A's Prospect Mason Miller Dominant, Again

With so few professional innings under his belt, it would be hard to see him making the Opening Day roster as a starting pitcher, because he may not be built up for a large workload. That doesn't mean that he doesn't have a shot to make the team out of Spring Training, however. The A's could choose to use him out of the bullpen to get him some exposure at the big league level while at the same time limiting his workload before having him return to starting in 2024, if starting is what they envision for Miller's future. He also threw 92 2/3 innings in college before being drafted, so his arm is built up to some degree, but only the A's can speak to how built up his arm currently is. 

In the clip above, Miller says that facing this level of competition he can blow one by guys, but they can be on the next pitch, so he has to pick his spots with the fastball so that it can be more effective. Plans can change, but that mindset sounds like one of a starting pitcher. He's thinking about the long game, not a quick three-hitter burst. 

Miller is currently in Arizona not just getting innings, but to work on his secondary pitches to get them off his fastball. Jesse Borek of MLB Pipeline says that the development of his changeup will be the deciding factor between whether he remains a starter, or turns into a bullpen weapon. 

Regardless of his role long-term, he will be on the A's radar in 2023, and if he can stay healthy, we could be seeing him in Oakland before long. 

A's #14 prospect Lawrence Butler was the DH in this game and went 2-for-4 a pair of rbi singles. In the Fall League, Butler is 12-for-48 with three doubles, a triple, and two homers, leading to 14 rbi. He has struck out 13 times, but he has also walked in an impressive 12 trips to the plate. 

Ryan Cusick, acquired from the Atlanta Braves in the Matt Olson trade and the A's #13 prospect, came into the game in relief of Miller in the fourth inning. He went 2 2/3 innings, gave up six hits and walked two, leading to five runs allowed and got him the loss in this one. Cusick also struck out three. 

The fifth inning gave Cusick some trouble. He struck out the first batter he faced in the inning, then walked Wilyer Abreu. Cusick struck out the next batter he faced, too, but then Abreu stole second and advanced to third on a wild pitch. He ended up walking the batter he was facing during Abreu's run around the bases, too. The next two batters, Reed Trimble of the Orioles, and Nick Yorke of the Red Sox, knocked home runs with singles.

The sixth inning started with a double, and then a Stephen Scott home run, his fifth. Cusick would retire two batters in the sixth before a single knocked him out of the game. That single would come around to score, and it was Reed Trimble doing the damage again. 

When I wrote about the Fall League last, I noted that Keith Law saw Cusick and noticed he was changeup heavy in the outing that he saw. Cusick is working on his secondary offerings, so the results aren't ideal, but they shouldn't be concerning. 

One worrisome factor for Cusick however, could be the lack of command he has shown in 2022. He walked 30 in 41 innings in Midland during the regular season, and in 19 Fall League innings he has issued another 11 free passes. 

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