How this A's prospect impressed during Arizona Fall League

This story was excerpted from Martín Gallegos’ A’s Beat newsletter. To read the full newsletter, click here. And subscribe to get it regularly in your inbox.

Of the seven prospects who represented the A’s in the Arizona Fall League, Jack Perkins came away as arguably the club’s top performer.

With the AFL schedule having wrapped up on Sunday, Perkins was nearly flawless over his time in the desert. The A’s No. 19 prospect did not allow an earned run over his team-leading 10 appearances for the Mesa Solar Sox, turning in a 15-6 strikeout-to-walk rate with a 1.22 WHIP and holding opposing batters to a .209 batting average in 12 1/3 innings.

A fifth-round pick by the A’s in the 2022 MLB Draft out of Indiana University Bloomington, Perkins was aggressively moved through Oakland’s farm system in what was his first full season as a professional with a promotion to Double-A Midland after just 10 games with High-A Lansing to begin the 2023 campaign. Between the two levels, the 23-year-old right-hander finished the regular season by going 4-3 with a 4.10 ERA in 22 games (20 starts) with 93 strikeouts and 47 walks across 107 2/3 innings.

Perkins, who experimented with a changeup to add to his current repertoire -- fastball, cutter, curveball -- certainly stood out with his strong AFL showing against some of the game’s top prospects.

“Perkins was lights-out in the Arizona Fall League,” said A’s assistant general manager and director of player personnel Billy Owens. “He showed big stuff and really attacked the strike zone. Jack incorporated a power changeup that tunneled well with his entire mix. Overall, a great experience for Perkins. He’s one step closer to the highest level."