Oakland Athletics: Prospect Matt Chapman Deserves a Call-Up in 2016
Oakland Athletics’ prospect Matt Chapman has proven his worth during spring training this year
The Oakland Athletics had some very impressive prospects at spring camp this March however none have been as spectacular as minor league third baseman Matt Chapman. Chapman is the Oakland Athletics No. 6 prospect and has been demonstrating his powerful bat and quality fielding skills this spring. Because of the success he has found while playing with major league-level ballplayers this March, Chapman deserves to be called up the big leagues at some point this season.
The A’s drafted Chapman in the first round in 2014. Since then, he has quickly climbed the minor league ladder. In 2014 alone he was able to go from rookie ball all the way to Double-A in a few short months. Perhaps his rise was little too fast for he stayed in High-A ball for the entire 2015 season. While there, he smashed 23 homers and 57 RBI in 80 games played.
Even though Chapman is expected to start the 2016 season in Double-A, he has outlasted some Triple-A level prospects who have already been reassigned to minor league camp. This spring, he has had the opportunity to play in ten games and is currently batting .263/.286/.737 with a 1.023 OPS and three home runs.
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Additionally, his bat is not his only strength. Chapman is also an outstanding defender at third base and has made some replay-worthy plays during a couple of the spring training exhibition games this year. As Jane Lee from MLB.com reported, he is also working with infield coach and guru Ron Washington, so Chapman’s defense is only going to get better.
Even though Chapman will probably start the 2016 season in Double-A, he should be called up at some point to the big leagues in order to test his skills against MLB players during regular season games. Because of his potential as a future starting third baseman in the big leagues, he should be given the opportunity to gain additional experience this upcoming year. His call-up can wait until September when the roster expands, but it ultimately should happen sometime during the 2016 season.
It is also important to note that third baseman Danny Valencia will be a free agent at the end of this year. The Oakland Athletics are going to need to find a solution for third base during this upcoming offseason. Matt Chapman could be the answer if he is able to gain enough experience by time the 2017 season begins. If the A’s truly want Chapman to be their future starting third baseman, fans will see him batting in green and gold in 2016.
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