*In an effort to make the vote for the nomination easier for everyone, I will comment “NOMINATIONS” and you can respond to it with your choices and vote for the player you would like to see on the next list of nominees.
Well, it finally earned its spot on our annual list. Voltigeur Henri Bolté stands as the obvious choice for the sixth-best prospect in the A’s system. Bolte, who swings right, had a great overall year last season, demolishing Double-A pitchers before a brief promotion to Triple-A. He faced some challenges at this next level, but still held his own as a relatively young player against better pitching. Although he may need a few more months with the Aviators, the speedy outfielder could be a legitimate option for the Athletics in the outfield this summer and appears to be a potential contributor when the A’s open their new stadium.
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The next candidate was a close vote but a corner infielder Tommy White I just got the victory this time. The former second-round pick has a solid right-handed stick, but there are major questions about his ability to stick at the hot corner. With Nick Kurtz remaining for the next few years at first base and Brent Rooker locked in as DH White will need to show improvement at third base if he wants to make it to the big leagues with the A’s.
The process of this public vote is explained below. Please take a moment to read this before participating:
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Please only vote for one. The player with the most votes at the end of the voting will win the place on the leaderboard. The four remaining players move on to the next ballot where they are joined by a new candidate.
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In the comments, under the official vote, the community designate the players who will be included on the ballot for the next round. The format of your comment should be “Nomination: Player Name”.
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If a prospect is tradedhis name will be crossed out and all other players will be moved one space. If a prospect is acquireda special vote will be held to determine where that player should place.
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A’s Fans’ Top Hopes, Ranked:
The votes continue! Which A’s prospect do fans think is the No. 7 player in the system? Here’s a brief overview of each candidate: Scouting scores (on a scale of 20-80) and scouting reports are from MLB Pipeline.
Nominees in the current ballot:
Tommy White, 3B
Expected level: Double-A | Age: 22 years old
Statistics 2025 (A+/AA): 395 PA, .275/.334/.439, 23 doubles, 0 triples, 12 HR, 51 RBI, 29 BB, 54 K, 3 SB
MLB Pipeline Notes and Scouting Report:
Scouting Notes: Hit: 50 | Power: 60 | Race: 30 | Arm: 50 | Field: 40 | Total: 45
The White right-hander’s power is legitimate and he can hit the ball a long distance on all fields thanks to his strength and bat speed. He may be known for his home run totals, but he’s overall a better hitter than people think, finding the barrel consistently and limiting strikeouts. His knack for contact can cause him to widen his strike zone, but he doesn’t swing and miss very often.
It will be White’s bat that takes him to the big leagues. He’s a well-below-average runner who likely doesn’t have the range and tools to stick around at third base, where he worked as a sophomore and junior, earning praise for playing through a shoulder injury at LSU in 2023. He’s likely headed to first base long term, which could give the A’s a glut of serious offensive talent between him and first-rounder Nick Kurtz.
Shotaro Morii, SS/RHP
Expected level: Low-A | Age: 19 years old
Statistics 2025 (rookie affiliate): 188 PA, .258/.399/.384, 8 doubles, 1 triple, 3 HR, 27 RBI, 36 BB, 47 K, 4 SB
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MLB Pipeline Notes and Scouting Report:
Scouting Notes (Hitter): Hit: 50 | Power: 50 | Race: 55 | Arm: 60 | Field: 50 | Total: 40
Scouting ranks (thrower): Fastball: 55 | Slider: 40 | Curve ball: 45 | Distributor: 50 | Control: 45 | Total: 40
At the plate, Morii exhibits a smooth left-handed swing with tremendous balance. His power stands out, as he hit 45 home runs as a high schooler. He is considered an advanced hitter with good barrel control. On the mound, his fastball has been clocked up to 95 mph and sits around 92-93. He also brings a splitter with nasty movement, a true 12-6 curveball, and a tighter slider with solid bite and depth, although this offering will likely need some fine-tuning. Having only pitched regularly for less than two years, Morii’s arm was relatively fresh when he entered the organization.
Morii’s high-octane throwing arm plays well at shortstop, but some evaluators see an opportunity to move to third base as his 6-foot-1 frame fills out. As scouts consider Morii’s long-term future in the batter’s box, the A’s plan to give him every chance to succeed as a two-way player, with excitement already growing over his impressive physical attributes and desire to become one of Japan’s next great players.
Johnnyssy ColoméSS
Expected level: Dominican Summer League | Age: 17 years old
Statistics 2025: None
MLB Pipeline Notes and Scouting Report:
Scouting Notes: Shot: 55 | Power: 65 | Race: 50 | Arm: 60 | Field: 55 | Total: 60
It’s not often that teenage prospects launch home runs. But Colome tends to hit that jittery pop with frequency, constantly exploiting his swing — so well in fact, that one evaluator mentioned the most recent occasion where he saw an international prospect continually reach his launch point in this manner was Vladimir Guerrero Jr. Colome is a right-handed hitter with explosive hands and a solid contact rate, though he’s known for being a bit aggressive in the box to get that power.
Something of an athletic marvel standing 6-foot-2 and weighing 190 pounds at 16, Colome is an agile athlete who displays plenty of lateral quickness. The fluidity of his movements and his strong arm have led to comparisons to Manny Machado on the defensive end. Much like the seven-time All-Star, Colome may drift away as his frame fills out, but he is an extremely dedicated worker and has the feet, soft hands and instincts to stay at the premium position.
Steven Echavarria, RHP
Expected level: Double-A | Age: 20 years old
Statistics 2025 (A+): 4.59 ERA, 25 starts (26 appearances), 104 IP, 88 K, 42 BB, 8 HR, 4.10 FIP
MLB Pipeline Notes and Scouting Report:
Scouting Notes: Fastball: 55 | Slider: 55 | Change: 50 | Control: 50 | Total: 45
The A’s think Echavarria’s stuff played better than the overall numbers suggest. His fastball reached 98 mph and sat at 95-96 with good lift in the zone. The problem was struggling to control his arsenal as he fell behind in numbers. His mid-80s slider is flashing more, and his changeup in the upper 80s continues to improve. He also throws a double-seamer in the 92-93 mph range. He’s clearly fixed some control issues, but the A’s aren’t sounding the alarm at all, instead working patiently with the teenager on adjustments.
Echavarria profiles as a long-term starter with his 6-foot-1 frame and sound. Having already shown the ability to consistently throw all of his strike offerings before the draft, he will continue to work to rediscover that control in his second season of pro ball.
Edgar Montero, S.S.
Expected level: Low-A | Age: 19 years old
Statistics 2025 (DSL): 244 PA, .313/.484/.580, 14 doubles, 3 triples, 9 HR, 50 RBI, 60 BB, 54 K, 11 SB
MLB Pipeline Notes and Scouting Report:
Scouting Notes: Hit: 50 | Power: 50 | Race: 50 | Arm: 50 | Field: 50 | Total: 45
A switch-hitting shortstop, Montero has shown the ability to impact the ball from both sides of the plate, with his natural right-handed swing more direct to the ball, although his left-handed swing is more picturesque and he obviously gets more plate appearances on that side. He’s blessed to hit for average and power, with a solid approach that allowed him to walk more than hit for much of the summer.
Last year, Montero was slower and less athletic, but attention to his fitness and nutrition helped him become leaner and stronger. An average runner, Montero has the instincts and actions to stay long at shortstop, with a strong and accurate arm. If his body gets bigger as he gets older — he played all of 2025 at age 18 — he could move to the hot corner, but the A’s don’t see that in his future. What they hope is that he comes to teach this year and remains in the United States as one of the top prospects to come out of their Dominican academy in some time.
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