Trio of A's in focus as third-base battle heats up at Spring Training

MESA, Ariz. -- Near the entrance to the Athletics' clubhouse at Hohokam Stadium, Darell Hernaiz and Max Muncy share close quarters as locker mates. Brett Harris, meanwhile, is situated with his locker only a few stalls down.

These three have been teammates throughout the A’s organization since 2023, growing alongside each other as top prospects before turning into big leaguers. Naturally, they’ve developed a bond over those years together.

As Spring Training gets underway, that trio will be in the spotlight as participants in what is arguably the most heated roster battle of camp. Third base is the one position on the diamond that remains without an established starter for the A’s, and all three are in the mix for that job, with little separation to this point.

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"It’s open,” manager Mark Kotsay said of the third-base job. “You have a couple of guys that have been here and played that position. Guys like Muncy, Hernaiz and Harris, those three guys have played that position for us and have been given that opportunity.”

Muncy, 23, debuted in the Majors last season as the club’s Opening Day second baseman. Sent down to Triple-A Las Vegas in mid-April after some early struggles, he returned on June 4. From that point on, Muncy hit .232 with a .709 OPS and eight home runs over his final 42 games with the A’s -- though a right hand fracture sent him to the injured list on July 22 and kept him on the shelf until the season's final four games in late September.

Harris, 27, battled a few different injuries last season. When healthy, he saw some solid success with the A’s, hitting .274 in 32 games.

Hernaiz, 24, impressed the A’s while filling in for an injured Jacob Wilson at shortstop during the second half of last season, so much that once Wilson returned from the injured list in August, he kept a spot on the big league roster for the rest of the ‘25 campaign.

“For Muncy and for Harris, they’ve sustained some injuries that have taken away from their playing time [at third],” Kotsay said. “Darell, he’s versatile. He can play [third, second and short.] The time that he filled in last year at shortstop, I thought he played exceptionally. For him, the bat and the adjustments continue to improve.”

Each player brings something different to the table. Muncy profiles as the best power hitter of the bunch, with 20-plus homer potential. Harris is the most natural third baseman of the group, having played stellar defense at the position for most of his Minor League career and college career at Gonzaga. Hernaiz brings arguably the best hit tool as a career .297 hitter across six Minor League seasons.

How do the A’s determine a starter? Performance in Spring Training will have to factor in some, though they’re not necessarily looking at who has the best numbers at the plate. It’s about the quality of at-bats and how each player handles the position from a defensive standpoint.

“You want the left side of your defense to be strong,” Kotsay said. “I think the production in our lineup comes from the guys that we know have been those producers. With Nick [Kurtz] stepping in and providing that at first base now, you bring a veteran player in who has had a lot of success offensively in Jeff McNeil to add to the depth of the lineup, you get surrounded by a group that is really strong from a production standpoint. So, you want a guy at third base that catches the ball, gets on base and takes a great at-bat.”

Hernaiz will leave camp on March 1 to join Team Puerto Rico for the World Baseball Classic. His performance in the tournament -- as well as those of Muncy and Harris in Cactus League games -- is something the A’s will keep a close eye on.

With utility infielder Andy Ibañez, who was claimed off waivers from the Dodgers earlier this month, also capable of playing third base, the next five weeks will present no shortage of opportunities to grab hold of a position that is currently very much up in the air.

“Ultimately, you’re looking for a group of position players that you can utilize in a way that maximizes your matchups,” Kotsay said. “Maybe not at multiple positions, but [third base] could be a position that we utilize to create our best offensive matchups throughout the season and watch this grow. We’re hopeful that one of those guys captures that position and runs with it.”