Los Angeles Angels High 28 Prospects

High Prospects Collection

Under is an evaluation of the prospects within the farm system of the Los Angeles Angels. Scouting stories had been compiled with data offered by trade sources in addition to my very own observations. That is the third 12 months we’re delineating between two anticipated aid roles, the abbreviations for which you’ll see within the “place” column beneath: MIRP for multi-inning aid pitchers, and SIRP for single-inning aid pitchers. The ETAs listed usually correspond to the 12 months a participant needs to be added to the 40-man roster to keep away from being made eligible for the Rule 5 draft. Handbook changes are made the place they appear acceptable, however I take advantage of that as a rule of thumb.

A fast overview of what FV (Future Worth) means will be discovered right here. A a lot deeper overview will be discovered here.

The entire ranked prospects beneath additionally seem on The Board, a useful resource the location presents that includes sortable scouting data for each group. It has extra particulars (and up to date TrackMan information from varied sources) than this text and integrates each group’s checklist so readers can evaluate prospects throughout farm methods. It may be discovered here.

Different Prospects of Observe

Grouped by sort and listed so as of choice inside every class.

The 2021 Arms
Brett Kerry, RHP
Luke Murphy, RHP
Eric Torres, LHP
Ryan Costeiu, RHP
Nick Jones, LHP
Braden Olthoff, RHP
Andrew Peters, RHP
Brandon Dufault, RHP
Mason Erla, RHP

We’re now two years faraway from the 2021 draft that noticed the Angels largely goal fast-moving school pitchers who may assist them win throughout the brief window the place they nonetheless had each Mike Trout and Shohei Ohtani. We’re in Ohtani’s contract 12 months now, so how is that this going? It has yielded two present members of the large league 40-man roster (Silseth and Bachman), a number of different prospects ranked above, and this group. I’ve included the around the pitcher was drafted in behind their title. Kerry (fifth, South Carolina) is pitching nicely within the Double-A rotation regardless of solely sitting 90-92 mph. His breaking ball command can also be fairly good, and he’s monitoring like a spot starter with 40 stuff and plus command. Murphy (4th, Vanderbilt) is pitching out of the Double-A bullpen and sitting 94 with a median slider. He’s upper-level aid depth with two common pitches. Torres (14th, Kansas State) is a soft-tossing lefty reliever who’s having upper-level success. Costeiu (seventh, Arkansas) had success in 2022 with a low-90s fastball (which was down from school), an above-average changeup, and a median curveball earlier than being shut down with an elbow problem that has lingered into 2023. Massive Nick Jones (eighth, Georgia Southern) reached Double-A final season however is at present at Excessive-A, the place he’s gotten his walks underneath management within the bullpen. Olthoff (ninth, Tulane) was a one-pitch marvel with a bizarre supply and an amazing slider. Peters (tenth, South Carolina) was a sturdy school starter with an enormous body and mid-90s arm power, however below-average secondaries. Each Olthoff and Peters are on the IL and haven’t pitched this 12 months. Dufault (sixteenth, Northeastern) and Erla (seventeenth, Michigan State) regarded good early on after the draft, every sitting 93-97 mph, however Dufault is struggling to throw strikes proper now and Erla’s velocity has backed up considerably.

Guys I Overevaluated
Natanael Santana, OF
Jeremiah Jackson, UTIL
D’Shawn Knowles, CF
Adrian Placencia, 2B
Arol Vera, SS
Alexander Ramirez, OF
David Calabrese, OF

Most of this group was figuring out 5 miles from my home for 2 years and I mistakenly thought a number of of them would hit. I’m endlessly fascinated by the 21-year-old Santana, who has some of the spectacular physiques in professional baseball. He’s so quick for a man his measurement that I ponder if any school soccer recruiters studying this put up would possibly wish to fly in to look at him play and see if he can have some form of Chris Weinke-like profession as a linebacker or operating again. He has simply missed too many reps due to the pandemic and a 2022 knee harm. Jackson has above-average uncooked energy and a 20-grade hit software. He’s begun to play a number of different positions, together with middle area, an experiment that’s in its very early levels. He might be a bit if he takes to middle. Knowles runs nicely sufficient to play middle area, however his offensive efficiency has been approach beneath a suitable degree for a prospect for a number of years now (RIP Pioneer League numbers). My greatest whiffs from this group are Placencia and Vera, who each have swings which might be simply far too lengthy to be viable, one thing I ought to have seen approach sooner than I did. Vera has crammed out significantly at this level and is barely a shortstop anymore. Placencia continues to be tremendous athletic and projectable, however his arm solely suits at second base. Ramirez has plus energy and is hanging out a ton. Calabrese I used to be by no means on all that a lot; except for his velocity, he was extra of a mannequin darling due to his draft day age than a scouting favourite.

Some Complicated Dudes
Felix Morrobel, SS
Randy De Jesus, OF
Dario Laverde, C
Anthony Scull, OF
Manuel Cazorla, LHP

I wrapped up seeing the complicated group a number of nights in the past. Morrobel is within the DSL, so I haven’t seen him in particular person. He signed for $900,000 in January and is a projectable switch-hitting shortstop with a gap-to-gap-approach at current. De Jesus, who signed for $1.2 million, is the large title in Arizona. He’s bodily mature, and has power and modest really feel for the barrel. I don’t love how his palms work, as they don’t actually load and simply fireplace from a lifeless cease proper now. It’s a tricky R/R nook outfield profile. Laverde signed for $350,000. He’s a well-rounded, low-level catching prospect who has solely performed the place for a number of years. There’s no standout software proper now, however he’s participant to have in your system. Scull is a lefty-hitting Cuban outfielder with 50 velocity. With middle area most likely not within the playing cards, he’s extra of a fifth outfielder sort, possibly a Jake Fraley type of 45 for those who like him and he retains hitting. Cazorla is a projectable lefty who’s sitting 88-91 mph and flashing an often good curveball and changeup.

Carve Your Personal Path
Kenyon Yovan, RHP
Victor Mederos, RHP
Gustavo Campero, C
Erik Martinez, RHP
Hayden Seig, RHP

This whole group was both acquired by non-traditional means or took some bizarre, circuitous path right here. In highschool, Yovan regarded like he would possibly develop as much as be J.D. Davis, however as a substitute he’s turning into Joe Savery. Yovan handled accidents in school at Oregon and tried simply hitting for some time. He’s again to pitching and is sitting 94 mph, touching 98, and looking for an enormous league slider. Mederos was a well-known excessive schooler with mid-90s warmth and a plus breaking ball, however no really feel for location. He transferred from Miami to Oklahoma State (neither is very good at growing arms) and has now been within the Angels system for a 12 months and continues to be largely the identical dude. Campero is a favourite of mine, an athletic 25-year-old switch-hitting catcher and outfielder who crushed 2022-23 winter ball, and is now hitting at Excessive-A. He wants a promotion (and lots of work on protection nonetheless). Martinez, 27, went to Cal by way of 2018, then pitched in Indy ball and in Mexico for 4 years earlier than signing his first professional contract within the offseason. His fastball has efficient rise/run motion and he has a fairly nasty two-plane sweeper. Seig, a 6-foot-5 24-year-old, was a 2021 undrafted free agent senior from St. Joe’s who in some way has a low-slot supply that produces a downhill fastball due to his top and upright decrease half. He’s at present having A-ball success as a sinker/slider reliever.

System Overview

This isn’t farm system. There’s nobody cause for it, and never the entire causes are dangerous. Reid Detmers is an enormous leaguer whereas lots of gamers from the 2020 draft are nonetheless prospects. Kyle Bradish and others (largely pitchers) from the 2018-20 draft lessons have been traded and are in different methods. The hit charge on the toolsy athletes who the Halos gravitated towards within the draft for some time has been combined. Brandon Marsh panned out, Jo Adell regarded like he was going to however hasn’t, and Jordyn Adams, Jeremiah Jackson, and some others haven’t. On the time, I believed the two-way participant experiments (Erik Rivera, William Holmes) had been worthwhile, however they price significant draft capital and didn’t work. The gamers signed by the worldwide program (and I believe that is the largest problem) are usually not hitting, with guys who obtained near $6 million of mixed bonus outlay at present hitting a collective .240 at Tri-Metropolis. The conservative, need-based method the Angels took to the 2021 draft meant they did not domesticate a category with actual upside, because the cement was largely dry on the pitchers they took. These results will be felt right here.

The large league group is at present 38-32, and scouts are hitting this method exhausting in anticipation of the group being deadline consumers for the primary time shortly. If the Angels are assured Logan O’Hoppe is their catcher of the long run, they might transfer Edgar Quero because the centerpiece of a significant commerce. Or possibly there’s a membership on the market that thinks Nelson Rada (who’s actually thrilling) is already adequate to hold comparable weight. Apart from that, Los Angeles appears more likely to both make some small trades or be outbid by groups with extra minor league ammunition. Is there an enormous fish lurking within the DSL? The Angels actually unfold their 2023 worldwide bonus pool out amongst lots of high-six-figure guys, and that group needs to be a precedence for groups that may be a commerce match come July as a result of the remainder of this method is so gentle.

If the Angels in some way fall comfortably out of rivalry throughout the subsequent six weeks and search to commerce Shohei Ohtani, who is aware of how this method will look. His looming free company complicates the query, however Shohei is his personal factor, and it’s tough to gauge what they may get for him in return. The Scherzer/Turner commerce would possibly supply a good current proxy as a result of two premium gamers moved in a single deal, and that’s primarily what Ohtani is (to not point out the marketability, handsomeness, and so forth.). You possibly can wager that the centerpiece(s) of such a deal would both be plug-and-play massive leaguers or the highest prospect(s) on this checklist as quickly because it’s consummated.