Yet another strong game for right fielder Jonah Cox, who has officially graduated from “hot start” to “leveled up.” It’s been nearly 50 games and 200 plate appearances for the new-look Cox, whose swing has undergone changes that have resulted in dramatic improvements in both the stat sheet and the underlying metrics.
He was back to his old tricks on Thursday, though, as he hit 3-5 with a pair of infield singles and a stolen base, while also knocking a double.
Cox has, stunningly, hit safely in 40 out of 43 games this season, which includes 16 multi-hit games. A year after posting a .731 OPS, a 103 wRC+, a 22.4% strikeout rate, and a 12.0% swinging strike rate in High-A, he has a 1.130 OPS, a 196 wRC+, a 16.9% strikeout rate, and a 10.3% swinging strike rate in AA. He’s even stealing more bases, with 27 in 43 games, after an organization-leading 58 in 126 games a year ago (easier to steal bases when you’re getting on base seemingly every at-bat!).
Just a phenomenal year, and the A’s 2023 6th-rounder is quickly becoming one of the top prospects in the system.