Spring Training is less than two months away now, which means pitchers and catchers had better start getting some workouts in now before reporting. Don’t want to be the slob that let winter put on a few
pounds on you, right?
But before we get there we have just a few more players to recap last season. Today’s subject is left-hander Hogan Harris, who turned in first first quality season as a major league pitcher in 2025. Now officially and fully a reliever, Harris has a full season of experience in his new role now and should be counted on to be the top left-handed option for the Athletics next season.
How Was He Acquired?
Harris is a fully homegrown player by the Athletics. The team selected him with their 3rd-round pick in the 2018 MLB Draft, making the left-hander out of Louisiana the 85th overall pick in that draft class, four selections before… Cal Raleigh. I prefer ‘Bangeliers’ anyway.
What Were The Expectations?
Harris was a starting pitcher in college and the A’s kept him in that role to start his professional career. During his ascent up the minor league ladder Harris started 62 of his 66 games. The lefty ultimately got as high as the organization’s #23rd ranked prospect at the start of the 2020 season, during which he wasn’t able to pitch thanks to a certain world-altering event.
Harris dominated the lower minors but had struggled in Triple-A upon reaching that level. Walks were always an issue for him and that began to show more against advanced hitters. Over 22 starts split across two years the lefty was sporting an ugly 6.45 ERA in an Aviators uniform. Granted, it’s a major hitters environment but still. The walks were going up and the strikeouts were falling.
The A’s still decided to get a look at the lefty in 2023, calling up their former 3rd-round pick on April 14th, 2023. He made just six starts (plus one relief appearance) and looked as unready as expected, getting touched up hard in his first big league action. The team still gave him starting opportunities in the minors over the rest of the year and the next, but it was beginning to seem like a role shift was on the horizon.
The front office decided to pull that trigger late last year, shifting him to the bullpen for the final months of 2024. The walks were still a bit of a problem but the results improved as he pitched to a solid 3.04 ERA in 12 relief appearances. That more or less took the decision out of the A’s hands and Harris was now set to be primarily a reliever moving forward.
That small sample of quality relief work was enough for the A’s to more or less save a spot in the bullpen for him all winter long. He had looked good in a relief role but how would he adapt to that new and unfamiliar part that he was set for?
2025 Results
After a nearly-perfect Spring Training, Harris began the year as one of only two left-handers in manager Mark Kotsay’s bullpen, along with T.J. McFarland. He didn’t stick around for long as he was quickly optioned to Triple-A after just a few games with the big league team. He spent most of April down with the Aviators and soon found himself called back up before the end of the month.
The lefty showed his ability to provide length for Kotsay, pitching 2+ innings in four of his first six games since returning. Over the course of the next couple of months Harris would go through some inconsistencies as he adapted to his new permanent role. He even found himself optioned again late in the summer as he spent a couple of weeks back with the Aviators at the end of July/early August. At that point he was sporting a 4.35 ERA
The trade of former All-Star closer Mason Miller opened up a spot at the backend of the bullpen for the final two months of the season and the A’s decided to get a look at all their guys in that spot, including Harris. Across August and September the A’s cycled through different arms for save situations but Harris seemed to take his game to another level thanks to his wicked fastball/curveball combo that played up in the ‘pen.
After the trade deadline Harris got into 18 more games for the A’s the rest of the season and was arguably their best relief pitcher during that stretch. He didn’t allow a single run to cross home plate in August (10 G, 8 IP) while collecting his first two career saves. He followed that up with another strong month to close his season out, posting a 2.03 ERA in the final stretch of the regular season. The left-hander finished his first full season as a reliever with a 3.20 ERA across 64 2/3 frames. Not too shabby for the former starter.
2026 Outlook
Harris looks like he could be ready to take a big step next season after going through some consistency struggles in his first season as a reliever. The 29-year-old looked like he settled in by the end of the year and is currently the top left-handed option for Kotsay if the season were to start today. The club could still go out and add another left-handed reliever but it’s unlikely any addition would bump Harris out of LHRP #1 right now. He could even get some looks in the closer’s role if none of the other options lay claim to that role, though keeping him available as a late-game left-hander could be more valuable to an A’s team looking to make some noise next year.
