Three Athletics Prospects To Watch For This Season
There are some young players on the Oakland Athletics' roster who management is hoping to build around in the future such as Billy Burns, Marcus Semien and Sonny Gray, but it's the top prospects in the minor leagues which hold the future of the team in their hands.
Oakland is in full rebuild mode, which isn't a rarity for this franchise. If the expectations for this season was a repeat of 2012, it's more than likely not going to happen.
The best part of this season for Athletics fans is seeing how the team develops its young players. The players who are already on the roster, fighting for a spot during Spring Training, and outright starting the season in the minors are going to be given a chance to develop this year.
Here are three prospects in the Athletics' system to watch for in the 2016 season.
Matt Chapman - 22 years old - Third Base
The 2014 first round pick of the Athletics is a player you could potentially see on the Opening Day roster right out Spring Training.
In just 80 games with the Stockton Ports last season, he hit 23 home runs.
Chapman hasn't played higher than the AA level, but after being invited to big league camp this spring, the third baseman has impressed at the plate and in the field.
During the spring, he has hit for a .286 average and has shown off the power with five home runs.
He took the trip north with the Athletics as the team left Arizona and headed to the Bay Area to finish the spring with three games against the San Francisco Giants.
If Chapman does make the Opening Day roster, it would be expected that he would back up Danny Valencia at third base.
For development purposes, it would be more beneficial for Chapman to start at AAA Nashville and call him later in the year, but his performance during the spring might force the team's hand to start him in the big leagues.
If he starts off in the minor leagues, look for the third baseman to get called up mid-season depending on his production or any injuries at the major league level.
Ryan Dull - 26 years old - Relief Pitcher
The Athletics' draft pick was taken in the 32nd round of the 2012 amateur draft.
Dull made 13 appearances last season with the A's after September call-ups. He wasn't too impressive during those games, but it has been a different story during the spring.
Until Wednesday, Dull didn't give up a single run in eight appearances. He gave up four runs in two-thirds of an inning on Wednesday, but that appearance isn't enough to diminish the spring he has had.
According to Susan Slusser of the SF Chronicle, the demotion of Jesse Hahn to AAA Nashville could mean a roster spot for Dull.
In addition, that means that Ryan Dull - most deservedly - is in the #Athletics bullpen for Opening Day.
— Susan Slusser (@susanslusser) March 29, 2016
After Oakland revamped its bullpen during the off-season, Dull would primarily be a 6th and 7th inning guy.
Sean Manaea - 24 years old - Starting Pitcher
The left-handed "Throwin' Samoan" was acquired by the Athletics in a trade which sent Ben Zobrist to the Kansas City Royals before the trade deadline last season. He was the most appealing piece in the trade with the envision of him filling out a top spot in the starting rotation at some point in the future.
Manaea was very impressive in his seven starts for the Midland RockHounds after the A's acquired him last year. He went 6-0 with a 1.90 ERA.
During the spring, his numbers haven't stood out, but he passes the eye test. The 6-foot-5, 245 pound pitcher has a hard fastball and breaking pitches with great movement.
The 24-year-old is most likely going to start the 2016 season in the minor leagues, but his quick development could have him at the major league level very quickly.
Hahn and Manaea would be the first two options to get called up to the rotation if there are any injuries or struggles by the starters who open the season on the Opening Day Roster.