LAS VEGAS -- Like several Athletics players on the trip for this weekend’s two-game exhibition series against the Angels, Gage Jump is expected to be a key figure on the team that opens up its new ballpark in construction down the road on the Las Vegas Strip for a 2028 completion.
Before that time comes, Jump -- rated the A’s No. 3 prospect and MLB’s No. 57 overall prospect by MLB Pipeline -- will need to conquer Triple-A Las Vegas, where he’ll likely debut to start the 2026 regular season.
Las Vegas Ballpark, home of the Las Vegas Aviators, is a notorious hitter’s haven. A combination of high altitude and toasty temperatures lends to the ball flying farther than your average stadium, a nightmare for any young pitcher.
Pitching there for the first time on Saturday, Jump not only survived the tough elements, he thrived in a 3-0 loss to the Angels. Facing a Halos lineup that included regulars such as Nolan Schanuel, Jo Adell and Logan O’Hoppe, the 22-year-old left-hander worked a scoreless first three innings and ended up allowing one run on one hit and two walks with a strikeout in 3 2/3 frames.
The A’s utilized Jump, who is going through his first big league Spring Training, in a relief role for his first two Cactus League appearances to get his feet on the ground in a Major League environment. On Saturday, he was back in his natural habitat for his first start this spring.
“Coming out of the bullpen is fun,” Jump said. “Going back to starting is what I want to do. Whatever they want me to do, I’ll do. But starting is definitely nice.”
An increased workload allowed Jump to show off more of his full arsenal of pitches. His fastball maxed out at 98.3 mph and averaged 95.6. While he didn’t locate the heater as well as he would have liked, Jump was saved by his slider, which he’s worked on throwing at a higher velocity this spring. It generated four of his six whiffs against the Angels, including the putaway pitch on his strikeout of Adell in the first.
“I was struggling with commanding the fastball,” Jump said. “I was happy with the slider. I’ve been trying to throw it a little harder and just throw it middle-in. I got some good whiffs on it.”
If Jump were thrust into a Major League rotation right now, the A’s are confident he would be able to hold his own with his advanced arsenal, which in addition to the fastball and slider includes a curveball and fading changeup.
What they believe will help translate his massive success throughout the Minors to the highest level, though, is better pitch sequencing by setting forth a plan of attack specified to whatever Major League lineup he’s facing on a given day.
“He’s got Major League pitches,” A’s pitching coach Scott Emerson said of Jump. “It’s understanding what he needs to do from a gameplan standpoint. Where he can gain his advantages on certain hitters. … He’s a hard worker. He’s a student of the game. He’s very mature for his level. That’s why we gave him this start today. We want to see him in this atmosphere.”
Outings like Saturday’s will help Jump immensely in that aspect. He got to face the top five hitters of the Angels’ lineup a second time through the order, which gives him an opportunity to work on scouting reports and when to throw certain pitches in certain counts.
COMPLETE ATHLETICS PROSPECT COVERAGE
Jump has obviously had a chance to face lineups a second and sometimes third time through in the Minors and college at times. But as he put it after Saturday’s start, facing mostly Major League hitters, even in a Spring Training environment, presents a tougher challenge.
“It’s a little bit different,” Jump said. “It goes back to my game and seeing what the hitters are going to tell me. I’m just trying to attack the zone. If they tell me they’re on it, then I’ll change what I’m doing. But it always starts with me.”
Jump will get a chance to work on refining that last step of his development process with likely several more starts in this very ballpark for Triple-A Las Vegas in the coming months. On Saturday, pitching in front of an announced sellout crowd of 10,747, he got the first one out of the way.
“First time in Vegas,” Jump said. “I was kind of taking everything all in. Good crowd today. It was awesome.”