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What to Expect from Athletics Pitcher Mason Barnett

Originally posted on New Baseball Media
By Chris Studley | Last updated Aug 28, 2025 9:57 AM ET

The second half of August has turned into a trendy time to call up prospects knocking on the MLB door. Mason Barnett, acquired by the Athletics last summer, became the next notable prospect to get the call. Barnett joined the A’s after a 2025 season in Triple-A that saw him sit among the league leaders in strikeouts.

A Look at Barnett

As of August 27, only Giants pitching prospect Trevor McDonald had more strikeouts in the PCL than Mason Barnett, a 24-year-old drafted in the third round out of Auburn three years ago.

Barnett was drafted by the Royals after a good 2022 campaign. He posted a 4.38 in his junior season with the Tigers but didn’t give up a lot of home runs (five over 63.2 IP) and struck out 83.

He maintained his status as a strikeout pitcher in 2023 and 2024, averaging over one per inning, before Barnett was traded to the then-Oakland A’s last July along with Will Klein and Jared Dickey for reliever Lucas Erceg.

Erceg was a very good, controllable reliever for the Athletics. However, the A’s nabbed themselves a pitcher with rotation potential. This past season with Las Vegas, Barnett struck out 124 over 119. He walked 65 and gave up 17 home runs (1.29 HR/9), the easiest the highest rate of his pro career. It is worth noting, though, that the Pacific Coast League is extremely hitter-friendly.

Barnett’s fastball plays well in the zone. It had a 22.4% Whiff%, and it’s an interesting pitch because it doesn’t have a lot of induced carry (13.7” IVB), plus velocity (94.1 MPH average), or extension.

Mason Barnett 2025 AAA Whiff 1 While he was able to get swings and misses all over the zone, the fastball up helped him set up for success. (via New Baseball Media)

What it does have, however, is cutting action that can add to the deceptiveness of said pitch.

Mason Barnett 2025 Pitch Movement AAA His fastball has similarities to others in the Majors (i.e., Casparius, Horton) in terms of cutting action on the four-seam. (via New Baseball Media)

And as one would expect with a starter, Barnett has weapons to play off the four-seamer. His sweeper (38.9% Whiff%) sat in the low-to-high-80s with less horizontal action. Additionally, Barnett uses a mid-80s changeup and a slower, mid-70s curveball.

The Athletics officially selected Mason Barnett’s contract on August 26.

Analysis

Much like with several recently promoted players over the second half of August, this one has purpose.

For one, Barnett would have been Rule 5-eligible had he not been added to the 40-man roster by this coming November. Second, it gives the Athletics the chance to give another young, talented pitcher some work at the MLB level for 2026.

Just in the last year, the Athletics have promoted hurlers Gunnar Hoglund, Luis Morales, and Jack Perkins — all touted pitchers — to the Majors. And, like Morales and Perkins, Barnett was made available out of the bullpen initially.

The Athletics, despite many of their “big” prospects and young stars being position players, have quietly built a nice cache of controllable pitchers. And, many of these names do have swing-and-miss stuff, something very desirable given it’s somewhat of a controllable outcome by a pitcher.

Barnett does have starter potential.

This article first appeared on New Baseball Media and was syndicated with permission.

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