Three A's Making a Late Spring Push Towards Roster Spot

Opening Day of the 2026 season is just two weeks away, and camp will be ending even sooner. This is the time of the spring when players can make a late push in camp to hopefully solidify their spot on the Opening Day roster.

We've seen a couple of guys start out strong, like J.T. Ginn, who burst onto the scene this spring. After tossing five scoreless innings his first two times out, Ginn has given up eight runs across 7 2/3 innings against the Colorado Rockies and Texas Rangers. At one point in camp it looked like he may be able to sneak into the final rotation spot, but now the A's may go another way.

Another player that hasn't necessarily seized their opportunity this spring is Colby Thomas, who seemed ready to be a platoon partner for Lawrence Butler to begin the season. He's batting .143 with a .172 OBP and an OPS of just .386. Of course, he's had just 28 at-bats, so those numbers could turn completely around with one good game.

He could also find himself on the outside looking when the season begins if the A's deem this player's production to be the real deal.

The surprise pick

We're still not too sure how realistic adding him to the Opening Day roster is, but Henry Bolte has certainly opened some eyes in camp. The 22-year-old could easily take on the role that Thomas looked primed for, but having a young athlete with speed and power serve as a bench player upon arrival may not be the best use of his services.

Still, he's had a spring breakout, batting .382 with a .432 on-base, two home runs, three doubles, and seven runs scored in 14 games played. He's also been in the starting lineup more recently, which is likely a test for him against more big-league pitching.

He could be on the Opening Day roster, or he could begin the season in Triple-A Las Vegas, where another few weeks of continued growth could lead to the A's front office making a tough decision early in the season. He has the tools to help the club, but the concern has been his strikeout rate as he's risen up the ranks.

That rate was at 28.9% overall last season with Midland and Vegas, but has improved to 17.1% this spring. If he's able to continue to sting the ball and keep that strikeout rate around that level, he should be with the A's in no time. His speed would be a skill the roster doesn't have much of, which could add a new dimension to the roster.

Solidifying his case

While Max Muncy making the Opening Day roster would hardly be a surprise, being that he came into camp as the favorite to land the third base gig, he's also starting to pull away with his performance at the plate of late. The 23-year-old is 13-for-31 (.419) with a .526 OBP, and has recorded at least one hit in his past six games.

Could get used to these. pic.twitter.com/yVKA3ecbSo
— Jason Burke (@ByJasonB) March 12, 2026

In that span he has gone 9-for-14 with two homers, five RBI, 10 runs scored, four walks and three strikeouts. His ceiling has been the highest of the players vying for third base, and he's showing what he can do with the bat that would make him a great part of the A's lineup when the season begins. If he's hitting like this, the A's lineup would be one of the deepest in the game.

The one caveat here is that his glove hasn't quite caught up with his bat, but he's still expected to be the club's third baseman on a regular basis. How he performs defensively will determine how long into the season he holds that role.

Welcome to the rotation?

While we still believe that he'll begin the season down in Triple-A, even if just for a brief period, No .3 prospect Gage Jump has been solid this spring, and is still hanging around big-league camp. The 22-year-old has made three appearances (one start) this spring, racking up 6 2/3 innings of work and a 2.70 ERA. He's given up five hits, two earned runs, hit a batter, walked three and struck out four.

There is still work to be done, but it's also not like other players vying for a spot in the A's rotation have grabbed hold of a spot, either. Luis Morales has a 6.00 ERA across 12 innings, giving up 16 hits, 8 ER, with seven walks and ten strikeouts. He also has a .320 batting average against and a 1.92 WHIP while facing roughly Double-A competition on average.

Jacob Lopez made his spring debut last weekend against the Los Angeles Dodgers and went a couple of innings, giving up three runs, walking one and striking out one. If he's deemed not quite ready for the start of the season as he ramps up, perhaps that would be Jump's opening.

Jump will be starting on Friday against the Brewers, in what could end up being his last start of the spring before being reassigned on Sunday. If he is still with the club after the team's next round of roster adjustments, that could be a sign that they're legitimately considering him for a spot in the rotation.

For more A's news and insights, follow Jason @ByJasonB on X, or the site @InsideTheAs!