by Ryan Michael Falla; Featured Contributor

Angels GM Perry Minasian has shown a number of qualities over the years that lends strongly to a coming success for the Angels organization, and one of those best qualities has been an ability to pull legitimate talent from the deep end of the draft. Year after year sees the Angels pull in steaming hot names in the final hours, from this recent drafts Trey-Gregory Alford and Ryan Johnson to 2023’s Rio Foster. The upcoming 2025 season looks to bear even more prospect fruit as 2022’s standout pick Samy Natera Jr, who came into the organization out of the 17th round, has fully established a rocketing stock after a standout performance in the 2024 Arizona Fall League. Standing at a brisk 6’4, 225lbs, the strong framed Natera Jr aims to carve a role as one of the more reliable and dominant blossoming arms across the entire system. 

“It was a super exciting fall, super fun. When everything’s going right baseball’s pretty fun. Competing at a high level is pretty great. I knew this was a better league, better strike zone, better hitters, better everything. I just knew I had to be better as well. I was blessed to have this opportunity and show what I can do when I’m healthy. Staying healthy will open more doors.” 

Natera Jr showed himself as a true strikeout force on the mound as an aggressive lefty starter through his first two minor league seasons and continued his dominance through the fall as he finished the AZFL with the 2nd lowest ERA amongst participating prospects (0.60). His efficiency on the mound spoke for itself as he rounded up 17 strikeouts to 4 walks, this success stemming from a mechanical repeatability that consistently delivers on his devastating fastball/slider combo. Of the 5 games he pitched in, 3 came as a starter with just one earned run coming across the board through each effort. The mound presence of Natera Jr created many believers through this AZFL run, and while the 2025 season is still yet to bare down on us there is a brewing internal confidence that the upcoming season will be a breakout that sees the star hinting at his Major League future. 

“I’m working to build off my fall league; I know I still have a lot to do to reach my ceiling and I want to be better. I’m trying to make little adjustments and build more confidence in some of my pitches and land whatever pitch I want in any count. Consistency in mechanics was the key. Tuning in and buying into my mechanics this past offseason allowed me to find repetition in throwing more strikes. Physically I feel like I’m in a really good spot. I’m strong mentally too, I want to be the best version of myself.” 

His first two seasons with the Angels saw him amass 105.2 IP with 142 total strikeouts to his name, though most of those strikeouts came in 2023 with 118 Ks through 90.2 innings (83.2 IP A+/7 IP AA). A sprained UCL entering last spring derailed a good portion of this previous season, yet despite the apparent pre-season setback his 2024 may have been his most efficient go around despite the lack of innings. His 15 IP last year saw him amass 24 Ks to 6 BBs on a meager 0.60 ERA, and though he didn’t have the volume of 2023 his improvements on the mound were stark compared to seasons past. The repeatability he spoke of in fall league was entering it's form and the consistency was stark as he blew through hitters by showcasing a tighter strike zone with all around more explosive stuff. If trends continue, as they tend to in baseball, 2025 should see Natera’s relationship with his blistering fastball/slider combo blossom into a true force, and while his secondary offerings still have some maturity left to blossom, another full season should shape them up into true starter form.  

“I had a sprained UCL near the end of spring training. It was tough, you go into spring excited for the year and you have goals you want to accomplish. You see yourself doing things going into the season. Then all of a sudden you’re staying home to rehab. That mental shift was a little rocky at the beginning but I’m always optimistic and I know everything happens for a reason. That keeps me going. I did the rehab, the build-up program was great, and now I’m way stronger than before.” 

Natera Jr comes ready made with a beaming fastball that sits mid 90’s, though in the AZFL he did touch the upper 90’s. Following the FB in sequencing comes the standout slider, a near unhittable sweeping piece against left-handed bats that also presents a notable challenge breaking into righties. A changeup and splitter round out the offerings with the split piece working for show as of now, though Natera Jr very much sees himself tweaking this pitch into a true weapon through 2025. Some may see the missed time early this year putting Natera Jr a touch behind schedule, yet his recent run in the fall league has him well in position to strike this year and outpace projections.  

“I go heavy on the fastball. I back that up with a slider, it has some interesting data on it, the way it rides. People are starting to take notice of it, how it doesn’t have a normal profile. I have a traditional changeup and a splitter. On lefties I live up and in with the fastball to set up the slider away. Righties get the fastball in as well, then I can break the slider in or run a changeup. The splitter right now is more for show, but I do think it will come around as a put away pitch. I feel pretty confident in my slider, way more than before the Fall League. Having a second pitch is great, having a pitch I can trust as much as my fastball is huge for me. I’m confident on the progress we’ve made.” 

Confidence and belief is the mantra for the rising star of Natera Jr, who looks to build serious stock as a starter heading into 2025. His strong physical frame offers plenty of projection going forward and his repertoire's ceiling hints at a plus-plus future, especially considering the quickening pace of his fastball/slider development. His viability as a starter will depend on two things, first his health and ability to carry a full workload after just 15 IP in 2024, and secondly his ability to turn the fastball/slider combo into a trio by developing the changeup or splitter into the higher plus range. However, even if he should end up tracking more as a reliever his debilitating two-piece combo would play incredibly well near the backend of a big league pen. Depending on the needs of the big league club it is entirely possible he makes a 2025 2nd half debut as a reliever in a pinch. He could also rise to limited spot starter depending on roster health. All in all the sky is the limit for the shining Natera Jr, and while there is still baseball to be played the confidence and poise that rockets his growing stock hints at a near future rife with MLB opportunity. If his last two seasons are any indication of his future then it’s very feasible that Samy Natera Jr becomes one of the most coveted arms not just within the Angels system, but across the entirety of the prospect world in general.   

“I really don’t consider myself a 17th rounder, I don’t think there are 500 players better than me. Anything can happen, I have a ball and they have a bat, it’s whoever wants it more and I want it more. I’m going to win.”