Sheldon Neuse

Neuse was one of the hundreds of players hurt by the loss of the minor-league season as he never got to show what he could do in a live game setting in 2020. He got reps at the alternate site as part of the A's 60-man pool, but he was not summoned to join the big-league team at any point. That had to be frustrating for Neuse as he is still left with the bad taste of his 2019 MLB debut, when he had a 63 wRC+ over 61 PA. He was one of the PCL's top sluggers before he got his cup of coffee in 2019, slashing .317/.389/.550 with 27 homers and 102 RBI in 560 PA for Triple-A Las Vegas. Those numbers are less impressive when considering age versus level and league context, and the A's decision to play Tony Kemp, Chad Pinder and Franklin Barreto over Neuse at second base before bringing in Tommy La Stella speaks volumes. Now 26, Neuse's future may be with another organization.

Stop us if you have read this before: hitter has a huge year at Triple-A in 2019, setting career bests in (insert categories). Neuse hit .317/.389/.550 for Sacramento with 27 homers, 99 runs and 102 RBI, thus surpassing nearly his entire offensive production from 2016-2018. Neuse was a slugger in college (and also a reliever who hit 96 mph), but it wasn't until last year that his raw power abilities matched his in-game power production. He played second base, third, shortstop and left field in Triple-A last year, but is only 2B-eligible on draft day. After Oakland traded Jurickson Profar in December, Neuse lines up to compete for the starting job at second, although his bat would have to carry him because the defense is lacking. He would also need to beat out Franklin Barreto and Jorge Mateo, who are superior defenders and are both out of minor-league options.

From a real-life standpoint, Jesus Luzardo may have been the top prospect the A's received from Washington in last summer's multi-reliever deal, but for our purposes, Neuse is the most intriguing. He is built like a tank and has raked at every level above rookie ball -- reaching Double-A last year after less than 100 combined games at Low-A and High-A. The sky-high batting averages on balls in play at High-A and Double-A (.490 and .532, respectively) make it difficult to read much into his gaudy numbers. However, he continued to make consistent, loud contact in the Arizona Fall League (.935 OPS), so it seems pretty clear at this point that Neuse can hit, and hit for power. At least 34 percent of his hits as a pro have gone to the opposite field, which bodes well for his ability to hit for a relatively high average. His strikeout rates have been high, but not unreasonable given his plus power and aggressive promotions. Defensively, he can handle third base but may profile at DH for the A's in late 2018 or early 2019.