So I went into hip replacement surgery last Friday expecting a fairly quick and smooth recovery and spent the weekend wondering why the pain and lack of mobility/range of motion was approximately 10x worse than I had anticipated. Turns out I’m my own worst enemy — which is saying something since those who have been on AN long enough know I am ripe with enemies.
At my doctor’s appointment yesterday to discuss my recovery, the physician’s assistant shared some info with me about my surgery. Or shall I say, how my surgery ended. The first thing he told me was as I was coming out of the anesthesia, I had these episodes that lasted 30-45 seconds where I was violently trying to contort into yoga poses such as the “bridge”. I’m not clear on whether I was doing this intentionally (“Hey guys, watch me exercise my core!”) or more likely just making unwise and difficult body manipulations for no apparent reason.
Then came the punchline. “Thing is, this went on for about an hour.” AN HOUR??? You’re telling me that I essentially put myself through a more strenuous workout than I have ever done at the gym right after being cut into and given selected physical traumas?
Yes, the PA explained. Jokingly I said they should have put me in a straight-jacket, to which he replied, “Actually it took 3 of us to pin you down. My job was to protect your wound.” So it ap;pears 3 medical assistants were required to manage violent contortions for the better part of an hour as my response to being cut open.
Good job, Blogfather. No wonder I have pain and soreness in muscles unrelated to the surgery and my body is acting more beaten down than it should — and it’s supposed to be in relatively bad shape this week. Turning the story to baseball, I feel like I in some way channeled my inner Glenallen Hill.
If you’re not familiar with Hill’s tale, in 1990 whilst playing for the Blue Jays, Hill suffered severe lacerations and bruises to his feet, legs, and elbows. The injury was the result of jumping out of bed, running through the house in a semi-conscious state, and crashing through a glass table trying to escape imaginary spiders that appeared in a dream.
Anyhoo I’m on the mend, just slower than anticipated, which is why I allowed myself the luxury of skipping my usual weekend article. Assuming no anesthesia induced spiders, however, I should be good to go from here on out.
Warning: CPL Gridlock Ahead
#1 was easy, with the only upset being that Leo De Vries didn’t capture 100% of the vote (who knew Keith Law voted?) #2 and #3 were always destined to be Gage Arnold or Jamie Jump, i.e., Arnold and Jump in some order. But now it’s getting contentious, with the good news being the A’s have plenty of high upside prospects past their top 3 and the bad news being all have flaws or question marks that accompany their profile.
Settled as of this writing is #4, which went to the precocious Wei-En Lin. Lin was 19 all season (he turned 20 in November) and has shown elite control, a plus changeup, the ability to miss bats, and a feel for pitching beyond his years.
Why Lin wasn’t a slam dunk is that he doesn’t throw especially hard so he is not perceived as having FOTR upside — although Justin Duchscherer would like to have a word just as soon as Steve Ontiveros leaves the chat.
Now we have some varied candidates to sift through. How varied? In alphabetical order:
Henry Bolte – AN’s #1 polarizing prospect is still only 22 and has improved every season but still carries the burden of shaky underlying metrics, troubling K rates, and now a recovery from wrist surgery. Another “high ceiling/low floor” kind of guy.
Johennsy Colome – You can vote for Colome but he can’t vote in elections yet because he’s still only 17. Toolsy and hyped with ample family pedigree, and 0 professional plate appearances, not to be seen in the big leagues anytime soon even if he surpasses expectations.
Steven Echavarria – Great stuff, FOTR upside…and stats so far that make you cringe. In his maiden season, Echavarria generously served up 74 hits in just 57,.2 IP of work, also walking 36 and posting a fugly 6.55 ERA. In 2025 he improved greatly — to “only poor,” with a 4.59 ERA, but also plummeting K rates and fewer balls on the ground. That being said, Echavarria is still only 20 with one of the system’s best arms.
Edgar Montero – Another pup, Montero just turned 19 and killed it in his age 18 season: .313/.484/.580, 174 wRC+, 24.6% BB rate. He looks special but is also a ways from the big leagues. Literally: he has yet to even come over to the states.
Braden Nett – 23, college battle tested, plus stuff but does he know where the ball is going? Nett seems like one of those pitchers whose stuff moves and darts so much hitters can’t hit it but he can’t easily command it. High ceiling, low floor, might push for a spot on the roster during the 2026 season.
So while on other threads we dance step by step, here you are free to suggest your personal “#5-#9” in one comment. I will end the article with my list as the first comment, with a spoiler alert so you can weigh in (or Wei-En) before seeing my considered opinion. Prospecting is fun!
