Standing 5-foot-10-inches and 185 pounds, Las Vegas Aviators catcher Cole Conn doesn’t strike the most imposing presence. But since his promotion from Double-A Midland earlier this month, he has come up big.
Conn, who MLB Pipeline ranks as the Athletics’ No. 22 prospect, helped Las Vegas (71-53) win five out of six games last week on the road against the Albuquerque Isotopes. He went 7-for-22 in the series, with a home run and five RBIs.
In the sixth inning on Wednesday, Conn launched the first pitch he saw 428 feet — the go-ahead homer in the Aviators’ 12-8 win.
“He’s had a couple of big home runs, he’s had a couple of big hits, and he’s really athletic on the bases,” Las Vegas manager Fran Riordan said. “There’s just a lot of things going on (as a catcher) that you have to mentally process very quickly, and he’s done a nice job.”
The A’s promoted Conn to the Aviators on Aug. 4 after hitting .281 in 70 games for the RockHounds with seven home runs, 37 RBIs and 23 stolen bases.
Conn admitted to feeling some pressure with the promotion, wanting to make a good first impression. He homered in his Triple-A debut against Tacoma and got two hits the next day, but battled through a 2-for-24 slump in his next seven games.
“New manager, new coaching staff, and you then feel like you want to live up to their expectations,” Conn said. “I put expectations on myself, probably harsher than others put on me.”
Conn adjusted quickly though, going 5-for-10 with three doubles in the final three games of Las Vegas’ previous homestand against Sacramento.
Riordan praised Conn for stepping up to face the challenges of Triple-A, such as learning the tendencies of new pitchers and adjusting to using PitchCom for the first time in his career.
“He can really do it all, and he can swing it right,” said pitcher Ryan Magdic, also a Midland teammate this year. “He’s a big part of our team and a big contributor.
“And he gets beat up a lot back there, so props for that.”
Conn might not physically be the biggest catcher, but Riordan feels he has the energy, toughness and attitude needed to succeed behind the plate. That mentality was forged at St. Charles East High School in Illinois, where he played football and baseball, as well as wrestled for a season.
Conn didn’t care for cutting weight as a wrestler and had more of a desire to bang out base hits instead of getting banged up by linebackers. So he and his twin brother, Clay, played baseball for the University of Illinois-Chicago.
UIC has sent just two players to the majors: three-time MLB All-Star Curtis Granderson and Mickey McDonald, who played four games for the Athletics in 2022. If Conn continues to exceed expectations with the Aviators, he’s primed to become the third Flame to wear a big league uniform.
To reach this goal, he leans on the wisdom of those who have blazed this path before. Conn started the season playing alongside A’s infielders Tommy White and Joshua Kuroda-Grauer in Midland, and their fast rise through the organization motivates him. He’s also learning from fellow Las Vegas catcher Chad Wallach, a second-generation big league veteran.
“It makes it not seem so daunting that if you play well, you can get promoted and it’ll happen,” Conn said. “So it’s kind of rejuvenating in that sense, where you know there’s a chance.”
Dickey’s approach paying off
Aviators outfielder Jared Dickey was a tough out in Albuquerque last week, going 12-for-26 with a home run and seven RBIs.
Riordan credited Dickey with taking a more patient approach lately, waiting for his pitch in the strike zone and doing damage when he gets it.
“He’s starting to understand the cat-and-mouse game of Triple-A a little bit better,” Riordan said. “He’s growing as a hitter, and you see it in the results.”
Dickey had a rough July (.200 average), but is turning up the heat in August (.313). Compared to last month, his walk percentage has risen from 10.6 percent to 16.9 percent. He’s also hitting the ball much harder, with an average exit velocity of 88.9 mph, up from 81.3 mph.
Clarke ‘making an impact’ in rehab
In his first game action since May, rehabbing A’s outfielder Denzel Clarke went 6-for-13 last week with a homer for Las Vegas.
Clarke has been on the injured list since April 22. While on a rehab assignment with the Aviators in May, recovering from a bone bruise in his right foot, Clarke suffered a high-grade left hamstring strain.
Clarke isn’t 100 percent yet, Riordan said, and the plan is for him to stay with Las Vegas for a couple more weeks, and then the Athletics will reassess.
“It’s just impressive that after not seeing live pitching for a couple months, he’s coming in and making an impact with the bat,” Riordan said.
