JJ Bleday

The former fourth overall selection from the 2019 draft found himself designated for assignment this winter by the Athletics in early November, just one year removed from a 20-homer season as a full-time player. Bleday hit 14 homers for the Athletics in a part-time situation, with 10 of those coming away from the launching pad in Sacramento. He had one of those odd split seasons where he hit for a much better average against fellow southpaws (.324 vs .180), which hurt his playing time chances in an unnatural platoon situation. His next organization could focus on the gaudy .353/.409/.571 triple-slash line from Triple-A and hope that Bleday still has something in the bat that perhaps went into hiding last season at the majors. Maybe a fresh start can help Bleday rediscover something, because this past season was a disappointing leap backwards after his promising 2024. Read Past Outlooks