A's Top Prospects Jamie Arnold, Devin Taylor Get Positioned for 2027

The Athletics' goal for the rest of this season is to set themselves up for 2026. Whether that's through finding relief pitchers off the waiver wire to help fortify a shaky bullpen, or through giving valuable big-league playing time to young players. 

With rosters expanding to 28 on September 1, the A's reinstated outfielder Denzel Clarke from the IL and recalled right-hander Yunior Tur for another stint with the club. Clarke is in the lineup for the first time since April.

But the big news for the A's on Tuesday is that they're promoting top pitching prospect Jamie Arnold to Triple-A Las Vegas for the final three weeks of the season. That should lead to three starts with the Aviators, and then potentially another appearance in the postseason. Arnold was selected by the A's with the No. 11 pick in the 2025 MLB Draft.

In addition to the promotion of Arnold, the A's have also called up Devin Taylor, whose bat manager Mark Kotsay said may be the best in the system earlier this season. 

Arnold has seen his struggles at times this season, but has admitted to relying on his changeup a bit more since the All-Star break. The team feels that pitch will be the difference-maker in his success when he reaches the big leagues.

In August, Arnold made four starts and posted a 1.57 ERA across 23 innings with a .200 batting average against and a 0.96 WHIP. He's also gone at least five innings in each of his last five starts. 

Often, young pitchers are able to get by with just a couple of plus pitches when they arrive in pro ball. The key for Arnold's continued development will be working on those secondary pitches rather than focusing on the results. 

Taylor was the A's second-round selection out of Indiana in 2025. When he came out of college, there weren't many questions about his bat. The belief was that he could hit, and he has. 

In 125 games between High-A Lansing and Double-A Midland, Taylor hit .310 with a .416 OBP, 20 home runs, 97 RBI, and 13 steals in 18 attempts. Like Arnold, he's still just 22. 

With Lansing, he played mostly left field, while in Midland he slid over to right field. He has dropped a little weight to become more athletic this season, but there is still some room for growth with the glove. 

The question with Taylor is what the A's end up doing with him. Both of their corner outfielders — Tyler Soderstrom and Lawrence Butler — are already signed long-term. DH Brent Rooker is also signed through 2029 with a 2030 vesting option. Finding a spot for Taylor's bat could be a challenge.