Stephen Piscotty on Which Current A's Minor Leaguer Reminds Him of Matt Olson
When the A's decided to release Stephen Piscotty on August 16, 2022, it wasn't the news that the A's outfielder wanted at that time. In 42 games for the A's that season, Piscotty was batting .190 with a .252 OBP in manager Mark Kotsay's first season. It was also the first season without some fan favorites like Matt Olson, Matt Chapman, Sean Manaea, and Chris Bassitt. Frankie Montas was traded to the New York Yankees during the year.
As the roster churned from contender to rebuild, Piscotty and Jed Lowrie were two veteran players that were struggling that season, and the organization decided to release each of them within the same week.
After spending time with the Louisville Bats (Reds), the San Francisco Giants during Spring Training in 2023, and then the Charlotte Knights for much of the 2023 season, Piscotty is back with the A's on a minor-league deal, playing in Triple-A with the Las Vegas Aviators.
At each of his stops since his release, Piscotty says that he has picked up some things with each new team. "I had some different eyes on me, and learned some different things along the way." He also mentioned that he'll be passing on his knowledge to his sons, or to whomever he comes in contact with.
On the current Aviators' roster, PIscotty says there are a number of guys that have come up to talk to him about specific things, like hitting, approach at the plate, or just how to go about your business on a day-to-day basis. "Especially in Spring Training, because I was in minor-league camp. There were a lot of guys that had questions. It was great to have those conversations, not that I have all of the answers."
Heading into the offseason, Piscotty and his agent surveyed the league to find a spot for the 33-year-old outfielder, and with his history with the club, it felt like a natural fit that worked for both Piscotty and the A's.
When asked about which players on the Vegas roster are standing out to him that aren't talked about as much, the first player he pointed to was third baseman Brett Harris.
Harris, 25, is batting .309 with a .423 OBP to begin the year, and at the game we were at on Saturday, he led off the game with a home run on the first pitch. It left the bat at 102.7 miles per hour with a 29 degree launch angle. He followed that up with a single in the second as part of a 2-for-5 day. On Sunday he followed that up by hitting a grand slam in the top of the ninth that put the game out of reach and secured a 3-3 series split.
So yeah, Harris is pretty good.
The other player that Piscotty mentioned is a bit more under-the-radar: Drew Lugbauer. The 27-year-old first baseman was selected by the Atlanta Braves in the 11th round of the 2017 Draft, and signed with the A's as a minor-league free agent in November. He's listed as a catcher on MiLB.com, but has caught just one game since the pandemic. So far this season Lugbauer has three homers and is batting .214 with a .286 OBP. He's hit 25 or more home runs the past two seasons, but his strikeout rate, currently sitting at 39.5%, is a bit high.
"Drew has some serious power. I can see the comps to Matt Olson after playing with Matt for so long. To hit with [Lugbauer] in the cages, it's kind of funny."
For Piscotty, the obvious goal is to get back to the big leagues. After a rough 2-for-19 series in Sacramento, he's currently hitting .175 with a .242 on-base. In the middle of the previous series he was batting .276. That's the way early-season stats go sometimes, and the outfielder spoke about what is and is not working for him in the early going.
"I felt like I got off to a good start, and then I've hit a bit of a skid the past week. A little bit mechanics, a little bit approach. I'm pressing a little bit. Felt like I've kind of gone through the classic slump. Every ball I've hit hard has been caught, soft balls have been caught. Then I'm expanding the zone when I shouldn't be. Gonna take it one day at a time and not try to get it all back at once."
Piscotty is focused on making it back to The Show, but did say that it would be special for him to be able to play one last game at the Oakland Coliseum. "It would mean a lot, especially with them not being there after this year. That would mean a tremendous amount."
The 2018 season, his best as a baseball player, still holds a special place in his heart. "We got into the playoffs that year. I remember that celebration when we clinched a spot was a big deal to feel like you brought your home team to the playoffs. That's something I'll always remember and be thankful for."
JASON BURKE
Jason is the host of the Locked on A's podcast, and the managing editor of Inside the A's. He's a new father and can't wait to take his son to his first baseball game at the Coliseum.