
Ryon Healy made his mark with the A’s as a rookie, and he did it the hard way.
Because he didn’t earn an invitation to big league spring training last season, he didn’t generate the hype or attention of some of Oakland’s other infield prospects. All he did was hit, posting numbers at Double-A and Triple-A that were impossible to ignore.
That earned Healy a major league promotion after the All-Star break, and you know how the story picks up from there. Healy crammed some impressive numbers into a half-season’s worth of playing time, and that sets him up as a key returner for the 2017 A’s.
Stay in the game with the latest updates on your beloved Bay Area and California sports teams! Sign up here for our All Access Daily newsletter.
He projects as the starter at third base entering the season, barring any surprise moves the rest of the winter. And it wouldn’t be a shock if he’s penciled in as the No. 3 hitter for manager Bob Melvin once the season begins. That decision will come closer to Opening Night, but Healy has emerged as one of the A’s key building blocks moving forward.
STARRING CAST: Confidence is one of Healy’s biggest strengths. From the time he arrived in the A’s clubhouse, he acted like he belonged, and that self-assuredness translated to his play on the field. He hit .305 in 73 games, the second-best average in Oakland history among rookies with at least 250 plate appearances. Healy also led AL rookies in post-All Star break hits and extra-base hits, and he was second in homers (13), RBI (37) and runs (36).
The challenge now will be whether Healy, who turns 25 next week, can build on what he did in 2016 and sustain it over a full major league season. He was drafted as a first baseman out of the University of Oregon, but gradually began getting time at third base in the minors. The A’s gave Healy a full-time shot as their third baseman last season, which bumped Danny Valencia off the hot corner, and Melvin was impressed with how Healy acquitted himself at the big league level.
CAMP COMPETITION: There’s been lots of speculation about whether Healy might eventually move back to first base. That shift could happen when Matt Chapman, a third baseman who is one of Oakland’s top prospects, graduates to the bigs. But A’s general manager David Forst has said the A’s won’t rush the 23-year-old Chapman, who has played just 18 games as high as Triple-A. Part of that patient approach has to do with their confidence in Healy handling third.
Athletics
Find the latest Athletics news, highlights, analysis and more with NBC Sports Bay Area and California.
“He's a tough kid,” Melvin said during the winter meetings. “And to take to third base, which is not an easy position, as well as he did, you know, speaks to how hard he works. If Chapman ends up being there at some point in time, (Healy’s) natural position is first base. We also have the DH spot. We'll find a place for his bat.”
It will be worth watching Chapman’s progress in his second major league spring training. He was the talk of camp last spring after he led the team with six homers and 14 RBI in Cactus League play. Chapman proceeded to win Texas League Player of the Year honors with Double-A Midland, and combined he clubbed 36 homers with 96 RBI between Midland and Triple-A Nashville. He projects as a stronger defender at third than Healy, but the A’s would like Chapman to gain a bit more Triple-A seasoning. He hit just .237 last season and struck out a whopping 173 times.
PAY ATTENTION TO: How another highly regarded third base prospect fares during spring training. Renato Nunez, who appeared in nine games after a September call-up last season, has enjoyed a strong showing in the Venezuelan Winter League. Nunez’s power at the plate is his biggest strength, and it’s possible he eventually gets a look at first base or settles in as a DH. Chad Pinder has the versatility to play third in a pinch, and Jed Lowrie could even see a bit of time there if he’s not starting at second base.