OAKLAND -- Spring Training came to an abrupt end for the A’s last week following Major League Baseball’s decision to suspend camp for all 30 clubs due to the national emergency created by the coronavirus pandemic.

At the time play was halted, the A’s were on a hot streak in the desert, as they sat atop the Cactus League standings at 14-8.

It wasn’t a full slate of Cactus League action, but with 22 games under the A’s belt, we saw enough to come away from Arizona knowing more about the team than we did when camp opened.

Here are three things we learned after four weeks of A’s Spring Training:

Starting pitching lives up to the hype
While the A’s have been able to strike fear into their opponents with a potent offense in the past couple of seasons, it’s Oakland’s starting rotation that has the club believing it could get over the Wild Card hump and make a deep playoff run in 2020. A’s No. 1 prospect (and No. 12 overall) Jesus Luzardo has looked spectacular this spring, and he was poised to make his anticipated move into the starting rotation. Frankie Montas and Mike Fiers appeared to be in a battle over who would start on Opening Day, as both right-handers came into camp looking sharp. Sean Manaea continues to improve his slider after getting tips from Hall of Famer Randy Johnson, and A’s No. 3 prospect (No. 60 overall) A.J. Puk will now have more time to heal from a mild left shoulder injury, as he’s expected to join fellow electric lefty Luzardo in the rotation. Should the A’s get over the disappointment of back-to-back Wild Card Game losses, it likely will come on the backs of strong contributions from their starting staff.

Murphy’s knee surgery in the rearview
Any doubts about how quickly Sean Murphy could get comfortable again as he returned from offseason knee surgery were put to rest in his very first Cactus League game.

Murphy displayed a sharp eye at the plate in his first game back from surgery on March 2 against the Cubs, drawing two walks, and he also showed off a strong arm from behind the plate. The A’s No. 2 prospect (No. 33 overall) reminded everyone of the type of power he brings in his fourth Cactus League game on March 9 against the Rangers as he blasted a two-run homer over the left-field wall at Surprise Stadium as part of a 2-for-3 day.

“Everything is good. I got no complaints,” Murphy said after his first Cactus League game. “I felt good and didn’t notice or think about [the surgery]. That’s all you can ask for.

“It was a slower rampup just because of the nature of the surgery, but I felt good [throughout] camp.”

The A’s believe the meniscal debridement procedure Murphy underwent last October will help him evade the left knee issues that plagued him earlier in 2019, when he twice had to go on the injured list.

Outfield depth is strong
Stephen Piscotty’s oblique/rib cage injury that kept him out of Cactus League action allowed the A’s to get a better look at their other intriguing outfield prospects. Not only is there strong depth on the big league roster, with major contributors from last year’s 97-win season like Chad Pinder and Mark Canha ready to fill in for Piscotty in right field, but there are also plenty of reinforcements in the Minors knocking on the door for a Major League callup.

Luis Barrera, Oakland’s No. 10 prospect, established himself as a strong candidate for a callup at some point in 2020, having impressed A’s manager Bob Melvin with his quick hands at the plate and overall athleticism in right and center field this spring.

“I feel really close,” Barrera said of reaching the Majors, as he comes off a breakout year in which he slashed .321/.357/.513 at Double-A Midland. “I feel like I’m ready, just waiting for the call and waiting for that door to open for me to go up there and do my work. I feel like this is my year.”

Greg Deichmann, the A’s No. 14 prospect, impressed some of the more established players on the roster with his play in what was the outfielder’s first spring in big league camp.

Other outfielders expected to begin the regular season at Triple-A Las Vegas are Dustin Fowler and Skye Bolt, who both have contributed to the big league club at various points over the past two seasons.

Much has been made about the strong pitching depth the A’s have built up, and rightfully so, but the group of outfielders lurking in the Minors ready to make an impact might be equally as talented.