JJ Bleday OF ATH Sat 5/6/23 11:30 PM
JJ Bleday
OF ATH
Bleday went 2-for-5 with one double, a solo home run and an additional run scored in Saturday's 5-4 victory over the Royals.
EDGE Analysis
Bleday's hot start to the season continued Saturday, swatting a solo home run off Brady Singer in the third inning and tallying his third consecutive multi-hit game. Though his current pace is unsustainable, Bleday is a player who should be on managers' radars, especially if he continues to carry a hot stick. Despite hitting just .167 in 238 plate appearances last season with the Marlins, Bleday might be worth a speculative add in dynasty or deep bench formats in case his start to 2023 isn't a fluke.
JJ Bleday OF ATH Sat 5/6/23 12:17 PM
JJ Bleday
OF ATH
Bleday went 2-for-3 with a walk and a run in a win over the Royals on Friday.
EDGE Analysis
The hot-hitting rookie followed up a successful Thursday performance against the Mariners that included his first home run of the season with a second consecutive two-hit effort. Bleday's early success since his May 3 promotion is simply an extension of his body of work at Triple-A Las Vegas, where he'd generated a .316 average and 1.072 OPS across 25 games. Given the Athletics' willingness to give young players plenty of run and Bleday's ability to fill in across the outfield, the 25-year-old is likely in for extended opportunity the rest of the season.
JJ Bleday OF ATH Thu 5/4/23 7:29 PM
JJ Bleday
OF ATH
Bleday went 2-for-4 with a solo home run in Thursday's 5-3 loss to the Mariners.
EDGE Analysis
Bleday opened the scoring with a second-inning blast off Mariners starter George Kirby. After going 0-for-4 in his season debut Wednesday, Bleday showed off some of that power that got him on the radar for a recall -- he had seven homers and 19 RBI in 25 games with Triple-A Las Vegas. He doesn't yet have a clear path to everyday playing time, but he could force the issue if he hits well.
JJ Bleday OF ATH Wed 5/3/23 5:02 PM
JJ Bleday
OF ATH
Oakland recalled Bleday from Triple-A Las Vegas on Wednesday, Martin Gallegos of MLB.com reports.
EDGE Analysis
Bleday was crushing Triple-A pitching to the tune of a .316 average with seven homers and a 1.072 OPS over 98 at-bats, and he'll get a chance to see if it can carry over while facing MLB pitching. With Bleday now on the active roster, the A's have optioned Conner Capel to Triple-A in a corresponding transaction.
JJ Bleday OF ATH Mon 5/1/23 12:38 PM
JJ Bleday
OF ATH
Bleday is slashing .316/.429/.643 with 16 extra-base hits and 19 RBI across 119 plate appearances over 25 games with Triple-A Las Vegas.
EDGE Analysis
Bleday displayed some impressive pop while also generating a bloated 28.2 percent strikeout rate during his first taste of the big leagues in 2022 with the Marlins, as he laced 17 of his 34 hits for extra bases in a sample of 238 plate appearances. The slugging outfielder is back at it in the hitter-friendly Pacific Coast League early this minor-league season after coming over in the A.J. Puk trade this offseason; given the Athletics' willingness to evaluate prospects during what's already shaping up as a lost season, he's a virtual certainty for a promotion at some point this summer, if not sooner.
JJ Bleday OF ATH Mon 3/13/23 9:32 AM
JJ Bleday
OF ATH
The Athletics optioned Bleday to Triple-A Las Vegas on Sunday.
EDGE Analysis
Bleday, whom the Athletics acquired in February in the deal that sent left-hander A.J. Puk to the Marlins, failed to win a spot on Oakland's Opening Day roster despite slashing a respectable .286/.375/.429 with a home run and a stolen base across 11 Cactus League games. With Bleday heading to the minors, Esteury Ruiz could be in the driver's seat to begin the campaign as the Athletics' primary center fielder.
JJ Bleday OF ATH Sat 2/25/23 9:28 AM
JJ Bleday
OF ATH
Bleday will start in center field and bat cleanup in Oakland's Cactus League opener Saturday against the Diamondbacks, Matt Kawahara of the San Francisco Chronicle reports.
EDGE Analysis
It's just the first exhibition game for the A's, but it's notable that Bleday is in such a prominent spot in a lineup that features a lot of the projected regulars. Esteury Ruiz is on the bench. Bleday, the No. 4 overall pick in 2019, was just acquired from Miami earlier this month in exchange for left-hander A.J. Puk.
JJ Bleday OF ATH Sat 2/11/23 7:33 PM
JJ Bleday
OF ATH
Bleday was traded from the Marlins to the Athletics in exchange for A.J. Puk on Saturday, Ken Rosenthal of The Athletic reports.
EDGE Analysis
Bleday was the fourth pick of the 2019 MLB Draft out of Vanderbilt, and the outfielder struggled mightily in his 65 games with the Marlins in 2022 with a .167/.277/.309 slash line along with five home runs and four stolen bases over 238 plate appearances. A left-handed hitter, Bleday has easy plus power and a quality approach at the plate, but he's struggled to make hard contact as a professional. There's still time for Bleday to tap into his potential as a 25-year-old, and Oakland's rebuild offers him a chance to earn a starting spot. Fantasy managers should take a wait-and-see approach for the outfielder before considering him for a roster spot.
JJ Bleday OF ATH Sun 10/2/22 12:24 PM
JJ Bleday
OF ATH
Bleday is out of the lineup for Sunday's game at Milwaukee, Jordan McPherson of the Miami Herald reports.
EDGE Analysis
Bleday is hitless in his past four contests and will take a seat for Sunday's series finale. Jesus Sanchez, Bryan De La Cruz and Avisail Garcia will start from left to right in the outfield.
JJ Bleday OF ATH Thu 9/29/22 6:50 PM
JJ Bleday
OF ATH
Bleday isn't starting Thursday against the Brewers.
EDGE Analysis
Bleday hasn't started against a left-handed pitcher since Sept. 7, and he'll retreat to the bench with southpaw Eric Lauer on the mound Thursday. Bryan De La Cruz will man center field and bat fifth.