The Oakland Athletics have acquired right-handed reliever Janson Junk off waivers from the Houston Astros, who had designated him for assignment earlier this week. This marks Junk’s third team of 2024, following his stint with the Milwaukee Brewers.
Junk was drafted by the New York Yankees in the 22nd round of the 2017 MLB Draft and stayed with them until 2021, when he was traded to the Los Angeles Angels in exchange for Andrew Heaney. Elvis Peguero, another right-handed pitcher, was also part of that trade.
He made his MLB debut with the Angels as a starter in September, making four starts and pitching 16 1/3 innings with a 3.86 ERA. He recorded ten strikeouts and only two walks. In November 2022, the Angels traded him and Peguero to the Brewers for Hunter Renfroe. During his two seasons in Milwaukee, Junk pitched 15 1/3 innings with a 5.87 ERA, making one start in seven appearances.
Junk is noted for his strong command, walking only 5% of batters faced in the majors. His ERA over four seasons stands at 5.18, with a slightly better FIP of 5.07. However, his xFIP (expected FIP) is a more promising 4.02. While not a top-tier reliever, he provides valuable depth. Junk still has one option year left.
Throughout his career, Junk has varied his pitch selection, using up to six different pitches as recently as 2023. This year, he has streamlined to five pitches, dropping his seldom-used splitter. His arsenal includes a 94 mph fastball, an 89 mph slider, an 83 mph curveball, a 94 mph sinker, and an 81.6 mph sweeper.
The key for Junk could be optimizing his pitch sequence. He has a decent chase rate (36.2%) in 2024 but tends to give up hard contact when hitters make contact. While they don’t often barrel him up, they do hit him hard, with an average exit velocity of 90.6 mph this season. Although the sample size is small, these are the current metrics.
Junk’s move to the A’s offers him a chance for more opportunity. The Brewers and Astros, both contending for the postseason, did not have the available innings for him. However, the interest from these pitching-focused teams is a positive sign. The A’s, not in playoff contention this year, have a month of games left to evaluate him and potentially offer him a role in their bullpen for the next season.
