Major League Baseball's offseason is underway, and that means everyone is thinking about the future. In most cities, that means next season; in some, though, it means the bigger picture, the next three to five years. You're either selling wins or you're selling hope, the old saying goes. We here at CBS Sports like to provide as much hope as we can around this time of the winter by evaluating each team's farm system.
Of course, that doesn't mean every team has an equally good farm system -- some, as you'll find out throughout this process, are lacking in that respect. It does mean, nevertheless, that CBS Sports will be spending the next couple of months examining the top three prospects in each organization. We define "prospects" as retaining their rookie eligibility for the 2024 season, so if a young player is missing, that's likely why.
These lists and evaluations are formed following conversations with scouts, analysts, and player development types. There's also firsthand evaluation and bias thrown into the mix. Keep in mind that player evaluation is a hard task, and it's fine if you disagree with the rankings. These are opinions, and they have no real bearing on the future. You can check out our winter top 25 list by clicking here.
With that in mind, let's get to it by dissecting the Oakland Athletics.
1. Mason Miller, RHP (25 years old)
- The short version: Massive stuff, massive injury concerns.
- MLB ETA: Debuted in 2023
Some players are impossible to rank. This is likely too high for Miller, who has appeared in 26 games since being drafted in 2021. (He even missed a chunk of last season because of elbow issues.) Too high, that is, unless he does find a way to stay healthier. How often does that happen in cases like these? Not that often, we reckon. Should it come to pass here, Miller has the kind of stuff that will make him a high-quality performer (if only on a rate basis). Miller's arsenal includes an upper-90s rising fastball and a slider so fearsome that it generated 47% whiffs at the big-league level. He's already demonstrated that he can pitch and pitch well. We can only hope that his body holds up.
2. Max Muncy, SS (21 years old)
- The short version: No, not that one.
- MLB ETA: Spring 2025
Muncy, a former first-round pick, made the most of his second full professional season, slashing .275/.353/.411 in 123 games split between High- and Double-A. The makings are here for a solid defensive shortstop who can produce at the plate. There are some potential red flags in play, however, including a big tendency to swing and miss. Muncy hasn't translated his raw power into in-game slugging yet, either. Given his youth and the aggressiveness of his assignments, we'll give him another year to show more growth.
3. Jacob Wilson, SS (22 years old)
- The short version: Shortstop who offers contact, if little else.
- MLB ETA: Spring 2025
Wilson, the sixth pick last July, was the NCAA's toughest hitter to strike out. He kept making contact at high rates as a professional, connecting on 88% of his swings in High-A. There's no doubting Wilson's bat-to-ball skills, or his glove work at shortstop. (His father Jack played more than a decade in the majors because of his own leather.) The rest of his game is more of an open question. He doesn't hit the ball with any authority (in part because of an unsynced swing that has him load his hands before he begins to stride), and talent evaluators have questioned if opposing pitchers will pummel him with strikes unless and/or until he proves he can burn them. For an example of how that skill set can go awry, take a look at Kevin Newman's Baseball Reference page.
