AngelsWin.com Today: Los Angeles Angels Minor League Hotlist (4/29-5/12 2019)

[AngelsWin.com]

By Tres Hefter, AngelsWin.com Columnist

While lower-level pitching has been dominant for the Angels farm so far this year, multiple strong performances made it difficult to identify individual standouts – during this time, quietly, several hitters have made strides over the last two weeks.

1) Jared Walsh – 1B/LHP, AAA:
Walsh picked up seven multi-hit games over the last two weeks, clubbing seven doubles and three home runs along the way, resulting in a .388/.484/.714/1.198 slash over 14 games, while also drawing 9 walks. Oh yeah, and he also made three relief appearances, picking up one save. With Bour, Pujols, and Ohtani all ahead of him on the depth chart, his path to Anaheim isn’t abundantly clear, but he’s certainly stating his case.
2019 hitting (AAA): .299/.394/.976 with 11 doubles, 9 HR, 25 RBI, 18 BB, 41 K in 36 G/160 PA
2019 pitching (AAA): 3.60 ERA, 1.40 WHIP, .238 BAA, 2 BB, 4 K across 5 IP in 5 G

2) Jarrett Parker – RF/LF, AAA:
Nearly matching Walsh’s offensive production over the last two weeks is quasi-big leaguer Jarrett Parker, recently returned from injury. Playing the corner outfield positions, the 30-year old posted a slash of .326/.473/.674/1.147 boosted by 6 doubles, 3 homers, driving in 13 runs, and drawing 12 walks to 15 strikeouts. While there is no longer a clear path for Parker to support the main cast in Anaheim, he remains intriguing AAA depth.
2019 (AAA): .324/.467/.620/1.086 with 7 doubles, 1 triple, 4 HR, 16 RBI, 19 BB, 22 K in 21 G/90 PA

3) Cesar Puello – CF/LF/RF, AAA:
Puello is surprisingly the only hitter carry-over from the last hotlist, as he maintained a .293/.396/.561/.957 slash over the last two weeks. High contact skills have long boosted the offensive profile for Puello, 28, whose power finally flashed in recent weeks, adding 2 doubles and three homers. Like Parker, Puello is out of options and not on the 40-man, so he isn’t likely to see Anaheim barring serious injury issues on the big-league club, so he’ll remain as AAA insurance. He’s already been hit by a pitch 10 times.
2019 (AAA): .302/.444/.500/.944 with 6 doubles, 5 HR, 19 RBI, 17 BB, 28 K in 31 G/133 PA

4) Francisco Del Valle – RF/LF, A:
The first of a few surprise hotlist entrants, 20-year old Del Valle, a 2016 14th rounder out of the Puerto Rico Baseball Academy, has been a steady bat for Burlington, slashing .289/.413/.500/.913 since returning May 1st. While his upside is likely limited to that of a 4th OF, he has demonstrated good discipline and doubles-powers in his brief career, and could open some eyes once he reaches the friendly hitting environments of the California League.
2019 (A): .229/.319/.390/.710 with 10 doubles, 2 triples, 1 HR, 7 RBI, 10 BB, 28 K in 30 G/120 PA

5) Leonardo Rivas – SS/CF/3B/2B, A+:
The switch-hitting 21-year old infielder reached base safely in all 12 games he played the last two weeks, earning a hit in all but one, giving way to a .320/.370/.520/.890 slash, popping 5 doubles, 1 triple, and 1 HR along the way. While he’s still striking out quite often – 16 times in that time – the increase in power has brought his prospect pedigree back into focus. The infielder also added a couple appearances in CF in this time, also furthering his value.
2019 (A+): .246/.333/.435/.768 with 8 doubles, 3 triples, 4 HR, 15 RBI, 18 BB, 43 K in 34 G/156 PA

6) Nonie Williams – LF/CF/RF, A:
??? What? Yes! Once again, Nonie has responded to one of his lowest lows by posting one of his highest highs. Days shy of turning 21, the 2016 3rd rounder has shaken off another poor start by responding with a .250/.348/.525/.873 slash so far in the month of May, exhibiting some power (5 doubles, 2 homers) and a bit of an eye – 6 walks, though 21 strikeouts is still worrisome – as his career continues to trend away from the sweet-swinging infielder he was drafted as and more towards an all-or-nothing power-hitting outfielder.
2019 (A): .187/.320/.336/.657 with 7 doubles, 3 HR, 14 RBI, 6-7 in SB attempts, 19 BB, 47 K in 32 G/129 PA

7) Kevin Maitan – 3B/2B, A:
Shaking off another slow start, Maitan, the youngest player on Burlington’s roster, has been showing signs of life since mid-April, and that’s continued the last two weeks. Posting a .295/.340/.477/.818 over the last two weeks, Maitan is showing power (2 doubles, 2 HR) and some improved hitting. He even stole two bases.
2019 (A): .215/.278/.306/.584 with 2 doubles, 3 HR, 11 RBI, 11 BB, 34 K in 32 G/133 PA

Honorable mention, hitters:
D.C. Arendas (1B, A): .353/.450/.794/1.244 with 3 3B, 3 HR –  at 25, he’s 4 years older than the league average.
Taylor Ward (LF/1B/3B, AAA): .286/.444/.714/1.159 with 3 2B, 3 HR, 8 BB, 6 K – not quite enough playing time (8 G/36 PA)
Dustin Garneau (C, AAA): .217/.400/.478/.878 with 3 2B, HR, 6 BB, 8 K – also not enough playing time
Jhoan Urena (3B/1B, AA): .250/.372/.417/.789 with 3 2B, HR, 7 BB, 9 K – only 24, worth keeping an eye on, good pop, discipline

8 ) Jose Soriano – RHP, A: 
Soriano, one of the Angels’ most intriguing pitching prospects who offers considerable upside, spun two great performances over the last two weeks, striking out 14 over 11 innings, allowing only two hits (.065 BAA) to go with an 0.82 ERA. Control continues to be a bit of an issue – he also walked 6 – but his 5/09 start at Dayton showed his potential brilliance, generating 19 swinging strikes on 88 pitches, allowing no hits over 6 IP.
2019 (A): 1.72 ERA, 1.31 WHIP, .196 BAA, 20 BB, 32 K across 31.1 IP in 7 G/6 GS

9) Jose Suarez – LHP, AAA:
With Griffin Canning’s ascension to the Anaheim rotation, Suarez is now the #1 SP prospect on the farm. Suarez started the year with a balky shoulder, but returned to AAA action (as one of the youngest in the league) with two starts against two very good offensive teams in great hitter-friendly environments, showing his promise in both appearances. Capping at 5 IP/~80 pitches in each start, Suarez was stingy, surrendering one, only allowing 6 hits and 4 walks vs. 8 strikeouts.
2019 (AAA): 0.90 ERA, 1.00 WHIP, .171 BAA, 4 BB, 8 K across 10 IP in 2 G/2 GS

10,tied) Cristopher Molina – RHP, A:
The lanky 22-year old has yet to allow more than 2 runs in a game this season, and only allowed one earned, good for a 0.60 ERA, over the last two weeks across three ‘starts’, two of which were conventional, one in relief. Across 15 innings, Molina struck out 19, limiting opponents to a .204 BAA, only walking 6. He’s yet to allow a HR on the season, and is likely making a case for a promotion to Inland Empire in the near future.
2019 (A): 1.35 ERA, 0.96 WHIP, .178 BAA, 11 BB, 41 K across 33.1 IP in 7 G/4 GS

10,tied) Robinson Pina – RHP, A:
Equally impressive as Molina and therefore tying for the last spot on the list, the even lankier 20-year old Pina delivered similar success in two ‘starts’ (one in relief), capped by a 5-inning, 0 BB, 10 K performance against Bowling Green on May 8th. While he doesn’t possess the same swing-and-miss stuff as Molina, Pina has generated very similar results, each averaging 6 hits allowed, 3-4 walks, and 11 strikeouts per nine innings.
2019 (A): 2.01 ERA, 1.18 WHIP, .204 BAA, 14 BB, 39 K across 31.1 IP in 7 G/4 GS

Honorable mention, pitchers:
Patrick Sandoval (LHP, AA/AAA): 12.2 IP, 16 H, 4 BB, 14 K, 3.55 ERA in 3 GS – earned the promotion to SLC
Denny Brady (RHP, A+): 14.2 IP, 10 H, 4 BB, 20 K, 4.30 ERA in 3 games – could be a AA promotion candidate before long
Oliver Ortega (RHP, A+): 10.1 IP, 6 H, 11 BB, 17 K, 3.48 ERA in 3 games – including a 5 IP, 1-hit, 9 K start
Jason Alexander (RHP, AA): 8 IP, H, 0 BB, 9 K – delivered a dominant 8 IP one-hitter in his lone eligible appearance
Jesus Castillo (RHP, AA): 12.2 IP, 7 H, 3 BB, 9 K, 2.13 ERA in 2 games – had a chance to break top 10 yesterday, but game was PPD
Andrew Wantz (RHP, A+): 13 IP, 8 H, 6 BB, 12 K, 2.08 ERA in 3 games – feels like a multi-inning RP candidate in near-future
Jeremy Rhoades (RHP, AAA): 8 IP, 4 H, BB, 9 K, 1.13 ERA in 5 games – could play into Anaheim depth relief again
Connor Higgins (LHP, A): 5.1 IP, 3 H, 3 BB, 10 K, 0.00 ERA in 3 games – lanky lefty comes with upside

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[Chuck]

Great job as always, @totdprods.

I'm glad I'm not the only one giving some love to Walsh lately. 

The guy needs to replace Bour for several reasons, most of which just the casual fan could identify. 

[Angel Oracle]

Pitching is looking really good.    Makes having the one year deals Harvey and Cahill easier to stomach.

[totdprods]

25 minutes ago, Chuckster70 said:

Great job as always, @totdprods.

I'm glad I'm not the only one giving some love to Walsh lately. 

The guy needs to replace Bour for several reasons, most of which just the casual fan could identify. 

I get that they might want to see how the Pujols/Ohtani/Bour rotation plays out first. If we had some more flexibility on the 40-man, it'd be an easier decision to make. Also, should the Angels somehow wind up buyers, I've long assumed there wouldn't be a place for both Ward and Thaiss - their recent play in other positions eases that a bit - but Walsh (and Rojas, to a degree) might wind up playing themselves into less-valuable but still intriguing trade bait too.

Bottom line is that it's great for the Angels to let Thaiss, Ward, Rojas, and Walsh develop as much as possible ahead of the trade deadline, for multiple reasons. It's good for their development, they're learning other positions, they're getting regular playing time, they're all competing for the same one or two spots, and they're helping their trade value, all while allowing the Angels some opportunity to try and extract as much value as possible out of Bour before cutting him loose. 

19 minutes ago, Angel Oracle said:

Pitching is looking really good.    Makes having the one year deals Harvey and Cahill easier to stomach.

Yeah, as mentioned, it was difficult to find enough arms standing above the rest, because the Inland Empire and Burlington staffs especially are pitching so well!
I've also noticed that there are virtually no relievers on those teams - it seems like everyone is pitching SP capacity or multi-inning relief. 

Proof? In the last two weeks, Jeremy Rhoades is the only minor league arm to appear on the mound in five games. Jewell and Freeman are second, appearing in 4. That's it! 
Aside from those three (all in AAA), no other minor league pitcher appeared in more than three games over a 14-day span, and when you remove the tandem starters from that list, guys like Pina and Molina, even that list is fairly short:

• Walsh, 3 games, 3 IP
• Tavarez, 3 games, 6 IP
• Smith, 3 games, 5 IP
• Ortega, 3 games, 10.1 IP
• Morrison, 3 games, 4.1 IP
• Mattson, 3 games, 8 IP
• Higgins, 3 games, 5.1 IP
• Hanewich, 3 games, 4 IP
• Gatto, 3 games, 6 IP
• Del Rosario, 3 games, 2.2 IP
• Taylor Cole, 3 games, 4.1 IP
• Almeida, 3 games, 3.1 IP

I'm not sure if this is a result of the Angels having so many SP-types currently on the A/A+ staffs, a very specific schedule determining pitcher workloads, or an effort to develop as many SP/multi-inning relievers/tandem SP as possible, but it was incredibly surprising to me that there aren't really any true 1-2 inning relievers currently, aside from SLC.

[krAbs]

Holy shit, Sandavol is already in AAA? He had less than 20 innings in AA last year. That's exciting - much faster progression than I was expecting. Seems possible that we will have him, Suarez, and Canning all contributing in 2020.

[Docwaukee]

thanks @totdprods.  great job.  

I think we're starting to see some of the bats heat up.  

Nice to see Rivas turning things around.  Apparently, he's one of the best defenders in the org.  

As far as Walsh is concerned, I don't think we'll see him until after Middleton, Ramirez and Upton come back.  They've actually got 38 guys on the 40 right now but the 40 man starts to get a little tricky here soon.  

[Glen]

Just wanted to chime in that I appreciate these and enjoy reading them.

[UndertheHalo]

Good stuff.  Thanks. 

[aznhockeyguy]

Why aren't the Angels letting their starters go longer in the minors?   I've noticed this a lot with Canning, but that was understandable due to his workload in college.

[Inside Pitch]

Great job Tots!   Always a great read.

[totdprods]

38 minutes ago, aznhockeyguy said:

Why aren't the Angels letting their starters go longer in the minors?   I've noticed this a lot with Canning, but that was understandable due to his workload in college.

There’s obviously a plan in place to try and limit their innings and pitches, either by capping them at 5 IP/80 pitches, working as tandem starters, or skipping the occasional start.

Not sure if this is because of an effort to limit pitches and protect them, or a belief that pitchers just don’t have good enough stuff after 80 pitches/third time through, or simply a result of having a lot of SP a depth right now - probably a combo of all three. 

It’ll be interesting to see how it holds up over the year - right now it looks like it’s paying off enormous dividends. Almost every pitcher stretched out as a starter is throwing well. 

[Troll Daddy]

 

[totdprods]

Ward would have easily made the list had he not lost a few games serving as the 26th man in Mexico.

As good as his numbers were, I couldn’t justify it given how all who did ranked appeared in several more games. 

Also notable is how much he’s been playing 1B/LF recently. Only a couple games at 3B in that stretch. That to me tells me he is the next in line to replace Bour when his bell tolls, not Walsh or Rojas. 

Edited May 13, 2019 by totdprods

[aznhockeyguy]

35 minutes ago, totdprods said:

There’s obviously a plan in place to try and limit their innings and pitches, either by capping them at 5 IP/80 pitches, working as tandem starters, or skipping the occasional start.

Not sure if this is because of an effort to limit pitches and protect them, or a belief that pitchers just don’t have good enough stuff after 80 pitches/third time through, or simply a result of having a lot of SP a depth right now - probably a combo of all three. 

It’ll be interesting to see how it holds up over the year - right now it looks like it’s paying off enormous dividends. Almost every pitcher stretched out as a starter is throwing well. 

 

I'm hoping the Angels stretch them out.  One of my pet peeves is that the team doesn't allow the starts to go longer in games when the have a comfortable lead (5+ runs).  It leads to unnecessary usage of the bullpen and burning out relievers. 

[totdprods]

4 minutes ago, aznhockeyguy said:

 

I'm hoping the Angels stretch them out.  One of my pet peeves is that the team doesn't allow the starts to go longer in games when the have a comfortable lead (5+ runs).  It leads to unnecessary usage of the bullpen and burning out relievers. 

So many of our A/A+ guys don’t really project as top-tier, high-upside SPs, so to me it makes sense that they try to develop as many Yusmeiro Petit/Felix Pena/Taylor Cole/Noe/Cory Rasmus-types out of them as you can. They might not be good enough to get you more than 5-6 innings, but if they can effectively get you 2-3 innings on short rest - and you have a lot of them with options paired with a couple strong traditional SPs and elite high leverage arms - you could build a pretty effective pitching staff, I would think. 

[Angel Oracle]

26 minutes ago, totdprods said:

Ward would have easily made the list had he not lost a few games serving as the 26th man in Mexico.

As good as his numbers were, I couldn’t justify it given how all who did ranked appeared in several more games. 

Also notable is how much he’s been playing 1B/LF recently. Only a couple games at 3B in that stretch. That to me tells me he is the next in line to replace Bour when his bell tolls, not Walsh or Rojas. 

This makes sense, because Ward already has MLB experience and can more likely handle part-time work up here.  I'd give Bour at most until the close of the next homestand.    If he's still under .600 OPS by then, adios and arrivederci!

[eligrba]

I really enjoy reading these.  It's like finding unexpected money in my coat pocket. 

[totdprods]

15 minutes ago, Angel Oracle said:

This makes sense, because Ward already has MLB experience and can more likely handle part-time work up here.

I really like Ward’s offensive profile, better than almost anyone in our system. Excellent contact, power, and discipline. It hasn’t manifested yet at the bigs, and he might be a late bloomer, but he’s going to be a productive MLB hitter when all is said and done. I’m very confident in this. 

I think he’s going to ultimately settle in better at LF or 1B too. 3B is tough. He jumped right into it last year while also overhauling his offense. I think the Angels are able to start easing him to less demanding positions now, like LF and 1B, and he’ll be able to focus more on hitting. I think that explains why they started getting Thaiss more 3B action too...Ward might be blocking him on the 1B charts more in the near future.

[Chuck]

Ward's on fire. He's pissed he missed our list, so reached base again and hit his 7th HR of the season. 

 

 

[totdprods]

Before play tonight, Ward has now posted a .329/.441/.581/1.022 OPS in the minors (AA/AAA) in 2018-2019, 448 PA across 123 games, collecting 34 doubles, 20 HR, 77 RBI along the way, stealing 21 in 26 attempts, and drawing 82 walks against 112 strikeouts. 

Of course it needs to translate to the bigs still, but combining all of it into something resembling a full season now shows how damn good he’s been. 

[Chuck]

Jared Walsh staying hot after topping our hotlist tonight. 

2-4 with walk, a double and HR, an absolute oppo blast giving him 10 now on the season to tie him with La Stella for the organizational lead. 

Check out that sexy 1.009 OPS.

Walsh > Bour. 

[Chuck]

Rojas trying to get back on the next prospect hotlist, @totdprods.

The middle infielder has cooled off since he topped our last list, but he's getting hot again. Clubbed his 7th HR last night, playing 1B for the first time this season in part of a 3-5 night with 5 RBI and a walk. 

[totdprods]

31 minutes ago, Chuckster70 said:

Rojas trying to get back on the next prospect hotlist, @totdprods.

The middle infielder has cooled off since he topped our last list, but he's getting hot again. Clubbed his 7th HR last night, playing 1B for the first time this season in part of a 3-5 night with 5 RBI and a walk. 

He was ice cold the last two weeks...off top of head, a .1something and OPS in the .400s

[krAbs]

On 5/13/2019 at 9:07 AM, AngelsWin.com said:

1) Jared Walsh – 1B/LHP, AAA:
Walsh picked up seven multi-hit games over the last two weeks, clubbing seven doubles and three home runs along the way, resulting in a .388/.484/.714/1.198 slash over 14 games, while also drawing 9 walks. Oh yeah, and he also made three relief appearances, picking up one save. With Bour, Pujols, and Ohtani all ahead of him on the depth chart, his path to Anaheim isn’t abundantly clear, but he’s certainly stating his case.
2019 hitting (AAA): .299/.394/.976 with 11 doubles, 9 HR, 25 RBI, 18 BB, 41 K in 36 G/160 PA
2019 pitching (AAA): 3.60 ERA, 1.40 WHIP, .238 BAA, 2 BB, 4 K across 5 IP in 5 G

JARED WALSH, COME ON DOWN!!!