- Joined
- May 8, 2002
- Posts
- 1,245,778
- Reaction score
- 59
PHILADELPHIA — Don’t get Jamie Arnold wrong. He'd love to be promoted by the Athletics to Triple-A – if not the big leagues – this season. But Midland, Texas has never looked so beautiful.
Arnold, the A’s top pitching prospect who was drafted in the first round last season, paid particularly close attention to the A’s recent Las Vegas series against the Milwaukee Brewers and Colorado Rockies at their Triple-A ballpark in Summerlin, Nevada.
And like every other pitcher in the A’s organization, he cringed.
Six games. 102 runs – 55 runs given up by the A’s staff. 32 runs scored in one game. 20 home runs.
No A’s starter lasted longer than 5⅔ innings.
Yep, so pardon the A’s pitching prospects for not jumping up and down with a promotion to Triple-A Las Vegas. They'd prefer to go directly to the Triple-A ballpark in Sacramento, the one where they temporarily play their big-league games, and wait to pitch in Vegas for the first time in 2028 when their new ballpark opens on the Vegas Strip.
"I mean, I heard how the PCL is as a whole and how Vegas in general," Arnold told USA TODAY Sports on Sunday before the Futures Game. "But seeing the games there really solidified it for me. The ball flies. I mean, that’s not normal for the big leagues, 19-13, whatever, that was pretty crazy."
You had to be there to believe it with Brewers manager Pat Murphy still calling it the craziest environment he ever experienced in his college, minor league and major league career.
"It’s just a tough environment," A’s manager Mark Kotsay said after the six-game series ended in June. "There’s no other way to explain this. As a pitcher, you go out there and you compete. It’s not easy from a confidence standpoint when you’re on the mound and playing in these elements."
Well, the good news is that when the A’s move into their new Las Vegas home, the elevation is nearly 1,000 feet less on the Strip than in Summerlin, and there will be a baseball humidor, just like the ones used at Coors Field in Denver and at Chase Field in Arizona.
And when the A’s do make their move, they’re expected to have a much-improved pitching staff, with Arnold expected to be the centerpiece of a talented, young rotation. Arnold is 4-5 with a 4.15 ERA in his first professional season at Midland, striking out 85 batters with 38 walks in 80⅓ innings. Arnold pitched a scoreless inning in the Futures Game, with one walk and one strikeout.
"Right now, I’m just trying to get ready for the bigs and get hitters out," Arnold said. “Whether it’s in Double-A or Triple-A, it’s all the same thing. Just growing myself, and getting ready for the bigs."
And when Arnold arrives, the A’s could have an anchor in their rotation with hope to be a serious contender to win the AL West for the first time in a full season since 2013.
"That’s one of the most exciting things about the A’s," Arnold says, "knowing what they’re building and all of the pieces they’re adding. We’ve got a lot of young talent."
And even more talent coming with the selection of Georgia Tech outfielder Drew Burress as their No. 1 pick in Saturday’s MLB draft. Burress is the first player in the school’s history to hit 60 homers, setting school records in RBI (189), runs (232) and total bases (503), joining their young star-studded core led by All-Star first baseman Nick Kurtz.
"I faced him in college," Arnold said, "and I was nervous facing him. He’s really good. I played with him on the USA team two years ago, and it’s really awesome to have him. I mean, everyone else jumps quickly to the big leagues right now, and we’ve got a lot of young talent."
Arnold, who watches the A’s games on TV at every opportunity, is so excited about the A’s future that he even went to Las Vegas on his own in January to get his own stadium tour, knowing that one day he’ll be pitching in their new digs and should be a vital cog to their return to the playoffs.
Arnold, who had never been to Philadelphia, might have gotten a glimpse of a future American League West pitching rivalry in the clubhouse, too, meeting Kade Anderson, the Seattle Mariners’ top prospect, for the first time Sunday. They faced one another in their first professional game this season and, for an afternoon, they were teammates.
"It’s pretty awesome to see what he’s doing," Arnold said. "I mean, here we're in the same draft a year ago. And now we’re at the Futures Game together."
And perhaps by the end of the year, or next, pitching against one another in the big leagues.
"We really haven’t talked about that," Anderson said, "but I think that’s kind of an outspoken thing. He’s a really good player. It’s been kind of cool to pick his brain a little bit.
"I’m sure we’ll be seeing plenty of each other."
Follow Bob Nightengale on X: @Bnightengale
This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: Jamie Arnold can't wait for the A's future. Triple-A Vegas is another story.
Continue reading...
Arnold, the A’s top pitching prospect who was drafted in the first round last season, paid particularly close attention to the A’s recent Las Vegas series against the Milwaukee Brewers and Colorado Rockies at their Triple-A ballpark in Summerlin, Nevada.
And like every other pitcher in the A’s organization, he cringed.
Six games. 102 runs – 55 runs given up by the A’s staff. 32 runs scored in one game. 20 home runs.
No A’s starter lasted longer than 5⅔ innings.
Yep, so pardon the A’s pitching prospects for not jumping up and down with a promotion to Triple-A Las Vegas. They'd prefer to go directly to the Triple-A ballpark in Sacramento, the one where they temporarily play their big-league games, and wait to pitch in Vegas for the first time in 2028 when their new ballpark opens on the Vegas Strip.
"I mean, I heard how the PCL is as a whole and how Vegas in general," Arnold told USA TODAY Sports on Sunday before the Futures Game. "But seeing the games there really solidified it for me. The ball flies. I mean, that’s not normal for the big leagues, 19-13, whatever, that was pretty crazy."
You had to be there to believe it with Brewers manager Pat Murphy still calling it the craziest environment he ever experienced in his college, minor league and major league career.
"It’s just a tough environment," A’s manager Mark Kotsay said after the six-game series ended in June. "There’s no other way to explain this. As a pitcher, you go out there and you compete. It’s not easy from a confidence standpoint when you’re on the mound and playing in these elements."
Well, the good news is that when the A’s move into their new Las Vegas home, the elevation is nearly 1,000 feet less on the Strip than in Summerlin, and there will be a baseball humidor, just like the ones used at Coors Field in Denver and at Chase Field in Arizona.
And when the A’s do make their move, they’re expected to have a much-improved pitching staff, with Arnold expected to be the centerpiece of a talented, young rotation. Arnold is 4-5 with a 4.15 ERA in his first professional season at Midland, striking out 85 batters with 38 walks in 80⅓ innings. Arnold pitched a scoreless inning in the Futures Game, with one walk and one strikeout.
"Right now, I’m just trying to get ready for the bigs and get hitters out," Arnold said. “Whether it’s in Double-A or Triple-A, it’s all the same thing. Just growing myself, and getting ready for the bigs."
And when Arnold arrives, the A’s could have an anchor in their rotation with hope to be a serious contender to win the AL West for the first time in a full season since 2013.
"That’s one of the most exciting things about the A’s," Arnold says, "knowing what they’re building and all of the pieces they’re adding. We’ve got a lot of young talent."
And even more talent coming with the selection of Georgia Tech outfielder Drew Burress as their No. 1 pick in Saturday’s MLB draft. Burress is the first player in the school’s history to hit 60 homers, setting school records in RBI (189), runs (232) and total bases (503), joining their young star-studded core led by All-Star first baseman Nick Kurtz.
"I faced him in college," Arnold said, "and I was nervous facing him. He’s really good. I played with him on the USA team two years ago, and it’s really awesome to have him. I mean, everyone else jumps quickly to the big leagues right now, and we’ve got a lot of young talent."
You must be registered for see images
Arnold, who watches the A’s games on TV at every opportunity, is so excited about the A’s future that he even went to Las Vegas on his own in January to get his own stadium tour, knowing that one day he’ll be pitching in their new digs and should be a vital cog to their return to the playoffs.
Arnold, who had never been to Philadelphia, might have gotten a glimpse of a future American League West pitching rivalry in the clubhouse, too, meeting Kade Anderson, the Seattle Mariners’ top prospect, for the first time Sunday. They faced one another in their first professional game this season and, for an afternoon, they were teammates.
"It’s pretty awesome to see what he’s doing," Arnold said. "I mean, here we're in the same draft a year ago. And now we’re at the Futures Game together."
And perhaps by the end of the year, or next, pitching against one another in the big leagues.
"We really haven’t talked about that," Anderson said, "but I think that’s kind of an outspoken thing. He’s a really good player. It’s been kind of cool to pick his brain a little bit.
"I’m sure we’ll be seeing plenty of each other."
Follow Bob Nightengale on X: @Bnightengale
This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: Jamie Arnold can't wait for the A's future. Triple-A Vegas is another story.
Continue reading...
