Last summer, the baseball world watched the fourth-ranked draft prospect, Jamie Arnold, fall to the Athletics at the eleventh overall selection. It was truly a shock to see someone with Arnold’s talent fall that low.
Now, in the next few weeks, the A’s can hope for yet another talented arm to drop to the organization at pick eight.
Different mock drafts list several routes for the A’s to go at their pick, and we have discussed several options, such as Ryder Helfrick and Justin Lebron, should they be available at that pick.
If the club elects to avoid the position-player route, it could address one of its biggest needs as an organization: pitching.
With the lock of a first overall pick in Roch Cholowsky set to go to the White Sox, and other position players in Grady Emerson, Vahn Lackey, and Jacob Lombard set to go in the top five, the best arm in the draft could fall to the A’s.
UC Santa Barbara Right-Hander, Jackson Flora
The right-hander Flora made 16 starts this season for UC Santa Barbara, holding a 12-0 record and posting an ERA of 1.06. Truly an unreal season from the 21-year-old, and that has made him the top arm in this summer’s draft.
The most exciting part of Flora’s game is his fastball. His fastball comes in at a whopping 70-grade, which is something you won’t see very often when looking at prospects. He sits around 97 miles per hour, and routinely hits triple digits.
The starter has drawn comparisons to the Twins’ ace, Joe Ryan. We have discussed Ryan as a possible option for the A’s to land this summer via trade.
Flora’s mix could also put him in the same boat as Blue Jays’ starter Trey Yesavage and Yankees’ Cam Schlittler.
Just because he was used as a starter in college doesn’t mean he’s a guarantee to be a starter once he reaches the big leagues. With a fastball that electric, he could be suited well to become a closer someday.
Jackson Flora Could Be the Next Mason Miller
The now-Padres’ superstar, Mason Miller, made his MLB debut with the A’s back in 2023, where he actually made six starts for the team.
In those six starts, Miller posted a 3.78 ERA and would ultimately get his season cut short with an injury. This led A’s manager Mark Kotsay to move Miller to the team’s bullpen for the following season.
That decision would turn out to be an amazing one for Kotsay, as Miller would be an All-Star closer in 2024 and would even finish in fourth for Rookie of the Year.
After being an electric closer with the A’s for a few seasons, the team dealt him last summer before the trade deadline to San Diego, and he would continue his dominance. He holds a 0.81 ERA since joining the Padres.
Because Jackson Flora has the electric fastball and a nice slider and changeup combo just like Miller, the A’s could make him a closer as well.
It would be amazing if he could be a starter, throwing as hard as he does, but because there could be injury concerns with him making starts, maybe turning Flora into the next Mason Miller could be a great idea for the A’s.
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