Listed below are the top 5 prospects in the Oakland Athletics organization as ranked by Jason Parks and Baseball Prospectus. To view the full feature, please visit this link.
Prospect rankings primer
Last year's A's list
The Top Ten
- SS Addison Russell
- CF Michael Choice
- RHP Bobby Wahl
- SS Daniel Robertson
- CF Billy McKinney
- RHP Raul Alcantara
- RHP Michael Ynoa
- 2B Chris Bostick
- RHP Nolan Sanburn
- 3B Renato Nunez
1. Addison Russell
Position: SS
DOB: 01/23/1994
Height/Weight: 6’0” 195 lbs
Bats/Throws: R/R
Drafted/Acquired: 1st round, 2012 draft, Pace HS (Pace, FL)
Previous Ranking: #1 (Org), #22 (Top 101)
2013 Stats: .077/.077/.077 at Triple-A Sacramento (3 games), .275/.377/.508 at High-A Stockton (107 games)
The Tools: 6 potential hit/power; 6 arm; 6 potential glove
What Happened in 2013: As a 19-year-old, Russell jumped straight to the High-A level, and more than held his own against older competition, slugging 56 extra-base hits and stealing 21 bags.
Strengths: Legit offensive upside; hands are very good; gets extension and can drive the ball; plus raw power; shows bat speed; feeds on velocity; good baseball instincts; excellent actions in the field; can make the plays; arm is plus.
Weaknesses: Can get too fast on defense; will rush setup/footwork; good instincts but range could be issue in the future; bat can get loose; swing-and-miss; will expand and chase for spin.
Overall Future Potential: 7; all-star player
Realistic Role: 6; first-division player
Risk Factor/Injury History: Moderate risk; advanced player; ready for Double-A
Bret Sayre’s Fantasy Take: A top-10 overall fantasy prospect, Russell has a shot at becoming one of the most sought-after commodities in fantasy baseball: a middle infielder who can contribute in all five categories. Playing in Oakland might put a slight damper on his raw stats, but this is still a player who could hit .280-plus with 20-20 potential. He’s a keeper.
The Year Ahead: Russell is on the fast track to the majors, and with a strong start in Double-A could find himself in Oakland before the end of the season. His overall profile is special, but you can raise some red flags if you use a sharp enough lens; the actions are sweet at short but the range isn’t ideal and he can play a bit hard, and at the plate his swing can be too power driven with early extension on an exaggerated plane. Even if he moves to third down the line, which I don’t think is a given, the bat will not only play but allow him to reach a first-division status. If he sticks at short—which I believe he can—he’s a perennial all-star caliber player. Either way, the future is bright.
Major league ETA: Late 2014
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