The Athletics pitching staff ranks towards the bottom in the MLB so far this season with a team ERA of 4.78. Many expected this would be the team's Achilles heel, considering the lack of investment in arms during the offseason. The A's have already optioned Luis Morales , one of their former top prospects who made the Opening Day rotation after a slow start.
The A's have made a few moves in the bullpen as well, shuffling around arms where they see fit. The most recent transaction was calling up left-hander Brady Basso and optioning right-hander Mason Barnett back to Triple-A.
The A's have yet to put it all together on either the pitching or the hitting side, but it is still early. However, down on the farm, the three top pitching prospects for the A's have been mowing down hitters at will.
Jul 28, 2025; West Sacramento, California, USA; Athletics 2025 1st round draft pick Jamie Arnold speaks with members of the media before the game against the Seattle Mariners at Sutter Health Park. Mandatory Credit: Sergio Estrada-Imagn Images | Sergio Estrada-Imagn Images
Jamie Arnold was the A's first-round draft pick last year and has started his professional baseball career on the right path. Arnold has impressed in three starts this year, totaling 13 innings, 20 strikeouts, and four walks. He has given up 18 hits so far and holds a 1.69 WHIP, but there is some justification for that.
Arnold has a .485 BABIP, with .300 being the league average. This means that Arnold has been extremely unlucky. A high BABIP can suggest a combination of poor defense or simply a stroke of bad luck. Despite this, Arnold has been able to put together quality results in his first taste of Double-A baseball.
A few more notable advanced metrics for Arnold that stand out are his 3.57 FIP and 2.29 xFIP. This further proves that Arnold has been struck with some bad luck and even better results are on the horizon if he continues to throw the ball like he has been.
Gage Jump is the pitcher A's fans are most likely to see debut first of the three. The 2024 CB-B draft pick has built on his impressive debut campaign in 2026, starting three games and putting together a very good stat line. He holds a 2.61 ERA in 10 innings with 16 strikeouts, five walks, eight hits, and a 1.26 WHIP.
Jump has yet to finish five innings this season, but part of that may be some sort of pitch count to ease him into the season. In his first three starts, Jump departed the game with 63 pitches, 74 pitches, and 80 pitches. Increases in each outing suggest that as Jump continues, he will see a heavier workload.
Once Jump is where the A's want him to be, they will look to call him up as soon as possible. A's fans will have to eagerly wait for when-not if-he debuts. And it could come soon.
Wei-En Lin is the youngest of the three pitchers at only 20-years-old. He also had the highest jump in MLB.com's prospect ratings from last year to this year. There has been a lot of hype around Lin, as he was drawing comparisons to Cy Young winner Blake Snell this spring and pitched for Taiwan in the World Baseball Classic.
Lin has dominated Double-A hitters in four starts, posting a 2.25 ERA in 16 innings with 22 strikeouts, seven walks, 13 hits, and a 1.25 WHIP.
The A's will likely be patient with Lin due to his age, but as his physically matures, he will become even more of a weapon on the mound. MLB.com gives Lin an ETA of 2027 and that feels right, especially if Lin continues to produce. Perhaps he gets a look in Las Vegas this season, and can launch himself into the big leagues at some point next year.
Overall, the A's have three very fierce and impressive lefties as the top pitching prospects in their farm system. Once they all debut, the A's will have an intimidating three-headed monster in their rotation. And they're all left-handed.
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This article was originally published on www.si.com/mlb/athletics/onsi as A's Top Pitching Prospects Are Dominating to Start 2026 .
