During the Athletics’ Spring Breakout game against the San Diego Padres, several players delivered standout performances for the green and gold. However, one player who truly made an impression was former Toronto Blue Jays prospect Gunnar Hoglund.
Ranked as the No. 16 prospect in the A’s system, Hoglund was a key acquisition in the Matt Chapman trade after being selected 19th overall by Toronto in the 2021 MLB Draft. When Oakland acquired him in early 2022, he was still recovering from Tommy John surgery and had yet to make his professional debut. Injuries limited him to just eight innings in 2022 and 61 innings in 2023, but 2024 marked a turning point as he remained healthy. Over 24 appearances (23 starts) split between Double-A Midland and Triple-A Las Vegas, he posted a 3.44 ERA (4.40 FIP) across 130.2 innings. While he is expected to begin the season with the Aviators after making just five starts at that level last year, he could be in contention for a big-league rotation spot by this time next season.
During Friday’s Spring Breakout game, Hoglund entered in the third inning with the A’s leading 3-0. No. 5 prospect Luis Morales had started the game, tossing two hitless innings while allowing one walk and striking out two. Hoglund then took over and struck out the side in the third inning—two looking and one on a foul tip. He continued his dominance in the fourth, fanning Cobb Hightower on a called third strike before retiring the next two batters on a flyout and a groundout.
The A’s pitching staff didn’t surrender a hit until the seventh inning, when LSU product Gage Jump allowed a single to Jack Costello. Jump, who was drafted 73rd overall last year and has yet to make his professional debut, gave up both of the Padres’ runs on three hits while striking out two.
Morales, Hoglund, and Chen Zhong-Ao Zhuang combined for six dominant innings, but Hoglund stood out as the only one of the trio to avoid issuing a walk. He also recorded more strikeouts than any other pitcher in the game, finishing with four.
For prospects, spring training is a prime opportunity to make an impression on the coaching staff, and Hoglund certainly did just that on Friday in Peoria.
