Oakland Also Signs Two Non-Drafted Free Agents
OAKLAND, Calif. — The Oakland A’s agreed to terms with 19 of their 21 selections from the 2023 First-Year Player Draft, including each of their first 18 picks, the club announced today. The signings include infielder Jacob Wilson (1st round, Grand Canyon University), infielder Myles Naylor (Competitive Balance Round-A, St. Joan of Arc Catholic Secondary School), outfielder Ryan Lasko (2nd round, Rutgers University), right-handed pitcher Steven Echavarria (3rd round, Millburn HS), right-handed pitcher Cole Miller (4th round, Newbury Park HS), right-handed pitcher Nathan Dettmer (5th round, Texas A&M), outfielder Jonah Cox (6th round, Oral Roberts), outfielder Nate Nankil (7th round, Cal State Fullerton), right-handed pitcher Jackson Finley (8th round, Georgia Tech), right-handed pitcher Corey Avant (9th round, Wingate University), right-handed pitcher Tom Reisinger (10th round, East Stroudsburg University), right-handed pitcher Drew Conover (11th round, Rutgers), catcher Cole Conn (12th round, University of Illinois at Chicago), left-handed pitcher Will Johnston (13th round, Texas A&M), infielder Luke Mann (14th round, Missouri), outfielder Will Simpson (15th round, Washington), right-handed pitcher Ryan Brown (16th round, Oregon State), infielder Colby Halter (17th round, Florida), and left-handed pitcher Diego Barrera (20th round, Loyola Marymount). The A’s also signed non-drafted catcher Nick Schwartz (Southern New Hampshire University) and shortstop Casey Yamauchi (University of Hawaii-Hilo).
Wilson hit .412 with six home runs, 61 RBI, and eight stolen bases for the Antelopes this season while also earning WAC Defensive Player of the Year honors. He tallied 19 walks and just five strikeouts to go along with 17 doubles, four triples, a .461 on-base percentage, a .635 slugging percentage, and a 1.096 OPS. As a sophomore, was a national semifinalist for the Golden Spikes Award and led his team in hits (88) and doubles (18), and ranked second in batting average (.358). Earned All-WAC First Team honors in all three of his seasons at GCU.
Naylor, 18, is the little brother of big leaguers Josh and Bo Naylor and the cousin of A’s prospect Denzel Clarke. Myles was the 64th ranked prospect entering the draft according to MLB Pipeline. He is the lone Naylor brother to bat right-handed and participated in the Area Code Games in 2021 and 2022.
Lasko, 21, hit .330 with 11 home runs, 37 walks, and 34 strikeouts to go along with a 1.010 OPS in 56 games for Rutgers this season. In three seasons for the Scarlet Knights, Lasko hit .314 with a .988 OPS with 38 home runs, 35 steals, 89 walks and 120 strikeouts.
Echavarria, 17, appeared in the Area Code Games as well as the WWBA World Championships. He allowed just two earned runs this season in 50.0 innings pitched, including 80 strikeouts and just 14 walks. He also logged 82 at-bats, hitting .305 with five home runs.
Miller, 18, is the first Newbury Park High School alumni to be drafted in the top five rounds since Andrew Lambo in 2007. Cole’s father, Mike, played in the NFL for two seasons as a wide receiver with the Giants and Saints.
Dettmer, 21, is a two-time SEC Pitcher of the Week, making 12 starts in total for the Aggies this season, finishing 1-3 with a 6.19 ERA in 51 strikeouts in 52.1 innings pitched. As a sophomore, he threw seven shutout innings in a College World Series game to beat Notre Dame.
Cox, 21, was a 2023 Perfect Game First Team All-American after and led NCAA Division I hitters with 114 hits, including a 47-game hitting streak. He finished the season hitting .412 with 11 home runs and 28 stolen bases to help the Golden Eagles reach the College World Series.
Nankil, 20, hit .316 this season including five home runs, 23 walks, 37 strikeouts, and a .852 OPS in 55 games for the Titans. For his career, he hit .280 with seven homers, 21 steals, and a .749 OPS in 144 games.
Finley, 23, went 2-4 this season with a 6.47 ERA and 42 strikeouts in 48.2 innings pitched. He was a two-way player for the Yellow Jackets, and hit .328 with 17 home runs, 20 walks, and 79 strikeouts in 54 games this year. For his career, he went 5-5 with a 7.23 ERA as a pitcher and hit .322 1.057 OPS as a batter.
Avant, 21, went 1-3 with a 5.45 ERA in 22 appearances (two starts) spanning 38.0 innings pitched this season for the Bulldogs. For his career, he went 4-4 with a 4.57 ERA and six saves in 67.0 innints of work, including 107 strikeouts and 42 walks.
Reisinger, 22, received All PSAC East First Team honors this season after going 6-2 with a 2.64 ERA in 17 appearances for the Warriors, including 97 strikeouts and 32 walks in 71.2 innings pitched. For his career, he went 12-9 with a 4.50 ERA in 40 outings, 30 starts, and 202 strikeouts in 150.0 innings of work.
Conover, 21, went 5-4 with a 4.50 ERA in 17 games, including 14 starts, in his junior season at Rutgers and was named Third Team All-Big Ten. The 21-year-old right-hander began his college career at Seton Hall before transferring to Rutgers after his sophomore season. A 2022 Cape Cod League All-Star, Conover was originally drafted by Detroit in the 2022 First-Year Player Draft. In three collegiate seasons, he went a combined 7-6 with a 4.98 ERA in 43 appearances.
Conn, 22, hit .232 with 12 doubles, one triple, seven home runs, 26 RBI and 16 stolen bases this season. Over three collegiate seasons, the switch hitter batted .273 with a .374 on-base percentage and a .492 slugging percentage. He started in each of his 51 games for the Flames this year, including 45 starts at catcher.
Johnston, 22, was 3-3 with a 5.89 ERA and four saves in 27 appearances, including six starts, in his senior season at Texas A&M. The left-hander walked 31 and struck out 70 over 47.1 innings for a 13.3 strikeouts per 9.0 innings. Across four collegiate seasons, he went 6-4 with a 5.77 ERA in 66 games.
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Mann, 23, batted .311 with a .428 on-base percentage and a .680 slugging percentage in 54 games as a fifth-year senior at Missouri. After hitting 17 home runs last season, the most by a Tiger since 2004, the left-handed hitter surpassed his own mark with 21 this year. Overall, Mann batted .268 with 27 doubles, three triples, 49 home runs and 141 RBI in 179 collegiate games.
Simpson, 21, a two-time All-Pac-12 honoree, batted .335 with 12 doubles, 18 home runs and 58 RBI this season. His home runs led the Huskies and are the seventh most in a single season in program history. Across four collegiate seasons, the outfielder hit .299 with 36 homers and 143 RBI.
Brown, 22, recorded 11 saves, tied for the most in the Pac-12 in 2023. An All-Pac-12 Honorable Mention, went 4-2 with a 3.23 ERA in 25 games for the Beavers this season, striking out 34 batters and walking just five across 30.2 innings. Across three collegiate seasons, Brown was 9-4 with 20 saves and a 3.90 ERA in 56 career outings, all in relief.
Halter, 21, batted .247 with nine doubles, four triples, three home runs, 30 RBI and 25 walks. A 2022 Cape Cod League All-Star and a 2022 National Collegiate Baseball Player of the Week, the left-handed hitter collected a .259 average, a .354 on-base percentage and a .405 slugging percentage across three collegiate seasons with the Gators.
Barrera, 23, went 8-2 with a 2.53 ERA in his senior season at Loyola Marymount. Began his collegiate career at Washington in 2019 but attended Mt. San Antonio College (JC) in 2020 before transferring to LMU in 2021. Across 51 games as a four-year college player, the left-hander was 13-6 with a 2.85 ERA. He struck out 199 and walked 44 while allowing just 14 home runs.
Schwartz batted .399 with 13 home runs, 71 RBI and a .490 on-base percentages in 57 games with Southern New Hampshire last year, earning 2nd Team All-America honors from the NCBWA and the A2CCA. He hit .398 with 22 home runs, 116 RBI and a .491 on-base percentage in two seasons with the Penmen.
Yamauchi hit .404 with six home runs, 29 RBI, 23 stolen bases and a .500 on-base percentage for Hawaii Hilo last year. He had a .367 average, six home runs, 94 RBI, 74 stolen bases and a .426 on-base percentage in 167 games over five seasons with the Vulcans and is the schools career leader in runs (147), hits (240) and doubles (49) and stolen bases.
