Third base has felt like the A’s biggest unfinished puzzle this winter — a carousel spinning without a clear winner. Coming out of 2025, the team left spring training with an open job at the hot corner that still hasn’t been firmly claimed, and it’s turning into one of those “weakness that didn’t get fixed” storylines. GM David Forst has publicly said he’s comfortable choosing from inside the clubhouse, and honestly, that tells you everything: they didn’t go chase a veteran third baseman because they believe someone already in the building can stick. But belief and performance aren’t always the same thing. Last year’s Opening Day starter Max Muncy remains in the mix despite a roller-coaster with the bat. Brett Harris is another contender — versatile, scrappy, and defensively sure-handed — but he’s never shown enough pop to quiet critics. Then there’s Darrell Hernaiz, the young glove-first infielder whose upside feels more taxi squad than everyday answer at this point.
And looming over all of it is the real X-factor: phenom 18-year-old Leo De’Vries. The kid can hit, and scouts rave about his raw tools, but he’s still just 18 and hasn’t technically broken camp with the big club. Fans and pundits alike wonder if De’Vries is the real future at third or just a shiny “someday” to distract from an imperfect present. So the big question becomes: are Muncy, Harris, and Hernaiz truly competing for the job, or are they just keeping a seat warm until De’Vries is ready to roar? As spring training unfolds, that carousel might finally start to slow — but until one of those names takes firm hold, third base remains the A’s most glaring “figure this out” spot.
athletics third base, a's third base competition, a's spring training battles, a's infield depth, a's roster questions, a's internal options, max muncy a's, brett harris a's, darrell hernaiz a's, leo de'vries a's, a's top prospects, a's spring training storylines, a's roster competition, a's infield future, a's weaknesses 2026, a's prospect timeline, a's third base carousel, a's player development, a's farm system, locked on a's
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