The strike zone is a canvas for Las Vegas Aviators pitcher Chen Zhong-Ao Zhuang, and each at-bat gives him the opportunity to make an impression.
When his arsenal of a fastball, changeup, slider and curveball are working right, Zhuang’s palette is unhittable to Pacific Coast League hitters.
“It’s a chess game,” Aviators catcher Bryan Lavastida said. “He can mix and match every shape, every speed in different counts. So it’s fun to watch.”
Zhuang, the Athletics’ No. 22 prospect as rated by MLB Pipeline, is as creative off the mound as he is on it. The native of Taipei, Taiwan — known as “Z-Man” — enjoys drawing as an outlet when he’s not pitching.
He keeps an iPad with him, creating art whenever inspiration strikes. It could be of a daisy, a scene from his time with the Chinese Taipei team at the World Baseball Classic, or life on the road.
Much like how Zhuang blocks out any noise on the mound, drawing allows him to silence his mind.
“I can be alone and focus on drawing, and then there will be no distraction,” Zhuang said through interpreter Vallen Chen. “It’s like when I’m pitching on the mound.”
It’s been a challenging season for Zhuang, who is 2-4 with a 7.57 ERA for the Aviators (61-39). He’s a flyball pitcher playing in some of the most dangerous ballparks for that skill set.
After struggling out of the gate for Las Vegas, Zhuang was demoted to Double-A Midland in April. That lit a fire under Zhuang, motivating him to get back to the Triple-A level. Following a solid performance for the RockHounds, he returned to the Aviators in May and has shown glimpses of his potential this time up.
In June, Zhuang struck out 18 batters in 20⅓ innings and had a 4.87 ERA. He had his best performance for the Aviators on June 23, when he fanned six Sacramento River Cats in 4⅔ innings, giving up two hits and no runs.
“With the bad outings, I’ll take lessons I got from that bad outing to make myself better for the next one,” Zhuang said through Chen. “I’m gonna focus on myself, become better, and then I want the coaches or front office to know I’m doing my part, and I can be able to pitch in the big leagues.”
If Zhuang gets that call-up, he’d be the second Taiwanese player in A’s history, following pitcher Wei-Chung Wang in 2019.
Zhuang was briefly one of two Taiwanese players in the Las Vegas rotation before No. 5 prospect Wei-En Lin underwent Tommy John surgery last month.
“He’s taken a lot of positive steps forward,” Las Vegas manager Fran Riordan said. “When you have confidence in all those pitches, and you have confidence in the defense behind you, and you start to feel like you belong at this level, it suddenly makes the game slow down a little bit.”
Magdic moving quickly
Four of the Athletics’ 2024 draft picks have already made it to the majors: first baseman Nick Kurtz, pitcher Gage Jump and infielders Joshua Kuroda-Grauer and Tommy White. Another — pitcher Ryan Magdic — just made his Triple-A debut.
Magdic, the A’s 14th round selection out of Missouri, fanned three batters in 4⅔ innings for a no-decision in Friday’s 15-9 win over the visiting El Paso Chihuahuas. The Canadian southpaw gave up eight hits, but limited the damage to two runs.
“I thought he was ready for the moment,” Riordan said. “His stuff was good. He has a unique delivery that hitters aren’t used to, and he threw strikes with all of his pitches. And that’s all you can ask for from anybody coming up from Double-A.”
Magdic has rocketed through the Athletics’ minor league system. He started this year in High-A Lansing, then was promoted to Midland on June 16 and Las Vegas on Wednesday. Across all three levels this year, Magdic is 3-2 with a 3.14 ERA and 65 strikeouts in 63 innings.
Keuchel launches comeback
In an effort to return to the big leagues for the first time since 2024, 13-year veteran Dallas Keuchel signed a minor league contract with the A’s Saturday and pitched for the Aviators Sunday.
The 2015 American League Cy Young Award winner had some rust to knock off in Sunday’s 15-9 loss to El Paso. Keuchel gave up four hits and four runs (all earned) in a two-inning start, walking one and striking out two.
While the 38-year-old lefty is building up to game shape, Riordan said having someone with his credentials around can help the younger Las Vegas pitchers.
“How he prepares, whether it’s with pregame scouting, his work in the bullpen, his work in the weight room, everything’s going to be hopefully watched by the pitching staff,” Riordan said.
Sunday was Keuchel’s first appearance since Aug. 16, 2025, for Triple-A Omaha.
Up next
Who: Las Vegas Aviators at Oklahoma City Comets
When: Tuesday-Sunday
Where: Chickasaw Bricktown Ballpark, Oklahoma City, Oklahoma
Aviators starting pitcher: Tuesday — Braden Nett (1-1, 7.00 ERA)
