The Las Vegas Aviators have graduated several players this season who look to be fixtures on the Athletics’ roster as they prepare to move to Nevada, such as outfielder Henry Bolte, pitcher Gage Jump and infielder Joshua Kuroda-Grauer.
Among the next in line: infielder Leo De Vries and pitcher Jamie Arnold, both currently at Double-A Midland.
MLB Pipeline rates them as the two top prospects in the A’s system — and No. 2 and No. 25 overall, respectively. De Vries and Arnold will represent the A’s in the MLB All-Star Futures Game on Sunday in Philadelphia.
However, before De Vries and Arnold make their way to the Aviators (53-32), the Athletics want to see a bit more development at the Double-A level.
A’s quality control and field coordinator Tim Esmay, who filled in for Las Vegas manager Fran Riordan while he was away last week, said the organization is being cautious with the prospects’ progression. With De Vries being just 19 and Arnold in his first season of pro ball, Esmay said they don’t want to rush them to Triple-A.
De Vries, the headline prospect in last year’s trade with the San Diego Padres for closer Mason Miller, is hitting .278 for the RockHounds with a team-best 10 home runs, adding 34 RBIs and 28 steals. Though primarily a shortstop, he’s also learning third base in Midland. He’s played 15 games this year at the hot corner.
“People are starting to understand him a little bit and make adjustments, and he’s having to make adjustments,” Esmay said. “At some point, the call is going to be made, and he’s going to be moved up here to Vegas.
“But right now, I think it’s just a really good spot for him because he’s now trying to figure out how to grind it out every day in Double-A.”
While De Vries’ stats are encouraging, Athletics manager Mark Kotsay said Wednesday that they’re looking for more consistency in Midland before promoting him to Las Vegas.
“I think the exit velos can be more consistent,” Kotsay said. “When he matures, when we feel the time’s right to challenge him with that, I think that’s when it’ll take place.”
Arnold, the A’s top-rated pitching prospect, was the team’s first round pick (No. 11 overall) last year from Florida State. The Athletics were aggressive with his first minor league assignment — “It’s a challenge to start out in Double-A,” Kotsay said.
With the RockHounds, Arnold is 3-5 with a 4.36 ERA, striking out 81 batters in 74⅓ innings. In June, he held batters to a .193 average, going 2-2 with a 2.31 ERA that month.
“I don’t care who you were in college, it’s still a big adjustment,” Esmay said of the southpaw. “He’s learning on the fly, and he’s learning how to make some adjustments.”
Swift adds outfield versatility
Drew Swift, known for his defensive prowess at shortstop, recently added outfield to his repertoire.
With the Aviators having a surplus of infielders recently, Riordan approached the steady-fielding Swift about getting some reps in the outfield. Swift debuted in left field June 24 in Sacramento — and hit his first homer of the year.
“I told Fran that yeah, wherever you want to put me, I’ll play the position,” Swift said.
While his glove makes him a mainstay in Las Vegas’ lineup, Swift is enjoying the best offensive season of his pro career. He’s hitting .284, and he’s second among active Aviators with 12 stolen bases.
Though Swift returned to shortstop last week as the Aviators won four out of six games on the road against the Salt Lake Bees, he knows the value of positional versatility. Earlier this year, career infielder Zack Gelof started playing outfield in an effort to return to the big leagues, earning a call-up on April 10.
“When you’re a good athlete, you can kind of move anywhere and do a little bit more,” Swift said. “So he’s definitely an example that I take after.”
White stays consistent
Corner infielder Tommy White has been a consistent force for Las Vegas since returning from the injured list on June 18.
The hits kept coming against Salt Lake. He went 9-for-27 with a home run and five RBIs in that series.
White, who MLB Pipeline rates as the Athletics’ No. 8 prospect, had two main development goals this season — become a more complete hitter (not just a slugger) and improve his defense.
According to Esmay, he’s been excelling in both regards.
“The bat is always going to speak for him,” Esmay said, “but the defense is really starting to speak for him as well.”
