The Oakland Athletics have significantly altered their farm system. A trade saw them acquire Leo De Vries from the Padres in exchange for Mason Miller and JP Sears.
De Vries Joins A’s as Top Prospect
Leo De Vries is now the A’s No. 1 prospect. He is also ranked as the No. 4 overall prospect in baseball by MLB Pipeline.
A’s director of player development Ed Sprague described De Vries as a “special player”. Sprague highlighted De Vries’ raw skills, offensive capabilities, and defensive prowess. “All the raw skills are there. Offensively, he looks like he sees it very well. He’s got power without being an incredibly strong kid, but he sees it and drives it from both sides. Defensively, he’s got really good hands and a really good arm,” Sprague stated.
Sprague added, “In a small sample size being around him, it looks like he’s a guy that can rise to the occasion. The moment doesn’t scare him.”
A’s Farm System Ranked
The A’s farm system has improved. This is even after graduations for American League Rookie of the Year Award winner Nick Kurtz and runner-up Jacob Wilson.
The system now features three players on MLB Pipeline’s Top 100 Prospects list. De Vries is joined by Jamie Arnold and Gage Jump on that list.
- Jamie Arnold was the 11th overall pick in the 2025 MLB Draft.
- Gage Jump also has a chance to make an impact at the big league level this season.
Other Top A’s Prospects
Beyond the top three, several other players are on the cusp of reaching the Majors, perhaps as early as 2026. These include Henry Bolte, Braden Nett, and Tommy White.
The top 10 A’s prospects are:
- Leo De Vries, SS (MLB No. 4)
- Jamie Arnold, LHP (No. 41)
- Gage Jump, LHP (No. 57)
- Wei-En Lin, LHP
- Henry Bolte, OF
Lin’s Breakout Season
Wei-En Lin had a significant breakout season in 2025. He was sent to Single-A Stockton to begin his professional career. After just 13 games (10 starts), he earned a promotion to High-A Lansing, where he continued to impress.
Between the two levels, Lin racked up 109 strikeouts and just 18 walks in 80 1/3 innings. The A’s added him to Double-A Midland’s playoff roster in September to help the Rockhounds reach the Texas League championship series.
Green’s Ranking Falls
Rodney Green’s ranking fell from 21 in 2025 to unranked in 2026.
The A’s were initially excited to land Green in the fourth round of the 2024 MLB Draft. This was after he showed off a tantalizing power-speed combo during his three college seasons at Cal. But those tools also came with some serious swing-and-miss.
The Athletics will be hoping that their new acquisitions will continue to improve and develop within their system.