A's Pitching Prospect Gage Jump Turns in His Best Triple-A Start Yet

He tossed a gem, but the bullpen couldn't lock down the win

Feb 23, 2026; Scottsdale, Arizona, USA; Athletics pitcher Gage Jump (79) throws against the San Francisco Giants in the third inning at Scottsdale Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Rick Scuteri-Imagn Images | Rick Scuteri-Imagn Images

Athletics left-handed pitching prospect Gage Jump just produced his strongest outing of the 2026 season so far.

Jump, the A's No. 3 prospect and the No. 41 overall prospect for 2026 on MLB Pipeline, twirled seven scoreless innings for the Triple-A Las Vegas Aviators on Wednesday. The 23-year-old gave up no runs on four hits and no walks, while striking out nine in a game Las Vegas eventually lost 6-5 to the Albuquerque Isotopes, the Triple-A affiliate of the Colorado Rockies.

While the Aviators' bullpen spoiled Jump's chance to pick up his first Triple-A win, this was undoubtedly the southpaw's best performance of the year thus far. This was the young lefty's first outing of the year in which he threw at least five innings, and his second straight start where he didn't allow an earned run. If he's able to build on his latest showing, Jump could become an option to join the A's big league rotation at some point this year.

Gage Jump might be getting closer to his MLB debut

Feb 20, 2026; Mesa, AZ, USA; Athletics pitcher Gage Jump (79) poses for Photo Day at HoHoKam Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Rick Scuteri-Imagn Images | Rick Scuteri-Imagn Images

In his first season of professional baseball last year, Jump posted a 3.28 ERA with 131 strikeouts in 112 2/3 innings pitched across two minor league levels. That set the stage for the 2024 second-round draft pick to begin the 2026 campaign in Triple-A, where he now has a 4.50 ERA through nine starts with 56 strikeouts in 38 innings of work.

While Jump is only 35 appearances into his minor league career, the A's have shown in recent years that they aren't afraid to fast-track prospects through their farm system. First baseman Nick Kurtz was called up to the majors after just 33 games in the minors, and he went on to win the 2025 American League Rookie of the Year Award. Even this year, outfielder Henry Bolte was promoted to the big leagues right after he produced two consecutive five-hit games in Triple-A.

Even though the A's enter Thursday's action in first place in the American League West with a 25-24 record, they currently rank 23rd in team ERA (4.32) and 25th in strikeouts (384) across the league. If Jump continues his recent success on the Triple-A mound, the A's could be forced to consider adding the southpaw to their rotation.