OYSTER ANALYTICS: The Prospect Model That Doesn’t Talk Like a Textbook

Maxfield Lane and Owen Riley from Down on the Farm pull up to Locked On A’s and basically do what most prospect coverage refuses to do: make it make sense. They break down their project Oyster Analytics—a model built to translate messy minor league data into plain English: what are the odds a prospect becomes a contributor, a regular, or a star? Along the way, we hit the big-picture stuff fans actually argue about—WAR and why defense can hijack it, why park-adjusted hitting stats matter, and why wRC+ (a stat that estimates run production and adjusts for league/park) is one of the cleanest ways to compare hitters across different environments. Then it gets fun: the guys go prospect-by-prospect on the A’s system and don’t do the lazy “everybody’s a future All-Star” thing. Leo De Vries gets the full love letter—age, level, and how rare it is to climb while improving. Joshua Kuroda-Grauer profiles more like a high-contact super-utility weapon unless the power shows up. Henry Bolte is pure chaos: elite base-stealing efficiency, loud exit velocities, but too many strikeouts and too many ground balls. And Junior Perez? The AAA numbers pop, but the question is whether it’s real growth or just the PCL turning hitters into superheroes. If you want prospect talk that’s sharp, honest, and doesn’t sound like it was written by a calculator, this is the one. Locked On A's, Athletics, A's, A's prospects, A's farm system, A's minor leagues, A's player development, Leo De Vries, Leo Devries, Jacob Wilson, Henry Bolte, Joshua Kuroda-Grauer, Kuroda-Grauer, Junior Perez, Maxfield Lane, Owen Riley, Down on the Farm, Oyster Analytics, prospect rankings, MLB prospects, minor league baseball, MiLB, prospect analysis, player comps, player comparisons, prospect projections, analytics, sabermetrics, WAR, WRC+, OPS+, spring training, Rule 5 eligible, stolen bases, exit velocity, strikeouts, launch angle, ground ball rate, A's 2026, Las Vegas baseball, Sacramento baseball Follow & Subscribe on all Podcast platforms… 🎧 https://lockedonpodcasts.com/podcasts... Locked On MLB League-Wide: Every Team, Prospects & More 🎧 https://lockedonpodcasts.com/leagues/... Join the Everydayer Club today and get Locked on A’s with no interruptions, members-only Discord access, and more — all for just $5 a month or $50 a year. Go to https://lockedonas.supercast.com/ Did Locked On Locked on A’s make your Spotify Wrapped? Prove it on social media to secure a free month of our brand new Everydayer Club. Just tag our national Locked On Podcast Network account on any social platform, and we'll drop you a code. Be one of the first to join the Everydayer Club to get your favorite show ad-free and exclusive access to the members-only Discord channel. Join our LOCKED ON A'S INSIDERS texting community and chat with host Booney any time by clicking this link: https://joinsubtext.com/lockedonas. Booney provides one-on-ones, breaking news, show previews, A's breakdowns, and offseason updates. Try it FREE for 14 days! https://joinsubtext.com/lockedonas Follow the show on Twitter/X, Instagram, and TikTok: @lockedonas Support Us By Supporting Our Sponsors! Turbo Tax For a limited time, you can have your taxes done by a local TurboTax expert for just $150 — all in, if a TurboTax expert didn’t file for you last year. Just file by February 28. Take taxes off your plate and get back to your life. Visit https://TurboTax.com/local to book your appointment today. Rocket Money Let Rocket Money help you reach your financial goals faster. Join at http://RocketMoney.com/LOCKEDON FanDuel If you’re a new customer, bet just $5 and get $200 in Bonus Bets if you win. Make it count — because after the Super Bowl, the season is over. Last call for football on FanDuel, an Official Sportsbook Partner of Super Bowl Sixty. FANDUEL DISCLAIMER: 21+ in select states. First online real money wager only. Bonus issued as non-withdrawable free bets that expires in 14 days. Restrictions apply. See terms at sportsbook.fanduel.com. Gambling Problem? Call 1-800-GAMBLER or visit FanDuel.com/RG (CO, IA, MD, MI, NJ, PA, IL, VA, WV), 1-800-NEXT-STEP or text NEXTSTEP to 53342 (AZ), 1-888-789-7777 or visit ccpg.org/chat (CT), 1-800-9-WITH-IT (IN), 1-800-522-4700 (WY, KS) or visit ksgamblinghelp.com (KS), 1-877-770-STOP (LA), 1-877-8-HOPENY or text HOPENY (467369) (NY), TN REDLINE 1-800-889-9789 (TN) #Athletics #LasVegasAthletics #MLB Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.