These Fall League standouts could impact A's in 2026

The Arizona Fall League has served as a precursor to the big leagues in recent years for Athletics prospects, with former AFL standouts Nick Kurtz, Denzel Clarke, Brett Harris and Lawrence Butler all debuting in the Majors the following season.

Could we see another AFL-to-A’s jump in 2026? Ryan Lasko, Tommy White and Josh Kuroda-Grauer highlight this year’s group down in Arizona who have a chance to continue that pipeline. The trio of prospects stood out for the Mesa Solar Sox and were singled out by A’s general manager David Forst for their performance.

“All three of the position players down there for us have done an excellent job,” Forst said. “I think a little bit particularly about Lasko, who was moved up to Triple-A late in the year and performed incredibly well there in the postseason. … Ryan’s opened a lot of eyes. Tommy and Josh have done a nice job.”

Could they potentially see some time with the A’s next season?

“After what we’ve seen the last couple of years with guys moving quickly,” Forst said, “I guess you can’t rule anything out.”

Here’s a look at how each performed in this year’s AFL:

OF Ryan Lasko (A’s No. 17 prospect)
AFL stats: 70 at-bats, .357 average, .881 OPS, five doubles, 12 RBIs, 13 walks, 19 strikeouts, nine stolen bases

After a late start to his season due to injury, Lasko took a while to find his rhythm. Once he did, the A’s were highly impressed by what they saw from the 23-year-old outfielder. He jumped from High-A Lansing to Triple-A Las Vegas on Sept. 5 and helped the Aviators to the Triple-A National Championship, hitting .341 with a 1.009 OPS over his final 13 games of the regular season.

Lasko reminds some within the A’s organization of Ramón Laureano for his defensive profile, with similar closing speed and a plus arm that is as accurate as it is strong. Now that the offense is also ticking up following some concerns about his bat earlier in his career, Lasko is legitimately on the Major League radar.

3B Tommy White (No. 7)
AFL stats: 72 at-bats, .292 average, .839 OPS, three home runs, two doubles, 20 RBIs, nine walks, eight strikeouts, three stolen bases

White was sent to the Fall League for some extra work after battling a couple of injuries during the Minor League season, and he certainly made the most of his time there, even making an appearance in the AFL Home Run Derby.

The A’s 2024 Draft class has already seen Kurtz emerge as the 2025 American League Rookie of the Year and a budding star. Gage Jump is an MLB Top 100 Prospect (No. 60 overall) and expected to crack the A’s rotation at some point in ‘26. White, better known as “Tommy Tanks” during his standout college career at LSU, is setting himself up for a similar path.

SS Joshua Kuroda-Grauer (No. 10)
AFL stats: 58 at-bats, .345 average, .898 OPS, six doubles, one triple, eight RBIs, five walks, seven strikeouts, seven stolen bases

Speaking of the A’s ‘24 Draft, JKG, a third-round pick from that class out of Rutgers, is part of the organization’s stacked infield depth, which also includes Jacob Wilson, Darell Hernaiz, Max Muncy, Harris and Zack Gelof at the big league level, as well as White and No. 1 prospect (MLB No. 3) Leo De Vries. It’s unclear what position awaits Kuroda-Grauer in the big leagues. He could eventually morph into a utility player. But the A’s see a quality Major Leaguer there, and he’s only strengthened that belief this Fall.