A.J. Puk

Acquired by Miami last February, Puk locked down the primary save share early in the season, converting 6 of the Marlins' first 10 saves. The momentum the southpaw was gaining in the 9th inning was halted by a mid-May trip to the injured list due to nerve irritation in his throwing elbow. Fortunately, he only missed 3 weeks and reclaimed closing duties upon his return. Puk racked up 9 more saves until a brutal July (10.24 ERA) forced manager Skip Schumaker to make a closer change. The 28-year-old rebounded over the final two months to finish the season with a career-high 15 saves, 7 wins and 78:13 K:BB ratio across 56.2 innings. Puk's 26.9% K-BB percentage was 3rd-best among qualified relievers, so there's a good chance he sees save opportunities again in 2024.

Puk finally faded the injury bug, setting personal marks in both innings (66.1) and games played (62) after moving to the bullpen. The 6-foot-7 southpaw struck out 76 batters via his 97 mph fastball, slider and occasional sinker, while maintaining mostly above-average Statcast metrics. The few areas of deficiency were barrel percentage (8.8%) and walk rate (8.2%), especially after Puk exhibited shaky control in the second half. However, Puk's ascension to high leverage was no surprise, especially given the wave of injuries to his bullpen mates. He compiled four wins, 20 holds (T-13th in AL) and four saves, three of which came within a two-week span right after the All-Star break. Puk has the upside to close full-time, but he'll open spring training in the competition for a rotation spot. He's primarily worked as a reliever since he underwent Tommy John surgery in 2017, so his outlook is murky at best if he sticks as a starter.

Health issues and ineffectiveness have limited Puk to 24.2 big-league innings since he was drafted as the sixth overall pick in 2016. The southpaw didn't break camp with Oakland last season, but was promoted in April and made one appearance in long relief before suffering a strained left biceps that forced a trip to the injured list. He was not activated until late-May and was optioned to Triple-A after getting hit hard during his rehab. Puk has yet to start a game in the majors with just 22 relief appearances on his resume, so it's fair to start questioning whether a starting role is still in his future. Last year, he went three innings or more just four times in 41 appearances between the majors and minors. He also lost a few ticks on his fastball and slider compared to 2019 and both pitches were far less effective. However, Puk still has plenty of upside and is worth a late-round flier in deeper leagues.

Puk appeared poised for a spot in Oakland's starting rotation heading into 2020, but a shoulder issue that popped up in March and ultimately required surgery wiped out his season. It was a disappointing turn of events for the organization -- and for fantasy managers -- after the young southpaw flashed his limitless potential in a bullpen role at the tail end of the 2019 campaign. Despite coming off Tommy John surgery and being mostly limited to two pitch types during that stint, Puk registered a 27.7 K% and 13.9 SwStr% while allowing four earned runs over 11.1 innings. Of course, the pitches he relied upon -- a blazing fastball and wicked slider -- are his two best, but the expansion of his arsenal should only help him put away hitters. The good news is that Puk's shoulder surgery was relatively minor, and he should be ready for spring training. The tools are undeniable, but arm health remains a concern.

Puk successfully made it back from April 2018 Tommy John surgery, which in itself is no small feat. He threw 25.1 innings in the minors as the final step of his rehab before joining the big-league bullpen in late-August. The 6-foot-7 southpaw is still being groomed as a starter, but working out of the bullpen not only helped the big-league club secure a playoff spot, but it allowed the A's to carefully manage his workload. His 97-mph fourseam fastball and 90-mph slider can be truly dominant offerings. The extension he gets on his pitches is unfair from a southpaw. He only threw his 89-mph changeup 9.4% of the time, but it was also a very effective offering. His 10.6 BB% was not a surprising mark for a towering pitcher returning from TJS. If his command improves slightly, he has the stuff and size to be one of the game's best left-handed starters. He could log between 125-150 innings in the rotation in 2020.

The 6-foot-7 lefty was the talk of A's camp early last spring and appeared primed to spend most of the year in the big-league rotation. But then a ligament injury surfaced and the worst-case scenario was realized, with Dr. James Andrews recommending Tommy John surgery. Puk underwent the procedure April 10 and would seem to stand a good chance to make his big-league debut in 2019, though perhaps not until June or July. The scouting report on Puk: high-90s heat and a wipeout slider, both potential plus-plus offerings at maturity. He can also spin a curveball and change speeds with fringe-average command -- the total package here has clear frontline potential. The strikeout upside is through the roof and the Ks should make it easier to stomach some of the inevitable bumps in the road. Puk is not really in the mix for redraft leagues outside of draft-and-hold formats, but it's worth saving a chunk of FAAB for when he's ready.

Puk's 184 strikeouts ranked third in the minors last season, and he logged almost 20 fewer innings than the two pitchers ahead of him (Alec Hansen and Triston McKenzie). The big 6-foot-7 lefty, who was the first college pitcher to come off the board in 2016, dominated hitters while splitting time evenly at High-A and Double-A. His upper-90s fastball and wipeout slider both have the potential to be 70-grade offerings by the time he reaches the majors. His command and control were seen as fringe average when he was coming out of the University of Florida, and while he has made strides, Puk still struggles at times to locate his pitches, as do most young pitchers. His changeup and curveball are not in the same class as his fastball and slider, which is why he can struggle the third time through the lineup. His 2.35 FIP at Double-A was the worst mark of his career, and he has given up just three home runs in 157.2 innings, so he may not get a true challenge until he reaches the big leagues, perhaps as early as this summer.

Puk has everything the scouts look for in a pitching prospect: tremendous raw stuff with tons of projectability on a big frame. It doesn't hurt that he's a southpaw. Indeed, Puk was rumored to be in the mix to go No. 1 overall in June but ended up falling to the A's with the sixth pick. His initial run in short-season ball was impressive, with his 3.31 BB/9 rate representing perhaps the most encouraging stat as a lack of command and control was his biggest knock coming out of the University of Florida. Of course, given his age and level, we won't truly know if he has made significant strides in that department until he receives a couple promotions. His fastball was sitting in the mid-90s and continues to grade as a borderline plus-plus pitch, while his slider and changeup will both need to jump a grade for him to profile atop a rotation. Turning 22 in April, Puk likely will receive a full-season assignment early on in 2017, and it would not be a surprise if the A's took an aggressive, sink-or-swim approach to his development in the coming seasons.