated matters. After two rough seasons and an injury-shortened year, he has put together a strong rebound in 2026 and reinserted himself into the conversation as one of the Athletics most compelling infield options. The upside is obvious for Oakland, but so is the tension: getting the best bats and gloves on the field could mean moving pieces around in a way that tests the organizations long-term comfort with the alignment. [Read more 🡒]
A's GM Search Is About To Shape Far More Than The Roster
The Athletics search for a new front office leader is already taking shape, and it has quietly become one of the more important decisions the franchise will make this offseason. Initial video interviews have begun, with Red Sox assistant general managers Mike Groopman and Taylor Smith among the names in the mix, alongside former Nationals president Mike Rizzo, As assistant GM Billy Owens and former Astros GM James Click.
It is still early in the process, but the job goes well beyond filling a vacancy. The next president of baseball operations will help steer roster construction and, just as importantly, set the tone for how the organization operates as it keeps moving through a pivotal period. The club is expected to keep narrowing the field before moving into in-person interviews, and that next step should tell a lot more about which direction ownership wants this search to go. [Read more 🡒]