By @ryanmfalla, AngelsWin.com Staff Reporter

[interview translated from Spanish; interpreted by 66ers infielder Jeremy Arocho]

When speaking with Nelson Rada, the Angels 3^rd ranked prospect [MLB.com], the one thing that immediately makes itself present is his obvious and apparent maturity. You wouldn’t know the young professional is only 18 with the way he speaks about himself and his experiences in professional baseball. Rada has already far surpassed all expectations coming into 2023, where at seasons beginning he was an unheralded 17 year old Rada now stands as arguably the most exciting prospect within the system. His advanced plate approach and contact ability alongside a league best ability to steal bags screams shades of a Braves-esque talent trajectory. As much as credit is due to Rada, an equal amount should be paid to the Angels organization for having both the confidence and courage to start him in Low A at the age of 17 while also developing him through a healthy and productive season. Rada is very much a player you can build a franchise around and with the Angels beginning to feature multiple guys with that pedigree (O’Hoppe, Neto, Schanuel, Joyce etc.) it is reasonable to consider the idea that this organization is closing in on one of the most promising roster cores in franchise history. 

Rada is a prototypical Perry pick in all the best ways possible. His batter’s eye is incredibly advanced for someone of his age, having put up 73 walks to 98 strikeouts in 2023, all across an eye popping 540 PA’s. That plate appearance total is enough to have lead the entire Cal League through 2023, and with multiple league leading numbers such as stolen bases, runs, and hits it becomes obvious that his talent level is far above his current age. The fact that he can already manage a Major League workload while still requiring some physical development is a testament to the outfielder’s natural durability and drive. It’s one thing to see an advanced hitter like Nolan Schanuel break into Major League quality form at 21, but to see a 17 year old do it in their first Low A season is near unprecedented for this organization. There exists a stark level of excitement for Rada’s future, and should his power ability mature with his physicality there is a very strong chance we could see Rada develop into a league leading talent at the Major League level very soon.

“I want to thank God for giving me a healthy season, I had a great season. It started with the coaching staff, but you just got to keep working; keep working, finish healthy, and get a ring. I worked a lot with Dave Stapleton(manager). Every single day when I show up to the park I work. You never know when it will be your last day [at the park].”

It is fair to assume Rada will start 2024 in Low A given his young age and limited experience outside of rookie ball thus far. However, considering that Perry and company saw fit to start Rada in Low A at 17 you have to wonder if they’ll take another shot and start Rada in High A come 2024, or even Double A to kick off the year. Given that Rada’s only real need is physical development we may see his track tick ahead of the clock should he fill into form this coming winter. He is currently listed at 5’10, 160lbs, though I’m sure an updated end of season tally would have him a few pounds stronger. The real question regarding Rada’s development is not if he will develop into Major League form, but when, and that “when” may be sooner than people think. As long as he grows into his physicality his bat will continue to translate through every level of play, it is unlikely major mechanical tweaks will be needed to ensure he taps into further power. At this point it is a matter of time and patience, though with the level of work ethic the young Rada has showcased this year it is reasonable to believe he will outpace his developmental track as long as he remains consistent and true to himself.

Should he find himself in Double A early 2024 and should he continue tearing up Minor League pitching there really is nothing keeping him from big league debut. Nowadays you want kids facing Major League pitching as soon as possible, we’ve seen it time and time again with Angel prospects who spend up to half a decade in the Minors before struggling immensely with Major League adjustments. It would be prudent to ensure Rada continues to see higher quality pitching as soon as he is ready for it come 2024. I’m not going to timetable him at a 2024 call up given the speculation over multiple factors we have yet to see fulfilled, but as things stand he already blazes a torrential path to the bigs. A 2024 MLB debut would require a few factors to go in Rada's favor, namely roster spots opening up at the bigs by way of injury or severe underperformance. The Angels outfield situation does present a massive question mark next year; should Mike Trout start the season an Angel there would be no guarantee he could stay healthy an entire season, and with the corners also up for debate (LF less so with Taylor Ward encumbered in the position) there is enough wiggle room to present Rada as a late season option should his performance put him in position for such.

“I'm going to work on my body when I get back home. I won’t change anything I’ve been doing, I had a great season, everything has been working for me. This offseason I’ll focus on my body and getting ready for next year.”

Nelson Rada is the Angels best opportunity to develop a superstar of their own since Mike Trout first came up with the organization. This is not an effort to compare Rada with Trout’s talents as these are both distinctly different players, but what Rada can do in similarity is emulate the dynamic impact Trout brought to the Angels when he first arrived on the scene. Rada is an explosive, dynamic player whose presence in the lineup improves its standing tenfold, and with the state of the Angels big league team it very well may take tenfold to get them competing for a playoff spot again. This teams lack of consistent, reliable on base threats hammered them as they played deep into the 2023 season, making it quite apparent that the Angels cannot rely on a package of feast or famine hitters going forward. Fortunes do appear more favorable with talents such as Nolan Schanuel and his elite on base ability heading the lineup in 2024. If you pencil Schanuel in between a developed, late-season Nelson Rada and Trout you suddenly have one of the more explosive top three the Angels have had since their 2009 playoff run. You want Rada leading off so you can leverage his stolen base ability for all it's worth, but even if you decide to pencil him in second having him back to back with Schanuel would be massive. Unfortunately we likely wont see that lineup in full effect until 2025, 2026 at worst, and by then you cannot guarantee Trout will be the same lock he was for most of his career. That topic is worth an entire discussion itself, but at the very least the Angels will have options going forward with their young core featuring O'Hoppe, Neto, Schanuel, Rada, and hopefully Adell among others. Nelson Rada looks to be the best Trout replacement going forward given his ability to anchor a lineup with his dynamic, across the board play and given his looks as a talented defensive center fielder there really is little stopping him from establishing himself as the next big Angel of the future. His superstardom is a story that will tell itself as time goes along, and while the future is never certain there is still a journey to enjoy as Rada grows from a freshly signed 16 year out of Venezuela into the spark of hope he has become for the Angels future.

Here is also an interview that my AngelsWIn.com colleague @taylorblakeward did with Nelson Rada earlier this past summer.