A's continue to replenish farm system with pitchers, outfielders
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After making three selections on Day 1 of the 2023 MLB Draft, starting with Grand Canyon University shortstop Jacob Wilson at No. 6 overall, the A's continued to replenish their pipeline on Day 2 in Rounds 2-10. Day 3 of the Draft starts at 11 a.m. PT Tuesday.
Round 3, 72nd overall: Steven Echavarria, RHP, Millburn HS (New Jersey)
Notable skill: Echavarria brings a four-pitch mix that features a fastball that consistently hits 96 mph and has reached up to 98 mph. Other pitches in the arsenal include a slider, curveball and low-80s changeup. Enhancing those offerings is his ability to throw all four pitches for strikes.
Fun fact: Echavarria, who was committed to the University of Florida, added about 20 pounds of muscle and went on to dominate his senior season, going 8-1 with and posting a 0.28 ERA with 80 strikeouts in 50 innings. The stellar performance earned him NJ.com’s Pitcher of the Year honors.
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Quotable: “He was an absolute joy to coach and to have in our program. It really goes beyond his talent, in my opinion. The real core of Steven is this humble, team-first kind of 'aw-shucks' kid who’s just enjoying it, and he’s appreciative of all the wonderful attention that he got. He’s a great player that did great things, but he did it all in this framework of being a great teammate.” -- Brian Chapman, Echavarria’s high school coach at Millburn, to NJ.com
Round 4, 103rd overall: Cole Miller, RHP, Newbury Park HS (Calif.)
Notable skill: Miller's plus fastball stands out. The 6-foot-6 righty has been clocked at 96 mph with the heater, which also carries impressive movement down in the zone. In addition to the fastball, Miller also throws a hard slider in the 81-84 mph range and a low-80s changeup.
Fun fact: Miller comes from an athletic family. His father, Mike, played parts of two seasons in the NFL with the Giants and Saints from 1983-86 as a wide receiver. Cole’s brother, Jake, is a right-handed pitcher in the Guardians’ farm system.
Round 5, 139th overall: Nathan Dettmer, RHP, Texas A&M
Notable skill: Dettmer’s coming out party really came last season, particularly for a performance in the College World Series that saw him dominate over seven shutout innings against Notre Dame with a fastball that flashed 99 mph. That fastball velocity ticked down a bit this season, maxing out at 96 mph, which may have played a part in his down year. He also throws a slider and changeup as part of a three-pitch mix.
Fun fact: Nicknamed "Dirty Dett" in college. His father, John, pitched two seasons with the Texas Rangers. His stepfather, Brent Glibert, was a member of the 1989 Texas A&M baseball team that went 58-7. Nathan’s mother, Mary Pat, trained with Team USA swimming.
Quotable: “There were definitely lots of questions, which I totally understand. How I answered them was just, ‘I’m not glad that it happened. Obviously, it wasn’t the year I wanted, but looking back on it, I learned a whole lot from it.” -- Dettmer, on his struggles during his junior season to The Bryan-College Station Eagle.
Round 6, 166th overall: Jonah Cox, OF, Oral Roberts
Notable skill: Cox transferred to Oral Roberts and helped push the Golden Eagles to this year’s College World Series by slashing .412/.470/.646 with 11 homers and 28 steals in 66 games. His 114 hits were the most among all NCAA Division I players, and his highlight of the year was an impressive 47-game hitting streak that stands as the third-longest in D-I history.
Fun fact: Cox’s father, Darron, was a Major League catcher with the Montreal Expos in 1999. His brother, Joshua, also played baseball at Oral Roberts.
Quotable: “The bigger the moment, the better the delivery. He’s a special kid.” -- Oral Roberts head coach Ryan Folmar, on Cox to The Tulsa World
Round 7, 196th overall: Nate Nankil, OF, Cal State Fullerton
Notable skill: Nankil starred on a Fullerton squad that snapped a five-year NCAA Tournament drought in 2023, hitting .317 with 21 doubles and five homers in 55 games. Nankil is an above-average defender who can throw well and projects as a corner outfielder.
Fun fact: Two-team team MVP at Bonita Vista High School in Chula Vista, Calif., where he was also a member of the National Society of High School Scholars.
Quotable: “Last year, I don’t think we were really together as a team. We didn’t really trust each other. This year was a big difference. We trust in each other and we bought in. We brought in a bunch of new guys and we really blended together. We got that team chemistry from the beginning. The coaches did a great job. I think this team was a really special team.” -- Nankil, to The Orange County Register following Fullerton’s loss to top-seeded Stanford in the Stanford Regional in June
Round 8, 226th overall: Jackson Finley, RHP, Georgia Tech
Notable skill: Finley was a two-way player at Georgia Tech, though the A’s drafted him as a pitcher. On the mound, the 6-foot-4 righty posted a 6.47 ERA in 14 games, with 42 strikeouts over 48 2/3 innings. More importantly, he stayed healthy two years removed from Tommy John surgery and was up to 95 mph with his fastball. His slider has also shown to be a solid pitch at times.
Fun fact: Finley was fairly successful as a hitter at Georgia Tech, hitting .328 with a 1.069 OPS, 17 homers, 17 doubles and 61 RBIs over 54 games in 2023.
Round 9, 256th overall: Corey Avant, RHP, Wingate University
Notable skill: Avant played in the MLB Draft League, where he showcased a fastball that topped out around 96 mph with some high spin that led to good chase rates at Wingate. Avant also brings a curveball that leads to a good amount of swing-and-miss. Over his college career, Avant racked up 108 strikeouts in 68 innings.
Fun fact: Avant is a Star Wars fanatic. His favorite movie is "Star Wars: A New Hope," and his favorite TV show is "The Mandalorian." He is also a country music fan, listing Luke Combs as his favorite artist.
Round 10, 286th overall: Tom Reisinger, RHP, East Stroudsburg University
Notable skill: Reisinger was up to 95 mph last fall, which helped him put together a 2023 season that caught the attention of scouts as he went 6-2 with a 2.64 ERA in 17 games, with 97 strikeouts over 71 2/3 innings, earning a spot on the All-Pennsylvania State Athletic Conference East First Team. His team-high 97 punchouts led the conference and ranked 27th among all D-II pitchers.
Fun fact: Reisinger set the East Stroudsburg school record for wins. He was an honor roll student and a member of the National Honor Society.
Quotable: “I’m just trying to set an example for kids that play baseball that you don’t have to go [a Division I school] to get noticed or get drafted. You just have to work hard, like that quote, ‘Hard work beats talent when talent doesn’t work hard.’ I got by that all the time. I went to my first pro day my freshman year and there were like 15 MLB scouts there. I got seen there, and from there, you just have to put in the work and prove that you belong and that you can play at the next level.” -- Reisinger to The News-Item