Henry Bolte

Organization Prospect Rankings

• 
  Ranked Oakland Athletics #13 prospect in 2024
  BA Grade: 50/Extreme
  
  Track Record: Oakland drafted the Palo Alto native no. 56 overall in 2022 and signed him to a $2 million bonus. Bolte briefly debuted in the Arizona Complex League that year and expected to open 2023 in full-season ball. Instead, the A’s held him back in extended spring training to work extensively with a high-velocity pitching machine to further develop his hit tool and selectivity. Bolte ultimately debuted with Low-A Stockton in late April and remained in the lineup nearly every day from that point on, hitting .257 with a 113 wRC+ while also leading all A’s minor leaguers in strikeouts (164).
  
  Scouting Report: The A’s raved about Bolte’s progress throughout 2023. The toolsy outfielder has methodically rebuilt his swing since turning pro in an effort to make enough contact to allow his immense power to play more consistently. Bolte has closed his stance, worked to sync up his lower half and shortened his path to the ball. There’s still considerable swing-and-miss--he owned a 33.4% strikeout rate in Low-A--but he improved his contact as the season progressed. His approach and pitch recognition still need more maturation. The majority of his power is to the opposite field, and there’s still a hole on the inside of the plate. The rest of Bolte’s skill set remains dynamic. He’s a plus runner and an above-average defender and thrower who can play both center and right field.
  
  The Future: Bolte still has a long road to travel, but he has dynamic power-speed potential if he can continue to refine his hitting ability.
  
  Scouting Grades Hit: 40 | Power: 60 | Run: 60 | Field: 55 | Arm: 55
• 
  Ranked Oakland Athletics #14 prospect in 2023
  BA Grade/Risk: 55/Extreme
  
  Track Record: Bolte grew up an A's fan and starred in the Bay Area at Palo Alto High School. The A's selected him 56th overall in the 2022 draft and signed him to a $2 million bonus, buying him out of a Texas commitment and continuing a trend of prioritizing local products at the top of their draft. Bolte debuted at the Rookie-level Arizona Complex League, hitting .212 with 19 strikeouts in 11 games.
  
  Scouting Report: Bolte draws some comparisons to fellow A's prospect Denzel Clarke in the sense both are extremely tooled up with a clear need to develop their hitting ability. Bolte is already one of the most dynamic athletes in Oakland's system and has a chance for double-plus raw power as he gets stronger. Bolte's contact ability will be tested without improvements to his swing, approach and pitch recognition. His swing gets long at times, leading to plenty of swing and miss in the strike zone. The A's focused on reworking parts of his swing during instructs, toning down his leg kick and stride to help improve his balance and setup. The rest of Bolte's skill set is eye-opening. He's a plus runner with a strong throwing arm and a chance to be an elite defender in center field.
  
  The Future: While his development will likely be a slow burn, Bolte has immense upside, especially if his swing changes stick. He should reach Low-A Stockton at some point in 2023.
  
  Scouting Grades: Hit: 40. Power: 60. Speed: 60. Fielding: 60. Arm: 60.

Draft Prospects

• Ranked #42 prospect in 2022 draft
  School: Palo Alto (Calif.) HS Committed/Drafted: Texas
  Age At Draft: 19
  BA Grade: 55/Extreme
  Scouting Grades: Hit: 40 | Power: 60 | Run: 60 | Field: 60 | Arm: 60
  Bolte emerged from relative obscurity to become the breakout star of the Area Code Games last summer and continued to impress as one of the top pure athletes at the Future Stars Series at Citi Field in the fall. He continued his rise with a strong showing this spring for Palo Alto (Calif.) High, including a dominant performance at the Boras Classic. Bolte is an exceptional athlete with an appealing 6-foot-3, 198-pound frame and some of the best tools in the draft class. He is a plus runner and plus defender in center field, has plus arm strength and has plus raw power that could become plus-plus as he gets stronger with age and maturity. Bolte’s hitting ability is a major question, however. He has plenty of bat speed, but his swing gets long and he frequently swings and misses in the strike zone. He has improved his pitch recognition and strike-zone discipline to fix his previous issues chasing breaking balls, but his setup, timing and swing plane all need to be reworked for him to be even a below-average hitter. Bolte’s prodigious tools, athleticism and performance have a select few teams interested high in the draft despite questions about his bat. If he can make enough contact, he has the potential to be a 20-homer, 20-stolen base threat. He is committed to Texas.

• February, 2023 Scouting Report
  BA Grade/Risk: 55/Extreme
  
  Track Record: Bolte grew up an A's fan and starred in the Bay Area at Palo Alto High School. The A's selected him 56th overall in the 2022 draft and signed him to a $2 million bonus, buying him out of a Texas commitment and continuing a trend of prioritizing local products at the top of their draft. Bolte debuted at the Rookie-level Arizona Complex League, hitting .212 with 19 strikeouts in 11 games.
  
  Scouting Report: Bolte draws some comparisons to fellow A's prospect Denzel Clarke in the sense both are extremely tooled up with a clear need to develop their hitting ability. Bolte is already one of the most dynamic athletes in Oakland's system and has a chance for double-plus raw power as he gets stronger. Bolte's contact ability will be tested without improvements to his swing, approach and pitch recognition. His swing gets long at times, leading to plenty of swing and miss in the strike zone. The A's focused on reworking parts of his swing during instructs, toning down his leg kick and stride to help improve his balance and setup. The rest of Bolte's skill set is eye-opening. He's a plus runner with a strong throwing arm and a chance to be an elite defender in center field.
  
  The Future: While his development will likely be a slow burn, Bolte has immense upside, especially if his swing changes stick. He should reach Low-A Stockton at some point in 2023.
  
  Scouting Grades: Hit: 40. Power: 60. Speed: 60. Fielding: 60. Arm: 60.
• December, 2022 Scouting Report
  BA Grade/Risk: 55/Extreme
  
  Track Record: Bolte grew up an A's fan and starred in the Bay Area at Palo Alto High School. The A's selected him 56th overall in the 2022 draft and signed him to a $2 million bonus, buying him out of a Texas commitment and continuing a trend of prioritizing local products at the top of their draft. Bolte debuted at the Rookie-level Arizona Complex League, hitting .212 with 19 strikeouts in 11 games.
  
  Scouting Report: Bolte draws some comparisons to fellow A's prospect Denzel Clarke in the sense both are extremely tooled up with a clear need to develop their hitting ability. Bolte is already one of the most dynamic athletes in Oakland's system and has a chance for double-plus raw power as he gets stronger. Bolte's contact ability will be tested without improvements to his swing, approach and pitch recognition. His swing gets long at times, leading to plenty of swing and miss in the strike zone. The A's focused on reworking parts of his swing during instructs, toning down his leg kick and stride to help improve his balance and setup. The rest of Bolte's skill set is eye-opening. He's a plus runner with a strong throwing arm and a chance to be an elite defender in center field.
  
  The Future: While his development will likely be a slow burn, Bolte has immense upside, especially if his swing changes stick. He should reach Low-A Stockton at some point in 2023.
  
  Scouting Grades: Hit: 40. Power: 60. Speed: 60. Fielding: 60. Arm: 60.
• April, 2022 Scouting Report
  BA Grade: 50/High
  
  August Update: Bolte emerged from relative obscurity to become the breakout star of the Area Code Games last summer and continued to impress as one of the top pure athletes at the Future Stars Series at Citi Field in the fall. He continued his rise with a strong showing this spring for Palo Alto (Calif.) High, including a dominant performance at the Boras Classic. Bolte is an exceptional athlete with an appealing 6-foot-3, 198-pound frame and some of the best tools in the draft class. He is a plus runner and plus defender in center field, has plus arm strength and has plus raw power that could become plus-plus as he gets stronger with age and maturity. Bolte&#39s hitting ability is a major question, however. He has plenty of bat speed, but his swing gets long and he frequently swings and misses in the strike zone. He has improved his pitch recognition and strike-zone discipline to fix his previous issues chasing breaking balls, but his setup, timing and swing plane all need to be reworked for him to be even a below-average hitter. Bolte&#39s prodigious tools, athleticism and performance have a select few teams interested high in the draft despite questions about his bat. If he can make enough contact, he has the potential to be a 20-homer, 20-stolen base threat.
  
  Scouting Grades: Hit: 40. Power: 60. Run: 60. Field: 60. Arm: 60.