These 5 A’s players could be stars when they get to Vegas

By Adam Hill

Las Vegas Review-Journal

3 months ago

Oakland Athletics' Shea Langeliers hits a three-run home run on a pitch from Seattle Mariners p ... — Oakland Athletics’ Shea Langeliers hits a three-run home run on a pitch from Seattle Mariners pitcher Collin Snider during the ninth inning in a baseball game, Saturday, Sept. 28, 2024, in Seattle. (AP Photo/John Froschauer)

Oakland Athletics’ Lawrence Butler hits a single during the third inning of a baseball game against the Texas Rangers, Thursday, Sept. 26, 2024, in Oakland, Calif. (AP Photo/Godofredo A. Vásquez)

Oakland Athletics’ Zack Gelof (20) scores the game-winning run on a RBI single by Jacob Wilson in the ninth inning of a baseball game against the Texas Rangers at the Coliseum in Oakland, Calif., on Tuesday, Sept. 24, 2024. (Carlos Avila Gonzalez/San Francisco Chronicle via AP)

Oakland Athletics shortstop Jacob Wilson throws out Texas Rangers’ Adolis García at first base during the seventh inning of a baseball game in Oakland, Calif., Wednesday, Sept. 25, 2024. (AP Photo/Jeff Chiu)

A photo of Nick Kurtz is shown on the large video board after the Oakland Athletics selected Kurtz fourth in the first round of the MLB baseball draft in Fort Worth, Texas, Sunday, July 14, 2024. (AP Photo/LM Otero)

There’s a lot of baseball to be played before the Athletics move to Las Vegas .

Trades will happen. Prospects will fail to pan out. It’s all part of the game.

But it’s never too early to try to figure out who some of the organization’s best players will be when the team — if everything goes according to schedule — begins playing at its new ballpark in 2028.

That list would likely start with closer Mason Miller, a breakout star who is under team control through at least the 2029 season. But he will be a valuable trade chip who could fetch a haul of prospects before the A’s get to Las Vegas.

So he doesn’t make the cut here. Neither do any of the organization’s young pitchers or solid center fielder JJ Bleday, who just missed out.

These are the five players who made our list, in no particular order:

1. Shea Langeliers, catcher

Already popular in Las Vegas from his time with the Aviators, Langeliers is starting to really live up to his promise.

He was an elite defensive catcher with power in 2023, but started to smooth out his stroke and showed more consistency in 2024.

Langeliers, who turns 27 on Nov. 18, could be traded because the organization is deep at catcher, but he’s under team control through the 2028 season and would be a nice cornerstone.

2. Lawrence Butler, outfield

If the second half of the 2024 season was any indication, Butler is destined for stardom.

His bat heated up in the dog days of summer and never cooled off.

The former sixth-round pick finished two steals short of a 20-20 season (home runs and steals), and he won’t turn 25 until the middle of the 2025 season. The leadoff hitter had two games in which he hit three homers and a 22-game hit streak, and was not thrown out trying to steal a base all season.

He won’t be eligible for free agency until 2030.

3. Zack Gelof, second baseman

The 2021 second-round draft pick was fast-tracked to the major leagues and looks as if he could be successful for years.

Gelof, who has solid power and speed for the position, took a step backward this season and strikes out a bit too much. Still, he will be just 25 on opening day 2025 and has shown he’s more than capable of producing at the major league level.

4. Jacob Wilson, shortstop

The organization’s top prospect got a taste of the big leagues down the stretch this season and didn’t seem overwhelmed.

Wilson was the No. 6 overall pick in 2023 and is just 22.

He was fast-tracked through the system in part because minor league pitching wasn’t challenging him. Wilson hit .433 in 53 minor league games across three levels, including a stop in Las Vegas, during the 2024 season.

Wilson and Gelof should make a fun double-play combination up the middle for years to come.

5. Nick Kurtz, first baseman

The No. 4 overall pick in the 2024 draft hasn’t seen a lot of action at the pro level, but the brief time he was on the field hasn’t dampened the excitement about his potential.

Kurtz hit .368 with four home runs and 13 RBIs in 12 games.

The former Wake Forest star is just 21 and might get the call to the big leagues until 2026, but the excitement about his future is already building.

Contact Adam Hill at ahill@reviewjournal.com. Follow @AdamHillLVRJ on X.