Athletics Could Land the Next Mason Miller at Pick Eight
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Last summer, the baseball world watched the fourth-ranked draft prospect, Jamie Arnold, fall to the Athletics at the eleventh overall selection. It was truly a shock to see someone with Arnold's talent fall that low.
Now, in the next few weeks, the A's can hope for yet another talented arm to drop to the organization at pick eight.
Different mock drafts list several routes for the A's to go at their pick, and we have discussed several options, such as Ryder Helfrick and Justin Lebron, should they be available at that pick.
𝐍𝐞𝐰 𝟐𝟎𝟐𝟔 𝐌𝐋𝐁 𝐃𝐫𝐚𝐟𝐭 𝐁𝐨𝐚𝐫𝐝: 𝐓𝐨𝐩 𝟓𝟎𝟎 📃https://t.co/PTgRrNXNM3 pic.twitter.com/FtFJEDQjoo
— Perfect Game USA (@PerfectGameUSA) June 19, 2026
If the club elects to avoid the position-player route, it could address one of its biggest needs as an organization: pitching.
With the lock of a first overall pick in Roch Cholowsky set to go to the White Sox, and other position players in Grady Emerson, Vahn Lackey, and Jacob Lombard set to go in the top five, the best arm in the draft could fall to the A's.
UC Santa Barbara Right-Hander, Jackson Flora
The right-hander Flora made 16 starts this season for UC Santa Barbara, holding a 12-0 record and posting an ERA of 1.06. Truly an unreal season from the 21-year-old, and that has made him the top arm in this summer's draft.
The most exciting part of Flora's game is his fastball. His fastball comes in at a whopping 70-grade, which is something you won't see very often when looking at prospects. He sits around 97 miles per hour, and routinely hits triple digits.
The starter has drawn comparisons to the Twins' ace, Joe Ryan. We have discussed Ryan as a possible option for the A's to land this summer via trade.
Jackson Flora posts a gem for @UCSB_Baseball in the NCAA Regionals 💎
— MLB Draft (@MLBDraft) May 30, 2026
7.2 IP | 2 H | 1 ER | 2 BB | 9 K@MLBPipeline's top-ranked pitching prospect in the Draft class now holds the program's single-season strikeout record with 133 K's -- and counting.pic.twitter.com/YGd8pWZpU0
Flora's mix could also put him in the same boat as Blue Jays' starter Trey Yesavage and Yankees' Cam Schlittler.
Just because he was used as a starter in college doesn't mean he's a guarantee to be a starter once he reaches the big leagues. With a fastball that electric, he could be suited well to become a closer someday.
Jackson Flora Could Be the Next Mason Miller
The now-Padres' superstar, Mason Miller, made his MLB debut with the A's back in 2023, where he actually made six starts for the team.
In those six starts, Miller posted a 3.78 ERA and would ultimately get his season cut short with an injury. This led A's manager Mark Kotsay to move Miller to the team's bullpen for the following season.
That decision would turn out to be an amazing one for Kotsay, as Miller would be an All-Star closer in 2024 and would even finish in fourth for Rookie of the Year.
102.9 MPH 🔥
— MLB (@MLB) June 23, 2026
Mason Miller is electric! pic.twitter.com/qoFIktIyDp
After being an electric closer with the A's for a few seasons, the team dealt him last summer before the trade deadline to San Diego, and he would continue his dominance. He holds a 0.81 ERA since joining the Padres.
Because Jackson Flora has the electric fastball and a nice slider and changeup combo just like Miller, the A's could make him a closer as well.
It would be amazing if he could be a starter, throwing as hard as he does, but because there could be injury concerns with him making starts, maybe turning Flora into the next Mason Miller could be a great idea for the A's.
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Dylan Quinn grew up playing baseball, and also enjoyed watching and writing about his favorite team, the A’s. Being a diehard A’s fan from New Jersey is certainly not common, but he loves the team and all of the current and former players so much. Quinn currently attends school at Penn State Scranton where he plays baseball.
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