Los Angeles Angels 2024 Top-10 Prospects

By Scott Allen, AngelsWin.com Columnist

My family and I are blessed to live in an area with the ideal climate, extremely fertile soil, and plentiful clean, fresh water.  And we can be divided into two distinct groups, the men and their orchard, and the women and their garden.  For us men, the best time to plant is a tree is ten years ago.  The second best time is today.  These trees require a great deal of time and nurturing, but the end result is that after a few years, we have a plentiful, sustainable yield.  But I do envy my wife and daughter.  They plant seeds, some of which sprout in only a few days.  And the crop their work yields is diverse, abundant and more immediate.  And at the end of the growing season, they harvest the seeds in preparation for next year.

Most major league teams operate like an orchard.  Invest now, and yield large, sustainable dividends later.  It makes sense.  All the best players in the world were brought up in this system.  The best teams with the best players have been "orcharding" for years.  And then there's Perry Minasian and the Angels.  They're gardening. They don't plant an apple seed expecting the tree to mature and bear fruit any time soon.  Perry and the Angels are sprouting corn and beans and seeing the fruits of their labor immediately while the rest of the baseball world sits and waits for their trees to mature. 

Chase Silseth, Zach Neto, Ben Joyce, Sam Bachman, Nolan Schanuel, Kelvin Cacares, Victor Mederos. Corn and beans.  Most of the players these guys were drafted alongside, are still toiling in A Ball.  Yet here they are, in Anaheim, looking to carve out their space and be part of a winner. Most didn't appear in any top prospect lists, but that's by design.  A tomato plant doesn't appear in any lists of the greatest looking apple trees.  

So when assessing the relative strength or weakness of the Angels farm system, we should stop viewing these prospects by industry standards, and instead look at that which could immediately produce a crop.  The Top 10 prospects in the system for the most part are in a position to impact the Angels in 2024, or shortly thereafter.  Here are some names to look out for in late 2024 or 2025, that you won't find among the Angels top prospects. 

Joe Redfield - A tall, athletic, left handed outfielder from Sam Houston that comes with plate discipline and a quiet, sturdy foundation to which he hits from.  He has a whole field approach, but has the requisite tools to turn on pitches and post some decent exit velocities.  Yes, he'll need to quiet his hands and strengthen his legs, but there's a platform for something more here. 

Camden Minacci - Likely the best closer in college baseball last season, coming out of Wake Forest, which is the premier collegiate pitching factory for the last five or so years.  He's a standard rock and fire reliever who sits in the mid-90's and get's his breaking ball over for strikes.  He needs to add either more tunneling or movement to his fastball in order to make it more effective at the highest levels, but all the pieces are there for a major league reliever.  He's a small adjustment away from the show. 

Now, let's dig into this year's crop of top-10 prospects the way we at AngelsWin.com see them ranked as of today. We'll provide an update article by mid-season where you may see guys like Juan Flores, Cam Minacci, Victor Mederos, Walbert Urena, Randy DeJesus, Joel Hurtado, Logan Britt, Anthony Scull and perhaps Joe Redfield leapfrog others currently in our top-10 should they have productive 2024 campaigns down on the farm. 

1. Nelson Rada – OF – AA Rocket City - Age 18 Season
Height/Weight: 5'8″, 160 | Bat/Throw: L/L | International Signing | ETA: 2025

Nelson Rada would carry significantly more hype as a prospect if he weren’t part of the Angels minor league system, and that’s simply the truth of the matter.  The Angels are known for being extremely aggressive in their prospect placement and that minimizes the wow factor of Rada’s quick progression.  However, it is up to the prospect himself to perform at the aggressive placement level, and Rada did just that last season.  As a 17 year old (for those keeping score at home, a high school junior), Nelson was one of the top performers in A Ball, combining an advanced approach at the plate, enough pop to keep outfielders honest, easily plus speed on the base paths and fringe plus defense in centerfield.  

The Angels have decided to move him to AA Rocket City for his age 18 season, but I wouldn’t necessarily read too much into this.  The organization will typically have their top offensive prospects skip a Tri-City (Advanced A Ball) assignment because of the cold weather and unfavorable hitting conditions.  Still, the bottom line is the Angels have this high school senior playing in AA that already outperformed the competition in the lower levels, and he isn’t garnering much national attention at all.  That’s unfortunate because baseball is missing out on getting excited over a kid that has a unique set of skills.  Generally speaking, the prospects/young players that are in his class are Esteury Ruiz, Victor Scott II, and Enrique Bradfield Jr., all generally top 100 prospects in their own right, all expected to compete for a stolen base crown at the top level and provide elite level defense. 

If Nelson reaches his potential, the Angels could have a generational leadoff hitter like Kenny Loftin on their hands.  If he never progresses further, the Angels still likely have a major leaguer on their hands, just more of a fourth outfielder type.  That’s a huge range of outcomes.  The most likely result is a light hitting outfielder that gets on base and runs enough to hold onto a starting role, and that could manifest by Rada’s 20th birthday.  Even if Rada “merely” develops into a Chone Figgins type of spark plug, that’s still a three-win player on average, which may not make him an all-star, but could make him valuable to a major league organization for a very long time. 

2. Caden Dana – RHP – AA Rocket City - Age 20 Season
 Height/Weight: 6’5″, 220 | Bat/Throw: L/R | 11th Round (2022)| ETA: 2025

Don’t let the late round selection fool you, Caden Dana was one of the best prep pitchers in the nation following his senior year.  Bosco Prep, where Dana is from, in New Jersey is the East Coast equivalent of a Harvard Westlake or Bishop Gorman out West.  It’s a private school where players are recruited from a very young age and typically go on to play after high school. Dana had a strong college commitment to Kentucky and wasn’t expected to sign unless he was selected in the first couple rounds.  As day three of the draft came around and Dana was undrafted, the Angels came calling, offering him a record setting deal outside of the first ten rounds of the draft, which was on par with an early second round selection.  Not only that, the Angels mentioned that they’d like to draft his older brother Casey as well, which seemed to seal the deal for the Dana family. 

Since being drafted, Caden has continued to open eyes in and out of the organization and is beginning to garner some fringe Top 100 consideration.  

Already solidly built for an 18 year old, since signing his contract Dana’s frame has continued to fill out in muscle.  With that physique and his long blonde flowing locks, Dana is getting lazy comps to Noah Syndergaard.  Dana’s fastball, which comfortably sat 92 mph in high school has steadily climbed and is now frequently 94-95.  The slider, which was fringe average before now flashes solidly fringe plus.  While his change piece and curve lack consistency in command, he’s usually able to keep them in the strike zone, though I’m skeptical either pitch will ever be more than average.  Still, having three average or better offerings is the starter kit for a successful major league starting pitcher.  As much as anything else, it seems to be Dana’s delivery and disposition that have helped set him apart.  His motion was clean looking two or three years ago and has remained so as a professional.  And Caden’s demeanor runs in pretty stark contrast to many young pitchers, or even current starters on the Angels pitching staff.  By watching his mannerisms, you’d be hard-pressed to find the difference between him throwing a perfect game or getting shelled. 

Dana cruised comfortably through the lower levels in his first full season as a professional and now finds himself in AA.  While Dana may flash his potential, there seems to be little reason for the Angels to challenge him beyond that level this season, but stranger things have occurred.  If Dana reaches his ceiling, he could be one of the best starters in baseball, not only offering clean mechanics and great extension toward the plate, but a solid arsenal and plus command.  At minimum, Dana appears to have two offerings that could grade out as plus if he assumed a relief role.  While I understand that’s a pretty wide range of outcomes, the likely outcome here is that of a solid mid or backend starting pitcher.  It’s likely that his fastball and slider will both be good pitches with good command of both.  It’s also likely that Dana lacks an effective third pitch which limits his ceiling.  However, he should be able to compensate for this by working deeper into games and logging high inning totals. 

3. Sam Bachman – RHP – LA Angels - Age 24 Season
 Height/Weight: 6’1″, 235 | Bat/Throw: R/R | 1st Round (2021)| ETA: 2023

There was a lot of uncertainty heading into the 2021 MLB Draft. For starters, there wasn’t a lot to go off of, as there was no 2020 collegiate season and the 2021 collegiate season had been heavily limited by the COVID scare.  Teams drafted players based off of information that was nearly two years dated.  It’s understandable the Angels chose not to go that route, instead drafting Sam Bachman from Miami of Ohio.  Bachman lacked a track record due to injuries and COVID, but the information the Angels did have was more recent than anything else on the board.  It was known that despite playing in a weak conference and having an unconventional short-armed delivery, Bachman had high velocity readings, elite movement on all his pitches and two pitches that were graded “plus” if not “plus-plus.”  

Was there risk involved?  Absolutely.  Many experts believed Bachman would not remain a starter as a professional, and he’d had a variety of knee problems which can derail a pitcher’s career. Still there were several details that pointed toward a potential career as a starter.  To begin, Bachman had low mileage, and had never experienced a serious arm injury, which is the most common among pitchers.  Second, despite the short-armed delivery, he seemed to only tire in the sixth frame or later in games.  And third, once receiving professional instruction, Bachman quickly developed a changeup that was fringing on “plus.”  

So in summation, the Angels had drafted a collegiate starter with three “plus” pitches with the ninth overall pick of the draft.  Not bad.  Unfortunately for the Angels and Bachman, that’s about as rosy as the outlook would get.  Sam would suffer a variety of ailments across the next two seasons, and when he was healthy, Bachman’s once triple digit velocity seemed to fluctuate between outings where he’d top out at 93 mph or in better appearances 97.  Still, he eventually made his way to the Angels last season, and in relief, one could plainly see the potential, mixed in between lots of walks. 

The plan going forward is for Bachman to return to a starting role, but he’ll need to get healthy first, and even then, there’s a great deal of skepticism he could remain healthy and cover many innings on a yearly basis.  Still, we’re living in an era where tons of relievers are making a successful transition into a starting role.  While the success of Jose Soriano, Andrew Wantz, Garrett Crochet, Reynaldo Lopez and others remains to be seen, you can comfortably place Sam Bachman into that class of pitchers based on stuff. 

If Bachman reaches his ceiling, you’re looking at a low innings, but highly effective starting pitcher.  At minimum, you’re looking at an oft-injured reliever.  The most likely outcome here is that Bachman finds a routine and lifestyle that keeps him on the field more often that has previously been the case, but he likely isn’t going to be a starting pitcher.  

4. Kyren Paris – IF – AA Rocket City - Age 22 Season
Height/Weight: 6’0″, 180 | Bat/Throw: R/R | 2nd Round (2019) | ETA: 2023

Kyren Paris is a high probability major leaguer (technically, he already made his debut), with the chance to become an impact player.  But his path to get there will be an uphill one given some deficits within his skill set.  First, the positives.  Paris was an ultra-young and athletic second round selection by the Angels in 2019.  Most of the players in his draft class are a year older, and the COVID shutdown caused most of those prep prospects to lose a year and not log a single competitive at bat until age 20 or 21.  Paris however, is still only now entering his age 22 season.  So he’s got time on his side.  Kyren also does three things particularly well that make him an asset.  He gets on base, as evidenced by his career .379 OBP in the minors.  He’s fast, he stole 44 bags last season and was only caught five times.  And third, Paris is a strong defender at second base and profiles solidly at both shortstop and even third base if necessary.  He’s even logged a few innings in centerfield. 

Given all that, it’s pretty much a guarantee that Kyren Paris will be a major leaguer in some capacity. But ultimately it will be Paris’ bat which will dictate his career path.  When he was first developed, there was physical maturing that needed to take place.  Coming back from the COVID shutdown, we saw a more athletic, muscular Kyren Paris emerge, but still, he only hit .267 in the low minors. In his first taste of AA as a 20 year old, Paris hit .359 in a 14 game stint.  Small sample size, but enough to offer a potential glimpse into a high average future.  This last season was really the first time we’d be able to get a long sustained look at Kyren Paris versus advanced pitching.  And the results were mixed.  .255 batting average, and a decent amount of pop with 23 doubles and 14 home runs.  What really stood out was the OBP, which was .393. All of this was enough for the Angels to protect him from the Rule 5 Draft and give him a September cup of coffee with the big league squad, where he hit .100 over sporadic at bats, but flashed excellent speed and defense. 

So now the question becomes, is Paris a finished product and this is who he will be going forward?  Or will his bat continue to progress further to the point where he can become an impact bat?

Rather than sending him to the hitters paradise in AAA Salt Lake, the Angels have opted for a repeat in the Southern League (AA) for Paris, and this seems justifiable on the surface.  For starters, last year the Southern League was experimenting with pre-tacked balls, which caused offensive numbers in the league to nose-dive amidst greater velocity, break and command of all pitches.  The pre-tacked balls were used in April, May and June of last season before switching back over to standard balls used in the major leagues.  Kyren Paris’ stateline in each of those months?  In April, he hit .222/.357.  May, he hit .244/.375 and in June he hit .227/.330.  For July and August, when facing normal balls?  Paris hit .306/.446 in July and .284/.432 in August.

While his power showed more in the first half versus the sticky baseball, it was evident that Paris, like the rest of the league, struggled offensively.  Against normal balls, Kyren Paris was one of the best hitters in the league.

All of this seems to point toward a future where Kyren Paris isn’t yet a finished product and could still very much be a force at the plate.  At minimum, we’re looking at a utility infielder that can be used as a pinch runner and defensive replacement.  If he and the Angels hit the lottery, we could be looking at a perennial all-star that could be a gold glover at the keystone and hit for average and power.  It seems evident based on his post tacky-baseball performance last seasons that Paris is likely going to hit for a high enough batting average and enough pop that he could emerge as a major league regular.  With health and consistent playing time, it seems possible that Paris should develop into an infielder that gets on base 35% of the time and could hit double digit home runs and swipe 20+ bases.

5. Dario Laverde – C – (A) Inland Empire - Age 19 Season
Height/Weight: 5’10″, 160 | Bat/Throw: L/R | International Signing | ETA: 2026

There’s still a lot that’s unknown about Dario Laverde, but from what we do know, everything seems to be pointing in the “up” direction.  The Angels signed him for 350k when he was 16, and considering the Angels relative lack of international presence, that’s actually a lot of money to invest in a prospect.  He was originally an athletic outfielder but he’s since taken to catching.  While he’s understandably raw behind the plate, he has the athleticism and tools to someday become a good defensive catcher at the big league level.  While the height and weight reading are likely inaccurate by now, it’s pretty clear that he’s young and needs to add more strength to his frame.  But if and when he does, he could eventually develop average in game power, which for a catcher is pretty solid.  He’s done nothing but hit and get on base at every level so far slashing .306/.419/.455 in the Arizona Complex League with 28 walks to 31 strikeouts stateside, with his first full-season coming this year at Inland Empire. We should get a decent glimpse into Laverde's game this year and could report back with more information. So far he's looked a lot like former Angels farmhand, Edgar Quero. 

But as of right now, Laverde could develop into a good hitting, good fielding catcher at the major league level.  But it’s a very long road before he gets there, so fans should remain patient.  Consider Dario Laverde one of those names we log away for later, that way when he emerges over the next couple season, we’ll all be able to say we saw this coming. Another catcher to keep an eye on this season is Juan Flores, currently splitting time at C/DH with Laverde with the Inland Empire 66ers.

6. Jack Kochanowicz – RHP – AA Rocket City - Age 23 Season
 Height/Weight: 6’7″, 228 | Bat/Throw: L/R | 3rd Round (2019)| ETA: 2024

Kochanowicz has one of the more interesting career arcs of any Angels prospect so far, and is likely also the most underrated prospect in the system, and has been for some time.  When the Angels drafted him in the third round in 2019, it wasn’t expected that they would be able to sign him.  He had a strong commitment to collegiate powerhouse Vanderbilt at the time, and was all projection.  Those guys tend to require first round selections in order to forego college.  The Angels offered him significantly above slot and in a surprising turn of events, he actually signed, leaving the Angels with a first round talent at a reduced price.  Before the draft, Kochanowicz had a typical big bodied profile.  Low-90’s fastball, good extension, some inconsistency hitting his spots.  Shortly after the draft at Fall instructs, Kochanowicz’ stock began to rise as he was reportedly hitting 97 on the radar gun and was repeating his delivery with ease.  

The 2020 minor league season being canceled definitely hurt some prospects more than others and it seems that Kochanowicz was one that was particularly affected by it as it robbed him of a full year of valuable instruction that he needed.  By the time 2021 rolled around, Kochanowicz had to be built back up and there were definitely some bumps in the road.  His previously stellar command had begun to elude him, and his fastball and slider simply weren’t moving enough for him to generate the type of results he was hoping for.  

So the Angels and Kochanowicz ended up lowering his arm slot in an attempt to fix this issue.  And while it did to an extent, the fastball and slider both improved, it seemed that Jack’s curveball was no longer the same weapon it once was with an over-the-top delivery and there seemed to be no development of a change up.  Jack’s fastball started to develop some late cut or fade depending on the grip and started becoming “heavy” which means it was a pitch that batters had a hard time barrelling.

In 2022, we saw a return trip back to A Ball and some appearances in the Arizona Fall League in more of a relief capacity, and while the overall numbers weren’t great, he definitely took a step forward in terms of pitch quality and location.  Kochanowicz started shifting more toward the profile of a pitch-to-contact pitcher with strikeout potential and in 2023, it started to come together for him. A five start stint in the pitcher friendly Northwest League yielded an ERA of 1.52, but upon being promoted to AA Rocket City, Kochanowicz had trouble finding success with an ERA over six, despite further reducing his walk rate. 

So with Jack Kochanowicz, we’ve reached the point in 2024 where something has to give.  On the one hand, here we have a starter that can now reach back and fire 99 mph, with a long frame and great extension toward the plate and fringe plus command of two better than average pitches in his fastball and slider and the potential for two more pitches being fringe average.  Really, all the makings of a potential all-star.  On the other hand, we have results, and they simply haven’t been there for Kochanowicz and at the end of the day, this is a results driven business.  So what gives?

2024 is going to be the proverbial “show me” season for Kochanowicz.  Either he starts producing the necessary results in AA and makes his way up to the show, or perhaps his career will need to go in a different direction with a possible move to the bullpen in hopes of generating the necessary success he should be having.  He’s another prospect with a tremendously wide range of results, on the one hand being a potential inning eating consistent mid-rotation starter in the big leagues, and on the other hand, the potential being that he’s topped out in AA.  As always, the likeliest result is somewhere in the middle, being that of a swing starter in the major leagues. 

7. Ben Joyce – RHP – AA Rocket City - Age 23 Season
 Height/Weight: 6’5″, 225 | Bat/Throw: R/R | 3rd Round (2022)| ETA: 2023

Ben Joyce is one of my favorite prospects simply because of the simplicity of him and his success in his big leagues.  The beauty of his career arc is found in its simplicity.  Either he figures out where the ball is going and he succeeds in the majors, or he doesn’t.  It’s that straightforward.  

Joyce is a big, physical specimen and is the hardest thrower on the planet.  Notice I didn’t say hardest pitcher.  Pitching is a more nuanced game than throwing, it’s chess versus checkers.  Ben Joyce is capable of being a dominant pitcher in the late innings at the major league level.  He has the tools and the mentality to do it.  Now he just needs to get there.

And I’m not just talking about finding the strike zone, though that’s the most important.  I’m talking about commanding his pitches in the strike zone itself, like painting the corners, elevating or tunneling it knee high, pitch sequencing, etc…  Because if he develops even average command, his 80-grade 102-105 mph fastball and exploding slider will not be touched and he will be a dominant force as long as he’s healthy. 

And that in and of itself lends to Joyce really not fitting any mold of the other prospects on this list because there is no middle ground.  There’s no world in which he develops command and isn’t successful and there’s no world in which he doesn’t develop as a pitcher and is successful in the majors.  

And the likelihood of that development and subsequent success is anyone’s guess.  Clearly the Angels think it’s possible.  Despite Joyce reaching the majors last season, he’s back in AA this season for further refinement.  He isn’t in AAA simply because organizationally it’s been determined that Salt Lake isn’t the best developmental environment.  Some experts don’t see it happening unless Joyce sacrifices some of that speed and starts living in the 90’s where he’d be able to spot his pitches better.  Some experts don’t see it happening at all.  Some experts see him being capable of the necessary development while still living that triple digit life. 

I’m curious, what do you think?

8. Barrett Kent – RHP – AA Rocket City - Age 20 Season
 Height/Weight: 6’4″, 215 | Bat/Throw: R/R | 8th Round (2023)| ETA: 2026

Sometimes, there are simply prospects that can stump us, no matter how we view them.  Barrett Kent comes across as a bit of an enigma because there are so many different directions he can go and a lack of understanding on my part as to why he was only an 8th round selection in the 2023 draft.  Bid bodied pitcher, clean mechanics, solid arsenal, clean injury history, success on the showcase circuit, coming from a big-time baseball state (TX), far better than average athleticism (just before the draft there was still discussion about him being a two-way player).  I just don’t get it.  Guys like that are usually off the board before the third round.  It wasn’t as if he was some sort of hidden secret coming into the draft the way Trout was years ago.  So whatever the case is, the Angels managed to draft Kent in the 8th round, and I think we’re all very glad for it.  But that’s not the only source of confusion here. 

Kent’s fastball sits 93-94 with some arm-side fade to it.  It’s a decent foundational pitch.  And while he’s still young, 19, he appears to have a pretty mature physique, so I’m not entirely certain there is physical projection here.  Maybe he’s done getting stronger and that’s what his fastball is, and if so, that’s fine, he can definitely work with that.  But maybe he’s going to fill out the same way Caden Dana has, or he becomes just a physical freak like Paul Skenes of the Pirates and he starts touching triple digits.  And if that’s the case, is he bound for the pen?  Does his fastball retain it’s shape or does it straighten out?  There’s some uncertainty in who exactly he is as a pitcher.  

What we do know is that as of right now, Kent has at least three average offerings with potentially plus command of all of them.  If he doesn’t develop any further, that’s the starter kit for a major league starting pitcher, and he’s only 19 years old. So is he someone that simply developed quickly in high school and is pretty much ready to deploy as a professional, or is he still going to develop and all of these average offerings he currently has will eventually be plus offerings?  Because if that’s the case, he’s an ace in waiting. 

If you aren’t sure what his ceiling is, you aren’t alone.  But we know that his current floor is probably that of a major league swing starter.  So Barrett Kent’s ranking could change a lot in the next year as more information comes in.  For what it’s worth, at the time of writing this, in his first start of the season in A-Ball, Kent went 5 innings with no walks and 8 strikeouts. 

9. Denzer Guzman – SS – (A) Inland Empire - Age 19 Season
Height/Weight: 5’10″, 160 | Bat/Throw: L/R | International Signing | ETA: 2026

For the most part, fans and critics alike have to admit that the Angels affinity for aggressive promotions hasn’t hampered the organization or prospects at all.  It’s been a net positive, from Zach Neto, to Nolan Schanuel, to Caden Dana. But as with any outside the norm movement or philosophy, there will be drawbacks.  Sometimes, players won't be ready for their aggressive promotion, as has been the case for Denzer Guzman and the Angels. 

Guzman was the Angels big international signing of the 2021 period, inking for a bonus over 2 million dollars. That’s a lot of money to spend on a 16 year old ballplayer.  But at the time, it was projected that his hit tool and power both had a chance to be plus, and he’d have the ability to stick at shortstop.  That still may be the case, but we haven’t seen that player emerge yet as Guzman floundered in his first full-season at Class A Inland Empire.  Yes, he was one of the younger players in the league at age 19, but not so young that this was an egregious mistake.  Yet Guzman was overmatched, particularly to begin the season.  But if there’s a ray of hope here, it would be that Guzman clearly made the adjustments and was catching up to everyone else in the second half of the season.  

Coming into his age 20 season, I think there was a clear case for optimism, particularly if they allowed him the opportunity to repeat Inland Empire.  But this is not the Angels MO.  They’ve yet again promoted Guzman, this time to Advanced A Tri-Cities.  It will likely be his first time playing in the cold, and will be a developmental level that’s unlike anything he’s ever seen.  If Guzman makes the adjustments, it would be a huge boon for his stock.  

At this point, we could say that if Guzman hits the lottery, and maxes out on all the potential he carries, we’re looking at a solid hitting, solid defending shortstop with power.  Those are immensely valuable on the open market, as evidenced by the contracts we’ve seen guys like Carlos Correa get.  The downside to Guzman would be that he never quite makes good on the potential the Angels thought he had at age 16, that he’s periodically flashed, and that Guzman is a depth piece.  The likeliest outcome is that some adjustments are made but Guzman develops into more of a utility player that we see bounce around the upper minors with some cups of coffee in the majors. 

10. Cole Fontenelle – 3B/LF – AA Rocket City - Age 19 Season
Height/Weight: 6’3″, 205 | Bat/Throw: S/R | 7th Round (2023) | ETA: 2025

If there’s a candidate for “where did this guy come from?” on the Angels farm, it would certainly be Cole Fontenelle.  He may have been more affected by the COVID shutdown than anyone.  Or at the very least, he’s got one heck of a background story. 

While Fontenelle was highly regarded in high school and almost certainly would’ve been drafted, the shutdown and subsequent shortening of the draft left his name uncalled in 2020 which resulted in him honoring his commitment to nearby University of Washington.  

While at Washington, Cole got sporadic at best playing time and couldn’t find his rhythm.  During that Summer, he went to the Northwoods League, which is one of a couple collegiate leagues that offer West Coast players an alternative to the Cape Cod League on the East Coast.  Fontenelle flashed all the tools that generated buzz after his junior year of high school.  Rather than return to Washington, where because of COVID rules, he would’ve been buried on the depth chart behind fifth year seniors, Fontenelle went the JC route.  

The only alternative would’ve been entering the transfer portal and losing a season of eligibility.  While at McLennen Junior College, he must’ve caught the eye of larger program scouts because he only spent a year there before transferring to Texas Christian University. However, before arriving on campus at TCU, Cole made yet another stop in one of the West Coast’s acclaimed Summer Leagues and this time played in Alaska, where he did a little bit of everything, putting up very solid numbers along the way. 

So here we are at Cole’s junior year of college.  Four years prior, teams were talking about drafting him.  Yet here he was, after two years of college, one year where he rode the bench, and another at a program so small we don’t have any official numbers that reflect his performance.  Things didn’t go according to plan, at least not yet.  Things actually couldn’t have gone any better while playing for the Horned Frogs.  In Fontenelle’s junior season with TCU, he not only made it to the College World Series, he hit .352 with a .473 OBP, with 14 HR and 20 SB while playing the corner infield and outfield spots.  He was one of the best players on one of the best teams in the country.  He would enter the draft portal after his junior year and his name was called in the 7th Round by the Angels. 

What he did prior to signing made for an interesting story, but it is what he’s done since signing that has opened eyes in the organization.  As it turns out, Fontenelle doesn’t appear to simply be a depth piece.  He’s a legitimately solid hitter who has more power than expected, is faster than expected, shows greater pitch discernment than expected and has the tools to be a better defender than expected.  The major league staff was so impressed by the work Cole showed, that they carried him with the major league team for the entirety of Spring Training so they could get a better look at him.  The Angels feel confident enough in what they saw that Cole was assigned to AA Rocket City, and is expected to potentially impact the big league roster later this season or next year. 

If everything clicks, Fontanelle could be a Kole Calhoun type of corner infielder and outfielder that doesn’t have one standout tool, but tends to do a little bit of everything right.  Think of a switch-hitting JD Davis.  If not, at the very least the Angels appear to have a pretty solid depth piece to fill out their upper minors roster.  It’ll be interesting to see what comes of this journey. 

Angels Guide to FV Explanation

40 - The “AAAA” player, one that spends his career bouncing between the minors and majors.  A Livan Soto or Adam Kolarek type.

45 - A low-end major league starter or typical backup in the major leagues.  A Jake Marisnick or Jose Suarez type.

50 - An average major leaguer, either as a starter or reserve.  As of right now, a Luis Rengifo or Luis Gacia type.

55 - A starter in the major leagues.  A Brandon Drury or Griffin Canning type. 

60 - A good starter in the majors that should carve out at least a few years at the top level.  A Taylor Ward or Reid Detmers type.  

65 - A major league all-star that could have a long career and make hundreds of millions.  A George Springer or Logan Webb type. 

70 - An MVP caliber player.  Potential future Hall of Famer with longevity.  A Christian Yelich or a Corbin Burnes type.  

75 - An actual MVP and future Hall of Famer.  A Mookie Betts or Gerrit Cole type. 

80 - GOAT conversation.  Shohei Ohtani and Mike Trout type. 

Make sure to check out our feature (below) by Taylor Blake Ward on the Angels prospects who have graduated from our past prospect lists, as well as some of the top Angels farmhands from spring camp.. 

Los Angeles Angels 2023 Top-30 Prospects

By the AngelsWin.com Prospect Posse

Another year in the books, and more disappointment for Angels fans. But there’s always the farm system and the future it foretells, right? This year that glimmer of hope may be growing somewhat brighter.

The top of this list has some legitimate talent, with two or three players appearing on top 100 lists, and several more contenders for the top 100 by the end of 2023. Furthermore, the top 30 is filled out with a nice group of upside prospects, as well as some interesting depth pieces that could help the Angels major league team as soon as 2023.

One further note on the farm as a whole, and its overall trajectory over the last few years. In 2015, Billy Eppler inherited a farm system devoid of talent. Gradually he added talent, a lot of it high upside but volatile. Over the last few years, we’ve seen a lot of that talent not pan out the way we hoped, yet there’s still been some positive developments, and with a continued, steady stream of incoming talent during the Perry Minasian years.

To further this point, here’s a take from our own Scott Allen:

Scott Allen's Take:

The Angels have recently got a lot of help from what I like to call, "post-hype prospects." These are the players that were once viewed as darlings of a developing system, but for one reason or another, have not cracked the major league egg yet.

Patrick Sandoval, Jose Suarez, Jaime Barria, Jared Walsh and Luis Rengifo all took an additional year or two to develop, beyond their time being featured on these lists. And they all have become quality major leaguers. 

In 2023, we could be in store for more of these unexpected breakouts. Matt Thaiss may emerge as a key depth piece for the Angels. He could see considerable time playing 1B, backing up Jared Walsh who has some uncertainty of his own. Thaiss could also see time at 3B to spell Rendon and most notably, catcher, where as a backup he's got a pretty potent bat, comparatively.  

Chris Rodriguez also falls into this category. If healthy, he can be a very good major league pitcher, regardless of role. I hope the organization gives him a chance to start because he might truly be something special there, the sort that starts playoff games. If not, he's already shown he can carve up major league hitters in relief.

Mickey Moniak wasn't our prospect, but he too is a post-hype player that can find success with the Angels. Getting him out of Philly might have been the best thing for his career, as we saw flashes of potential after the deadline. Either he projects as a very skilled 4th outfielder, or maybe it all comes together in time.

Jo Adell's own prospect status is a thing of the past. We don't know the Angels off-season plans, but it would not surprise many if he spent some more time in AAA before finally figuring it out at the big league level. He certainly has more than enough potential. 

Griffin Canning is finally healthy, and while he's served a lot of time in the Angels rotation, his spot is no longer guaranteed. He's flashed his potential on several occasions, and comes with the pedigree of being a former early draft pick and top 100 prospect. 

Lastly, I think we shouldn't forget about Jose Soriano. He's got an arsenal similar to Chris Rodriguez, and after multiple surgeries and a tour through Pittsburgh's system rehabbing after being selected in the Rule 5 Draft, Soriano is finally back healthy. A move to the bullpen has already taken place, and given that the Angels bullpen could use all the help it can get, giving Jose Soriano a chance to make good on his potential seems like a good idea. He could be a game changer, if he performs up to his ability. 

Without further ado, here are your AngelsWin.com Top 30 Prospects for 2023…

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Los Angeles Angels 2022 Top-30 Prospects

by AngelsWin Prospect Posse 

Introduction
Ranking the Angels prospects over the last two seasons has been tricky, largely due to the lost minor league season in 2020; we still don’t know how that will affect prospects in the long-term.

Another factor that has defined the Angels farm recently is that the talent is largely pooled at the lower levels – especially with the graduation of players like Jo Adell, Brandon Marsh, Chris Rodriguez and now, Reid Detmers. Only Detmers has retained his rookie status entering the 2022 season.

What was true last year is still mostly true: While it is not a strong farm system, there is still plenty of upside at the lower levels, with a deeper field of high-floor arms from the 2021 draft, including Sam Bachman, Ky Bush, Landon Marceaux, Chase Silseth, Luke Murphy, and Mason Erla.

Most analysts quite understandably rate the Angels farm system in the bottom third, but there’s a lot of volatility at play. A year from now, the Angels farm could drop further, or it could jump a tier. In other words, 2022 is an important year to assess the actual talent level of the Angels organization, and whether or not that talent will actually start percolating upward more, or trickle away. 

The top 30 is almost evenly split between 16 pitchers and 14 position players. The former tend to be more prep-heavy high-floor types, while the latter is more high risk/reward. Three players on this list—Detmers, Warren, and Ortega—are already on the major league pitching staff, while a couple others—Daniel and Junk—are AAA depth and could see major league time this year. Of the position players, Stefanic and Davis are the only players who could conceivably get major league playing time this year.

As you can see, the list is headlined by two pitching prospects, both with high floors who should be fixtures in the major league pitching staff for years to come. After those two, however, the questions become larger, with a host of mostly very young position players that could be anything from busts to good or better major leaguers, as well as an assortment of arms, mostly brought in through the “Year of the Pitcher” 2021 Amateur Draft.

Each entry includes a Ranking Range, which gives you a sense of how the nine members of the Angelswin Prospect Posse varied. We also included Other Rankings to compare ours to: Baseball America (BA), MLB.com (MLB), and Fangraphs (FG).

On to the list…

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Los Angeles Angels (2021) Mid-Season Top-30 Prospects

By The AngelsWin.com Prospect Posse

Welcome to our updated 2021 prospects list. After the tragedy that was a lost minor league season in 2020, we were very excited to see our minor leaguers in action. The big surprise this year is the veritable explosion of pitching, from strong performances by top prospects Reid Detmers and Chris Rodriguez, to the emergence of lesser-known guys like Davis Daniel and Robinson Pina, as well as many fringe guys all of a sudden becoming legitimate major league depth in the near future.

The Prospect Posse: Who Are We?

We are a group of nine regular contributors to this website, all of whom consider eyewitness accounts, scouting reports, statistical analysis, and just gut feeling in our assessment. We feel that our list is stronger for the fact that it includes nine contributors, all with slightly different emphases, both in terms of how we consider prospects, and what sort of guys stand out to us. As one can see with the “ranking ranges,” there is often wide disagreement, but it all evens out to provide what we feel is a very strong list.

One thing to note is that the lower in the rankings one gets, the more interchangeable the ordering. In terms of the methodology used to compile this list, some of the prospects are grouped in clusters. For instance, while there’s a gap between #10 and #11, the next three guys (#11-13) are all very close, as are #14-15, and #19-21. There is a large gap between #21 and #22, as well as after #25. In our methodology, there is a similar gap between #17 and #26 as there is between #26 and #50.

To put that another way, we—as a group—are rather clear on who our top 25 are, and how they are tiered in their relative rankings, but after that it is less clear.

Without further ado, here are our updated rankings:

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Los Angeles Angels (2021) Top-30 Prospects

By the AngelsWin.com Prospect Posse

(Angelsjunky, Chuck, Dave Saltzer, Dochalo, Ettin, Inside Pitch, Rafibomb, Second Base, and totdprods)

One of the great, largely unspoken, tragedies of the 2020 baseball season was the lack of minor league games, which not only led to a lost year of development (for the most part), but the rushing of the Angels’ top prospect, Jo Adell, to the major leagues, where he looked raw and overmatched, to put it charitably. In terms of compiling a prospects list, it is hard to assess many of the Angels most talented prospects because a lot of them have had little to no professional experience. That said, most of them spent time at the Long Beach summer camp and were still able to work on their skills, so the year wasn’t totally a loss.

Looking at the list, you’ll find that the farm includes a variety of dynamic players. It is strong in two areas: One, it has plenty of athletic, talented outfielders in Adell, Marsh, Adams, Calabrese, Ramirez, Knowles, and Deveaux, as well as the very young and unranked Jose Reyes. Two, it has plenty of high upside—but very young--middle infielders in Jackson, Paris, Vera, Blakely, Bonilla, and Placencia. We should also mention the recently signed 16-year-old Dominican infielder, Denzer Guzman.

Sprinkled in between are a few exciting pitching prospects in Rodriguez, Detmers and Kochanowicz, and several more who plan to figure in the Angels pitching staff at some point in the not-too-distant future as either back-end starters or relievers: Yan, Rivera, Naughton, Ortega, Hernandez, Pina, Aquino, Seminaris, and Daniel. It even has one two-way player in Holmes, and a second just missing the cut in Erik Rivera. Finally, there are a few players whose most likely path to the majors is as a bench player in Jones, Martinez, and Soto. Oh yeah, Maitan’s still hanging around. There are no catchers on this list.

For the most part, the top 15 or so was relatively consistent among voters. We all had our different ordering, but the same players were all mostly present. Some of us had a favorite or two that we ranked higher than everyone else, while others were more bullish on a player that was generally more highly regarded by the group. Once we get into late teens, the order is more dubious and could easily shift over the first months of the season, as we get a better sense of who these players are.

Angels Farm in a Nutshell: In a nutshell, the Angels farm system is strong and on the upswing. The system has many talented, physical players, who have the chance of becoming top prospects as they reach the higher levels and demonstrate in-game performance. The Angels are back to fully utilizing their international money, which has led to many high risk/high reward players. There are some notable weaknesses, particularly in catching, but the overall state of the farm is much stronger than just a few years ago.

A word about methodology and format: What follows is a combined ranking from nine members of this website, averaged out to create a composite ranking – as in years past. We have included a “Ranking Range” to get a sense of how opinions varied, as well as an “In A Nutshell” feature to give a brief description of the player. After that, you come to the heart of the list: different “takes” by members, that give a variety of impressions.

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Los Angeles Angels (2020) Top-30 Prospects

Welcome to this year’s version of the AngelsWin Top 30 Prospects. As with last year, it is a group effort: the following is a composite list of several AngelsWin.com members and writers, with eight participants this year. The method is simple: the list is an average of eight lists. The benefit of taking such an approach is that not only do we tend to even each other’s biases out a bit, but we also get a range of approaches: from relying mostly on stats, reading other scouting reports, and eye-witness scouting.

Unlike last year, I’m going to include the age the player will be for the 2020 season, meaning how old they are on July 1, 2020.

A note on Ranking Trends: it is simply the different rankings by the eight participants. Most such lists don’t include the “raw wiring,” but as with last year I thought it would be interesting for people see because the range of numbers say a lot about the prospect. Prospects with a relatively narrow range tend to be more predictable, while those with a wider range may also have a wider range of outcomes and greater volatility.

Finally, a big thanks to Scotty Allen (aka "Second Base") for providing the insightful Best Known For quotes.

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Join in on the daily discussion of our top prospects and Angels minor leaguers down on the farm