Oakland Athletics prospect Franklin Barreto was the next in line for recognition on Thursday. MLB.com is doing its annual top prospect rankings, going position by position. So far, the Athletics have had several big names on the lists, and shortstop was no exception.
Barreto hit .302/.333/.500 in High-A last year, but that didn’t stop the Athletics from sending him to play Winter League baseball this offseason. Barreto spent time in the outfield there, learning to play center field – a potential option if the A’s decide to move him off shortstop. His defense isn’t horrendous – he is only 19 years old, so some mistakes are inevitable – but he’s no Francisco Lindor, despite having a good arm.