MESA, Ariz. — A’s top pitching prospect A.J. Puk hasn’t thrown a single inning in the big leagues yet, but that didn’t stop manager Bob Melvin from likening him to a certain Hall of Fame pitcher.
“The obvious guy is a guy I managed in Arizona for a little while,” Melvin said. “But you hate to put that kind of expectation or comp on a guy.”
Melvin was referring to Randy Johnson, the big flamethrower he coached from 2001-02 on the Diamondbacks and again from 2007-08 when Melvin returned to Arizona as manager of the club.
Puk, 22, bared a striking resemblance to Johnson when he stepped on the mound for his bullpen session on Thursday at Fitch Park.