Oakland Athletics 2023 mid-season community prospect list: No. 17

Right-handed pitcher Royber Salinas is the latest addition to the Athletics Nation mid-season community prospect list for the 2023 season. Salinas outdistanced Steven Echavarria to claim the 16th spot on the list. Right-hander Gunnar Hoglund wins the latest nomination and joins the voting for the next round.

Here is a look at the complete list:

1. Tyler Soderstrom, C/1B
2. Zack Gelof, 2B
3. Mason Miller, RHP
4. Lawrence Butler, OF
5. Darrel Hernaiz, INF
6. Denzel Clarke, OF
7. Daniel Susac, C
8. Jacob Wilson, INF
9. Max Muncy, INF
10. Joey Estes, RHP
11. Luis Morales, RHP
12. Henry Bolte, OF
13. Joe Boyle, RHP
14. Colby Thomas, OF
15. Freddy Tarnok, RHP
16. Royber Salinas, RHP

Here is the process:

• Five nominees will appear on the ballot. The one who receives the most votes earns the top spot in the CPL while the remaining four players move on to the next ballot where they are joined by the next nominee.
• In the comments, commenters will nominate a player to be put onto the ballot for the next round. After the first nomination for a player has been put in, all other votes for that player will come from Rec’ing that comment. The player with the most Rec’s earns the nomination.
• The format for the comment should be “Nomination: Player Name”.
• If a prospect is traded, his name will be crossed out, and all other players will be moved up a space. If a prospect is acquired, a special vote will be put up to determine where that players should rank.

Steven Echavarria

From MLB Pipeline

Scouting grades: Fastball: 55 | Slider: 55 | Curveball: 50 | Changeup: 55 | Control: 55 | Overall: 45

The 6-foot-1 Echavarria has a potential four-pitch mix. While he’s been described as having “sneaky” velocity in the past with his fastball, up to 93-94 mph consistently, he had gained a tick early this past spring, consistently hitting 96 and touching 98. He misses bats with it thanks to its ride up in the zone, and he also can throw a 92-93 mph two-seamer down in the zone, with more consistent velocity to come as he matures. He’s shown two distinct breaking pitches, with both the slider and curve usable offerings and the sweeping slider perhaps a bit more effective. They can blend at times, and some scouts like it better when it has more of a curve-like shape to it. He shows feel for a low-80s changeup as well.

Especially for a prep arm in a cold-weather state, Echavarria shows off very good pitchability and can throw all of his offerings for strikes. He reminded some area scouts of eastern Pennsylvania product Michael Morales, a 2021 third-round pick of the Mariners who got second-round money to sign.

Brett Harris

From MLB Pipeline

Scouting grades: Hit: 50 | Power: 45 | Run: 50 | Arm: 50 | Field: 55 | Overall: 45

There’s nothing fancy about Harris at the plate, just solid fundamentals. He keeps the swing-and-miss at a minimum thanks to good bat-to-ball skills that enable him to consistently put the ball in play. An unlocking of his raw power was evident over his breakout campaign last year, and that aspect of his game should continue to grow. His 11 stolen bases last season are also an indication that his average speed can translate to some success on the basepaths.

Though he’s a terrific defender at third base, Harris — who played some shortstop during his college days — is versatile enough to play second and even logged a handful of games there last season. That, along with his breakout offensive abilities and leadership qualities, should help him continue his fast rise through the Minors and eventually reach the big leagues as a solid contributor who can play multiple positions.

Myles Naylor

From MLB Pipeline

Scouting grades: Hit: 45 | Power: 55 | Run: 45 | Arm: 55 | Field: 55 | Overall: 50

As the Draft approached, scouts saw Naylor, the lone right-handed hitter among the brothers, as somewhere between Josh’s raw power and Bo’s pure hitting ability when they were starting out. The youngest Naylor has a good swing, showing both strength and bat speed to go along with good extension and follow-through. There’s raw power, particularly to his pull side, that has yet to show up in games and he can struggle with breaking stuff, leading to some swing-and-miss. There’s a little less polish here than there was with Josh and Bo in their Draft years, though A’s player development staff were impressed with the early returns.

An average runner now who likely will slow down as he matures, Naylor has played shortstop in high school, but will move to third base at the next level, where his hands and strong arm should work just fine, though the A’s had him playing both spots on the left side of the infield during his debut.

Cooper Bowman

From MLB Pipeline

Scouting grades: Hit: 45 | Power: 45 | Run: 65 | Arm: 50 | Field: 50 | Overall: 40

Bowman records plus-plus run times and shows a knack for stealing bases, with more speed than you might expect for a 6-foot, 205-pounder. He has a reputation for making a ton of contact with a short right-handed swing and a patient approach, but his strikeout rate did go up in 2022 as he was working to tap more into his raw power. He had tightened things up in Double-A in 2023, but still has the strength and bat speed to approach average power as he continues to learn to launch balls more consistently.

The athletic Bowman can cover a ton of ground up the middle, with second base the best fit because his arm is a little short for the premium position, though he can fill in there. There had been some discussion in the past about letting him roam around center field, but he’s never played a game there. He’s an average defender who needs more consistency at second.

Gunnar Hoglund

From MLB Pipeline

Scouting grades: Fastball: 55 | Curveball: 50 | Slider: 50 | Changeup: 45 | Control: 60 | Overall: 40

The pure stuff Hoglund possesses when healthy is rivaled by few in the A’s organization. It includes a fastball that sits 92-95 mph, though the velocity on the heater was a couple of ticks below that just before the biceps issue. He also brings a hard slider that he throws around 84-86 mph as his main secondary pitch, while his low-80s changeup and curveball are useful in providing a different look against hitters.

A quality strike-thrower with good stuff, all indications are that Hoglund has what it takes to develop into a starter, with a floor of a back-of-the-rotation type, though he’ll need to get past the recent health issues. With his estimated arrival to the Majors continuously pushed back, it’s now going to be about patience for the A’s.

Vote in the comments below for your favorite by Rec’ing his “Vote: (Player Name): comment and post your nomination for the next round as well.