AngelsWin.com

Shohei Ohtani, whose rehab from Tommy John surgery was interrupted in September by knee surgery, has been cleared to throw from a mound, Angels general manager Billy Eppler said Tuesday.
Ohtani is expected to throw from the mound for three to four weeks before concluding his rehab, which will allow him about a month and a half of rest before the start of spring training.
The Angels are hoping to have Ohtani resume his role as a two-way player in 2020, most likely pitching one day a week and serving as the designated hitter three or four days a week.
Ohtani spent the 2019 season as a hitter only because of the rehab from Tommy John surgery, which was performed Oct. 1, 2018. In September, with the Angels out of the race, the club and Ohtani opted to shut him down for surgery to repair a bipartite patella in his left knee. The congenital condition, in which the knee cap is split into two bones, had been bothering Ohtani since spring training, although not enough to warrant surgery until nearly the end of the season.
At the time, Ohtani was nearly done with his throwing rehab. The increase in throwing intensity off a mound aggravated the knee condition, so the Angels opted to stop his throwing and have him undergo knee surgery. It pushed back his total rehab time by about two months.
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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.
On to the list…
1. JO ADELL OF (age 21)

Stats: .289/.359/.475, 10 HR in 76 games in A+/AA/AAA.
Ranking Trends: Consensus #1.
ETA: 2020.
Comments: The second year in a row as the consensus #1 Angels prospect, Adell is now considered one of the top five prospects in all of baseball – despite missing the first couple months of the year with a rather freakish double whammy hamstring/ankle injury. MLB Pipeline currently has him at #5, while Baseball America has him at #2. Adell’s stat line above is somewhat diminished by a relatively poor showing in AAA at the end of the year (.264/.321/.355 in 27 games), but his performance in AA (.308/.390/.553, 8 HR and 173 wRC+ in 43 games) is more indicative of his talent level. Adell is a tremendous athlete with prodigious power and great make-up; if there’s one knock on his game its that he doesn’t make as much contact as you’d like, and has only average plate discipline; but both should improve as he matures. He’s the real deal, the best Angels prospect since Mike Trout, and will make his debut in Anaheim sometime in 2020.
Best Known For: Blend of power, speed, and athleticism at such a young age.
2. BRANDON MARSH OF (age 22)

Stats: .286/.367/.407, 7 HR and 19 SB in 101 Rookie/AA games.
Ranking Trends: Consensus #2.
ETA: 2020.
Comments: Somewhat overshadowed by his friend and team-mate Adell, Brandon Marsh is an excellent prospect in his own right. That stat line is marred by a 1-21 streak in Rookie ball rehabbing an injury; he hit .300/.383/.428 in AA. He has not yet hit for power, but he’ll hit his share of extra base hits and should at least develop average HR power in the majors, possibly more. Despite having less impressive raw tools, in some ways Marsh is a more well-rounded prospect than Adell, with better contact and plate discipline, and at this point is a superior defender. Like his soon-to-be AAA Salt Lake team-mate, he’ll probably make his major league debut sometime in 2020, if he gets the opportunity.
Best Known For: Well-rounded game.  Beard, and tantalizing power-speed potential. 
3. JORDYN ADAMS OF (age 20)

Stats: .257/.351/.369, 8 HR and 16 SB 109 R/A/A+ games.
Ranking Trends: Seven #3s, one #4.
ETA: 2023.
Comments: Considering that Adams was a two-sport player and more committed to football than baseball a year and a half ago, the fact that he held his own in single A as a 19-year old is room for optimism. There’s a lot to like in his performance: not only is he flashing Adell-esque tools (and he’s even faster), but his 56 walks in 109 games is very heartening. Perhaps most importantly, Adams seemed to improve as the year went on: after a slow start, he hit .287/.369/.414 from May 10 on, and .325/.406/.504 from July 13 on. Expect for a breakthrough year in A+ Rancho Cucamonga this year. While Adams is still raw, he’s learning quickly and is on the fast track.
Best Known For: One of the top prep football players in the nation coming out of high school.  Also, “The Dunk”. Also, the highest upside prospect in the system. 
4. CHRIS RODRIGUEZ RHP (21)

Stats: 0.00 ERA, 3 GS, 9.1 IP, 4 walks, 13 strikeouts.
Ranking Trends: Four #4s, three #5s, one #9.
ETA: 2021.
Comments: Chris Rodriguez’s high ranking might come as a surprise due to the fact that he’s only pitched 9.1 innings in the last two years, all within 2019. But the stuff is real: Aside from possibly Jack Kochanowicz, he has the highest ceiling in the minor leagues. The question is whether he can stay healthy, and that is a big question. If he does, his ascendency to the majors will be fast and furious.
Best Known For: Mid-90’s fastball, and mid/front of the rotation upside. 
5. PATRICK SANDOVAL LHP (23)

Stats: 5.03 ERA, 39.1 IP, 19 walks, 42 strikeouts in the majors.
Ranking Trends: 3, 4, 5, 5, 5, 6, 6, 6, 7.
ETA: 2019.
Comments: When Sandoval came over to the Angels in July of 2018, from the Astros for Martin Maldonado, the general view was that he was a classic high-floor but low-ceiling starter, the type of guy you don’t mind having as your 5th starter but not much more. In his nine starts in the majors, he showed flashes of something more, a bonafide mid-rotation starter, if everything comes together.
Best Known For: His fastball climbing 4-5 mph in the last two years since the Astros traded him. 
6. JEREMIAH JACKSON SS (20)

Stats: .266/.333/.605, 23 HR in 65 games in Orem (high Rookie ball).
Ranking Trends: 5, 7, 7, 7, 7, 8, 8, 9.
ETA: 2023.
Comments: I think the key phrase would be “cautiously excited.” 23 HR in 65 games for a 19-year old is impressive, but its all accompanied by 96 strikeouts and a mediocre .266 BA. He walked 24 times, which is a decent rate; given his swing and miss, developing plate discipline may be the key to Jackson becoming a star.
Best Known For: Breaking the Pioneer League HR record as a 19 year old. 
7. JOSE SORIANO RHP (21)

Stats: 2.51 ERA, 82.1 IP, 51 walks, 92 strikeouts in Rookie and A ball (Burlington).
Ranking Trends: 4, 4, 5, 5, 6, 6, 6, 23.
ETA: 2021.
Comments: Soriano and Rodriguez are often mentioned in the same breath. While on one level it is a ceiling/floor comparison, Soriano’s ceiling isn’t that much lower, and his floor seems quite a bit higher. If his control develops, he could be in Anaheim rather quickly.
Best Known For: Mid to upper 90’s fastball and wipeout slider. 
8. JAHMAI JONES 2B (22)

Stats: .234/.308/.324, 5 HR and 9 SB in 130 games in AAA Salt Lake.
Ranking Trends: 7, 7, 8, 8, 8, 9, 9, 9
ETA: 2021
Comments: Jones not only had a very bad year statistically speaking, it was also his second year in a row of declining performance: his OPS slipped from .794 in 2017 (A/A+), .717 in 2018 (A+/AA) to .631 in 2019 (AA). That said, he did improve later in the year, both hitting well in the Arizona Fall League (.302/.377/.509 in 61 PA), but also towards the end of the regular year, hitting .306/.385/.414 from July 5th on, or 51 games. So while he didn’t make that jump into elite prospect status that we might have hoped for after 2017, he’s still a good prospect. Depending what the Angels do with Andrelton Simmons and Tommy La Stella after 2020, don’t be surprised if the 2021 infield includes Fletcher, Rengifo, and Jones.
Best Known For: Power-speed potential as a middle infielder, and the younger brother of NFL Wide Receiver T.J. Jones. 
9. KYREN PARIS SS (18)

Stats: .300/.462/.400 in 13 PA in Rookie ball (AZL).
Ranking Trends: 6, 9, 9, 10, 10, 10, 13, 14.
ETA: 2024
Comments: While it is rather early to be too excited about Paris, the upside is real: this is a talented young baseball player who just turned 18 a couple weeks ago from this writing, on November 11. He’s a toolsy shortstop, a good defender for his age, and really only lacks power – although that could develop. Before the draft last year, when he went 55th overall (2nd round), websites and analysts had him anywhere from #34 (Fangraphs), #48 (Keith Law), #70 (Baseball America), and #75 (MLB Pipeline). There’s a lot of volatility at this point; a couple years from now he could be another Livan Soto—a defense-first middle infielder who profiles as a major league bench player—or he could be an elite prospect, if the bat develops as hoped. Stay tuned.
Best Known For: Delivering one of the better post-draft interviews with Victor and Gubi.  A very well spoken young man. 
10. WILL WILSON 2B/SS (21)

Stats: .275/.329/.439 in 46 games in Rookie ball.
Ranking Trends: 7, 8, 8, 8, 9, 10, 10, 29.
ETA: 2022
Comments: At this point it is difficult to say whether the tepid view on Wilson is warranted in that, on one hand, he seems like another unexciting college draft pick with limited upside in the tradition of Matt Thaiss and CJ Cron; on the other, not only is he rather young for a college player, but the scouting reports on his bat are promising. At the least, he deserves a chance to prove himself before calling him an over-draft. Wilson could be better than expected, so let’s see how he hits with a full season of experience: he could move fast.
Best Known For: The Angels first round draft pick from this last draft.  Bat first middle infielder. 
11. JACK KOCHANOWICZ RHP (19)
Stats: Did not play professional baseball.
Ranking Trends: 10, 10, 11, 11, 11, 12, 15, 17.
ETA: 2024.
Comments: Upside, upside, upside. At 6’6” and 220 lbs, Kochanowicz can bring the heat. In my mind, he is the pitching equivalent of Kyren Paris: a couple years from now he could be #1 on this list, or another cautionary tale about getting too excited too soon. But the stuff is real, and he’s very young. He’ll be one of the most exciting prospects to watch in 2020.
Best Known For: Hitting upper-90’s at Fall Instructs.  One scout said that he believed Kochanowicz would go top five in the draft three years from now had he decided to go to college instead. 
12. AARON HERNANDEZ RHP (23)
Stats: 4.46 ERA, 72.2 IP, 46 walks, 81 strikeouts in A+ ball (Inland Empire).
Ranking Trends: 11, 11, 12, 13, 13, 15, 15, 20.
ETA: 2021.
Comments: Hernandez simply needs more minor league innings, and should be in Anaheim before you know it. He’s got the upside to be a mid-rotation starter, but may settle in a bit below that, or as a reliever. But he seems to have a rather high floor for a pitching prospect and, one way or another, should be part of the major league team within the next year or two.
Best Known For: Other than sharing a name with an unfortunate soul mid-90’s fastball with movement and a strong finish to the 2019 season. 
13. HECTOR YAN LHP (21)
Stats: 3.72 ERA in 109 IP, 52 walks, and 148 strikeouts in A ball (Burlington).
Ranking Trends: 11, 12, 13, 13, 14, 16, 16, 16.
ETA: 2022.
Comments: Take a look at those strikeouts and walks, and you see why Yan is ranked where he is. 12.2 Ks per 9 innings is no joke, but neither are 4.3 walks. We can hope that Yan can remain a starter, but his path to the majors may be as a relief pitcher. Either way, he’s one of a handful of pitching prospects in the organization with legitimate upside.
Best Known For: Recently being added to the Angels 40 man roster from A Ball.  Sidearmer with mid-90’s fastball. 
14. D’SHAWN KNOWLES OF (19)
Stats: .241/.310/.387 in 64 games in Rookie ball (Orem).
Ranking Trends: 12, 12, 13, 16, 16, 18, 21, 28.
ETA: 2023
Comments: Remember when D’Shawn was an after-thought to Trent Deveaux? He had a surprising 2018, but fell back to earth in 2019 – a rather disappointing follow-up. He doesn’t seem to have Deveaux’s elite athleticism, but may also have that “it factor” to become more than the sum of his parts. At 19 years old and with Adell, Marsh, and Hermosillo ahead of him, he’s got plenty of time.
Best Known For: Being the “other” top international signing from the Bahamas two years ago. 
15. MICHAEL HERMOSILLO OF (25)
Stats: .243/.330/.466 in 64 games in A+/AAA; .139/.304/.222 in 18 major league games.
Ranking Trends: 11, 14, 15, 16, 18, 19, 22, 28.
ETA: 2019.
Comments: Hermosillo seems like the type of player that could become a fan favorite, the Brock Holt of the Angels. Or at least that’s his upside. He’s got the tools to be a terrific 4th outfielder, and could even be a starter on some teams. But he’s got to make more contact first, and may be destined for another organization to get regular playing time.
Best Known For: Prep exploits on the gridiron and overall athleticism. 
16. KEVIN MAITAN IF (20)
Stats: .214/.278/.323 in 123 games in A Burlington.
Ranking Trends: 11, 12, 18, 18, 20, 20, 20, 26.
ETA: 2023.
Comments: If you didn’t know about the hype from a few years ago, Maitan would be an intriguing prospect – and he is. But it is hard not to get around the ridiculous comparisons that were thrown around, like Miguel Cabrera and Chipper Jones. Imagine being a 16-year old and hearing that. The hitting tools are there to be a major leaguer, and it is important to remember that he’s still quite young for his level – according to Baseball-Reference the league differential last year was -2.2. So while he isn’t the Promised One that the Braves originally thought he was, he still has a lot of time to actualize the good potential he does possess.
Best Known For: Being one of the more hyped international signings in recent memory.  Big time power.
17. STIWARD AQUINO RHP (21)
Stats: 6.87 ERA in 36.2 IP, 16 walks and 49 strikeouts in Rookie ball.
Ranking Trends: 8, 14, 16, 17, 19, 22, 25, 27.
ETA: 2023.
Comments: Another live arm with a wide range of possible outcomes, which is well-reflected in the ranking trends. Aquino’s numbers don’t look impressive, but he flashed good potential at times. His game log displays erratic performance, so hopefully with more innings he’ll settle down. Another pitcher whose future might be in the bullpen.
Best Known For: A great name and a mid-90’s fastball. 
18. ALEXANDER RAMIREZ OF (17)
Stats: .234/.328/.429 in 39 games in the Dominican League (Foreign Rookie).
Ranking Trends: 15, 15, 15, 17, 17, 19, 28, NR.
ETA: 2025.
Comments: There’s not a lot to go on at this point, but there’s a reason Billy Eppler gave the young Dominican a $1 million signing bonus upon turning 16 years old. He should be coming States-side in 2020, so look for him in the AZL. He is very young, just 17 in August, and has a ton of young outfielders ahead of him, but is at least worth having in the back of your mind as a high-ceiling prospect to look forward to.
Best Known For: Angels top international signee from last year.  Power and speed are more advanced than originally anticipated. 
19. KYLE BRADISH RHP (23)
Stats: 4.28 ERA in 101 IP, 53 walks and 120 strikeouts in A+ Inland Empire.
Ranking Trends: 12, 15, 21, 21, 21, 23, 24, 25.
ETA: 2021.
Comments: Bradish may forever be paired with Aaron Hernandez, as he was drafted right after him. Like Hernandez, he’s a college pitcher who projects as a major league starter, but is considered to have a lower ceiling. Clearly he has to work on his control, but after a solid first professional season, he’s establishing a solid floor to build from.
Best Known For: Advanced college arm that will climb the minor league ladder quickly. 
20. JARED WALSH OF/1B/RHP (26)
Stats: .325/.423/.686, 36 HR in 98 AAA games (Salt Lake); .203/.276/.329 in 31 major league games. Pitching: 4.15 ERA, 13 IP, 5 walks and 9 strikeouts in AAA; 1.80 ERA, 5 IP, 6 walks, 5 strikeouts in the majors.
Ranking Trends: 12, 18, 19, 19, 21, 23, 25, 27.
ETA: 2019
Comments: It is hard not to like Walsh. Not only did he absolutely kill AAA pitching, but he is also trying to make it as a two-way player in the majors. Unlike Taylor Ward, this gives him a flexibility that might give him a longer leash as a useful—even ideal-- “26th man” on the major league roster next year.
Best Known For: Being the Angels “other” two-way player. 
21. TRENT DEVEAUX OF (20)
Stats: .238/.320/.422 in 60 games in Rookie ball (AZL, Orem).
Ranking Trends: 13, 17, 18, 19, 21, 23, 29, NR.
ETA: 2023.
Comments: After a disappointing season in 2018 (.199/.309/.247 in 44 AZL games), Deveaux adjusted well to States-side professional baseball, showing flashes of the potential that led the Angels to sign him. There’s a lot to like here, but he simply needs time to develop. He’s probably got both a higher ceiling and lower floor than his fellow Bahamanian, D’Shawn Knowles. He’s a good candidate for a breakout season in 2020, which should be his first full season in A ball.
Best Known For: Being the Angels top international signee from two years ago.  Bahamian with 80-grade speed. 
22. OLIVER ORTEGA RHP (23)
Stats: 4.14 ERA in 111 IP, 57 walks and 135 strikeouts in A+/AA ball.
Ranking Trends: 14, 18, 19, 22, 23, 24, 26, NR.
ETA: 2021.
Comments: Ortega seemed to come out of nowhere and reminds us that players do indeed rise up from the Dominican League through the minor leagues. He’s on the verge of the major league radar.
Best Known For: Bursting onto the scene at the end of last year and beginning of this year with mid-90’s fastball. 
23. AROL VERA SS (17)
Stats: Did not play.
Ranking Trends: 14, 17, 18, 21, 23, 24, NR, NR.
ETA: 2025.
Comments: A top international signing, the word on Vera is that he’s a tall (6’2”), lean, and promising switch-hitting shortstop with a strong hit-tool. He’s a long way away, but fits in a similar category with Alexander Ramirez.
Best Known For: Angels most expensive international signee since Roberto Baldoquin (not counting Kevin Maitan).  Great power projection from both sides of the plate. 
24. WILLIAM HOLMES OF/RHP (19)
Stats: .326/.431/.488 in 11 Rookie games; 5.18 ERA, 24.1 IP, 20 walks, 38 strikeouts.
Ranking Trends: 17, 20, 21, 22, 23, 26, 26, NR.
ETA: 2023.
Comments: The third two-player in the Angels system, along with Ohtani and Walsh. Holmes is the player formerly known as William English. There’s a lot to like here, with a nice showing with the bat and some promise on the mound.
Best Known For: Being the rare draftee from Detroit, also happens to be a two-way player with scattered intriguing skills on both sides of the ball. 
25. LUIZ GOHARA LHP (23)
Stats: Did not play (injuries).
Ranking Trends: 16, 17, 19, 22, 24, 28, 29 NR.
ETA: 2018.
Comments: Released by the Braves, the Angels signed the Brazilian Gohara as a free agent in August. He’s pretty much the definition of a potential “clean peanut,” which also makes him really difficult to assess. Before the 2018 season, Baseball America ranked as the #23 prospect in all of baseball—that was after dominating A+ and AA, and getting a solid taste of AAA, even five starts in the majors at the age of 20 years old. But then his troubles began, and he didn’t perform well in the minors and eventually missed all of 2019 with a shoulder injury. While it is easly to get excited about his upside, the Braves released him for a reason. We can hope that they made a terrible mistake, but don’t count on it. Gohara goes into the 2020 season as perhaps the biggest in-house wildcard that could make a surprise impact on the major league pitching staff.
Best Known For: Being one of the top prospects in all of baseball only a little over a year ago.  Used to have upper-90’s heat before shoulder injury. Currently rehabbing from surgery.  One of the very rare Brazilian baseball players. 
26. ROBINSON PINA RHP (21)
Stats: 3.83 ERA, 108 IP, 61 walks, 146 strikeouts in A ball (Burlington).
Ranking Trends: 13, 20, 20, 25, 27, 27, 30, NR.
ETA: 2023.
Comments: Given his performance in 2019, it is almost surprising that Pina isn’t ranked higher. But if he continues this level of play in A+ and above, he could leapfrog several pitching prospects by year’s end. Definitely one to watch, with major league potential.
Best Known For: Tall and lanky.  Herky-jerky motion.  Misses lots of bats. Reports indicate low-90’s fastball .  
27. LUIS MADERO RHP (23)
Stats: 5.03 ERA, 105.2 IP, 31 walks, 98 strikeouts in A+/AA.
Ranking Trends: 10, 20, NR, NR, NR, NR, NR, NR.
ETA: 2022
Comments: Madero was a bit of a darling among Angelswin prospects hounds after his breakout 2018 campaign (3.49 ERA, 27 walks and 95 strikeouts in 105.2 IP in A/A+). While his ERA rose substantially, his peripherals held steady and perhaps we’re being a bit too bearish on him. He isn’t far from being on the major league depth chart.
Best Known For: Mid-90’s fastball.  Added to the Angels 40-man ahead of last year’s Rule 5 Draft. 
28. LIVAN SOTO SS/2B (20)
Stats: .220/.304/.256 in 311 PA in A/Rookie ball.
Ranking Trends: 14, 24, 30, NR, NR, NR, NR, NR.
ETA: 2024.
Comments: The second of the “stolen” Braves prospects, Soto had a disappointing follow-up to his promising first year in the Angels farm system. Right now he projects as a very weak-hitting but solid fielding middle infielder, but he’s also got some physical development ahead of him. 2020 should give us a better sense of his ultimate potential.
Best Known For: Being the “other” prospect the Braves lost that the Angels signed.  Defensive wizard. Weighs about as much as a women’s olympic gymnast. 
29. ADRIAN RONDON IF (21)
Stats: .266/.317/.378 in 69 games in Rookie/A ball.
Ranking Trends: 25, 25, 26, 27, 30, NR, NR, NR.
ETA: 2023.
Comments: We’ve got a Rondon! Eppler seems to like former highly regarded international prospects; while never quite as lauded as Maitan, Rondon’s story is similar: the Tampa Rays gave him a $3 million signing bonus in 2015, but he struggled in the minor leagues. He held his own last year, but nothing exciting – so far. There’ still untapped potential and relative youth on his side.
Best Known For: One of the more hyped international signees in recent memory.  Angels traded practically nothing for him. Great bat speed, recently moved to 3B.
30. GARRETT STALLINGS RHP (22)
Stats: Did not play.
Ranking Trends: 22, 25, 29, 29, 29, NR, NR, NR.
ETA: 2022.
Comments: The Angels’ 5th round pick in 2019, Stallings is a bit of a sleeper pick who could reach the majors relatively quickly. He probably projects as a back-end starter, but is one to keep an eye on.
Best Known For: Brilliant performance in the heavily scouted Cape Cod League.  Could climb the minor league ladder very quickly. 
 
Other Ranked Players: Jeremy Beasley, Jose Bonilla, Denny Brady, Sadrac Franco, Jake Jewell, Orlando Martinez, Isaac Mattson, Leonardo Rivas, Jose Rojas, Andrew Wantz, Austin Warren.

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.
On to the list…
1. JO ADELL OF (age 21)

Stats: .289/.359/.475, 10 HR in 76 games in A+/AA/AAA.
Ranking Trends: Consensus #1.
ETA: 2020.
Comments: The second year in a row as the consensus #1 Angels prospect, Adell is now considered one of the top five prospects in all of baseball – despite missing the first couple months of the year with a rather freakish double whammy hamstring/ankle injury. MLB Pipeline currently has him at #5, while Baseball America has him at #2. Adell’s stat line above is somewhat diminished by a relatively poor showing in AAA at the end of the year (.264/.321/.355 in 27 games), but his performance in AA (.308/.390/.553, 8 HR and 173 wRC+ in 43 games) is more indicative of his talent level. Adell is a tremendous athlete with prodigious power and great make-up; if there’s one knock on his game its that he doesn’t make as much contact as you’d like, and has only average plate discipline; but both should improve as he matures. He’s the real deal, the best Angels prospect since Mike Trout, and will make his debut in Anaheim sometime in 2020.
Best Known For: Blend of power, speed, and athleticism at such a young age.
2. BRANDON MARSH OF (age 22)

Stats: .286/.367/.407, 7 HR and 19 SB in 101 Rookie/AA games.
Ranking Trends: Consensus #2.
ETA: 2020.
Comments: Somewhat overshadowed by his friend and team-mate Adell, Brandon Marsh is an excellent prospect in his own right. That stat line is marred by a 1-21 streak in Rookie ball rehabbing an injury; he hit .300/.383/.428 in AA. He has not yet hit for power, but he’ll hit his share of extra base hits and should at least develop average HR power in the majors, possibly more. Despite having less impressive raw tools, in some ways Marsh is a more well-rounded prospect than Adell, with better contact and plate discipline, and at this point is a superior defender. Like his soon-to-be AAA Salt Lake team-mate, he’ll probably make his major league debut sometime in 2020, if he gets the opportunity.
Best Known For: Well-rounded game.  Beard, and tantalizing power-speed potential. 
3. JORDYN ADAMS OF (age 20)

Stats: .257/.351/.369, 8 HR and 16 SB 109 R/A/A+ games.
Ranking Trends: Seven #3s, one #4.
ETA: 2023.
Comments: Considering that Adams was a two-sport player and more committed to football than baseball a year and a half ago, the fact that he held his own in single A as a 19-year old is room for optimism. There’s a lot to like in his performance: not only is he flashing Adell-esque tools (and he’s even faster), but his 56 walks in 109 games is very heartening. Perhaps most importantly, Adams seemed to improve as the year went on: after a slow start, he hit .287/.369/.414 from May 10 on, and .325/.406/.504 from July 13 on. Expect for a breakthrough year in A+ Rancho Cucamonga this year. While Adams is still raw, he’s learning quickly and is on the fast track.
Best Known For: One of the top prep football players in the nation coming out of high school.  Also, “The Dunk”. Also, the highest upside prospect in the system. 
4. CHRIS RODRIGUEZ RHP (21)

Stats: 0.00 ERA, 3 GS, 9.1 IP, 4 walks, 13 strikeouts.
Ranking Trends: Four #4s, three #5s, one #9.
ETA: 2021.
Comments: Chris Rodriguez’s high ranking might come as a surprise due to the fact that he’s only pitched 9.1 innings in the last two years, all within 2019. But the stuff is real: Aside from possibly Jack Kochanowicz, he has the highest ceiling in the minor leagues. The question is whether he can stay healthy, and that is a big question. If he does, his ascendency to the majors will be fast and furious.
Best Known For: Mid-90’s fastball, and mid/front of the rotation upside. 
5. PATRICK SANDOVAL LHP (23)

Stats: 5.03 ERA, 39.1 IP, 19 walks, 42 strikeouts in the majors.
Ranking Trends: 3, 4, 5, 5, 5, 6, 6, 6, 7.
ETA: 2019.
Comments: When Sandoval came over to the Angels in July of 2018, from the Astros for Martin Maldonado, the general view was that he was a classic high-floor but low-ceiling starter, the type of guy you don’t mind having as your 5th starter but not much more. In his nine starts in the majors, he showed flashes of something more, a bonafide mid-rotation starter, if everything comes together.
Best Known For: His fastball climbing 4-5 mph in the last two years since the Astros traded him. 
6. JEREMIAH JACKSON SS (20)

Stats: .266/.333/.605, 23 HR in 65 games in Orem (high Rookie ball).
Ranking Trends: 5, 7, 7, 7, 7, 8, 8, 9.
ETA: 2023.
Comments: I think the key phrase would be “cautiously excited.” 23 HR in 65 games for a 19-year old is impressive, but its all accompanied by 96 strikeouts and a mediocre .266 BA. He walked 24 times, which is a decent rate; given his swing and miss, developing plate discipline may be the key to Jackson becoming a star.
Best Known For: Breaking the Pioneer League HR record as a 19 year old. 
7. JOSE SORIANO RHP (21)

Stats: 2.51 ERA, 82.1 IP, 51 walks, 92 strikeouts in Rookie and A ball (Burlington).
Ranking Trends: 4, 4, 5, 5, 6, 6, 6, 23.
ETA: 2021.
Comments: Soriano and Rodriguez are often mentioned in the same breath. While on one level it is a ceiling/floor comparison, Soriano’s ceiling isn’t that much lower, and his floor seems quite a bit higher. If his control develops, he could be in Anaheim rather quickly.
Best Known For: Mid to upper 90’s fastball and wipeout slider. 
8. JAHMAI JONES 2B (22)

Stats: .234/.308/.324, 5 HR and 9 SB in 130 games in AAA Salt Lake.
Ranking Trends: 7, 7, 8, 8, 8, 9, 9, 9
ETA: 2021
Comments: Jones not only had a very bad year statistically speaking, it was also his second year in a row of declining performance: his OPS slipped from .794 in 2017 (A/A+), .717 in 2018 (A+/AA) to .631 in 2019 (AA). That said, he did improve later in the year, both hitting well in the Arizona Fall League (.302/.377/.509 in 61 PA), but also towards the end of the regular year, hitting .306/.385/.414 from July 5th on, or 51 games. So while he didn’t make that jump into elite prospect status that we might have hoped for after 2017, he’s still a good prospect. Depending what the Angels do with Andrelton Simmons and Tommy La Stella after 2020, don’t be surprised if the 2021 infield includes Fletcher, Rengifo, and Jones.
Best Known For: Power-speed potential as a middle infielder, and the younger brother of NFL Wide Receiver T.J. Jones. 
9. KYREN PARIS SS (18)

Stats: .300/.462/.400 in 13 PA in Rookie ball (AZL).
Ranking Trends: 6, 9, 9, 10, 10, 10, 13, 14.
ETA: 2024
Comments: While it is rather early to be too excited about Paris, the upside is real: this is a talented young baseball player who just turned 18 a couple weeks ago from this writing, on November 11. He’s a toolsy shortstop, a good defender for his age, and really only lacks power – although that could develop. Before the draft last year, when he went 55th overall (2nd round), websites and analysts had him anywhere from #34 (Fangraphs), #48 (Keith Law), #70 (Baseball America), and #75 (MLB Pipeline). There’s a lot of volatility at this point; a couple years from now he could be another Livan Soto—a defense-first middle infielder who profiles as a major league bench player—or he could be an elite prospect, if the bat develops as hoped. Stay tuned.
Best Known For: Delivering one of the better post-draft interviews with Victor and Gubi.  A very well spoken young man. 
10. WILL WILSON 2B/SS (21)

Stats: .275/.329/.439 in 46 games in Rookie ball.
Ranking Trends: 7, 8, 8, 8, 9, 10, 10, 29.
ETA: 2022
Comments: At this point it is difficult to say whether the tepid view on Wilson is warranted in that, on one hand, he seems like another unexciting college draft pick with limited upside in the tradition of Matt Thaiss and CJ Cron; on the other, not only is he rather young for a college player, but the scouting reports on his bat are promising. At the least, he deserves a chance to prove himself before calling him an over-draft. Wilson could be better than expected, so let’s see how he hits with a full season of experience: he could move fast.
Best Known For: The Angels first round draft pick from this last draft.  Bat first middle infielder. 
11. JACK KOCHANOWICZ RHP (19)
Stats: Did not play professional baseball.
Ranking Trends: 10, 10, 11, 11, 11, 12, 15, 17.
ETA: 2024.
Comments: Upside, upside, upside. At 6’6” and 220 lbs, Kochanowicz can bring the heat. In my mind, he is the pitching equivalent of Kyren Paris: a couple years from now he could be #1 on this list, or another cautionary tale about getting too excited too soon. But the stuff is real, and he’s very young. He’ll be one of the most exciting prospects to watch in 2020.
Best Known For: Hitting upper-90’s at Fall Instructs.  One scout said that he believed Kochanowicz would go top five in the draft three years from now had he decided to go to college instead. 
12. AARON HERNANDEZ RHP (23)
Stats: 4.46 ERA, 72.2 IP, 46 walks, 81 strikeouts in A+ ball (Inland Empire).
Ranking Trends: 11, 11, 12, 13, 13, 15, 15, 20.
ETA: 2021.
Comments: Hernandez simply needs more minor league innings, and should be in Anaheim before you know it. He’s got the upside to be a mid-rotation starter, but may settle in a bit below that, or as a reliever. But he seems to have a rather high floor for a pitching prospect and, one way or another, should be part of the major league team within the next year or two.
Best Known For: Other than sharing a name with an unfortunate soul mid-90’s fastball with movement and a strong finish to the 2019 season. 
13. HECTOR YAN LHP (21)
Stats: 3.72 ERA in 109 IP, 52 walks, and 148 strikeouts in A ball (Burlington).
Ranking Trends: 11, 12, 13, 13, 14, 16, 16, 16.
ETA: 2022.
Comments: Take a look at those strikeouts and walks, and you see why Yan is ranked where he is. 12.2 Ks per 9 innings is no joke, but neither are 4.3 walks. We can hope that Yan can remain a starter, but his path to the majors may be as a relief pitcher. Either way, he’s one of a handful of pitching prospects in the organization with legitimate upside.
Best Known For: Recently being added to the Angels 40 man roster from A Ball.  Sidearmer with mid-90’s fastball. 
14. D’SHAWN KNOWLES OF (19)
Stats: .241/.310/.387 in 64 games in Rookie ball (Orem).
Ranking Trends: 12, 12, 13, 16, 16, 18, 21, 28.
ETA: 2023
Comments: Remember when D’Shawn was an after-thought to Trent Deveaux? He had a surprising 2018, but fell back to earth in 2019 – a rather disappointing follow-up. He doesn’t seem to have Deveaux’s elite athleticism, but may also have that “it factor” to become more than the sum of his parts. At 19 years old and with Adell, Marsh, and Hermosillo ahead of him, he’s got plenty of time.
Best Known For: Being the “other” top international signing from the Bahamas two years ago. 
15. MICHAEL HERMOSILLO OF (25)
Stats: .243/.330/.466 in 64 games in A+/AAA; .139/.304/.222 in 18 major league games.
Ranking Trends: 11, 14, 15, 16, 18, 19, 22, 28.
ETA: 2019.
Comments: Hermosillo seems like the type of player that could become a fan favorite, the Brock Holt of the Angels. Or at least that’s his upside. He’s got the tools to be a terrific 4th outfielder, and could even be a starter on some teams. But he’s got to make more contact first, and may be destined for another organization to get regular playing time.
Best Known For: Prep exploits on the gridiron and overall athleticism. 
16. KEVIN MAITAN IF (20)
Stats: .214/.278/.323 in 123 games in A Burlington.
Ranking Trends: 11, 12, 18, 18, 20, 20, 20, 26.
ETA: 2023.
Comments: If you didn’t know about the hype from a few years ago, Maitan would be an intriguing prospect – and he is. But it is hard not to get around the ridiculous comparisons that were thrown around, like Miguel Cabrera and Chipper Jones. Imagine being a 16-year old and hearing that. The hitting tools are there to be a major leaguer, and it is important to remember that he’s still quite young for his level – according to Baseball-Reference the league differential last year was -2.2. So while he isn’t the Promised One that the Braves originally thought he was, he still has a lot of time to actualize the good potential he does possess.
Best Known For: Being one of the more hyped international signings in recent memory.  Big time power.
17. STIWARD AQUINO RHP (21)
Stats: 6.87 ERA in 36.2 IP, 16 walks and 49 strikeouts in Rookie ball.
Ranking Trends: 8, 14, 16, 17, 19, 22, 25, 27.
ETA: 2023.
Comments: Another live arm with a wide range of possible outcomes, which is well-reflected in the ranking trends. Aquino’s numbers don’t look impressive, but he flashed good potential at times. His game log displays erratic performance, so hopefully with more innings he’ll settle down. Another pitcher whose future might be in the bullpen.
Best Known For: A great name and a mid-90’s fastball. 
18. ALEXANDER RAMIREZ OF (17)
Stats: .234/.328/.429 in 39 games in the Dominican League (Foreign Rookie).
Ranking Trends: 15, 15, 15, 17, 17, 19, 28, NR.
ETA: 2025.
Comments: There’s not a lot to go on at this point, but there’s a reason Billy Eppler gave the young Dominican a $1 million signing bonus upon turning 16 years old. He should be coming States-side in 2020, so look for him in the AZL. He is very young, just 17 in August, and has a ton of young outfielders ahead of him, but is at least worth having in the back of your mind as a high-ceiling prospect to look forward to.
Best Known For: Angels top international signee from last year.  Power and speed are more advanced than originally anticipated. 
19. KYLE BRADISH RHP (23)
Stats: 4.28 ERA in 101 IP, 53 walks and 120 strikeouts in A+ Inland Empire.
Ranking Trends: 12, 15, 21, 21, 21, 23, 24, 25.
ETA: 2021.
Comments: Bradish may forever be paired with Aaron Hernandez, as he was drafted right after him. Like Hernandez, he’s a college pitcher who projects as a major league starter, but is considered to have a lower ceiling. Clearly he has to work on his control, but after a solid first professional season, he’s establishing a solid floor to build from.
Best Known For: Advanced college arm that will climb the minor league ladder quickly. 
20. JARED WALSH OF/1B/RHP (26)
Stats: .325/.423/.686, 36 HR in 98 AAA games (Salt Lake); .203/.276/.329 in 31 major league games. Pitching: 4.15 ERA, 13 IP, 5 walks and 9 strikeouts in AAA; 1.80 ERA, 5 IP, 6 walks, 5 strikeouts in the majors.
Ranking Trends: 12, 18, 19, 19, 21, 23, 25, 27.
ETA: 2019
Comments: It is hard not to like Walsh. Not only did he absolutely kill AAA pitching, but he is also trying to make it as a two-way player in the majors. Unlike Taylor Ward, this gives him a flexibility that might give him a longer leash as a useful—even ideal-- “26th man” on the major league roster next year.
Best Known For: Being the Angels “other” two-way player. 
21. TRENT DEVEAUX OF (20)
Stats: .238/.320/.422 in 60 games in Rookie ball (AZL, Orem).
Ranking Trends: 13, 17, 18, 19, 21, 23, 29, NR.
ETA: 2023.
Comments: After a disappointing season in 2018 (.199/.309/.247 in 44 AZL games), Deveaux adjusted well to States-side professional baseball, showing flashes of the potential that led the Angels to sign him. There’s a lot to like here, but he simply needs time to develop. He’s probably got both a higher ceiling and lower floor than his fellow Bahamanian, D’Shawn Knowles. He’s a good candidate for a breakout season in 2020, which should be his first full season in A ball.
Best Known For: Being the Angels top international signee from two years ago.  Bahamian with 80-grade speed. 
22. OLIVER ORTEGA RHP (23)
Stats: 4.14 ERA in 111 IP, 57 walks and 135 strikeouts in A+/AA ball.
Ranking Trends: 14, 18, 19, 22, 23, 24, 26, NR.
ETA: 2021.
Comments: Ortega seemed to come out of nowhere and reminds us that players do indeed rise up from the Dominican League through the minor leagues. He’s on the verge of the major league radar.
Best Known For: Bursting onto the scene at the end of last year and beginning of this year with mid-90’s fastball. 
23. AROL VERA SS (17)
Stats: Did not play.
Ranking Trends: 14, 17, 18, 21, 23, 24, NR, NR.
ETA: 2025.
Comments: A top international signing, the word on Vera is that he’s a tall (6’2”), lean, and promising switch-hitting shortstop with a strong hit-tool. He’s a long way away, but fits in a similar category with Alexander Ramirez.
Best Known For: Angels most expensive international signee since Roberto Baldoquin (not counting Kevin Maitan).  Great power projection from both sides of the plate. 
24. WILLIAM HOLMES OF/RHP (19)
Stats: .326/.431/.488 in 11 Rookie games; 5.18 ERA, 24.1 IP, 20 walks, 38 strikeouts.
Ranking Trends: 17, 20, 21, 22, 23, 26, 26, NR.
ETA: 2023.
Comments: The third two-player in the Angels system, along with Ohtani and Walsh. Holmes is the player formerly known as William English. There’s a lot to like here, with a nice showing with the bat and some promise on the mound.
Best Known For: Being the rare draftee from Detroit, also happens to be a two-way player with scattered intriguing skills on both sides of the ball. 
25. LUIZ GOHARA LHP (23)
Stats: Did not play (injuries).
Ranking Trends: 16, 17, 19, 22, 24, 28, 29 NR.
ETA: 2018.
Comments: Released by the Braves, the Angels signed the Brazilian Gohara as a free agent in August. He’s pretty much the definition of a potential “clean peanut,” which also makes him really difficult to assess. Before the 2018 season, Baseball America ranked as the #23 prospect in all of baseball—that was after dominating A+ and AA, and getting a solid taste of AAA, even five starts in the majors at the age of 20 years old. But then his troubles began, and he didn’t perform well in the minors and eventually missed all of 2019 with a shoulder injury. While it is easly to get excited about his upside, the Braves released him for a reason. We can hope that they made a terrible mistake, but don’t count on it. Gohara goes into the 2020 season as perhaps the biggest in-house wildcard that could make a surprise impact on the major league pitching staff.
Best Known For: Being one of the top prospects in all of baseball only a little over a year ago.  Used to have upper-90’s heat before shoulder injury. Currently rehabbing from surgery.  One of the very rare Brazilian baseball players. 
26. ROBINSON PINA RHP (21)
Stats: 3.83 ERA, 108 IP, 61 walks, 146 strikeouts in A ball (Burlington).
Ranking Trends: 13, 20, 20, 25, 27, 27, 30, NR.
ETA: 2023.
Comments: Given his performance in 2019, it is almost surprising that Pina isn’t ranked higher. But if he continues this level of play in A+ and above, he could leapfrog several pitching prospects by year’s end. Definitely one to watch, with major league potential.
Best Known For: Tall and lanky.  Herky-jerky motion.  Misses lots of bats. Reports indicate low-90’s fastball .  
27. LUIS MADERO RHP (23)
Stats: 5.03 ERA, 105.2 IP, 31 walks, 98 strikeouts in A+/AA.
Ranking Trends: 10, 20, NR, NR, NR, NR, NR, NR.
ETA: 2022
Comments: Madero was a bit of a darling among Angelswin prospects hounds after his breakout 2018 campaign (3.49 ERA, 27 walks and 95 strikeouts in 105.2 IP in A/A+). While his ERA rose substantially, his peripherals held steady and perhaps we’re being a bit too bearish on him. He isn’t far from being on the major league depth chart.
Best Known For: Mid-90’s fastball.  Added to the Angels 40-man ahead of last year’s Rule 5 Draft. 
28. LIVAN SOTO SS/2B (20)
Stats: .220/.304/.256 in 311 PA in A/Rookie ball.
Ranking Trends: 14, 24, 30, NR, NR, NR, NR, NR.
ETA: 2024.
Comments: The second of the “stolen” Braves prospects, Soto had a disappointing follow-up to his promising first year in the Angels farm system. Right now he projects as a very weak-hitting but solid fielding middle infielder, but he’s also got some physical development ahead of him. 2020 should give us a better sense of his ultimate potential.
Best Known For: Being the “other” prospect the Braves lost that the Angels signed.  Defensive wizard. Weighs about as much as a women’s olympic gymnast. 
29. ADRIAN RONDON IF (21)
Stats: .266/.317/.378 in 69 games in Rookie/A ball.
Ranking Trends: 25, 25, 26, 27, 30, NR, NR, NR.
ETA: 2023.
Comments: We’ve got a Rondon! Eppler seems to like former highly regarded international prospects; while never quite as lauded as Maitan, Rondon’s story is similar: the Tampa Rays gave him a $3 million signing bonus in 2015, but he struggled in the minor leagues. He held his own last year, but nothing exciting – so far. There’ still untapped potential and relative youth on his side.
Best Known For: One of the more hyped international signees in recent memory.  Angels traded practically nothing for him. Great bat speed, recently moved to 3B.
30. GARRETT STALLINGS RHP (22)
Stats: Did not play.
Ranking Trends: 22, 25, 29, 29, 29, NR, NR, NR.
ETA: 2022.
Comments: The Angels’ 5th round pick in 2019, Stallings is a bit of a sleeper pick who could reach the majors relatively quickly. He probably projects as a back-end starter, but is one to keep an eye on.
Best Known For: Brilliant performance in the heavily scouted Cape Cod League.  Could climb the minor league ladder very quickly. 
 
Other Ranked Players: Jeremy Beasley, Jose Bonilla, Denny Brady, Sadrac Franco, Jake Jewell, Orlando Martinez, Isaac Mattson, Leonardo Rivas, Jose Rojas, Andrew Wantz, Austin Warren.

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.
On to the list…
1. JO ADELL OF (age 21)

Stats: .289/.359/.475, 10 HR in 76 games in A+/AA/AAA.
Ranking Trends: Consensus #1.
ETA: 2020.
Comments: The second year in a row as the consensus #1 Angels prospect, Adell is now considered one of the top five prospects in all of baseball – despite missing the first couple months of the year with a rather freakish double whammy hamstring/ankle injury. MLB Pipeline currently has him at #5, while Baseball America has him at #2. Adell’s stat line above is somewhat diminished by a relatively poor showing in AAA at the end of the year (.264/.321/.355 in 27 games), but his performance in AA (.308/.390/.553, 8 HR and 173 wRC+ in 43 games) is more indicative of his talent level. Adell is a tremendous athlete with prodigious power and great make-up; if there’s one knock on his game its that he doesn’t make as much contact as you’d like, and has only average plate discipline; but both should improve as he matures. He’s the real deal, the best Angels prospect since Mike Trout, and will make his debut in Anaheim sometime in 2020.
Best Known For: Blend of power, speed, and athleticism at such a young age.
2. BRANDON MARSH OF (age 22)

Stats: .286/.367/.407, 7 HR and 19 SB in 101 Rookie/AA games.
Ranking Trends: Consensus #2.
ETA: 2020.
Comments: Somewhat overshadowed by his friend and team-mate Adell, Brandon Marsh is an excellent prospect in his own right. That stat line is marred by a 1-21 streak in Rookie ball rehabbing an injury; he hit .300/.383/.428 in AA. He has not yet hit for power, but he’ll hit his share of extra base hits and should at least develop average HR power in the majors, possibly more. Despite having less impressive raw tools, in some ways Marsh is a more well-rounded prospect than Adell, with better contact and plate discipline, and at this point is a superior defender. Like his soon-to-be AAA Salt Lake team-mate, he’ll probably make his major league debut sometime in 2020, if he gets the opportunity.
Best Known For: Well-rounded game.  Beard, and tantalizing power-speed potential. 
3. JORDYN ADAMS OF (age 20)

Stats: .257/.351/.369, 8 HR and 16 SB 109 R/A/A+ games.
Ranking Trends: Seven #3s, one #4.
ETA: 2023.
Comments: Considering that Adams was a two-sport player and more committed to football than baseball a year and a half ago, the fact that he held his own in single A as a 19-year old is room for optimism. There’s a lot to like in his performance: not only is he flashing Adell-esque tools (and he’s even faster), but his 56 walks in 109 games is very heartening. Perhaps most importantly, Adams seemed to improve as the year went on: after a slow start, he hit .287/.369/.414 from May 10 on, and .325/.406/.504 from July 13 on. Expect for a breakthrough year in A+ Rancho Cucamonga this year. While Adams is still raw, he’s learning quickly and is on the fast track.
Best Known For: One of the top prep football players in the nation coming out of high school.  Also, “The Dunk”. Also, the highest upside prospect in the system. 
4. CHRIS RODRIGUEZ RHP (21)

Stats: 0.00 ERA, 3 GS, 9.1 IP, 4 walks, 13 strikeouts.
Ranking Trends: Four #4s, three #5s, one #9.
ETA: 2021.
Comments: Chris Rodriguez’s high ranking might come as a surprise due to the fact that he’s only pitched 9.1 innings in the last two years, all within 2019. But the stuff is real: Aside from possibly Jack Kochanowicz, he has the highest ceiling in the minor leagues. The question is whether he can stay healthy, and that is a big question. If he does, his ascendency to the majors will be fast and furious.
Best Known For: Mid-90’s fastball, and mid/front of the rotation upside. 
5. PATRICK SANDOVAL LHP (23)

Stats: 5.03 ERA, 39.1 IP, 19 walks, 42 strikeouts in the majors.
Ranking Trends: 3, 4, 5, 5, 5, 6, 6, 6, 7.
ETA: 2019.
Comments: When Sandoval came over to the Angels in July of 2018, from the Astros for Martin Maldonado, the general view was that he was a classic high-floor but low-ceiling starter, the type of guy you don’t mind having as your 5th starter but not much more. In his nine starts in the majors, he showed flashes of something more, a bonafide mid-rotation starter, if everything comes together.
Best Known For: His fastball climbing 4-5 mph in the last two years since the Astros traded him. 
6. JEREMIAH JACKSON SS (20)

Stats: .266/.333/.605, 23 HR in 65 games in Orem (high Rookie ball).
Ranking Trends: 5, 7, 7, 7, 7, 8, 8, 9.
ETA: 2023.
Comments: I think the key phrase would be “cautiously excited.” 23 HR in 65 games for a 19-year old is impressive, but its all accompanied by 96 strikeouts and a mediocre .266 BA. He walked 24 times, which is a decent rate; given his swing and miss, developing plate discipline may be the key to Jackson becoming a star.
Best Known For: Breaking the Pioneer League HR record as a 19 year old. 
7. JOSE SORIANO RHP (21)

Stats: 2.51 ERA, 82.1 IP, 51 walks, 92 strikeouts in Rookie and A ball (Burlington).
Ranking Trends: 4, 4, 5, 5, 6, 6, 6, 23.
ETA: 2021.
Comments: Soriano and Rodriguez are often mentioned in the same breath. While on one level it is a ceiling/floor comparison, Soriano’s ceiling isn’t that much lower, and his floor seems quite a bit higher. If his control develops, he could be in Anaheim rather quickly.
Best Known For: Mid to upper 90’s fastball and wipeout slider. 
8. JAHMAI JONES 2B (22)

Stats: .234/.308/.324, 5 HR and 9 SB in 130 games in AAA Salt Lake.
Ranking Trends: 7, 7, 8, 8, 8, 9, 9, 9
ETA: 2021
Comments: Jones not only had a very bad year statistically speaking, it was also his second year in a row of declining performance: his OPS slipped from .794 in 2017 (A/A+), .717 in 2018 (A+/AA) to .631 in 2019 (AA). That said, he did improve later in the year, both hitting well in the Arizona Fall League (.302/.377/.509 in 61 PA), but also towards the end of the regular year, hitting .306/.385/.414 from July 5th on, or 51 games. So while he didn’t make that jump into elite prospect status that we might have hoped for after 2017, he’s still a good prospect. Depending what the Angels do with Andrelton Simmons and Tommy La Stella after 2020, don’t be surprised if the 2021 infield includes Fletcher, Rengifo, and Jones.
Best Known For: Power-speed potential as a middle infielder, and the younger brother of NFL Wide Receiver T.J. Jones. 
9. KYREN PARIS SS (18)

Stats: .300/.462/.400 in 13 PA in Rookie ball (AZL).
Ranking Trends: 6, 9, 9, 10, 10, 10, 13, 14.
ETA: 2024
Comments: While it is rather early to be too excited about Paris, the upside is real: this is a talented young baseball player who just turned 18 a couple weeks ago from this writing, on November 11. He’s a toolsy shortstop, a good defender for his age, and really only lacks power – although that could develop. Before the draft last year, when he went 55th overall (2nd round), websites and analysts had him anywhere from #34 (Fangraphs), #48 (Keith Law), #70 (Baseball America), and #75 (MLB Pipeline). There’s a lot of volatility at this point; a couple years from now he could be another Livan Soto—a defense-first middle infielder who profiles as a major league bench player—or he could be an elite prospect, if the bat develops as hoped. Stay tuned.
Best Known For: Delivering one of the better post-draft interviews with Victor and Gubi.  A very well spoken young man. 
10. WILL WILSON 2B/SS (21)

Stats: .275/.329/.439 in 46 games in Rookie ball.
Ranking Trends: 7, 8, 8, 8, 9, 10, 10, 29.
ETA: 2022
Comments: At this point it is difficult to say whether the tepid view on Wilson is warranted in that, on one hand, he seems like another unexciting college draft pick with limited upside in the tradition of Matt Thaiss and CJ Cron; on the other, not only is he rather young for a college player, but the scouting reports on his bat are promising. At the least, he deserves a chance to prove himself before calling him an over-draft. Wilson could be better than expected, so let’s see how he hits with a full season of experience: he could move fast.
Best Known For: The Angels first round draft pick from this last draft.  Bat first middle infielder. 
11. JACK KOCHANOWICZ RHP (19)
Stats: Did not play professional baseball.
Ranking Trends: 10, 10, 11, 11, 11, 12, 15, 17.
ETA: 2024.
Comments: Upside, upside, upside. At 6’6” and 220 lbs, Kochanowicz can bring the heat. In my mind, he is the pitching equivalent of Kyren Paris: a couple years from now he could be #1 on this list, or another cautionary tale about getting too excited too soon. But the stuff is real, and he’s very young. He’ll be one of the most exciting prospects to watch in 2020.
Best Known For: Hitting upper-90’s at Fall Instructs.  One scout said that he believed Kochanowicz would go top five in the draft three years from now had he decided to go to college instead. 
12. AARON HERNANDEZ RHP (23)
Stats: 4.46 ERA, 72.2 IP, 46 walks, 81 strikeouts in A+ ball (Inland Empire).
Ranking Trends: 11, 11, 12, 13, 13, 15, 15, 20.
ETA: 2021.
Comments: Hernandez simply needs more minor league innings, and should be in Anaheim before you know it. He’s got the upside to be a mid-rotation starter, but may settle in a bit below that, or as a reliever. But he seems to have a rather high floor for a pitching prospect and, one way or another, should be part of the major league team within the next year or two.
Best Known For: Other than sharing a name with an unfortunate soul mid-90’s fastball with movement and a strong finish to the 2019 season. 
13. HECTOR YAN LHP (21)
Stats: 3.72 ERA in 109 IP, 52 walks, and 148 strikeouts in A ball (Burlington).
Ranking Trends: 11, 12, 13, 13, 14, 16, 16, 16.
ETA: 2022.
Comments: Take a look at those strikeouts and walks, and you see why Yan is ranked where he is. 12.2 Ks per 9 innings is no joke, but neither are 4.3 walks. We can hope that Yan can remain a starter, but his path to the majors may be as a relief pitcher. Either way, he’s one of a handful of pitching prospects in the organization with legitimate upside.
Best Known For: Recently being added to the Angels 40 man roster from A Ball.  Sidearmer with mid-90’s fastball. 
14. D’SHAWN KNOWLES OF (19)
Stats: .241/.310/.387 in 64 games in Rookie ball (Orem).
Ranking Trends: 12, 12, 13, 16, 16, 18, 21, 28.
ETA: 2023
Comments: Remember when D’Shawn was an after-thought to Trent Deveaux? He had a surprising 2018, but fell back to earth in 2019 – a rather disappointing follow-up. He doesn’t seem to have Deveaux’s elite athleticism, but may also have that “it factor” to become more than the sum of his parts. At 19 years old and with Adell, Marsh, and Hermosillo ahead of him, he’s got plenty of time.
Best Known For: Being the “other” top international signing from the Bahamas two years ago. 
15. MICHAEL HERMOSILLO OF (25)
Stats: .243/.330/.466 in 64 games in A+/AAA; .139/.304/.222 in 18 major league games.
Ranking Trends: 11, 14, 15, 16, 18, 19, 22, 28.
ETA: 2019.
Comments: Hermosillo seems like the type of player that could become a fan favorite, the Brock Holt of the Angels. Or at least that’s his upside. He’s got the tools to be a terrific 4th outfielder, and could even be a starter on some teams. But he’s got to make more contact first, and may be destined for another organization to get regular playing time.
Best Known For: Prep exploits on the gridiron and overall athleticism. 
16. KEVIN MAITAN IF (20)
Stats: .214/.278/.323 in 123 games in A Burlington.
Ranking Trends: 11, 12, 18, 18, 20, 20, 20, 26.
ETA: 2023.
Comments: If you didn’t know about the hype from a few years ago, Maitan would be an intriguing prospect – and he is. But it is hard not to get around the ridiculous comparisons that were thrown around, like Miguel Cabrera and Chipper Jones. Imagine being a 16-year old and hearing that. The hitting tools are there to be a major leaguer, and it is important to remember that he’s still quite young for his level – according to Baseball-Reference the league differential last year was -2.2. So while he isn’t the Promised One that the Braves originally thought he was, he still has a lot of time to actualize the good potential he does possess.
Best Known For: Being one of the more hyped international signings in recent memory.  Big time power.
17. STIWARD AQUINO RHP (21)
Stats: 6.87 ERA in 36.2 IP, 16 walks and 49 strikeouts in Rookie ball.
Ranking Trends: 8, 14, 16, 17, 19, 22, 25, 27.
ETA: 2023.
Comments: Another live arm with a wide range of possible outcomes, which is well-reflected in the ranking trends. Aquino’s numbers don’t look impressive, but he flashed good potential at times. His game log displays erratic performance, so hopefully with more innings he’ll settle down. Another pitcher whose future might be in the bullpen.
Best Known For: A great name and a mid-90’s fastball. 
18. ALEXANDER RAMIREZ OF (17)
Stats: .234/.328/.429 in 39 games in the Dominican League (Foreign Rookie).
Ranking Trends: 15, 15, 15, 17, 17, 19, 28, NR.
ETA: 2025.
Comments: There’s not a lot to go on at this point, but there’s a reason Billy Eppler gave the young Dominican a $1 million signing bonus upon turning 16 years old. He should be coming States-side in 2020, so look for him in the AZL. He is very young, just 17 in August, and has a ton of young outfielders ahead of him, but is at least worth having in the back of your mind as a high-ceiling prospect to look forward to.
Best Known For: Angels top international signee from last year.  Power and speed are more advanced than originally anticipated. 
19. KYLE BRADISH RHP (23)
Stats: 4.28 ERA in 101 IP, 53 walks and 120 strikeouts in A+ Inland Empire.
Ranking Trends: 12, 15, 21, 21, 21, 23, 24, 25.
ETA: 2021.
Comments: Bradish may forever be paired with Aaron Hernandez, as he was drafted right after him. Like Hernandez, he’s a college pitcher who projects as a major league starter, but is considered to have a lower ceiling. Clearly he has to work on his control, but after a solid first professional season, he’s establishing a solid floor to build from.
Best Known For: Advanced college arm that will climb the minor league ladder quickly. 
20. JARED WALSH OF/1B/RHP (26)
Stats: .325/.423/.686, 36 HR in 98 AAA games (Salt Lake); .203/.276/.329 in 31 major league games. Pitching: 4.15 ERA, 13 IP, 5 walks and 9 strikeouts in AAA; 1.80 ERA, 5 IP, 6 walks, 5 strikeouts in the majors.
Ranking Trends: 12, 18, 19, 19, 21, 23, 25, 27.
ETA: 2019
Comments: It is hard not to like Walsh. Not only did he absolutely kill AAA pitching, but he is also trying to make it as a two-way player in the majors. Unlike Taylor Ward, this gives him a flexibility that might give him a longer leash as a useful—even ideal-- “26th man” on the major league roster next year.
Best Known For: Being the Angels “other” two-way player. 
21. TRENT DEVEAUX OF (20)
Stats: .238/.320/.422 in 60 games in Rookie ball (AZL, Orem).
Ranking Trends: 13, 17, 18, 19, 21, 23, 29, NR.
ETA: 2023.
Comments: After a disappointing season in 2018 (.199/.309/.247 in 44 AZL games), Deveaux adjusted well to States-side professional baseball, showing flashes of the potential that led the Angels to sign him. There’s a lot to like here, but he simply needs time to develop. He’s probably got both a higher ceiling and lower floor than his fellow Bahamanian, D’Shawn Knowles. He’s a good candidate for a breakout season in 2020, which should be his first full season in A ball.
Best Known For: Being the Angels top international signee from two years ago.  Bahamian with 80-grade speed. 
22. OLIVER ORTEGA RHP (23)
Stats: 4.14 ERA in 111 IP, 57 walks and 135 strikeouts in A+/AA ball.
Ranking Trends: 14, 18, 19, 22, 23, 24, 26, NR.
ETA: 2021.
Comments: Ortega seemed to come out of nowhere and reminds us that players do indeed rise up from the Dominican League through the minor leagues. He’s on the verge of the major league radar.
Best Known For: Bursting onto the scene at the end of last year and beginning of this year with mid-90’s fastball. 
23. AROL VERA SS (17)
Stats: Did not play.
Ranking Trends: 14, 17, 18, 21, 23, 24, NR, NR.
ETA: 2025.
Comments: A top international signing, the word on Vera is that he’s a tall (6’2”), lean, and promising switch-hitting shortstop with a strong hit-tool. He’s a long way away, but fits in a similar category with Alexander Ramirez.
Best Known For: Angels most expensive international signee since Roberto Baldoquin (not counting Kevin Maitan).  Great power projection from both sides of the plate. 
24. WILLIAM HOLMES OF/RHP (19)
Stats: .326/.431/.488 in 11 Rookie games; 5.18 ERA, 24.1 IP, 20 walks, 38 strikeouts.
Ranking Trends: 17, 20, 21, 22, 23, 26, 26, NR.
ETA: 2023.
Comments: The third two-player in the Angels system, along with Ohtani and Walsh. Holmes is the player formerly known as William English. There’s a lot to like here, with a nice showing with the bat and some promise on the mound.
Best Known For: Being the rare draftee from Detroit, also happens to be a two-way player with scattered intriguing skills on both sides of the ball. 
25. LUIZ GOHARA LHP (23)
Stats: Did not play (injuries).
Ranking Trends: 16, 17, 19, 22, 24, 28, 29 NR.
ETA: 2018.
Comments: Released by the Braves, the Angels signed the Brazilian Gohara as a free agent in August. He’s pretty much the definition of a potential “clean peanut,” which also makes him really difficult to assess. Before the 2018 season, Baseball America ranked as the #23 prospect in all of baseball—that was after dominating A+ and AA, and getting a solid taste of AAA, even five starts in the majors at the age of 20 years old. But then his troubles began, and he didn’t perform well in the minors and eventually missed all of 2019 with a shoulder injury. While it is easly to get excited about his upside, the Braves released him for a reason. We can hope that they made a terrible mistake, but don’t count on it. Gohara goes into the 2020 season as perhaps the biggest in-house wildcard that could make a surprise impact on the major league pitching staff.
Best Known For: Being one of the top prospects in all of baseball only a little over a year ago.  Used to have upper-90’s heat before shoulder injury. Currently rehabbing from surgery.  One of the very rare Brazilian baseball players. 
26. ROBINSON PINA RHP (21)
Stats: 3.83 ERA, 108 IP, 61 walks, 146 strikeouts in A ball (Burlington).
Ranking Trends: 13, 20, 20, 25, 27, 27, 30, NR.
ETA: 2023.
Comments: Given his performance in 2019, it is almost surprising that Pina isn’t ranked higher. But if he continues this level of play in A+ and above, he could leapfrog several pitching prospects by year’s end. Definitely one to watch, with major league potential.
Best Known For: Tall and lanky.  Herky-jerky motion.  Misses lots of bats. Reports indicate low-90’s fastball .  
27. LUIS MADERO RHP (23)
Stats: 5.03 ERA, 105.2 IP, 31 walks, 98 strikeouts in A+/AA.
Ranking Trends: 10, 20, NR, NR, NR, NR, NR, NR.
ETA: 2022
Comments: Madero was a bit of a darling among Angelswin prospects hounds after his breakout 2018 campaign (3.49 ERA, 27 walks and 95 strikeouts in 105.2 IP in A/A+). While his ERA rose substantially, his peripherals held steady and perhaps we’re being a bit too bearish on him. He isn’t far from being on the major league depth chart.
Best Known For: Mid-90’s fastball.  Added to the Angels 40-man ahead of last year’s Rule 5 Draft. 
28. LIVAN SOTO SS/2B (20)
Stats: .220/.304/.256 in 311 PA in A/Rookie ball.
Ranking Trends: 14, 24, 30, NR, NR, NR, NR, NR.
ETA: 2024.
Comments: The second of the “stolen” Braves prospects, Soto had a disappointing follow-up to his promising first year in the Angels farm system. Right now he projects as a very weak-hitting but solid fielding middle infielder, but he’s also got some physical development ahead of him. 2020 should give us a better sense of his ultimate potential.
Best Known For: Being the “other” prospect the Braves lost that the Angels signed.  Defensive wizard. Weighs about as much as a women’s olympic gymnast. 
29. ADRIAN RONDON IF (21)
Stats: .266/.317/.378 in 69 games in Rookie/A ball.
Ranking Trends: 25, 25, 26, 27, 30, NR, NR, NR.
ETA: 2023.
Comments: We’ve got a Rondon! Eppler seems to like former highly regarded international prospects; while never quite as lauded as Maitan, Rondon’s story is similar: the Tampa Rays gave him a $3 million signing bonus in 2015, but he struggled in the minor leagues. He held his own last year, but nothing exciting – so far. There’ still untapped potential and relative youth on his side.
Best Known For: One of the more hyped international signees in recent memory.  Angels traded practically nothing for him. Great bat speed, recently moved to 3B.
30. GARRETT STALLINGS RHP (22)
Stats: Did not play.
Ranking Trends: 22, 25, 29, 29, 29, NR, NR, NR.
ETA: 2022.
Comments: The Angels’ 5th round pick in 2019, Stallings is a bit of a sleeper pick who could reach the majors relatively quickly. He probably projects as a back-end starter, but is one to keep an eye on.
Best Known For: Brilliant performance in the heavily scouted Cape Cod League.  Could climb the minor league ladder very quickly. 
 
Other Ranked Players: Jeremy Beasley, Jose Bonilla, Denny Brady, Sadrac Franco, Jake Jewell, Orlando Martinez, Isaac Mattson, Leonardo Rivas, Jose Rojas, Andrew Wantz, Austin Warren.

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.
On to the list…
1. JO ADELL OF (age 21)

Stats: .289/.359/.475, 10 HR in 76 games in A+/AA/AAA.
Ranking Trends: Consensus #1.
ETA: 2020.
Comments: The second year in a row as the consensus #1 Angels prospect, Adell is now considered one of the top five prospects in all of baseball – despite missing the first couple months of the year with a rather freakish double whammy hamstring/ankle injury. MLB Pipeline currently has him at #5, while Baseball America has him at #2. Adell’s stat line above is somewhat diminished by a relatively poor showing in AAA at the end of the year (.264/.321/.355 in 27 games), but his performance in AA (.308/.390/.553, 8 HR and 173 wRC+ in 43 games) is more indicative of his talent level. Adell is a tremendous athlete with prodigious power and great make-up; if there’s one knock on his game its that he doesn’t make as much contact as you’d like, and has only average plate discipline; but both should improve as he matures. He’s the real deal, the best Angels prospect since Mike Trout, and will make his debut in Anaheim sometime in 2020.
Best Known For: Blend of power, speed, and athleticism at such a young age.
2. BRANDON MARSH OF (age 22)

Stats: .286/.367/.407, 7 HR and 19 SB in 101 Rookie/AA games.
Ranking Trends: Consensus #2.
ETA: 2020.
Comments: Somewhat overshadowed by his friend and team-mate Adell, Brandon Marsh is an excellent prospect in his own right. That stat line is marred by a 1-21 streak in Rookie ball rehabbing an injury; he hit .300/.383/.428 in AA. He has not yet hit for power, but he’ll hit his share of extra base hits and should at least develop average HR power in the majors, possibly more. Despite having less impressive raw tools, in some ways Marsh is a more well-rounded prospect than Adell, with better contact and plate discipline, and at this point is a superior defender. Like his soon-to-be AAA Salt Lake team-mate, he’ll probably make his major league debut sometime in 2020, if he gets the opportunity.
Best Known For: Well-rounded game.  Beard, and tantalizing power-speed potential. 
3. JORDYN ADAMS OF (age 20)

Stats: .257/.351/.369, 8 HR and 16 SB 109 R/A/A+ games.
Ranking Trends: Seven #3s, one #4.
ETA: 2023.
Comments: Considering that Adams was a two-sport player and more committed to football than baseball a year and a half ago, the fact that he held his own in single A as a 19-year old is room for optimism. There’s a lot to like in his performance: not only is he flashing Adell-esque tools (and he’s even faster), but his 56 walks in 109 games is very heartening. Perhaps most importantly, Adams seemed to improve as the year went on: after a slow start, he hit .287/.369/.414 from May 10 on, and .325/.406/.504 from July 13 on. Expect for a breakthrough year in A+ Rancho Cucamonga this year. While Adams is still raw, he’s learning quickly and is on the fast track.
Best Known For: One of the top prep football players in the nation coming out of high school.  Also, “The Dunk”. Also, the highest upside prospect in the system. 
4. CHRIS RODRIGUEZ RHP (21)

Stats: 0.00 ERA, 3 GS, 9.1 IP, 4 walks, 13 strikeouts.
Ranking Trends: Four #4s, three #5s, one #9.
ETA: 2021.
Comments: Chris Rodriguez’s high ranking might come as a surprise due to the fact that he’s only pitched 9.1 innings in the last two years, all within 2019. But the stuff is real: Aside from possibly Jack Kochanowicz, he has the highest ceiling in the minor leagues. The question is whether he can stay healthy, and that is a big question. If he does, his ascendency to the majors will be fast and furious.
Best Known For: Mid-90’s fastball, and mid/front of the rotation upside. 
5. PATRICK SANDOVAL LHP (23)

Stats: 5.03 ERA, 39.1 IP, 19 walks, 42 strikeouts in the majors.
Ranking Trends: 3, 4, 5, 5, 5, 6, 6, 6, 7.
ETA: 2019.
Comments: When Sandoval came over to the Angels in July of 2018, from the Astros for Martin Maldonado, the general view was that he was a classic high-floor but low-ceiling starter, the type of guy you don’t mind having as your 5th starter but not much more. In his nine starts in the majors, he showed flashes of something more, a bonafide mid-rotation starter, if everything comes together.
Best Known For: His fastball climbing 4-5 mph in the last two years since the Astros traded him. 
6. JEREMIAH JACKSON SS (20)

Stats: .266/.333/.605, 23 HR in 65 games in Orem (high Rookie ball).
Ranking Trends: 5, 7, 7, 7, 7, 8, 8, 9.
ETA: 2023.
Comments: I think the key phrase would be “cautiously excited.” 23 HR in 65 games for a 19-year old is impressive, but its all accompanied by 96 strikeouts and a mediocre .266 BA. He walked 24 times, which is a decent rate; given his swing and miss, developing plate discipline may be the key to Jackson becoming a star.
Best Known For: Breaking the Pioneer League HR record as a 19 year old. 
7. JOSE SORIANO RHP (21)

Stats: 2.51 ERA, 82.1 IP, 51 walks, 92 strikeouts in Rookie and A ball (Burlington).
Ranking Trends: 4, 4, 5, 5, 6, 6, 6, 23.
ETA: 2021.
Comments: Soriano and Rodriguez are often mentioned in the same breath. While on one level it is a ceiling/floor comparison, Soriano’s ceiling isn’t that much lower, and his floor seems quite a bit higher. If his control develops, he could be in Anaheim rather quickly.
Best Known For: Mid to upper 90’s fastball and wipeout slider. 
8. JAHMAI JONES 2B (22)

Stats: .234/.308/.324, 5 HR and 9 SB in 130 games in AAA Salt Lake.
Ranking Trends: 7, 7, 8, 8, 8, 9, 9, 9
ETA: 2021
Comments: Jones not only had a very bad year statistically speaking, it was also his second year in a row of declining performance: his OPS slipped from .794 in 2017 (A/A+), .717 in 2018 (A+/AA) to .631 in 2019 (AA). That said, he did improve later in the year, both hitting well in the Arizona Fall League (.302/.377/.509 in 61 PA), but also towards the end of the regular year, hitting .306/.385/.414 from July 5th on, or 51 games. So while he didn’t make that jump into elite prospect status that we might have hoped for after 2017, he’s still a good prospect. Depending what the Angels do with Andrelton Simmons and Tommy La Stella after 2020, don’t be surprised if the 2021 infield includes Fletcher, Rengifo, and Jones.
Best Known For: Power-speed potential as a middle infielder, and the younger brother of NFL Wide Receiver T.J. Jones. 
9. KYREN PARIS SS (18)

Stats: .300/.462/.400 in 13 PA in Rookie ball (AZL).
Ranking Trends: 6, 9, 9, 10, 10, 10, 13, 14.
ETA: 2024
Comments: While it is rather early to be too excited about Paris, the upside is real: this is a talented young baseball player who just turned 18 a couple weeks ago from this writing, on November 11. He’s a toolsy shortstop, a good defender for his age, and really only lacks power – although that could develop. Before the draft last year, when he went 55th overall (2nd round), websites and analysts had him anywhere from #34 (Fangraphs), #48 (Keith Law), #70 (Baseball America), and #75 (MLB Pipeline). There’s a lot of volatility at this point; a couple years from now he could be another Livan Soto—a defense-first middle infielder who profiles as a major league bench player—or he could be an elite prospect, if the bat develops as hoped. Stay tuned.
Best Known For: Delivering one of the better post-draft interviews with Victor and Gubi.  A very well spoken young man. 
10. WILL WILSON 2B/SS (21)

Stats: .275/.329/.439 in 46 games in Rookie ball.
Ranking Trends: 7, 8, 8, 8, 9, 10, 10, 29.
ETA: 2022
Comments: At this point it is difficult to say whether the tepid view on Wilson is warranted in that, on one hand, he seems like another unexciting college draft pick with limited upside in the tradition of Matt Thaiss and CJ Cron; on the other, not only is he rather young for a college player, but the scouting reports on his bat are promising. At the least, he deserves a chance to prove himself before calling him an over-draft. Wilson could be better than expected, so let’s see how he hits with a full season of experience: he could move fast.
Best Known For: The Angels first round draft pick from this last draft.  Bat first middle infielder. 
11. JACK KOCHANOWICZ RHP (19)
Stats: Did not play professional baseball.
Ranking Trends: 10, 10, 11, 11, 11, 12, 15, 17.
ETA: 2024.
Comments: Upside, upside, upside. At 6’6” and 220 lbs, Kochanowicz can bring the heat. In my mind, he is the pitching equivalent of Kyren Paris: a couple years from now he could be #1 on this list, or another cautionary tale about getting too excited too soon. But the stuff is real, and he’s very young. He’ll be one of the most exciting prospects to watch in 2020.
Best Known For: Hitting upper-90’s at Fall Instructs.  One scout said that he believed Kochanowicz would go top five in the draft three years from now had he decided to go to college instead. 
12. AARON HERNANDEZ RHP (23)
Stats: 4.46 ERA, 72.2 IP, 46 walks, 81 strikeouts in A+ ball (Inland Empire).
Ranking Trends: 11, 11, 12, 13, 13, 15, 15, 20.
ETA: 2021.
Comments: Hernandez simply needs more minor league innings, and should be in Anaheim before you know it. He’s got the upside to be a mid-rotation starter, but may settle in a bit below that, or as a reliever. But he seems to have a rather high floor for a pitching prospect and, one way or another, should be part of the major league team within the next year or two.
Best Known For: Other than sharing a name with an unfortunate soul mid-90’s fastball with movement and a strong finish to the 2019 season. 
13. HECTOR YAN LHP (21)
Stats: 3.72 ERA in 109 IP, 52 walks, and 148 strikeouts in A ball (Burlington).
Ranking Trends: 11, 12, 13, 13, 14, 16, 16, 16.
ETA: 2022.
Comments: Take a look at those strikeouts and walks, and you see why Yan is ranked where he is. 12.2 Ks per 9 innings is no joke, but neither are 4.3 walks. We can hope that Yan can remain a starter, but his path to the majors may be as a relief pitcher. Either way, he’s one of a handful of pitching prospects in the organization with legitimate upside.
Best Known For: Recently being added to the Angels 40 man roster from A Ball.  Sidearmer with mid-90’s fastball. 
14. D’SHAWN KNOWLES OF (19)
Stats: .241/.310/.387 in 64 games in Rookie ball (Orem).
Ranking Trends: 12, 12, 13, 16, 16, 18, 21, 28.
ETA: 2023
Comments: Remember when D’Shawn was an after-thought to Trent Deveaux? He had a surprising 2018, but fell back to earth in 2019 – a rather disappointing follow-up. He doesn’t seem to have Deveaux’s elite athleticism, but may also have that “it factor” to become more than the sum of his parts. At 19 years old and with Adell, Marsh, and Hermosillo ahead of him, he’s got plenty of time.
Best Known For: Being the “other” top international signing from the Bahamas two years ago. 
15. MICHAEL HERMOSILLO OF (25)
Stats: .243/.330/.466 in 64 games in A+/AAA; .139/.304/.222 in 18 major league games.
Ranking Trends: 11, 14, 15, 16, 18, 19, 22, 28.
ETA: 2019.
Comments: Hermosillo seems like the type of player that could become a fan favorite, the Brock Holt of the Angels. Or at least that’s his upside. He’s got the tools to be a terrific 4th outfielder, and could even be a starter on some teams. But he’s got to make more contact first, and may be destined for another organization to get regular playing time.
Best Known For: Prep exploits on the gridiron and overall athleticism. 
16. KEVIN MAITAN IF (20)
Stats: .214/.278/.323 in 123 games in A Burlington.
Ranking Trends: 11, 12, 18, 18, 20, 20, 20, 26.
ETA: 2023.
Comments: If you didn’t know about the hype from a few years ago, Maitan would be an intriguing prospect – and he is. But it is hard not to get around the ridiculous comparisons that were thrown around, like Miguel Cabrera and Chipper Jones. Imagine being a 16-year old and hearing that. The hitting tools are there to be a major leaguer, and it is important to remember that he’s still quite young for his level – according to Baseball-Reference the league differential last year was -2.2. So while he isn’t the Promised One that the Braves originally thought he was, he still has a lot of time to actualize the good potential he does possess.
Best Known For: Being one of the more hyped international signings in recent memory.  Big time power.
17. STIWARD AQUINO RHP (21)
Stats: 6.87 ERA in 36.2 IP, 16 walks and 49 strikeouts in Rookie ball.
Ranking Trends: 8, 14, 16, 17, 19, 22, 25, 27.
ETA: 2023.
Comments: Another live arm with a wide range of possible outcomes, which is well-reflected in the ranking trends. Aquino’s numbers don’t look impressive, but he flashed good potential at times. His game log displays erratic performance, so hopefully with more innings he’ll settle down. Another pitcher whose future might be in the bullpen.
Best Known For: A great name and a mid-90’s fastball. 
18. ALEXANDER RAMIREZ OF (17)
Stats: .234/.328/.429 in 39 games in the Dominican League (Foreign Rookie).
Ranking Trends: 15, 15, 15, 17, 17, 19, 28, NR.
ETA: 2025.
Comments: There’s not a lot to go on at this point, but there’s a reason Billy Eppler gave the young Dominican a $1 million signing bonus upon turning 16 years old. He should be coming States-side in 2020, so look for him in the AZL. He is very young, just 17 in August, and has a ton of young outfielders ahead of him, but is at least worth having in the back of your mind as a high-ceiling prospect to look forward to.
Best Known For: Angels top international signee from last year.  Power and speed are more advanced than originally anticipated. 
19. KYLE BRADISH RHP (23)
Stats: 4.28 ERA in 101 IP, 53 walks and 120 strikeouts in A+ Inland Empire.
Ranking Trends: 12, 15, 21, 21, 21, 23, 24, 25.
ETA: 2021.
Comments: Bradish may forever be paired with Aaron Hernandez, as he was drafted right after him. Like Hernandez, he’s a college pitcher who projects as a major league starter, but is considered to have a lower ceiling. Clearly he has to work on his control, but after a solid first professional season, he’s establishing a solid floor to build from.
Best Known For: Advanced college arm that will climb the minor league ladder quickly. 
20. JARED WALSH OF/1B/RHP (26)
Stats: .325/.423/.686, 36 HR in 98 AAA games (Salt Lake); .203/.276/.329 in 31 major league games. Pitching: 4.15 ERA, 13 IP, 5 walks and 9 strikeouts in AAA; 1.80 ERA, 5 IP, 6 walks, 5 strikeouts in the majors.
Ranking Trends: 12, 18, 19, 19, 21, 23, 25, 27.
ETA: 2019
Comments: It is hard not to like Walsh. Not only did he absolutely kill AAA pitching, but he is also trying to make it as a two-way player in the majors. Unlike Taylor Ward, this gives him a flexibility that might give him a longer leash as a useful—even ideal-- “26th man” on the major league roster next year.
Best Known For: Being the Angels “other” two-way player. 
21. TRENT DEVEAUX OF (20)
Stats: .238/.320/.422 in 60 games in Rookie ball (AZL, Orem).
Ranking Trends: 13, 17, 18, 19, 21, 23, 29, NR.
ETA: 2023.
Comments: After a disappointing season in 2018 (.199/.309/.247 in 44 AZL games), Deveaux adjusted well to States-side professional baseball, showing flashes of the potential that led the Angels to sign him. There’s a lot to like here, but he simply needs time to develop. He’s probably got both a higher ceiling and lower floor than his fellow Bahamanian, D’Shawn Knowles. He’s a good candidate for a breakout season in 2020, which should be his first full season in A ball.
Best Known For: Being the Angels top international signee from two years ago.  Bahamian with 80-grade speed. 
22. OLIVER ORTEGA RHP (23)
Stats: 4.14 ERA in 111 IP, 57 walks and 135 strikeouts in A+/AA ball.
Ranking Trends: 14, 18, 19, 22, 23, 24, 26, NR.
ETA: 2021.
Comments: Ortega seemed to come out of nowhere and reminds us that players do indeed rise up from the Dominican League through the minor leagues. He’s on the verge of the major league radar.
Best Known For: Bursting onto the scene at the end of last year and beginning of this year with mid-90’s fastball. 
23. AROL VERA SS (17)
Stats: Did not play.
Ranking Trends: 14, 17, 18, 21, 23, 24, NR, NR.
ETA: 2025.
Comments: A top international signing, the word on Vera is that he’s a tall (6’2”), lean, and promising switch-hitting shortstop with a strong hit-tool. He’s a long way away, but fits in a similar category with Alexander Ramirez.
Best Known For: Angels most expensive international signee since Roberto Baldoquin (not counting Kevin Maitan).  Great power projection from both sides of the plate. 
24. WILLIAM HOLMES OF/RHP (19)
Stats: .326/.431/.488 in 11 Rookie games; 5.18 ERA, 24.1 IP, 20 walks, 38 strikeouts.
Ranking Trends: 17, 20, 21, 22, 23, 26, 26, NR.
ETA: 2023.
Comments: The third two-player in the Angels system, along with Ohtani and Walsh. Holmes is the player formerly known as William English. There’s a lot to like here, with a nice showing with the bat and some promise on the mound.
Best Known For: Being the rare draftee from Detroit, also happens to be a two-way player with scattered intriguing skills on both sides of the ball. 
25. LUIZ GOHARA LHP (23)
Stats: Did not play (injuries).
Ranking Trends: 16, 17, 19, 22, 24, 28, 29 NR.
ETA: 2018.
Comments: Released by the Braves, the Angels signed the Brazilian Gohara as a free agent in August. He’s pretty much the definition of a potential “clean peanut,” which also makes him really difficult to assess. Before the 2018 season, Baseball America ranked as the #23 prospect in all of baseball—that was after dominating A+ and AA, and getting a solid taste of AAA, even five starts in the majors at the age of 20 years old. But then his troubles began, and he didn’t perform well in the minors and eventually missed all of 2019 with a shoulder injury. While it is easly to get excited about his upside, the Braves released him for a reason. We can hope that they made a terrible mistake, but don’t count on it. Gohara goes into the 2020 season as perhaps the biggest in-house wildcard that could make a surprise impact on the major league pitching staff.
Best Known For: Being one of the top prospects in all of baseball only a little over a year ago.  Used to have upper-90’s heat before shoulder injury. Currently rehabbing from surgery.  One of the very rare Brazilian baseball players. 
26. ROBINSON PINA RHP (21)
Stats: 3.83 ERA, 108 IP, 61 walks, 146 strikeouts in A ball (Burlington).
Ranking Trends: 13, 20, 20, 25, 27, 27, 30, NR.
ETA: 2023.
Comments: Given his performance in 2019, it is almost surprising that Pina isn’t ranked higher. But if he continues this level of play in A+ and above, he could leapfrog several pitching prospects by year’s end. Definitely one to watch, with major league potential.
Best Known For: Tall and lanky.  Herky-jerky motion.  Misses lots of bats. Reports indicate low-90’s fastball .  
27. LUIS MADERO RHP (23)
Stats: 5.03 ERA, 105.2 IP, 31 walks, 98 strikeouts in A+/AA.
Ranking Trends: 10, 20, NR, NR, NR, NR, NR, NR.
ETA: 2022
Comments: Madero was a bit of a darling among Angelswin prospects hounds after his breakout 2018 campaign (3.49 ERA, 27 walks and 95 strikeouts in 105.2 IP in A/A+). While his ERA rose substantially, his peripherals held steady and perhaps we’re being a bit too bearish on him. He isn’t far from being on the major league depth chart.
Best Known For: Mid-90’s fastball.  Added to the Angels 40-man ahead of last year’s Rule 5 Draft. 
28. LIVAN SOTO SS/2B (20)
Stats: .220/.304/.256 in 311 PA in A/Rookie ball.
Ranking Trends: 14, 24, 30, NR, NR, NR, NR, NR.
ETA: 2024.
Comments: The second of the “stolen” Braves prospects, Soto had a disappointing follow-up to his promising first year in the Angels farm system. Right now he projects as a very weak-hitting but solid fielding middle infielder, but he’s also got some physical development ahead of him. 2020 should give us a better sense of his ultimate potential.
Best Known For: Being the “other” prospect the Braves lost that the Angels signed.  Defensive wizard. Weighs about as much as a women’s olympic gymnast. 
29. ADRIAN RONDON IF (21)
Stats: .266/.317/.378 in 69 games in Rookie/A ball.
Ranking Trends: 25, 25, 26, 27, 30, NR, NR, NR.
ETA: 2023.
Comments: We’ve got a Rondon! Eppler seems to like former highly regarded international prospects; while never quite as lauded as Maitan, Rondon’s story is similar: the Tampa Rays gave him a $3 million signing bonus in 2015, but he struggled in the minor leagues. He held his own last year, but nothing exciting – so far. There’ still untapped potential and relative youth on his side.
Best Known For: One of the more hyped international signees in recent memory.  Angels traded practically nothing for him. Great bat speed, recently moved to 3B.
30. GARRETT STALLINGS RHP (22)
Stats: Did not play.
Ranking Trends: 22, 25, 29, 29, 29, NR, NR, NR.
ETA: 2022.
Comments: The Angels’ 5th round pick in 2019, Stallings is a bit of a sleeper pick who could reach the majors relatively quickly. He probably projects as a back-end starter, but is one to keep an eye on.
Best Known For: Brilliant performance in the heavily scouted Cape Cod League.  Could climb the minor league ladder very quickly. 
 
Other Ranked Players: Jeremy Beasley, Jose Bonilla, Denny Brady, Sadrac Franco, Jake Jewell, Orlando Martinez, Isaac Mattson, Leonardo Rivas, Jose Rojas, Andrew Wantz, Austin Warren.

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.
On to the list…
1. JO ADELL OF (age 21)

Stats: .289/.359/.475, 10 HR in 76 games in A+/AA/AAA.
Ranking Trends: Consensus #1.
ETA: 2020.
Comments: The second year in a row as the consensus #1 Angels prospect, Adell is now considered one of the top five prospects in all of baseball – despite missing the first couple months of the year with a rather freakish double whammy hamstring/ankle injury. MLB Pipeline currently has him at #5, while Baseball America has him at #2. Adell’s stat line above is somewhat diminished by a relatively poor showing in AAA at the end of the year (.264/.321/.355 in 27 games), but his performance in AA (.308/.390/.553, 8 HR and 173 wRC+ in 43 games) is more indicative of his talent level. Adell is a tremendous athlete with prodigious power and great make-up; if there’s one knock on his game its that he doesn’t make as much contact as you’d like, and has only average plate discipline; but both should improve as he matures. He’s the real deal, the best Angels prospect since Mike Trout, and will make his debut in Anaheim sometime in 2020.
Best Known For: Blend of power, speed, and athleticism at such a young age.
2. BRANDON MARSH OF (age 22)

Stats: .286/.367/.407, 7 HR and 19 SB in 101 Rookie/AA games.
Ranking Trends: Consensus #2.
ETA: 2020.
Comments: Somewhat overshadowed by his friend and team-mate Adell, Brandon Marsh is an excellent prospect in his own right. That stat line is marred by a 1-21 streak in Rookie ball rehabbing an injury; he hit .300/.383/.428 in AA. He has not yet hit for power, but he’ll hit his share of extra base hits and should at least develop average HR power in the majors, possibly more. Despite having less impressive raw tools, in some ways Marsh is a more well-rounded prospect than Adell, with better contact and plate discipline, and at this point is a superior defender. Like his soon-to-be AAA Salt Lake team-mate, he’ll probably make his major league debut sometime in 2020, if he gets the opportunity.
Best Known For: Well-rounded game.  Beard, and tantalizing power-speed potential. 
3. JORDYN ADAMS OF (age 20)

Stats: .257/.351/.369, 8 HR and 16 SB 109 R/A/A+ games.
Ranking Trends: Seven #3s, one #4.
ETA: 2023.
Comments: Considering that Adams was a two-sport player and more committed to football than baseball a year and a half ago, the fact that he held his own in single A as a 19-year old is room for optimism. There’s a lot to like in his performance: not only is he flashing Adell-esque tools (and he’s even faster), but his 56 walks in 109 games is very heartening. Perhaps most importantly, Adams seemed to improve as the year went on: after a slow start, he hit .287/.369/.414 from May 10 on, and .325/.406/.504 from July 13 on. Expect for a breakthrough year in A+ Rancho Cucamonga this year. While Adams is still raw, he’s learning quickly and is on the fast track.
Best Known For: One of the top prep football players in the nation coming out of high school.  Also, “The Dunk”. Also, the highest upside prospect in the system. 
4. CHRIS RODRIGUEZ RHP (21)

Stats: 0.00 ERA, 3 GS, 9.1 IP, 4 walks, 13 strikeouts.
Ranking Trends: Four #4s, three #5s, one #9.
ETA: 2021.
Comments: Chris Rodriguez’s high ranking might come as a surprise due to the fact that he’s only pitched 9.1 innings in the last two years, all within 2019. But the stuff is real: Aside from possibly Jack Kochanowicz, he has the highest ceiling in the minor leagues. The question is whether he can stay healthy, and that is a big question. If he does, his ascendency to the majors will be fast and furious.
Best Known For: Mid-90’s fastball, and mid/front of the rotation upside. 
5. PATRICK SANDOVAL LHP (23)

Stats: 5.03 ERA, 39.1 IP, 19 walks, 42 strikeouts in the majors.
Ranking Trends: 3, 4, 5, 5, 5, 6, 6, 6, 7.
ETA: 2019.
Comments: When Sandoval came over to the Angels in July of 2018, from the Astros for Martin Maldonado, the general view was that he was a classic high-floor but low-ceiling starter, the type of guy you don’t mind having as your 5th starter but not much more. In his nine starts in the majors, he showed flashes of something more, a bonafide mid-rotation starter, if everything comes together.
Best Known For: His fastball climbing 4-5 mph in the last two years since the Astros traded him. 
6. JEREMIAH JACKSON SS (20)

Stats: .266/.333/.605, 23 HR in 65 games in Orem (high Rookie ball).
Ranking Trends: 5, 7, 7, 7, 7, 8, 8, 9.
ETA: 2023.
Comments: I think the key phrase would be “cautiously excited.” 23 HR in 65 games for a 19-year old is impressive, but its all accompanied by 96 strikeouts and a mediocre .266 BA. He walked 24 times, which is a decent rate; given his swing and miss, developing plate discipline may be the key to Jackson becoming a star.
Best Known For: Breaking the Pioneer League HR record as a 19 year old. 
7. JOSE SORIANO RHP (21)

Stats: 2.51 ERA, 82.1 IP, 51 walks, 92 strikeouts in Rookie and A ball (Burlington).
Ranking Trends: 4, 4, 5, 5, 6, 6, 6, 23.
ETA: 2021.
Comments: Soriano and Rodriguez are often mentioned in the same breath. While on one level it is a ceiling/floor comparison, Soriano’s ceiling isn’t that much lower, and his floor seems quite a bit higher. If his control develops, he could be in Anaheim rather quickly.
Best Known For: Mid to upper 90’s fastball and wipeout slider. 
8. JAHMAI JONES 2B (22)

Stats: .234/.308/.324, 5 HR and 9 SB in 130 games in AAA Salt Lake.
Ranking Trends: 7, 7, 8, 8, 8, 9, 9, 9
ETA: 2021
Comments: Jones not only had a very bad year statistically speaking, it was also his second year in a row of declining performance: his OPS slipped from .794 in 2017 (A/A+), .717 in 2018 (A+/AA) to .631 in 2019 (AA). That said, he did improve later in the year, both hitting well in the Arizona Fall League (.302/.377/.509 in 61 PA), but also towards the end of the regular year, hitting .306/.385/.414 from July 5th on, or 51 games. So while he didn’t make that jump into elite prospect status that we might have hoped for after 2017, he’s still a good prospect. Depending what the Angels do with Andrelton Simmons and Tommy La Stella after 2020, don’t be surprised if the 2021 infield includes Fletcher, Rengifo, and Jones.
Best Known For: Power-speed potential as a middle infielder, and the younger brother of NFL Wide Receiver T.J. Jones. 
9. KYREN PARIS SS (18)

Stats: .300/.462/.400 in 13 PA in Rookie ball (AZL).
Ranking Trends: 6, 9, 9, 10, 10, 10, 13, 14.
ETA: 2024
Comments: While it is rather early to be too excited about Paris, the upside is real: this is a talented young baseball player who just turned 18 a couple weeks ago from this writing, on November 11. He’s a toolsy shortstop, a good defender for his age, and really only lacks power – although that could develop. Before the draft last year, when he went 55th overall (2nd round), websites and analysts had him anywhere from #34 (Fangraphs), #48 (Keith Law), #70 (Baseball America), and #75 (MLB Pipeline). There’s a lot of volatility at this point; a couple years from now he could be another Livan Soto—a defense-first middle infielder who profiles as a major league bench player—or he could be an elite prospect, if the bat develops as hoped. Stay tuned.
Best Known For: Delivering one of the better post-draft interviews with Victor and Gubi.  A very well spoken young man. 
10. WILL WILSON 2B/SS (21)

Stats: .275/.329/.439 in 46 games in Rookie ball.
Ranking Trends: 7, 8, 8, 8, 9, 10, 10, 29.
ETA: 2022
Comments: At this point it is difficult to say whether the tepid view on Wilson is warranted in that, on one hand, he seems like another unexciting college draft pick with limited upside in the tradition of Matt Thaiss and CJ Cron; on the other, not only is he rather young for a college player, but the scouting reports on his bat are promising. At the least, he deserves a chance to prove himself before calling him an over-draft. Wilson could be better than expected, so let’s see how he hits with a full season of experience: he could move fast.
Best Known For: The Angels first round draft pick from this last draft.  Bat first middle infielder. 
11. JACK KOCHANOWICZ RHP (19)
Stats: Did not play professional baseball.
Ranking Trends: 10, 10, 11, 11, 11, 12, 15, 17.
ETA: 2024.
Comments: Upside, upside, upside. At 6’6” and 220 lbs, Kochanowicz can bring the heat. In my mind, he is the pitching equivalent of Kyren Paris: a couple years from now he could be #1 on this list, or another cautionary tale about getting too excited too soon. But the stuff is real, and he’s very young. He’ll be one of the most exciting prospects to watch in 2020.
Best Known For: Hitting upper-90’s at Fall Instructs.  One scout said that he believed Kochanowicz would go top five in the draft three years from now had he decided to go to college instead. 
12. AARON HERNANDEZ RHP (23)
Stats: 4.46 ERA, 72.2 IP, 46 walks, 81 strikeouts in A+ ball (Inland Empire).
Ranking Trends: 11, 11, 12, 13, 13, 15, 15, 20.
ETA: 2021.
Comments: Hernandez simply needs more minor league innings, and should be in Anaheim before you know it. He’s got the upside to be a mid-rotation starter, but may settle in a bit below that, or as a reliever. But he seems to have a rather high floor for a pitching prospect and, one way or another, should be part of the major league team within the next year or two.
Best Known For: Other than sharing a name with an unfortunate soul mid-90’s fastball with movement and a strong finish to the 2019 season. 
13. HECTOR YAN LHP (21)
Stats: 3.72 ERA in 109 IP, 52 walks, and 148 strikeouts in A ball (Burlington).
Ranking Trends: 11, 12, 13, 13, 14, 16, 16, 16.
ETA: 2022.
Comments: Take a look at those strikeouts and walks, and you see why Yan is ranked where he is. 12.2 Ks per 9 innings is no joke, but neither are 4.3 walks. We can hope that Yan can remain a starter, but his path to the majors may be as a relief pitcher. Either way, he’s one of a handful of pitching prospects in the organization with legitimate upside.
Best Known For: Recently being added to the Angels 40 man roster from A Ball.  Sidearmer with mid-90’s fastball. 
14. D’SHAWN KNOWLES OF (19)
Stats: .241/.310/.387 in 64 games in Rookie ball (Orem).
Ranking Trends: 12, 12, 13, 16, 16, 18, 21, 28.
ETA: 2023
Comments: Remember when D’Shawn was an after-thought to Trent Deveaux? He had a surprising 2018, but fell back to earth in 2019 – a rather disappointing follow-up. He doesn’t seem to have Deveaux’s elite athleticism, but may also have that “it factor” to become more than the sum of his parts. At 19 years old and with Adell, Marsh, and Hermosillo ahead of him, he’s got plenty of time.
Best Known For: Being the “other” top international signing from the Bahamas two years ago. 
15. MICHAEL HERMOSILLO OF (25)
Stats: .243/.330/.466 in 64 games in A+/AAA; .139/.304/.222 in 18 major league games.
Ranking Trends: 11, 14, 15, 16, 18, 19, 22, 28.
ETA: 2019.
Comments: Hermosillo seems like the type of player that could become a fan favorite, the Brock Holt of the Angels. Or at least that’s his upside. He’s got the tools to be a terrific 4th outfielder, and could even be a starter on some teams. But he’s got to make more contact first, and may be destined for another organization to get regular playing time.
Best Known For: Prep exploits on the gridiron and overall athleticism. 
16. KEVIN MAITAN IF (20)
Stats: .214/.278/.323 in 123 games in A Burlington.
Ranking Trends: 11, 12, 18, 18, 20, 20, 20, 26.
ETA: 2023.
Comments: If you didn’t know about the hype from a few years ago, Maitan would be an intriguing prospect – and he is. But it is hard not to get around the ridiculous comparisons that were thrown around, like Miguel Cabrera and Chipper Jones. Imagine being a 16-year old and hearing that. The hitting tools are there to be a major leaguer, and it is important to remember that he’s still quite young for his level – according to Baseball-Reference the league differential last year was -2.2. So while he isn’t the Promised One that the Braves originally thought he was, he still has a lot of time to actualize the good potential he does possess.
Best Known For: Being one of the more hyped international signings in recent memory.  Big time power.
17. STIWARD AQUINO RHP (21)
Stats: 6.87 ERA in 36.2 IP, 16 walks and 49 strikeouts in Rookie ball.
Ranking Trends: 8, 14, 16, 17, 19, 22, 25, 27.
ETA: 2023.
Comments: Another live arm with a wide range of possible outcomes, which is well-reflected in the ranking trends. Aquino’s numbers don’t look impressive, but he flashed good potential at times. His game log displays erratic performance, so hopefully with more innings he’ll settle down. Another pitcher whose future might be in the bullpen.
Best Known For: A great name and a mid-90’s fastball. 
18. ALEXANDER RAMIREZ OF (17)
Stats: .234/.328/.429 in 39 games in the Dominican League (Foreign Rookie).
Ranking Trends: 15, 15, 15, 17, 17, 19, 28, NR.
ETA: 2025.
Comments: There’s not a lot to go on at this point, but there’s a reason Billy Eppler gave the young Dominican a $1 million signing bonus upon turning 16 years old. He should be coming States-side in 2020, so look for him in the AZL. He is very young, just 17 in August, and has a ton of young outfielders ahead of him, but is at least worth having in the back of your mind as a high-ceiling prospect to look forward to.
Best Known For: Angels top international signee from last year.  Power and speed are more advanced than originally anticipated. 
19. KYLE BRADISH RHP (23)
Stats: 4.28 ERA in 101 IP, 53 walks and 120 strikeouts in A+ Inland Empire.
Ranking Trends: 12, 15, 21, 21, 21, 23, 24, 25.
ETA: 2021.
Comments: Bradish may forever be paired with Aaron Hernandez, as he was drafted right after him. Like Hernandez, he’s a college pitcher who projects as a major league starter, but is considered to have a lower ceiling. Clearly he has to work on his control, but after a solid first professional season, he’s establishing a solid floor to build from.
Best Known For: Advanced college arm that will climb the minor league ladder quickly. 
20. JARED WALSH OF/1B/RHP (26)
Stats: .325/.423/.686, 36 HR in 98 AAA games (Salt Lake); .203/.276/.329 in 31 major league games. Pitching: 4.15 ERA, 13 IP, 5 walks and 9 strikeouts in AAA; 1.80 ERA, 5 IP, 6 walks, 5 strikeouts in the majors.
Ranking Trends: 12, 18, 19, 19, 21, 23, 25, 27.
ETA: 2019
Comments: It is hard not to like Walsh. Not only did he absolutely kill AAA pitching, but he is also trying to make it as a two-way player in the majors. Unlike Taylor Ward, this gives him a flexibility that might give him a longer leash as a useful—even ideal-- “26th man” on the major league roster next year.
Best Known For: Being the Angels “other” two-way player. 
21. TRENT DEVEAUX OF (20)
Stats: .238/.320/.422 in 60 games in Rookie ball (AZL, Orem).
Ranking Trends: 13, 17, 18, 19, 21, 23, 29, NR.
ETA: 2023.
Comments: After a disappointing season in 2018 (.199/.309/.247 in 44 AZL games), Deveaux adjusted well to States-side professional baseball, showing flashes of the potential that led the Angels to sign him. There’s a lot to like here, but he simply needs time to develop. He’s probably got both a higher ceiling and lower floor than his fellow Bahamanian, D’Shawn Knowles. He’s a good candidate for a breakout season in 2020, which should be his first full season in A ball.
Best Known For: Being the Angels top international signee from two years ago.  Bahamian with 80-grade speed. 
22. OLIVER ORTEGA RHP (23)
Stats: 4.14 ERA in 111 IP, 57 walks and 135 strikeouts in A+/AA ball.
Ranking Trends: 14, 18, 19, 22, 23, 24, 26, NR.
ETA: 2021.
Comments: Ortega seemed to come out of nowhere and reminds us that players do indeed rise up from the Dominican League through the minor leagues. He’s on the verge of the major league radar.
Best Known For: Bursting onto the scene at the end of last year and beginning of this year with mid-90’s fastball. 
23. AROL VERA SS (17)
Stats: Did not play.
Ranking Trends: 14, 17, 18, 21, 23, 24, NR, NR.
ETA: 2025.
Comments: A top international signing, the word on Vera is that he’s a tall (6’2”), lean, and promising switch-hitting shortstop with a strong hit-tool. He’s a long way away, but fits in a similar category with Alexander Ramirez.
Best Known For: Angels most expensive international signee since Roberto Baldoquin (not counting Kevin Maitan).  Great power projection from both sides of the plate. 
24. WILLIAM HOLMES OF/RHP (19)
Stats: .326/.431/.488 in 11 Rookie games; 5.18 ERA, 24.1 IP, 20 walks, 38 strikeouts.
Ranking Trends: 17, 20, 21, 22, 23, 26, 26, NR.
ETA: 2023.
Comments: The third two-player in the Angels system, along with Ohtani and Walsh. Holmes is the player formerly known as William English. There’s a lot to like here, with a nice showing with the bat and some promise on the mound.
Best Known For: Being the rare draftee from Detroit, also happens to be a two-way player with scattered intriguing skills on both sides of the ball. 
25. LUIZ GOHARA LHP (23)
Stats: Did not play (injuries).
Ranking Trends: 16, 17, 19, 22, 24, 28, 29 NR.
ETA: 2018.
Comments: Released by the Braves, the Angels signed the Brazilian Gohara as a free agent in August. He’s pretty much the definition of a potential “clean peanut,” which also makes him really difficult to assess. Before the 2018 season, Baseball America ranked as the #23 prospect in all of baseball—that was after dominating A+ and AA, and getting a solid taste of AAA, even five starts in the majors at the age of 20 years old. But then his troubles began, and he didn’t perform well in the minors and eventually missed all of 2019 with a shoulder injury. While it is easly to get excited about his upside, the Braves released him for a reason. We can hope that they made a terrible mistake, but don’t count on it. Gohara goes into the 2020 season as perhaps the biggest in-house wildcard that could make a surprise impact on the major league pitching staff.
Best Known For: Being one of the top prospects in all of baseball only a little over a year ago.  Used to have upper-90’s heat before shoulder injury. Currently rehabbing from surgery.  One of the very rare Brazilian baseball players. 
26. ROBINSON PINA RHP (21)
Stats: 3.83 ERA, 108 IP, 61 walks, 146 strikeouts in A ball (Burlington).
Ranking Trends: 13, 20, 20, 25, 27, 27, 30, NR.
ETA: 2023.
Comments: Given his performance in 2019, it is almost surprising that Pina isn’t ranked higher. But if he continues this level of play in A+ and above, he could leapfrog several pitching prospects by year’s end. Definitely one to watch, with major league potential.
Best Known For: Tall and lanky.  Herky-jerky motion.  Misses lots of bats. Reports indicate low-90’s fastball .  
27. LUIS MADERO RHP (23)
Stats: 5.03 ERA, 105.2 IP, 31 walks, 98 strikeouts in A+/AA.
Ranking Trends: 10, 20, NR, NR, NR, NR, NR, NR.
ETA: 2022
Comments: Madero was a bit of a darling among Angelswin prospects hounds after his breakout 2018 campaign (3.49 ERA, 27 walks and 95 strikeouts in 105.2 IP in A/A+). While his ERA rose substantially, his peripherals held steady and perhaps we’re being a bit too bearish on him. He isn’t far from being on the major league depth chart.
Best Known For: Mid-90’s fastball.  Added to the Angels 40-man ahead of last year’s Rule 5 Draft. 
28. LIVAN SOTO SS/2B (20)
Stats: .220/.304/.256 in 311 PA in A/Rookie ball.
Ranking Trends: 14, 24, 30, NR, NR, NR, NR, NR.
ETA: 2024.
Comments: The second of the “stolen” Braves prospects, Soto had a disappointing follow-up to his promising first year in the Angels farm system. Right now he projects as a very weak-hitting but solid fielding middle infielder, but he’s also got some physical development ahead of him. 2020 should give us a better sense of his ultimate potential.
Best Known For: Being the “other” prospect the Braves lost that the Angels signed.  Defensive wizard. Weighs about as much as a women’s olympic gymnast. 
29. ADRIAN RONDON IF (21)
Stats: .266/.317/.378 in 69 games in Rookie/A ball.
Ranking Trends: 25, 25, 26, 27, 30, NR, NR, NR.
ETA: 2023.
Comments: We’ve got a Rondon! Eppler seems to like former highly regarded international prospects; while never quite as lauded as Maitan, Rondon’s story is similar: the Tampa Rays gave him a $3 million signing bonus in 2015, but he struggled in the minor leagues. He held his own last year, but nothing exciting – so far. There’ still untapped potential and relative youth on his side.
Best Known For: One of the more hyped international signees in recent memory.  Angels traded practically nothing for him. Great bat speed, recently moved to 3B.
30. GARRETT STALLINGS RHP (22)
Stats: Did not play.
Ranking Trends: 22, 25, 29, 29, 29, NR, NR, NR.
ETA: 2022.
Comments: The Angels’ 5th round pick in 2019, Stallings is a bit of a sleeper pick who could reach the majors relatively quickly. He probably projects as a back-end starter, but is one to keep an eye on.
Best Known For: Brilliant performance in the heavily scouted Cape Cod League.  Could climb the minor league ladder very quickly. 
 
Other Ranked Players: Jeremy Beasley, Jose Bonilla, Denny Brady, Sadrac Franco, Jake Jewell, Orlando Martinez, Isaac Mattson, Leonardo Rivas, Jose Rojas, Andrew Wantz, Austin Warren.

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.
On to the list…
1. JO ADELL OF (age 21)

Stats: .289/.359/.475, 10 HR in 76 games in A+/AA/AAA.
Ranking Trends: Consensus #1.
ETA: 2020.
Comments: The second year in a row as the consensus #1 Angels prospect, Adell is now considered one of the top five prospects in all of baseball – despite missing the first couple months of the year with a rather freakish double whammy hamstring/ankle injury. MLB Pipeline currently has him at #5, while Baseball America has him at #2. Adell’s stat line above is somewhat diminished by a relatively poor showing in AAA at the end of the year (.264/.321/.355 in 27 games), but his performance in AA (.308/.390/.553, 8 HR and 173 wRC+ in 43 games) is more indicative of his talent level. Adell is a tremendous athlete with prodigious power and great make-up; if there’s one knock on his game its that he doesn’t make as much contact as you’d like, and has only average plate discipline; but both should improve as he matures. He’s the real deal, the best Angels prospect since Mike Trout, and will make his debut in Anaheim sometime in 2020.
Best Known For: Blend of power, speed, and athleticism at such a young age.
2. BRANDON MARSH OF (age 22)

Stats: .286/.367/.407, 7 HR and 19 SB in 101 Rookie/AA games.
Ranking Trends: Consensus #2.
ETA: 2020.
Comments: Somewhat overshadowed by his friend and team-mate Adell, Brandon Marsh is an excellent prospect in his own right. That stat line is marred by a 1-21 streak in Rookie ball rehabbing an injury; he hit .300/.383/.428 in AA. He has not yet hit for power, but he’ll hit his share of extra base hits and should at least develop average HR power in the majors, possibly more. Despite having less impressive raw tools, in some ways Marsh is a more well-rounded prospect than Adell, with better contact and plate discipline, and at this point is a superior defender. Like his soon-to-be AAA Salt Lake team-mate, he’ll probably make his major league debut sometime in 2020, if he gets the opportunity.
Best Known For: Well-rounded game.  Beard, and tantalizing power-speed potential. 
3. JORDYN ADAMS OF (age 20)

Stats: .257/.351/.369, 8 HR and 16 SB 109 R/A/A+ games.
Ranking Trends: Seven #3s, one #4.
ETA: 2023.
Comments: Considering that Adams was a two-sport player and more committed to football than baseball a year and a half ago, the fact that he held his own in single A as a 19-year old is room for optimism. There’s a lot to like in his performance: not only is he flashing Adell-esque tools (and he’s even faster), but his 56 walks in 109 games is very heartening. Perhaps most importantly, Adams seemed to improve as the year went on: after a slow start, he hit .287/.369/.414 from May 10 on, and .325/.406/.504 from July 13 on. Expect for a breakthrough year in A+ Rancho Cucamonga this year. While Adams is still raw, he’s learning quickly and is on the fast track.
Best Known For: One of the top prep football players in the nation coming out of high school.  Also, “The Dunk”. Also, the highest upside prospect in the system. 
4. CHRIS RODRIGUEZ RHP (21)

Stats: 0.00 ERA, 3 GS, 9.1 IP, 4 walks, 13 strikeouts.
Ranking Trends: Four #4s, three #5s, one #9.
ETA: 2021.
Comments: Chris Rodriguez’s high ranking might come as a surprise due to the fact that he’s only pitched 9.1 innings in the last two years, all within 2019. But the stuff is real: Aside from possibly Jack Kochanowicz, he has the highest ceiling in the minor leagues. The question is whether he can stay healthy, and that is a big question. If he does, his ascendency to the majors will be fast and furious.
Best Known For: Mid-90’s fastball, and mid/front of the rotation upside. 
5. PATRICK SANDOVAL LHP (23)

Stats: 5.03 ERA, 39.1 IP, 19 walks, 42 strikeouts in the majors.
Ranking Trends: 3, 4, 5, 5, 5, 6, 6, 6, 7.
ETA: 2019.
Comments: When Sandoval came over to the Angels in July of 2018, from the Astros for Martin Maldonado, the general view was that he was a classic high-floor but low-ceiling starter, the type of guy you don’t mind having as your 5th starter but not much more. In his nine starts in the majors, he showed flashes of something more, a bonafide mid-rotation starter, if everything comes together.
Best Known For: His fastball climbing 4-5 mph in the last two years since the Astros traded him. 
6. JEREMIAH JACKSON SS (20)

Stats: .266/.333/.605, 23 HR in 65 games in Orem (high Rookie ball).
Ranking Trends: 5, 7, 7, 7, 7, 8, 8, 9.
ETA: 2023.
Comments: I think the key phrase would be “cautiously excited.” 23 HR in 65 games for a 19-year old is impressive, but its all accompanied by 96 strikeouts and a mediocre .266 BA. He walked 24 times, which is a decent rate; given his swing and miss, developing plate discipline may be the key to Jackson becoming a star.
Best Known For: Breaking the Pioneer League HR record as a 19 year old. 
7. JOSE SORIANO RHP (21)

Stats: 2.51 ERA, 82.1 IP, 51 walks, 92 strikeouts in Rookie and A ball (Burlington).
Ranking Trends: 4, 4, 5, 5, 6, 6, 6, 23.
ETA: 2021.
Comments: Soriano and Rodriguez are often mentioned in the same breath. While on one level it is a ceiling/floor comparison, Soriano’s ceiling isn’t that much lower, and his floor seems quite a bit higher. If his control develops, he could be in Anaheim rather quickly.
Best Known For: Mid to upper 90’s fastball and wipeout slider. 
8. JAHMAI JONES 2B (22)

Stats: .234/.308/.324, 5 HR and 9 SB in 130 games in AAA Salt Lake.
Ranking Trends: 7, 7, 8, 8, 8, 9, 9, 9
ETA: 2021
Comments: Jones not only had a very bad year statistically speaking, it was also his second year in a row of declining performance: his OPS slipped from .794 in 2017 (A/A+), .717 in 2018 (A+/AA) to .631 in 2019 (AA). That said, he did improve later in the year, both hitting well in the Arizona Fall League (.302/.377/.509 in 61 PA), but also towards the end of the regular year, hitting .306/.385/.414 from July 5th on, or 51 games. So while he didn’t make that jump into elite prospect status that we might have hoped for after 2017, he’s still a good prospect. Depending what the Angels do with Andrelton Simmons and Tommy La Stella after 2020, don’t be surprised if the 2021 infield includes Fletcher, Rengifo, and Jones.
Best Known For: Power-speed potential as a middle infielder, and the younger brother of NFL Wide Receiver T.J. Jones. 
9. KYREN PARIS SS (18)

Stats: .300/.462/.400 in 13 PA in Rookie ball (AZL).
Ranking Trends: 6, 9, 9, 10, 10, 10, 13, 14.
ETA: 2024
Comments: While it is rather early to be too excited about Paris, the upside is real: this is a talented young baseball player who just turned 18 a couple weeks ago from this writing, on November 11. He’s a toolsy shortstop, a good defender for his age, and really only lacks power – although that could develop. Before the draft last year, when he went 55th overall (2nd round), websites and analysts had him anywhere from #34 (Fangraphs), #48 (Keith Law), #70 (Baseball America), and #75 (MLB Pipeline). There’s a lot of volatility at this point; a couple years from now he could be another Livan Soto—a defense-first middle infielder who profiles as a major league bench player—or he could be an elite prospect, if the bat develops as hoped. Stay tuned.
Best Known For: Delivering one of the better post-draft interviews with Victor and Gubi.  A very well spoken young man. 
10. WILL WILSON 2B/SS (21)

Stats: .275/.329/.439 in 46 games in Rookie ball.
Ranking Trends: 7, 8, 8, 8, 9, 10, 10, 29.
ETA: 2022
Comments: At this point it is difficult to say whether the tepid view on Wilson is warranted in that, on one hand, he seems like another unexciting college draft pick with limited upside in the tradition of Matt Thaiss and CJ Cron; on the other, not only is he rather young for a college player, but the scouting reports on his bat are promising. At the least, he deserves a chance to prove himself before calling him an over-draft. Wilson could be better than expected, so let’s see how he hits with a full season of experience: he could move fast.
Best Known For: The Angels first round draft pick from this last draft.  Bat first middle infielder. 
11. JACK KOCHANOWICZ RHP (19)
Stats: Did not play professional baseball.
Ranking Trends: 10, 10, 11, 11, 11, 12, 15, 17.
ETA: 2024.
Comments: Upside, upside, upside. At 6’6” and 220 lbs, Kochanowicz can bring the heat. In my mind, he is the pitching equivalent of Kyren Paris: a couple years from now he could be #1 on this list, or another cautionary tale about getting too excited too soon. But the stuff is real, and he’s very young. He’ll be one of the most exciting prospects to watch in 2020.
Best Known For: Hitting upper-90’s at Fall Instructs.  One scout said that he believed Kochanowicz would go top five in the draft three years from now had he decided to go to college instead. 
12. AARON HERNANDEZ RHP (23)
Stats: 4.46 ERA, 72.2 IP, 46 walks, 81 strikeouts in A+ ball (Inland Empire).
Ranking Trends: 11, 11, 12, 13, 13, 15, 15, 20.
ETA: 2021.
Comments: Hernandez simply needs more minor league innings, and should be in Anaheim before you know it. He’s got the upside to be a mid-rotation starter, but may settle in a bit below that, or as a reliever. But he seems to have a rather high floor for a pitching prospect and, one way or another, should be part of the major league team within the next year or two.
Best Known For: Other than sharing a name with an unfortunate soul mid-90’s fastball with movement and a strong finish to the 2019 season. 
13. HECTOR YAN LHP (21)
Stats: 3.72 ERA in 109 IP, 52 walks, and 148 strikeouts in A ball (Burlington).
Ranking Trends: 11, 12, 13, 13, 14, 16, 16, 16.
ETA: 2022.
Comments: Take a look at those strikeouts and walks, and you see why Yan is ranked where he is. 12.2 Ks per 9 innings is no joke, but neither are 4.3 walks. We can hope that Yan can remain a starter, but his path to the majors may be as a relief pitcher. Either way, he’s one of a handful of pitching prospects in the organization with legitimate upside.
Best Known For: Recently being added to the Angels 40 man roster from A Ball.  Sidearmer with mid-90’s fastball. 
14. D’SHAWN KNOWLES OF (19)
Stats: .241/.310/.387 in 64 games in Rookie ball (Orem).
Ranking Trends: 12, 12, 13, 16, 16, 18, 21, 28.
ETA: 2023
Comments: Remember when D’Shawn was an after-thought to Trent Deveaux? He had a surprising 2018, but fell back to earth in 2019 – a rather disappointing follow-up. He doesn’t seem to have Deveaux’s elite athleticism, but may also have that “it factor” to become more than the sum of his parts. At 19 years old and with Adell, Marsh, and Hermosillo ahead of him, he’s got plenty of time.
Best Known For: Being the “other” top international signing from the Bahamas two years ago. 
15. MICHAEL HERMOSILLO OF (25)
Stats: .243/.330/.466 in 64 games in A+/AAA; .139/.304/.222 in 18 major league games.
Ranking Trends: 11, 14, 15, 16, 18, 19, 22, 28.
ETA: 2019.
Comments: Hermosillo seems like the type of player that could become a fan favorite, the Brock Holt of the Angels. Or at least that’s his upside. He’s got the tools to be a terrific 4th outfielder, and could even be a starter on some teams. But he’s got to make more contact first, and may be destined for another organization to get regular playing time.
Best Known For: Prep exploits on the gridiron and overall athleticism. 
16. KEVIN MAITAN IF (20)
Stats: .214/.278/.323 in 123 games in A Burlington.
Ranking Trends: 11, 12, 18, 18, 20, 20, 20, 26.
ETA: 2023.
Comments: If you didn’t know about the hype from a few years ago, Maitan would be an intriguing prospect – and he is. But it is hard not to get around the ridiculous comparisons that were thrown around, like Miguel Cabrera and Chipper Jones. Imagine being a 16-year old and hearing that. The hitting tools are there to be a major leaguer, and it is important to remember that he’s still quite young for his level – according to Baseball-Reference the league differential last year was -2.2. So while he isn’t the Promised One that the Braves originally thought he was, he still has a lot of time to actualize the good potential he does possess.
Best Known For: Being one of the more hyped international signings in recent memory.  Big time power.
17. STIWARD AQUINO RHP (21)
Stats: 6.87 ERA in 36.2 IP, 16 walks and 49 strikeouts in Rookie ball.
Ranking Trends: 8, 14, 16, 17, 19, 22, 25, 27.
ETA: 2023.
Comments: Another live arm with a wide range of possible outcomes, which is well-reflected in the ranking trends. Aquino’s numbers don’t look impressive, but he flashed good potential at times. His game log displays erratic performance, so hopefully with more innings he’ll settle down. Another pitcher whose future might be in the bullpen.
Best Known For: A great name and a mid-90’s fastball. 
18. ALEXANDER RAMIREZ OF (17)
Stats: .234/.328/.429 in 39 games in the Dominican League (Foreign Rookie).
Ranking Trends: 15, 15, 15, 17, 17, 19, 28, NR.
ETA: 2025.
Comments: There’s not a lot to go on at this point, but there’s a reason Billy Eppler gave the young Dominican a $1 million signing bonus upon turning 16 years old. He should be coming States-side in 2020, so look for him in the AZL. He is very young, just 17 in August, and has a ton of young outfielders ahead of him, but is at least worth having in the back of your mind as a high-ceiling prospect to look forward to.
Best Known For: Angels top international signee from last year.  Power and speed are more advanced than originally anticipated. 
19. KYLE BRADISH RHP (23)
Stats: 4.28 ERA in 101 IP, 53 walks and 120 strikeouts in A+ Inland Empire.
Ranking Trends: 12, 15, 21, 21, 21, 23, 24, 25.
ETA: 2021.
Comments: Bradish may forever be paired with Aaron Hernandez, as he was drafted right after him. Like Hernandez, he’s a college pitcher who projects as a major league starter, but is considered to have a lower ceiling. Clearly he has to work on his control, but after a solid first professional season, he’s establishing a solid floor to build from.
Best Known For: Advanced college arm that will climb the minor league ladder quickly. 
20. JARED WALSH OF/1B/RHP (26)
Stats: .325/.423/.686, 36 HR in 98 AAA games (Salt Lake); .203/.276/.329 in 31 major league games. Pitching: 4.15 ERA, 13 IP, 5 walks and 9 strikeouts in AAA; 1.80 ERA, 5 IP, 6 walks, 5 strikeouts in the majors.
Ranking Trends: 12, 18, 19, 19, 21, 23, 25, 27.
ETA: 2019
Comments: It is hard not to like Walsh. Not only did he absolutely kill AAA pitching, but he is also trying to make it as a two-way player in the majors. Unlike Taylor Ward, this gives him a flexibility that might give him a longer leash as a useful—even ideal-- “26th man” on the major league roster next year.
Best Known For: Being the Angels “other” two-way player. 
21. TRENT DEVEAUX OF (20)
Stats: .238/.320/.422 in 60 games in Rookie ball (AZL, Orem).
Ranking Trends: 13, 17, 18, 19, 21, 23, 29, NR.
ETA: 2023.
Comments: After a disappointing season in 2018 (.199/.309/.247 in 44 AZL games), Deveaux adjusted well to States-side professional baseball, showing flashes of the potential that led the Angels to sign him. There’s a lot to like here, but he simply needs time to develop. He’s probably got both a higher ceiling and lower floor than his fellow Bahamanian, D’Shawn Knowles. He’s a good candidate for a breakout season in 2020, which should be his first full season in A ball.
Best Known For: Being the Angels top international signee from two years ago.  Bahamian with 80-grade speed. 
22. OLIVER ORTEGA RHP (23)
Stats: 4.14 ERA in 111 IP, 57 walks and 135 strikeouts in A+/AA ball.
Ranking Trends: 14, 18, 19, 22, 23, 24, 26, NR.
ETA: 2021.
Comments: Ortega seemed to come out of nowhere and reminds us that players do indeed rise up from the Dominican League through the minor leagues. He’s on the verge of the major league radar.
Best Known For: Bursting onto the scene at the end of last year and beginning of this year with mid-90’s fastball. 
23. AROL VERA SS (17)
Stats: Did not play.
Ranking Trends: 14, 17, 18, 21, 23, 24, NR, NR.
ETA: 2025.
Comments: A top international signing, the word on Vera is that he’s a tall (6’2”), lean, and promising switch-hitting shortstop with a strong hit-tool. He’s a long way away, but fits in a similar category with Alexander Ramirez.
Best Known For: Angels most expensive international signee since Roberto Baldoquin (not counting Kevin Maitan).  Great power projection from both sides of the plate. 
24. WILLIAM HOLMES OF/RHP (19)
Stats: .326/.431/.488 in 11 Rookie games; 5.18 ERA, 24.1 IP, 20 walks, 38 strikeouts.
Ranking Trends: 17, 20, 21, 22, 23, 26, 26, NR.
ETA: 2023.
Comments: The third two-player in the Angels system, along with Ohtani and Walsh. Holmes is the player formerly known as William English. There’s a lot to like here, with a nice showing with the bat and some promise on the mound.
Best Known For: Being the rare draftee from Detroit, also happens to be a two-way player with scattered intriguing skills on both sides of the ball. 
25. LUIZ GOHARA LHP (23)
Stats: Did not play (injuries).
Ranking Trends: 16, 17, 19, 22, 24, 28, 29 NR.
ETA: 2018.
Comments: Released by the Braves, the Angels signed the Brazilian Gohara as a free agent in August. He’s pretty much the definition of a potential “clean peanut,” which also makes him really difficult to assess. Before the 2018 season, Baseball America ranked as the #23 prospect in all of baseball—that was after dominating A+ and AA, and getting a solid taste of AAA, even five starts in the majors at the age of 20 years old. But then his troubles began, and he didn’t perform well in the minors and eventually missed all of 2019 with a shoulder injury. While it is easly to get excited about his upside, the Braves released him for a reason. We can hope that they made a terrible mistake, but don’t count on it. Gohara goes into the 2020 season as perhaps the biggest in-house wildcard that could make a surprise impact on the major league pitching staff.
Best Known For: Being one of the top prospects in all of baseball only a little over a year ago.  Used to have upper-90’s heat before shoulder injury. Currently rehabbing from surgery.  One of the very rare Brazilian baseball players. 
26. ROBINSON PINA RHP (21)
Stats: 3.83 ERA, 108 IP, 61 walks, 146 strikeouts in A ball (Burlington).
Ranking Trends: 13, 20, 20, 25, 27, 27, 30, NR.
ETA: 2023.
Comments: Given his performance in 2019, it is almost surprising that Pina isn’t ranked higher. But if he continues this level of play in A+ and above, he could leapfrog several pitching prospects by year’s end. Definitely one to watch, with major league potential.
Best Known For: Tall and lanky.  Herky-jerky motion.  Misses lots of bats. Reports indicate low-90’s fastball .  
27. LUIS MADERO RHP (23)
Stats: 5.03 ERA, 105.2 IP, 31 walks, 98 strikeouts in A+/AA.
Ranking Trends: 10, 20, NR, NR, NR, NR, NR, NR.
ETA: 2022
Comments: Madero was a bit of a darling among Angelswin prospects hounds after his breakout 2018 campaign (3.49 ERA, 27 walks and 95 strikeouts in 105.2 IP in A/A+). While his ERA rose substantially, his peripherals held steady and perhaps we’re being a bit too bearish on him. He isn’t far from being on the major league depth chart.
Best Known For: Mid-90’s fastball.  Added to the Angels 40-man ahead of last year’s Rule 5 Draft. 
28. LIVAN SOTO SS/2B (20)
Stats: .220/.304/.256 in 311 PA in A/Rookie ball.
Ranking Trends: 14, 24, 30, NR, NR, NR, NR, NR.
ETA: 2024.
Comments: The second of the “stolen” Braves prospects, Soto had a disappointing follow-up to his promising first year in the Angels farm system. Right now he projects as a very weak-hitting but solid fielding middle infielder, but he’s also got some physical development ahead of him. 2020 should give us a better sense of his ultimate potential.
Best Known For: Being the “other” prospect the Braves lost that the Angels signed.  Defensive wizard. Weighs about as much as a women’s olympic gymnast. 
29. ADRIAN RONDON IF (21)
Stats: .266/.317/.378 in 69 games in Rookie/A ball.
Ranking Trends: 25, 25, 26, 27, 30, NR, NR, NR.
ETA: 2023.
Comments: We’ve got a Rondon! Eppler seems to like former highly regarded international prospects; while never quite as lauded as Maitan, Rondon’s story is similar: the Tampa Rays gave him a $3 million signing bonus in 2015, but he struggled in the minor leagues. He held his own last year, but nothing exciting – so far. There’ still untapped potential and relative youth on his side.
Best Known For: One of the more hyped international signees in recent memory.  Angels traded practically nothing for him. Great bat speed, recently moved to 3B.
30. GARRETT STALLINGS RHP (22)
Stats: Did not play.
Ranking Trends: 22, 25, 29, 29, 29, NR, NR, NR.
ETA: 2022.
Comments: The Angels’ 5th round pick in 2019, Stallings is a bit of a sleeper pick who could reach the majors relatively quickly. He probably projects as a back-end starter, but is one to keep an eye on.
Best Known For: Brilliant performance in the heavily scouted Cape Cod League.  Could climb the minor league ladder very quickly. 
 
Other Ranked Players: Jeremy Beasley, Jose Bonilla, Denny Brady, Sadrac Franco, Jake Jewell, Orlando Martinez, Isaac Mattson, Leonardo Rivas, Jose Rojas, Andrew Wantz, Austin Warren.

MIKE TROUT NAMED 2019 AMERICAN LEAGUE MOST VALUABLE PLAYER

ANAHEIM – Angels outfielder Mike Trout today was named the 2019 American League Most Valuable Player in an announcement made by the Baseball Writers’ Association of America (BBWAA). It marks the third career MVP award for Trout, who previously won the award in 2014 (unanimously) and 2016. Trout becomes the 11th player to win at least three BBWAA MVP awards and is the sixth to win three times in the American League, joining Yogi Berra, Joe DiMaggio, Jimmie Foxx, Mickey Mantle and Alex Rodriguez. The only player to win more than three MVP Awards in a career is Barry Bonds (7).
Trout garnered 17 first place votes and 13 second place votes for a total of 355 points in the balloting process, 20 points ahead of second place finisher Alex Bregman of the Houston Astros (335 points). In his nine Major League seasons, Trout has now finished in the Top 3 of the MVP vote seven times, becoming just the second player all-time to do so, joining current Angels teammate Albert Pujols. 
The 28-year-old captures the Angels fifth MVP award in franchise history. In 2014, Trout joined Vladimir Guerrero (2004) and Don Baylor (1979) as the only Halos to receive the honors and became the Club’s first multiple winner in 2016. The Angels become the only team in the Majors to have won four MVP Awards across the last 17 years. 
The New Jersey native finished 2019, batting .291 with 27 doubles, two triples, 45 home runs, 104 RBI, 11 stolen bases, 110 walks and 110 runs scored. He led the league in both OBP (.438) and slugging percentage (.645) for the second time in his career (also 2017) and joined Mantle and Ty Cobb as the only center fielders to lead their league in both categories in multiple seasons. Additionally, he reached the 100 runs plateau for the seventh time in his career and became the fifth player in MLB history to score 100 runs seven times by his age-27 season, joining: Mantle, Rodriguez, Hank Aaron and Mel Ott.
Trout’s resume now includes three A.L. MVP Awards (2014, 2016 and 2019), an A.L. Rookie of the Year Award (2012), eight All-Star Game selections (2012-19), two All-Star Game MVP honors (2014 and 2015), seven Silver Slugger Awards (2012-16, ’18-19) and two A.L. Hank Aaron Award (2014 & 2019).
A BBWAA conference call will be held tonight at 8:00 p.m. ET (5:00 p.m. PT) with Mike Trout. The number to call in is (877) 256-6029. Please note that questions are reserved for BBWAA members only. All other media outlets are invited to join the call in listen-only mode.
Statements from Angels manager Joe Maddon and hitting coach Jeremy Reed
Angels Manager Joe Maddon –
“Mike is a one of a kind player.  There is no comparison that I've seen since 1981, when I began as a Coach, Manager and Scout.  His complete skill set is generational and stands up to every era that participated in our game.  He is the player I would recommend be required watching by all youngsters who want to become a Major Leaguer – Be Like Mike!” 
Angels Hitting Coach Jeremy Reed –
“Mike’s abilities simply continue to amaze. He is a MVP on and off the field. His determination to be the best drives him to new levels each day. Mike’s passion to win helps elevate the organization as a whole. I’m blessed to work with him and I have the best seat in the house to watch greatness. Mike has combined his God-given physical skills with a mind-set that is equally as strong.  His work ethic on a daily basis never alters from day one of Spring Training through the end of the season, yet one of the most impressive aspects of Mike is his non-stop support and encouragement of his teammates.  In the clubhouse, in the dugout or on the field, nobody is better!”
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SCOTTSDALE, Ariz. — When Billy Eppler convenes with his colleagues at baseball’s GM meetings, starting on Monday, it will signal an acceleration into the business of what appears to be a critical winter for the organization.
Two months ago the Angels merely picked up Eppler’s option, rather than extending his contract. Then they fired manager Brad Ausmus with two years left on his deal and replaced him with Joe Maddon.
Those moves would seem to indicate that patience is running thin from owner Arte Moreno after the team’s fourth straight losing season.
“We are in the entertainment business,” Moreno said at Maddon’s introductory press conference a couple weeks ago. “If you want people coming to the ballpark, or watching or listening, you want to be able to put a product out there… We have a lot of loyal fans. We’ve built a loyal fan base, but the reality is we need to perform, so when people come out here they have a little more fun. It’s more fun on the winning side.”
For his part, Eppler insisted he is feeling no more pressure than at any other time during his tenure. Having come from the high-intensity world of the New York Yankees, Eppler said he tries to maintain the same philosophy each year.
“I approach every season like it’s my first year on the job, regardless of if it’s my fifth year, 10th year, whatever,” he said. “I grew up in a pretty adverse environment in New York. I had a lot of training. I understand you focus on what you can control, focus on doing your job, focus on putting the strongest team that you can on the field, and let everything happen as it comes.”
Skeptical fans will certainly question Eppler’s plan after what happened last winter. The Angels brought in Trevor Cahill, Matt Harvey, Cody Allen, Jonathan Lucroy and Justin Bour, and none of them delivered.
As the Angels head into this offseason, there are a few reasons to believe that this winter could work out better.
First, Moreno has indicated that the payroll will go up, although it remains to be seen how much. The Angels figure to have at least $30 million, plus whatever increase Moreno makes available. Given his frustration with the team’s performance after last year’s deals, it’s reasonable to suspect that Moreno may be willing to open his wallet a little more to acquire a higher caliber of player.
Also, this year there is a much deeper pool from which to fill the Angels’ most glaring need: starting pitching. Last winter Patrick Corbin was the best pitcher available. The Angels tried to sign Corbin, but the East Coast native instead picked the Washington Nationals. They also tried to sign Nate Eovaldi, arguably the second-best starter on the market, but he returned to the reigning World Series champion Boston Red Sox. After that, there was Dallas Keuchel, whose demands were apparently high enough that no team signed him until June. Then the choices dropped off to pitchers like Lance Lynn and J.A. Happ.
This year, the group starts with Gerrit Cole, who is a native of Orange County and has been widely connected to the Angels. Madison Bumgarner, Stephen Strasburg, Zack Wheeler, Hyun-Jin Ryu, Jake Odorizzi, Cole Hamels and Keuchel are all on the market.
There are also a handful of mid-tier pitchers who could be back-of-the rotation innings-eaters, at least, including Julio Teheran, Kyle Gibson and Tanner Roark.
That’s a much stronger collection of arms than was available last year.
Although it may seem difficult to squeeze two pitchers out of that group with the Angels available payroll space, even with an increase, bear in mind that they can always backload contracts. They could pay less up front, and more after Albert Pujols comes off the books in 2022.
The Angels also might explore a trade for a controllable pitcher like Noah Syndergaard or Matthew Boyd, who they discussed at last July’s deadline. Less likely, they could try to swing a deal for a one-year rental like Robbie Ray.
In truth, the Angels probably need to find a way to get at least two reliable starters, supplementing a rotation that was decimated last year by injuries, poor performance and the tragic loss of Tyler Skaggs.
As of now, the Angels are probably locked in to having Shohei Ohtani — who will be back as a two-way player after Tommy John surgery — in front of Andrew Heaney and Griffin Canning.
Patrick Sandoval, Jaime Barría, José Suarez, Dillon Peters and Félix Peña will all be around for depth, but the Angels will certainly prefer to let one or two of those pitchers surprise them, rather than count on them for a prominent role.
Beyond starting pitching, the Angels could probably stand to upgrade at catcher. They have Max Stassi, who is coming off hip surgery, and Kevan Smith. Yasmani Grandal is the top free agent catcher, although it’s difficult to imagine the Angels being able to afford him while still making the necessary upgrades to the rotation. Cheaper alternatives include Travis d’Arnaud, Robinson Chirinos and Martín Maldonado. A former Angel, Maldonado became Cole’s personal catcher at the end of this season in Houston.
 
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And, of course, this winter they also have one element they didn’t last winter: They know Mike Trout’s future. Having inked Trout to a 12-year, $426.5-million deal in March, the Angels not only have the certainty of having him on the roster, but they can use that to sell to other free agents who a year ago may have been unsure.
All of that provides a foundation on which Eppler will need to start building something better than what he has so far.
“We thought we were being active last year,” Moreno said. “We just didn’t get it done. We want to win… Every year, the way I want to run our business, we shouldn’t be taking steps back.”
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The baseball off-season has begun. So has a practice that’s become a rite of autumn: MLB owners tempering their fans’ expectations through the media.
Just this week, reports out of Chicago and St. Louis suggested the Cubs and Cardinals won’t use the coming months to out-bid each other for star free agents Anthony Rendon or Gerrit Cole. By now, such headlines barely register as news. Baseball rivalries aren’t often measured in raw dollars and cents.
The Padres and Phillies emerged as the winter’s big spenders each of the last two years. Last time, it was Manny Machado and Bryce Harper, respectively. The year before, San Diego signed Eric Hosmer for $144 million, while Philadelphia shelled out almost as much ($135 million combined) to Jake Arrieta and Carlos Santana. Meanwhile, the Dodgers and Yankees – baseball’s preeminent free agent freewheelers most of this century – supplemented their homegrown cores with second-tier free agents.
Now, free agents are seldom baseball’s most intriguing figures in the months between the World Series and spring training. We need to expand our scope. With that in mind, here are 10 people who will chart the course of the off-season, for richer and for poorer.
1. Scott Boras
The agent for Cole, Rendon, Stephen Strasburg, Hyun-Jin Ryu, Nicholas Castellanos, Dallas Keuchel and Mike Moustakas (deep breath) will have a busy winter negotiating new deals for his clients. But when will they get around to signing?
Boras reportedly waited until the Dodgers and Giants joined the bidding for Harper last winter before accepting the Phillies’ final offer of 13 years and $330 million. By then it was February. The popular metaphor for free-agent signings is that of dominoes: the biggest (Cole, Rendon and Strasburg this year) topple first, followed by the lesser pieces. Ideally for agents, the best players set the market for the rest of the group. A better metaphor in 2019 is earthquakes. There are foreshocks, and aftershocks, and The Big One. No one really knows when they’ll strike, save the one man whose hand is on the seismometer.
2. Mookie Betts
Betts would become the best player to change teams this off-season if the Red Sox decide to trim payroll at the cost of their star right fielder. The 2018 American League MVP is a career .301 hitter who should be in his prime at age 27. Betts is projected to make $28 million in salary arbitration, still an affordable sum for many clubs.
Would the Dodgers be willing to part with a young, high-end pitcher or catcher for one year of Betts? Could a team on the fringes of contention, like the Diamondbacks or Indians, find a way to tempt the Sox with prospects? Only a handful of players can mushroom a team’s fortunes like Betts. Chaim Bloom, Boston’s recently-appointed GM, will face pressure to receive a large haul in return.
3. Arte Moreno
Rare is the owner in 2019 who publicly states his payroll will go up. There are many ways the Angels’ owner can add to his roster, and perhaps it’s too soon to rule out Betts after the Angels declined right fielder Kole Calhoun’s option for the 2020 season earlier in the week.
More likely, however, the Angels will use the bulk of their resources to sign a starting pitcher or two. That means Cole or Strasburg, ideally. If not, the second tier of free agent starters is robust. Ryu, Keuchel, Madison Bumgarner, Rich Hill, and Cole Hamels all represent upgrades for a team that couldn’t coax 100 innings from any of its full-time starters in 2019. Former Dodgers catcher Yasmani Grandal would help any team, including the Angels.
4. Joe West
The head of the MLB Umpires’ Association is about to face a challenge unlike any levied by a manager: the electronically defined strike zone. It’s coming to minor league baseball in 2020, according to commissioner Rob Manfred, leaving MLB as the last bastion for human error when it comes to balls and strikes.
The technology debuted in the Atlantic League and the Arizona Fall League this year. The adjustment process for pitchers and catchers wasn’t always smooth. The bigger adjustment will be for MLB’s unionized umpires, who have vociferously resisted calls for an electronic strike zone in the past. For now, the burden of proof lies with the “Hawk-Eye” camera technology (which will replace the Statcast system in 2020) to prove it’s more accurate and reliable than a human umpire.
5. Harold Baines
When the latest veteran’s committee considers a group of 10 men for induction Dec. 8, it must adjust to a new precedent. Harold Baines fell short of 3,000 hits and 400 home runs. He spent most of his career as a designated hitter. He led his league in a major category once in 22 seasons. As of July, he’s a Hall of Famer.
Now, the statistical bar for induction is lower than it’s ever been. Some BBWAA voters believe this can only improve the chances of Don Mattingly, Steve Garvey, Tommy John and others on this year’s ballot.
6. Travis Williams
Only one team still needs to hire a manager and a head of baseball operations this winter. The man with all the hiring power is Pittsburgh Pirates president Travis Williams, who’s been on the job less than two weeks and spent the previous 12 years as a National Hockey League executive.
The Pirates are at a similar juncture to the Astros and Cubs 10 years ago, with little to lose and much to gain as Williams charts the direction his franchise will take in the 2020s. The Astros and Cubs tore down their payrolls, then built homegrown rosters into champions. Williams will try to do the same with fewer financial resources and two massively important hires to come.
7 and 8. Gerrit Cole and Anthony Rendon
We can’t ignore free agents altogether, and these two will set an important precedent for future free agent pitchers and hitters, respectively. Their fortunes are linked.
If last year’s contracts for Harper and Machado are any indication, Rendon can expect to command a six-year contract worth $25-30 million a year. His postseason exploits can only push those numbers higher.
Cole’s case brings to mind that of Zack Greinke – a right-handed pitcher coming off a Cy Young-caliber season with the Dodgers in 2015. Greinke was 32 when he signed for six years and more than $206 million with the Diamondbacks, establishing a record for average annual value. Cole is 29, three years younger than Greinke. But can he beat Greinke’s contract? The answer to this question will offer a gauge of the health of the free-agent market.
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For much of last winter, the health of the free-agent market was a frequent topic of discussion for the commissioner and the head of the MLB Players’ Association. It will be again, though Manfred will have more on his plate this time around.
The league is investigating the death of Angels pitcher Tyler Skaggs. It has commissioned a new study into the composition of the baseballs, which contributed to a record number of home runs in 2019. Umpires will have plenty to say to the commissioner about the encroachment of technology on their job description, and pace of play will likely grind Manfred’s gears after the average time of game reached 3 hours and 10 minutes, a record.
Stay tuned. The off-season will feel much longer.
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By @Jeff Fletcher, OC Register
The free-agent season officially opened Tuesday, which means Angels fans can officially start salivating over Gerrit Cole and any number of other players who they believe can help stop the team’s four-year streak of finishing with a losing record.
But first, it’s important to understand the Angels’ payroll. So, here’s the definitive explainer of how to do to the math.
For starters, the Angels insist their payroll is always based on their revenues, not the luxury tax. So it’s not right to view the luxury-tax threshold as their payroll limit. This isn’t the NFL or NBA where the cap is at a point at which every team is expected to hit it. In baseball, only a few teams each year get to the luxury-tax threshold. Still, we’ll get to that.
The Angels’ actual payroll, which is what they have budgeted in terms of actual cash flow, is normally around $170 million to $180 million. Arte Moreno said this year it would go up, but he didn’t say how much. It could be $5 million or it could be $30 million. We don’t know.
Regardless, here’s the math of what they’ve already spent.
The Angels have five players with guaranteed salaries for 2020: Mike Trout ($36 million), Albert Pujols ($29 million), Justin Upton ($21 million), Andrelton Simmons ($15 million) and Zack Cozart ($12.75 million). That’s $113.75 million.
They also have nine remaining arbitration-eligible players, after they let go of Justin Bour, Luís García and Nick Tropeano. MLB Trade Rumors has arbitration estimates for them that look like this: Andrew Heaney ($5 million), Hansel Robles ($4 million), Tommy La Stella ($2.9 million), Cam Bedrosian ($2.8 million), Brian Goodwin ($2.1 million), Kevan Smith ($1.3 million), Noé Ramírez ($1 million), Max Stassi ($800,000) and Keynan Middleton ($800,000).
That’s $21.7 million worth of arbitration salaries.
So far that’s only 14 players, though. The Angels will have 26 active players at all times. So they need 12 other spots, plus accounting for the fact that there will be players on the disabled list or in Triple-A getting paid big-league salaries. So, estimating around $600,000 average for about 18 spots, that’s about another $10 million.
Add those three numbers, and you get $146.25 million toward what has been a limit of around $175 million. Moreno said it would be higher this year, though, so it’s anyone’s guess how high it goes.
The luxury-tax threshold is a little different.
It uses the average annual value of multiyear contracts. In the cases of Trout, Upton and Cozart, their 2020 salaries are about the same as their averages, but Simmons has an AAV of $8.3 million and Pujols has an AAV of $24 million. Both are significantly lower than what they’re actually being paid in 2020.
Assuming all of the arbitration-eligible players sign one-year deals, their figures will all be the same, so the current total of salaries as it relates to the luxury tax is actually about $132 million. For the luxury tax, you also have to count bonuses and benefits, so that’s about another $14 million or so.
So, although it gets there in a different way, it’s also about $146 million.  The luxury-tax threshold is $208 million.
If you want to figure what the Angels have to add to get there, remember the difference between actual salary and average salary. Say they sign Cole to a seven-year, $245-million deal. That would be an average of $35 million, but maybe in 2020 they pay him only $28 million. So it adds $28 million to the actual payroll, but $35 million to the luxury-tax payroll.
Now that you’ve got all of that, you can dream away about what the Angels should, or can, do this winter.
ALSO
The Angels on Tuesday lost infielder Kean Wong on waivers to the San Francisco Giants. Wong was just claimed on waivers from the Tampa Bay Rays in the final week of the regular season.
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By Jason Sinner, AngelsWin.com Columnist (aka @Dochalo)
Here's who unlikely will spend on players outside of some 1 and maybe 2-yr deals. We won't really go into much detail here for the following teams.
BAL, DET, KC, TB, TOR, ARZ, MIA, COL, PIT, SF.  
Here's who might spend some money but likely on deals in the 1-3yr range.  Not on any big names.  

BOS - likely to shed some payroll.  can't see them being big FA players
OAK - don't have much money but might surprise with a key player or two on shorter deals.  Nothing big.  Could make a couple trades.  
CLE - Payroll is manageable now.  If they trade Lindor, they could make a small deal or two.  
SEA - don't see them going big on any particular player.  a couple of small deals and of course some trades
CHC - payroll already at 183m.  Don't see them doing much other than some complementary pieces.  Cap number is already above 200m.  
HOU - I debated on where to put them but I really think they'll stay fairly conservative this year.  They'll add some pieces but they're already at 220m for 2020.   
NYM - At 180m  in salary and 203m in AAV.  don't see them going big.  
Teams that could spend just because of who they are:

LAD - always a threat to go at a big time player.  They've avoided long term contracts in the recent past and already have a good team with a great farm.  At 175m for 2020.  They're gonna do some stuff.  I definitely see them as a player for the SP market.  Maybe Cole but more likely in that next tier down.  
NYY - same as the Dodgers.  2020 payroll at 204m.  AAV at 215.  again, they could always spend but I think they end up being a little more conservative.  
Teams that could spend and go after a longer term contract on a couple key players but won't go huge:
ARZ - they were a pretty good team in 2019.  payroll at 109m.  Made some substantial trades at the deadline and could move Ray for more cheap talent.  Wouldn't surprise me if they went after a slightly more expensive player or two.  
ATL - I don't think they'll go big but their current payroll sits at about 90m so they definitely could.  Lots of prospect capital here as well.  I think they'll definitely be in on SP in the tier after Cole.  Could surprise and even make a run at Cole but I doubt it.  
CIN - smaller market team who could also be in the secondary market and spend some but likely not huge.  At 122m already for 2020.
MIL - similar to CIN.  They're likely still trying to hold on to their window.  At about 97m right now so they've definitely got some room.  
STL - at 163m in payroll and 176m in AAV.  They won't be afraid to add the right players but I don't see them in the top of the market.  
The big spenders:

TEX - I could see them shelling out some dough this winter on both SP and Rendon.  Personally I think that would be a mistake as they got some non sustainable performances to make them seem better than they really can be long term.  Pence, Choo, Lynn, Minor, Santana.  There are rumors of them going after Rendon which I could see happening but I think there's a fair amount of fools gold with this team.  
MIN - they are losing 4 of their SP from their rotation and had a 100 win season.  Payroll is at 80m.  Plus they they a very good farm.  I think they'll be very active this winter.  I don't see them going after Cole, but anyone in the tier below is someone they'll target.  Plus, I could see them in on big trade or two.  
CWS - a good lineup and better than most people think with some key additions.  Payroll is at about 60m.  They'll definitely be in on Cole and probably Rendon as well.  They may very well whiff on everyone they go after, but they'll be looking to make some big splashes (plural).  Plus, they still have a good farm system.  
WSH - just won the series.  They have spent in the past and payroll of 120m gives them plenty of room to work.  
PHI - disappointing year and payroll at 171m with AAV at 191m.  They were all in last year and need pitching.  They'll spend but this could be a team that's in a bad way by the end of 2020.  
LAA - money to spend. Need starting pitching. No brainer! 
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By Jason Sinner, AngelsWin.com Columnist (aka @Dochalo)
Here's who unlikely will spend on players outside of some 1 and maybe 2-yr deals. We won't really go into much detail here for the following teams.
BAL, DET, KC, TB, TOR, ARZ, MIA, COL, PIT, SF.  
Here's who might spend some money but likely on deals in the 1-3yr range.  Not on any big names.  

BOS - likely to shed some payroll.  can't see them being big FA players
OAK - don't have much money but might surprise with a key player or two on shorter deals.  Nothing big.  Could make a couple trades.  
CLE - Payroll is manageable now.  If they trade Lindor, they could make a small deal or two.  
SEA - don't see them going big on any particular player.  a couple of small deals and of course some trades
CHC - payroll already at 183m.  Don't see them doing much other than some complementary pieces.  Cap number is already above 200m.  
HOU - I debated on where to put them but I really think they'll stay fairly conservative this year.  They'll add some pieces but they're already at 220m for 2020.   
NYM - At 180m  in salary and 203m in AAV.  don't see them going big.  
Teams that could spend just because of who they are:

LAD - always a threat to go at a big time player.  They've avoided long term contracts in the recent past and already have a good team with a great farm.  At 175m for 2020.  They're gonna do some stuff.  I definitely see them as a player for the SP market.  Maybe Cole but more likely in that next tier down.  
NYY - same as the Dodgers.  2020 payroll at 204m.  AAV at 215.  again, they could always spend but I think they end up being a little more conservative.  
Teams that could spend and go after a longer term contract on a couple key players but won't go huge:
ARZ - they were a pretty good team in 2019.  payroll at 109m.  Made some substantial trades at the deadline and could move Ray for more cheap talent.  Wouldn't surprise me if they went after a slightly more expensive player or two.  
ATL - I don't think they'll go big but their current payroll sits at about 90m so they definitely could.  Lots of prospect capital here as well.  I think they'll definitely be in on SP in the tier after Cole.  Could surprise and even make a run at Cole but I doubt it.  
CIN - smaller market team who could also be in the secondary market and spend some but likely not huge.  At 122m already for 2020.
MIL - similar to CIN.  They're likely still trying to hold on to their window.  At about 97m right now so they've definitely got some room.  
STL - at 163m in payroll and 176m in AAV.  They won't be afraid to add the right players but I don't see them in the top of the market.  
The big spenders:

TEX - I could see them shelling out some dough this winter on both SP and Rendon.  Personally I think that would be a mistake as they got some non sustainable performances to make them seem better than they really can be long term.  Pence, Choo, Lynn, Minor, Santana.  There are rumors of them going after Rendon which I could see happening but I think there's a fair amount of fools gold with this team.  
MIN - they are losing 4 of their SP from their rotation and had a 100 win season.  Payroll is at 80m.  Plus they they a very good farm.  I think they'll be very active this winter.  I don't see them going after Cole, but anyone in the tier below is someone they'll target.  Plus, I could see them in on big trade or two.  
CWS - a good lineup and better than most people think with some key additions.  Payroll is at about 60m.  They'll definitely be in on Cole and probably Rendon as well.  They may very well whiff on everyone they go after, but they'll be looking to make some big splashes (plural).  Plus, they still have a good farm system.  
WSH - just won the series.  They have spent in the past and payroll of 120m gives them plenty of room to work.  
PHI - disappointing year and payroll at 171m with AAV at 191m.  They were all in last year and need pitching.  They'll spend but this could be a team that's in a bad way by the end of 2020.  
LAA - money to spend. Need starting pitching. No brainer! 
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By Keith Allison from Hanover, MD, USA - Mike Trout
By Jonathan Northrop, AngelsWin.com Columnist
Watching Anthony Rendon in the World Series got me thinking about how he ranks among baseball’s superstars, and who the very best players in baseball are. Clearly the best is obvious, but what about everyone else? How would they rank? And how to rank them? What started as a fun little time-wasting personal project quickly spiralled out of hand and consumed some hours of the last few days, and resulted in an actual article. So as the offseason begins, enjoy...
A Note on Process
If you're not interested in the process and formula and just want to see the list, go ahead and skip ahead. The formula is simple, but some might find it tedious or headache-inducing. But I've enclosed it in spoilers, so as not to confuse.
The List
I wrote this in installments for the forum, but will share it here as one piece. It will still be presented as a countdown, from #21 to #1, and then with some odds and ends at the end.
By now you know I’m cheating: I’m offering a top 21, because while I’m OK excluding #22 Ketel Marte (for now), I cannot bear to keep José Altuve off the list.
Finally, a note of clarification: This list is meant to answer the question about who the best players are in the game right now based upon the above weighted WAR formula; in other words, this is right now; it is not meant as a list of future value, or who I personally would take in a fantasy or real draft. The list and ordering will change (and perhaps we'll revisit it next year).
Without further ado...
 
THE TWENTY-ONE BEST POSITION PLAYERS IN BASEBALL (Going into 2020)
Note: Each player entry will include their Three-Year Weighted fWAR, team, position, and 2020 age, with a line for 2019 statistics.

By Keith Allison from Hanover, MD, USA - Jose Altuve
#21: JOSÉ ALTUVE 4.7 (Astros, 2B, 30)
2019 Stats: .298/.353/.550, 138 wRC+, 3.5 WAR, 31 HR.
You might be surprised to find the Great Little One so far down this list, but Altuve has actually been on a trajectory of decline over the last couple years: from a career-best 7.6 fWAR in 2017, to 4.9 in 2018 and 3.5 this year. We've also seen his batting average plummet from .346 to .316 to .298 during that span, although with career-best power numbers in 2019 (31 HR, .252 ISO). Given his career-low .303 BABIP in 2019, chances are he bounces back at least somewhat in 2020. Altuve is interesting in that a few years ago he was pretty much this era's Tony Gwynn, with three batting titles in four years (2014, 2016-17); now he's hitting far more HR than Gwynn ever did. He's early into a mega-contract, with $29 million due each year through 2024, so it will be interesting to see how he ages. 2020 should determine if he's now "only" a very good player, or if he can maintain his place among the best in the game.
#20:  PETER ALONSO 4.8 (Mets, 1B, 25)
2019 Stats: .260/.358/.583, 143 wRC+, 4.8 WAR, 53 HR.
Talk about a rookie year. Considering the fact that he only has one year to his name, Alonso’s ranking is based entirely on his 2019 performance, so is a bit more tenuous than other players. But given his incredible season, including a rookie record 53 HR, I think he deserves inclusion. He's a classic Killebrew-esque power hitting first baseman: low average, immense power, an above average amount of walks (72) and tons of strikeouts (183). My guess is that there's more of all of the above to come. If he adds 30 points to his BA, he'll be one of the very best hitters in baseball.
#19: RONALD ACUÑA Jr. 4.8 (Braves, CF, 22)
2019 Stats: .280/.365/.518, 126 wRC+, 5.6 WAR, 41 HR, 37 SB.
Such discussion is never had on this web-site, of course, but when people talk about who might eventually surpass Mike Trout as the best player in baseball, Acuña's name is frequently mentioned. While he's far from Trout, consider that he just finished his age 21 season with 9.3 career fWAR, good for 22nd best all time through that age (Trout had already accrued more than twice that with 20.9, but this isn’t about him). Acuña is the full package, with a career line of .285/.365/.532 in his first 1202 PA: not bad for a 21-year old. If you want something to complain about, despite more HR and WAR (mostly due to more games played), his 2019 actually saw a slight drop in wRC+ from 143 to 126. But he did almost join the exclusive 40-40 club and the sky is the limit for this kid.
#18: TREVOR STORY 4.8 (Rockies, SS, 27)
2019 Stats: .294/.363/.554, 121 wRC+, 5.8 WAR, 35 HR, 23 SB.
I was surprised to see Story end up so high. While he’s been around for four years now, he’s not a star I pay a lot of attention to, although that might be because the Rockies are a team not many outside of Colorado pays attention to. But Story is very, very good, if enjoying the usual Coors-inflated numbers. After a sophomore slump in 2017, which saw his excellent rookie fWAR of 3.1 drop to 1.4, he has established himself as a bonafide star, with a 5.1 and 5.8 fWAR the last two years, with very similar stats. A nice complementary star to Colorado’s franchise player, who we’ll encounter a little later on.
#17: YASMANI GRANDAL 4.9 (Brewers, C, 31)
2019 Stats: .246/.380/.468, 121 wRC+, 5.2 WAR, 28 HR.
For those wondering why a few Angels fans keep lingering over the name “Yasmani Grandal” for possible free agent signings, this is exactly why: he’s one of the twenty best position players in the game. Grandal has quietly been consistently very good for half a decade, averaging exactly 5.0 fWAR over the last five years – incredible numbers for a catcher. And you’ve got to love that .380 OBP, based on a career-high 109 walks. According to this formula, he’s the second best catcher in baseball.
#16: MAX MUNCY 5.0 (Dodgers, 2B/1B/3B/OF, 30)
2019 Stats: .251/.374/.515, 134 wRC+, 4.8 WAR, 35 HR.
Muncy’s an unusual player, both because he plays a bunch of positions adequately, but also because he emerged relatively late in his career; after not catching on with the Athletics, he broke out at age 27 in 2018 for the Dodgers. His ranking might be a bit generous as I only included his two full seasons in the formula, but his 10 WAR over the last two years makes him one of the twenty best in the game.
#15: GEORGE SPRINGER 5.0 (Astros, OF, 30)
2019 Stats: .292/.383/.591, 156 wRC+, 6.5 WAR, 39 HR.
While Springer has been a borderline star for a few years now, he finally had the breakout year people had been expecting, with career highs in almost every category – despite only playing in 122 games. If he has a similar year next year, he could threaten the top 10.
#14: J.T. REALMUTO 5.2 (Phillies, C, 29)
2019 Stats: .275/.328/.493, 108 wRC+, 5.7 WAR, 25 HR.
According to this metric, Realmuto is the best catcher in baseball, but it is close, and Grandal has been good for longer. Add in the fact that a huge amount of Realmuto’s WAR value in 2019 came from Fangraphs’ new catcher framing stats, giving him 27.8 Defensive Runs—about half of his 5.7 WAR—and that his hitting was down from 2018, and I think you could argue that Grandal should get the edge, at least for past performance; but Realmuto is likely to be better going forward. Either way, Realmuto is one of two really good catchers in the major leagues, with everyone else far behind. Consider that over the last three years, Realmuto leads all catchers with 15.0 WAR; Grandal is a close second at 14.0, but then it drops all the way to the once-great Buster Posey at 8.9 and the erratic Gary Sanchez at 8.3.
#13: JOSÉ RAMÍREZ 5.4 (Indians, 3B, 27)
2019 Stats: .255/.327/.479, 104 wRC+, 3.3 WAR, 23 HR, 24 SB.
If we were doing this list a year ago, Ramirez would rank in the top 5 with a three-year weighted WAR of 7.0. But he started slumping in late 2018 and was absolutely terrible through half of 2019, before finding his swing in late June. Who knows what to expect next year, but from June 21 on he hit .325/.371/.703 in 229 PA, so I think it is safe to say that he’s back and will rise again up this list. Of all 21 players on this list, he had the worst 2019 season, but consider that if it was a typical year for him, he’d still be among the best 40 or so players in the game.
#12: AARON JUDGE 5.4 (Yankees, RF, 28)
2019 Stats: .272/.381/.540, 141 wRC+, 4.6 WAR, 27 HR in 102 games.
If not for injury, Judge would rank higher. After an incredible rookie year that saw him hit .284/.422/.627 with 52 HR and a major league leading 8.3 fWAR--not unlike Peter Alonso's rookie season, but with more contact and walks--earning him the Rookie of the Year Award and second place MVP, Judge played 112 and 102 games in 2018 and 2019, respectively. His rate stats dropped a bit, but if healthy he’s still one of the better hitters in the game and a top 10 player.

By Keith Allison from Hanover, MD, USA - Aaron Judge
#11: MARCUS SEMIEN 5.4 (Athletics, SS, 29)
2019 Stats: .285/.369/.522, 137 wRC+, 7.6 WAR, 33 HR in 162 games.
Probably the most surprising name on this list—not only because he’s on this list, but how high he’s ranked. Semien has been a good player for a few years, but he became a great one in 2019. Whether or not it is sustainable is a big question, although I expect his ranking to drop a bit. Anyhow, of all the players on this list Semien's ranking makes me question the formula the most. On the other hand, it also illustrates just how good he was in 2019.
#10: XANDER BOGAERTS 5.6 (Red Sox, SS, 27)
2019 Stats: .309/.384/.555, 141 wRC+, 6.8 WAR, 33 HR in 155 games.
After being a consistently very good player for four years, Bogaerts finally broke through to superstardom. Given Mookie Betts' questionable future on the Red Sox, Bogaerts could be the face of the only franchise with four World Series championships in the 21st century for the next seven years, as he is signed through 2026. I personally think this is him maxed out and he probably won't go much higher, but will still be fixture on this list for years to come.
#9: FRANCISCO LINDOR 5.7 (Indians, SS, 26)
2019 Stats: .284/.335/.518, 114 wRC+, 4.4 WAR, 32 HR, 22 SB in 143 games.
Lindor probably had the worst season of his five-year career in 2019 (his 4.0 WAR in 2015, his rookie year, was in 99 games), but may have been hampered by a nagging calf injury that saw hm miss the first few weeks. He was still very good, but it was a slightly disappointing season compared to 2018. If he bounces back, he’ll rise a bit. He's won the crown of best shortstop in the game.
#8: MATT CHAPMAN 5.7 (Athletics, 3B, 27)
2019 Stats: .249/.342/.506, 125 wRC+, 6.1 WAR, 36 HR in 156 games.
Chapman is a very good hitter, but a great defender, likely to win his second Gold Glove in a row. He should be a fixture on this list for years to come, especially if he improves his contact rate.
#7: NOLAN ARENADO 5.8 (Rockies, 3B, 29)
2019 Stats: .315/.379/.583, 128 wRC+, 5.9 WAR, 41 HR in 155 games.
Is there any more consistent player in baseball? Arenado’s hit between 37 and 42 HR and at least 110 RBI in each of the last five years, although a comparatively more modest--but still very good--121 to 132 wRC+ during that span. Consider his 2017-19 fWARs: 5.7, 5.7, 5.9. At 29, there’s no reason to expect a down-turn in the next couple years; the Rockies certainly hope not, as he’ll be one of the highest paid players in baseball through 2025, his age 34 season.
#6: CODY BELLINGER 5.8 (Dodgers, 1B/OF, 24)
2019 Stats: .305/.406/.629, 162 wRC+, 7.8 WAR, 47 HR in 156 games.
Doesn’t it seem like the Dodgers—despite being one of the better teams of the last 15 years or so—haven’t quite been able to find that franchise player? Adrian Beltre had that ridiculously good breakout year in 2004, but then signed with the Mariners; Andre Ethier and Matt Kemp looked very promising, but after Kemp’s second-place MVP finish in 2011, he struggled with injury, and Ethier never became more than very good. And remember when Yasiel Puig was, for maybe a month, talked about as the Dodgers’ answer to Mike Trout? Corey Seager looked promising and while quite good, has been a bit disappointing. Anyhow, they may finally have their guy in Bellinger, although it is worth noting that he was two very different players in the first and second half of the year: In the first half he hit .336 with 30 HR; in the second, .261 with 17. Even splitting the difference, well, look at that stat line: Bellinger’s great, and only 24.
#5: ANTHONY RENDON 6.7 (Nationals, 3B, 30)
2019 Stats: .319/.412/.598, 154 wRC+, 7.0 WAR, 34 HR in 146 games.
Rendon has been a star for years now—with the fourth highest fWAR in baseball over the last four seasons, at 24.2—but has generally been under the radar. 2019 was his best year yet, but he’ll still likely fall to third in MVP voting. Rendon pretty much does everything except for steal bases, but he’s not slow. He’s about to become a very, very wealthy man.
#4: CHRISTIAN YELICH 7.2 (Brewers, RF, 28)
2019 Stats: .329/.429/.671, 174 wRC+, 7.8 WAR, 44 HR in 130 games.
Do you remember when the Marlins were selling off their young stars and Yelich was the guy everyone wanted? He was a good player in 2017 but not yet a great one, and the Brewers got him for an absolute steal of a package, centered on the very disappointing Lewis Brinson. Yelich became a superstar in 2018 and since then has been the second best hitter in baseball, his two-year wRC+ of 170 behind only Trout’s 185. A year from now he's a good bet to be #2 on this list.
#3: ALEX BREGMAN 7.4 (Astros, 3B, 26)
2019 Stats: .296/.423/.592, 168 wRC+, 8.5 WAR, 41 HR in 156 games.
We truly are in a golden age of third basemen—half of the top eight on this list, plus a few others in the top 30—and Bregman is the best of the lot and just keeps getting better. Oh yeah, Bregman is one of three Astros on this list, and that doesn’t include Carlos Correa or Yordan Alvarez. Anyhow, after a very good first full year in 2017, Bregman jumped to superstardom in 2018 and was even better in 2019, a bonafide MVP candidate.
#2: MOOKIE BETTS 7.7 (Red Sox, RF, 27)
2019 Stats: .295/.391/.524, 135 wRC+, 6.6 WAR, 29 HR in 150 games.
Angels fans like to bag on Mookie as being “not Trout,” but boy is this little guy a good player. Looking only at his last few odd-number seasons you’d think he was really good, but it is his last two even number years that have made people question whether he’s as good as Trout. In fact, his 2018 was—according to fWAR at 10.4—better than any Trout year, and the best year by any player since Barry Bonds. And while Trout was amazing in 2018 with a 9.8 fWAR in 140 games, Betts actually played in four fewer games. But Betts isn’t quite as consistent as Trout: since his first full season in 2015, his fWARs have been 4.8, 8.3, 5.3, 10.4, and 6.6. And it is important to note that his 185 wRC+ in 2018 was fueled by a .368 BABIP, well above his career average of .314. Chances are 2018 was a career year and that he might slip a bit in these rankings, at least below Bregman and Yelich, but Betts is a truly great player and should—at the least—remain one of the ten or so best players in the game for years to come.

By Keith Allison from Hanover, MD, USA - Mookie Betts
#1: MIKE TROUT 8.7 (Angels, CF, 28)
2019 Stats: .291/.438/.645, 180 wRC+, 8.6 WAR, 45 HR in 134 games.
Did you expect anyone else? Trout is #1 by a solid 1.0 WAR margin. He's actually reached a new level of performance in 2017-19, with a 180, 190, and 180 wRC+, averaging 10.5 fWAR per 162 games played. The lone concern is that he's missed at least 22 games in each of the last three years. Injury kept him from 50 HR and 10 WAR in 2019 (as well as 2018), but he still managed career highs in HR, ISO, and SLG, and led the majors in WAR, if only just barely. If healthy, he should reach the 10 fWAR mark and could even have an 11 fWAR season in him over the next few years. Sit back and enjoy.
 
ADDENDUM: ODDS AND ENDS
Honorable Mentions (aka the Next Dozen)
Ketel Marte 4.5, Freddie Freeman 4.5, Javier Baez 4.4, Juan Soto 4.4, Kris Bryant 4.3, Bryce Harper 4.2, Eugenio Suarez 4.2, J.D. Martinez 4.2, Paul Goldschmidt 4.1, Manny Machado 4.0, Tommy Pham 4.0, Justin Turner 4.0.
That is a nice place to cut it off, as everyone else has a 3.9 Weighted fWAR or lower.
Surprise Absenses
Who is not mentioned in the expanded 33 Best Players (the 21 listed but 12 honorable mentions)? Well, the first name that comes to my mind is Carlos Correa, who after two 5 fWAR seasons in 2016-17, was a contender for at least the top 10. I remember people debating whether Correa or Lindor was going to be the best shortstop of the future; that seems to have been decided, at least for now. Correa’s struggles are mainly injury-related as he’s played only 185 games over the last two seasons with a total of 4.8 fWAR. If he can remain healthy, he has a chance to become the fourth Astro in the top 20.
Giancarlo Stanton also comes to mind. After a career high 59 HR and 7.3 WAR in 2017 for the Marlins, he became a merely garden-variety slugger for the Yankees the following year (38 HR, 4.3 WAR), and then missed all but 18 games in 2019. He’ll be 30 next year, so we’ll see if he can re-find his 2017 form.
A couple others I’d like to mention: Josh Donaldson had a comeback 4.9 WAR season, but is still not quite as good as his 2013-17 peak when his 34.4 fWAR was second only to You Know Who. He’ll need another two more similar seasons to sneak back on this list; at 34 that will be difficult, but possible, I suppose.
 Finally, a note on Buster Posey. Despite winning an MVP and three World Series, he may be a bit under-appreciated, at least outside of the Bay Area. As with Donaldson, he can claim to be the second best player in baseball over a chunk of years, with a 42.9 fWAR over a six-year span of 2012-17. Like many catchers, he’s been underrated, and like most catchers, he’s declined early, with a rather steap decline over the last three years, from 6.7 fWAR in 2014 to 4.7, 2.3, and 1.8 last year.  
Threats for 2021:Up-and-Comers
The youth revolution continues in baseball, with a bunch of young players establishing themselves as stars. Juan Soto, Yoan Moncada, Ozzie Albies, Jeff McNeil, Rafael Devers, Max Kepler, Yordan Alvarez, Vladimir Guerrero Jr, Bo Bichette, Keston Hiura, and Fernando Tatis Jr are among the candidates for this list a year or two from now, depending upon how they develop. Some of these guys may already be as good as players listed above, but just need the playing time to prove it.
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By Jason Sinner, AngelsWin.com Columnist (aka @Dochalo)
Here's who unlikely will spend on players outside of some 1 and maybe 2-yr deals. We won't really go into much detail here for the following teams.
BAL, DET, KC, TB, TOR, ARZ, MIA, COL, PIT, SF.  
Here's who might spend some money but likely on deals in the 1-3yr range.  Not on any big names.  

BOS - likely to shed some payroll.  can't see them being big FA players
OAK - don't have much money but might surprise with a key player or two on shorter deals.  Nothing big.  Could make a couple trades.  
CLE - Payroll is manageable now.  If they trade Lindor, they could make a small deal or two.  
SEA - don't see them going big on any particular player.  a couple of small deals and of course some trades
CHC - payroll already at 183m.  Don't see them doing much other than some complementary pieces.  Cap number is already above 200m.  
HOU - I debated on where to put them but I really think they'll stay fairly conservative this year.  They'll add some pieces but they're already at 220m for 2020.   
NYM - At 180m  in salary and 203m in AAV.  don't see them going big.  
Teams that could spend just because of who they are:

LAD - always a threat to go at a big time player.  They've avoided long term contracts in the recent past and already have a good team with a great farm.  At 175m for 2020.  They're gonna do some stuff.  I definitely see them as a player for the SP market.  Maybe Cole but more likely in that next tier down.  
NYY - same as the Dodgers.  2020 payroll at 204m.  AAV at 215.  again, they could always spend but I think they end up being a little more conservative.  
Teams that could spend and go after a longer term contract on a couple key players but won't go huge:
ARZ - they were a pretty good team in 2019.  payroll at 109m.  Made some substantial trades at the deadline and could move Ray for more cheap talent.  Wouldn't surprise me if they went after a slightly more expensive player or two.  
ATL - I don't think they'll go big but their current payroll sits at about 90m so they definitely could.  Lots of prospect capital here as well.  I think they'll definitely be in on SP in the tier after Cole.  Could surprise and even make a run at Cole but I doubt it.  
CIN - smaller market team who could also be in the secondary market and spend some but likely not huge.  At 122m already for 2020.
MIL - similar to CIN.  They're likely still trying to hold on to their window.  At about 97m right now so they've definitely got some room.  
STL - at 163m in payroll and 176m in AAV.  They won't be afraid to add the right players but I don't see them in the top of the market.  
The big spenders:

TEX - I could see them shelling out some dough this winter on both SP and Rendon.  Personally I think that would be a mistake as they got some non sustainable performances to make them seem better than they really can be long term.  Pence, Choo, Lynn, Minor, Santana.  There are rumors of them going after Rendon which I could see happening but I think there's a fair amount of fools gold with this team.  
MIN - they are losing 4 of their SP from their rotation and had a 100 win season.  Payroll is at 80m.  Plus they they a very good farm.  I think they'll be very active this winter.  I don't see them going after Cole, but anyone in the tier below is someone they'll target.  Plus, I could see them in on big trade or two.  
CWS - a good lineup and better than most people think with some key additions.  Payroll is at about 60m.  They'll definitely be in on Cole and probably Rendon as well.  They may very well whiff on everyone they go after, but they'll be looking to make some big splashes (plural).  Plus, they still have a good farm system.  
WSH - just won the series.  They have spent in the past and payroll of 120m gives them plenty of room to work.  
PHI - disappointing year and payroll at 171m with AAV at 191m.  They were all in last year and need pitching.  They'll spend but this could be a team that's in a bad way by the end of 2020.  
LAA - money to spend. Need starting pitching. No brainer! 
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By Keith Allison from Hanover, MD, USA - Mike Trout
By Jonathan Northrop, AngelsWin.com Columnist
Watching Anthony Rendon in the World Series got me thinking about how he ranks among baseball’s superstars, and who the very best players in baseball are. Clearly the best is obvious, but what about everyone else? How would they rank? And how to rank them? What started as a fun little time-wasting personal project quickly spiralled out of hand and consumed some hours of the last few days, and resulted in an actual article. So as the offseason begins, enjoy...
A Note on Process
If you're not interested in the process and formula and just want to see the list, go ahead and skip ahead. The formula is simple, but some might find it tedious or headache-inducing. But I've enclosed it in spoilers, so as not to confuse.
The List
I wrote this in installments for the forum, but will share it here as one piece. It will still be presented as a countdown, from #21 to #1, and then with some odds and ends at the end.
By now you know I’m cheating: I’m offering a top 21, because while I’m OK excluding #22 Ketel Marte (for now), I cannot bear to keep José Altuve off the list.
Finally, a note of clarification: This list is meant to answer the question about who the best players are in the game right now based upon the above weighted WAR formula; in other words, this is right now; it is not meant as a list of future value, or who I personally would take in a fantasy or real draft. The list and ordering will change (and perhaps we'll revisit it next year).
Without further ado...
 
THE TWENTY-ONE BEST POSITION PLAYERS IN BASEBALL (Going into 2020)
Note: Each player entry will include their Three-Year Weighted fWAR, team, position, and 2020 age, with a line for 2019 statistics.

By Keith Allison from Hanover, MD, USA - Jose Altuve
#21: JOSÉ ALTUVE 4.7 (Astros, 2B, 30)
2019 Stats: .298/.353/.550, 138 wRC+, 3.5 WAR, 31 HR.
You might be surprised to find the Great Little One so far down this list, but Altuve has actually been on a trajectory of decline over the last couple years: from a career-best 7.6 fWAR in 2017, to 4.9 in 2018 and 3.5 this year. We've also seen his batting average plummet from .346 to .316 to .298 during that span, although with career-best power numbers in 2019 (31 HR, .252 ISO). Given his career-low .303 BABIP in 2019, chances are he bounces back at least somewhat in 2020. Altuve is interesting in that a few years ago he was pretty much this era's Tony Gwynn, with three batting titles in four years (2014, 2016-17); now he's hitting far more HR than Gwynn ever did. He's early into a mega-contract, with $29 million due each year through 2024, so it will be interesting to see how he ages. 2020 should determine if he's now "only" a very good player, or if he can maintain his place among the best in the game.
#20:  PETER ALONSO 4.8 (Mets, 1B, 25)
2019 Stats: .260/.358/.583, 143 wRC+, 4.8 WAR, 53 HR.
Talk about a rookie year. Considering the fact that he only has one year to his name, Alonso’s ranking is based entirely on his 2019 performance, so is a bit more tenuous than other players. But given his incredible season, including a rookie record 53 HR, I think he deserves inclusion. He's a classic Killebrew-esque power hitting first baseman: low average, immense power, an above average amount of walks (72) and tons of strikeouts (183). My guess is that there's more of all of the above to come. If he adds 30 points to his BA, he'll be one of the very best hitters in baseball.
#19: RONALD ACUÑA Jr. 4.8 (Braves, CF, 22)
2019 Stats: .280/.365/.518, 126 wRC+, 5.6 WAR, 41 HR, 37 SB.
Such discussion is never had on this web-site, of course, but when people talk about who might eventually surpass Mike Trout as the best player in baseball, Acuña's name is frequently mentioned. While he's far from Trout, consider that he just finished his age 21 season with 9.3 career fWAR, good for 22nd best all time through that age (Trout had already accrued more than twice that with 20.9, but this isn’t about him). Acuña is the full package, with a career line of .285/.365/.532 in his first 1202 PA: not bad for a 21-year old. If you want something to complain about, despite more HR and WAR (mostly due to more games played), his 2019 actually saw a slight drop in wRC+ from 143 to 126. But he did almost join the exclusive 40-40 club and the sky is the limit for this kid.
#18: TREVOR STORY 4.8 (Rockies, SS, 27)
2019 Stats: .294/.363/.554, 121 wRC+, 5.8 WAR, 35 HR, 23 SB.
I was surprised to see Story end up so high. While he’s been around for four years now, he’s not a star I pay a lot of attention to, although that might be because the Rockies are a team not many outside of Colorado pays attention to. But Story is very, very good, if enjoying the usual Coors-inflated numbers. After a sophomore slump in 2017, which saw his excellent rookie fWAR of 3.1 drop to 1.4, he has established himself as a bonafide star, with a 5.1 and 5.8 fWAR the last two years, with very similar stats. A nice complementary star to Colorado’s franchise player, who we’ll encounter a little later on.
#17: YASMANI GRANDAL 4.9 (Brewers, C, 31)
2019 Stats: .246/.380/.468, 121 wRC+, 5.2 WAR, 28 HR.
For those wondering why a few Angels fans keep lingering over the name “Yasmani Grandal” for possible free agent signings, this is exactly why: he’s one of the twenty best position players in the game. Grandal has quietly been consistently very good for half a decade, averaging exactly 5.0 fWAR over the last five years – incredible numbers for a catcher. And you’ve got to love that .380 OBP, based on a career-high 109 walks. According to this formula, he’s the second best catcher in baseball.
#16: MAX MUNCY 5.0 (Dodgers, 2B/1B/3B/OF, 30)
2019 Stats: .251/.374/.515, 134 wRC+, 4.8 WAR, 35 HR.
Muncy’s an unusual player, both because he plays a bunch of positions adequately, but also because he emerged relatively late in his career; after not catching on with the Athletics, he broke out at age 27 in 2018 for the Dodgers. His ranking might be a bit generous as I only included his two full seasons in the formula, but his 10 WAR over the last two years makes him one of the twenty best in the game.
#15: GEORGE SPRINGER 5.0 (Astros, OF, 30)
2019 Stats: .292/.383/.591, 156 wRC+, 6.5 WAR, 39 HR.
While Springer has been a borderline star for a few years now, he finally had the breakout year people had been expecting, with career highs in almost every category – despite only playing in 122 games. If he has a similar year next year, he could threaten the top 10.
#14: J.T. REALMUTO 5.2 (Phillies, C, 29)
2019 Stats: .275/.328/.493, 108 wRC+, 5.7 WAR, 25 HR.
According to this metric, Realmuto is the best catcher in baseball, but it is close, and Grandal has been good for longer. Add in the fact that a huge amount of Realmuto’s WAR value in 2019 came from Fangraphs’ new catcher framing stats, giving him 27.8 Defensive Runs—about half of his 5.7 WAR—and that his hitting was down from 2018, and I think you could argue that Grandal should get the edge, at least for past performance; but Realmuto is likely to be better going forward. Either way, Realmuto is one of two really good catchers in the major leagues, with everyone else far behind. Consider that over the last three years, Realmuto leads all catchers with 15.0 WAR; Grandal is a close second at 14.0, but then it drops all the way to the once-great Buster Posey at 8.9 and the erratic Gary Sanchez at 8.3.
#13: JOSÉ RAMÍREZ 5.4 (Indians, 3B, 27)
2019 Stats: .255/.327/.479, 104 wRC+, 3.3 WAR, 23 HR, 24 SB.
If we were doing this list a year ago, Ramirez would rank in the top 5 with a three-year weighted WAR of 7.0. But he started slumping in late 2018 and was absolutely terrible through half of 2019, before finding his swing in late June. Who knows what to expect next year, but from June 21 on he hit .325/.371/.703 in 229 PA, so I think it is safe to say that he’s back and will rise again up this list. Of all 21 players on this list, he had the worst 2019 season, but consider that if it was a typical year for him, he’d still be among the best 40 or so players in the game.
#12: AARON JUDGE 5.4 (Yankees, RF, 28)
2019 Stats: .272/.381/.540, 141 wRC+, 4.6 WAR, 27 HR in 102 games.
If not for injury, Judge would rank higher. After an incredible rookie year that saw him hit .284/.422/.627 with 52 HR and a major league leading 8.3 fWAR--not unlike Peter Alonso's rookie season, but with more contact and walks--earning him the Rookie of the Year Award and second place MVP, Judge played 112 and 102 games in 2018 and 2019, respectively. His rate stats dropped a bit, but if healthy he’s still one of the better hitters in the game and a top 10 player.

By Keith Allison from Hanover, MD, USA - Aaron Judge
#11: MARCUS SEMIEN 5.4 (Athletics, SS, 29)
2019 Stats: .285/.369/.522, 137 wRC+, 7.6 WAR, 33 HR in 162 games.
Probably the most surprising name on this list—not only because he’s on this list, but how high he’s ranked. Semien has been a good player for a few years, but he became a great one in 2019. Whether or not it is sustainable is a big question, although I expect his ranking to drop a bit. Anyhow, of all the players on this list Semien's ranking makes me question the formula the most. On the other hand, it also illustrates just how good he was in 2019.
#10: XANDER BOGAERTS 5.6 (Red Sox, SS, 27)
2019 Stats: .309/.384/.555, 141 wRC+, 6.8 WAR, 33 HR in 155 games.
After being a consistently very good player for four years, Bogaerts finally broke through to superstardom. Given Mookie Betts' questionable future on the Red Sox, Bogaerts could be the face of the only franchise with four World Series championships in the 21st century for the next seven years, as he is signed through 2026. I personally think this is him maxed out and he probably won't go much higher, but will still be fixture on this list for years to come.
#9: FRANCISCO LINDOR 5.7 (Indians, SS, 26)
2019 Stats: .284/.335/.518, 114 wRC+, 4.4 WAR, 32 HR, 22 SB in 143 games.
Lindor probably had the worst season of his five-year career in 2019 (his 4.0 WAR in 2015, his rookie year, was in 99 games), but may have been hampered by a nagging calf injury that saw hm miss the first few weeks. He was still very good, but it was a slightly disappointing season compared to 2018. If he bounces back, he’ll rise a bit. He's won the crown of best shortstop in the game.
#8: MATT CHAPMAN 5.7 (Athletics, 3B, 27)
2019 Stats: .249/.342/.506, 125 wRC+, 6.1 WAR, 36 HR in 156 games.
Chapman is a very good hitter, but a great defender, likely to win his second Gold Glove in a row. He should be a fixture on this list for years to come, especially if he improves his contact rate.
#7: NOLAN ARENADO 5.8 (Rockies, 3B, 29)
2019 Stats: .315/.379/.583, 128 wRC+, 5.9 WAR, 41 HR in 155 games.
Is there any more consistent player in baseball? Arenado’s hit between 37 and 42 HR and at least 110 RBI in each of the last five years, although a comparatively more modest--but still very good--121 to 132 wRC+ during that span. Consider his 2017-19 fWARs: 5.7, 5.7, 5.9. At 29, there’s no reason to expect a down-turn in the next couple years; the Rockies certainly hope not, as he’ll be one of the highest paid players in baseball through 2025, his age 34 season.
#6: CODY BELLINGER 5.8 (Dodgers, 1B/OF, 24)
2019 Stats: .305/.406/.629, 162 wRC+, 7.8 WAR, 47 HR in 156 games.
Doesn’t it seem like the Dodgers—despite being one of the better teams of the last 15 years or so—haven’t quite been able to find that franchise player? Adrian Beltre had that ridiculously good breakout year in 2004, but then signed with the Mariners; Andre Ethier and Matt Kemp looked very promising, but after Kemp’s second-place MVP finish in 2011, he struggled with injury, and Ethier never became more than very good. And remember when Yasiel Puig was, for maybe a month, talked about as the Dodgers’ answer to Mike Trout? Corey Seager looked promising and while quite good, has been a bit disappointing. Anyhow, they may finally have their guy in Bellinger, although it is worth noting that he was two very different players in the first and second half of the year: In the first half he hit .336 with 30 HR; in the second, .261 with 17. Even splitting the difference, well, look at that stat line: Bellinger’s great, and only 24.
#5: ANTHONY RENDON 6.7 (Nationals, 3B, 30)
2019 Stats: .319/.412/.598, 154 wRC+, 7.0 WAR, 34 HR in 146 games.
Rendon has been a star for years now—with the fourth highest fWAR in baseball over the last four seasons, at 24.2—but has generally been under the radar. 2019 was his best year yet, but he’ll still likely fall to third in MVP voting. Rendon pretty much does everything except for steal bases, but he’s not slow. He’s about to become a very, very wealthy man.
#4: CHRISTIAN YELICH 7.2 (Brewers, RF, 28)
2019 Stats: .329/.429/.671, 174 wRC+, 7.8 WAR, 44 HR in 130 games.
Do you remember when the Marlins were selling off their young stars and Yelich was the guy everyone wanted? He was a good player in 2017 but not yet a great one, and the Brewers got him for an absolute steal of a package, centered on the very disappointing Lewis Brinson. Yelich became a superstar in 2018 and since then has been the second best hitter in baseball, his two-year wRC+ of 170 behind only Trout’s 185. A year from now he's a good bet to be #2 on this list.
#3: ALEX BREGMAN 7.4 (Astros, 3B, 26)
2019 Stats: .296/.423/.592, 168 wRC+, 8.5 WAR, 41 HR in 156 games.
We truly are in a golden age of third basemen—half of the top eight on this list, plus a few others in the top 30—and Bregman is the best of the lot and just keeps getting better. Oh yeah, Bregman is one of three Astros on this list, and that doesn’t include Carlos Correa or Yordan Alvarez. Anyhow, after a very good first full year in 2017, Bregman jumped to superstardom in 2018 and was even better in 2019, a bonafide MVP candidate.
#2: MOOKIE BETTS 7.7 (Red Sox, RF, 27)
2019 Stats: .295/.391/.524, 135 wRC+, 6.6 WAR, 29 HR in 150 games.
Angels fans like to bag on Mookie as being “not Trout,” but boy is this little guy a good player. Looking only at his last few odd-number seasons you’d think he was really good, but it is his last two even number years that have made people question whether he’s as good as Trout. In fact, his 2018 was—according to fWAR at 10.4—better than any Trout year, and the best year by any player since Barry Bonds. And while Trout was amazing in 2018 with a 9.8 fWAR in 140 games, Betts actually played in four fewer games. But Betts isn’t quite as consistent as Trout: since his first full season in 2015, his fWARs have been 4.8, 8.3, 5.3, 10.4, and 6.6. And it is important to note that his 185 wRC+ in 2018 was fueled by a .368 BABIP, well above his career average of .314. Chances are 2018 was a career year and that he might slip a bit in these rankings, at least below Bregman and Yelich, but Betts is a truly great player and should—at the least—remain one of the ten or so best players in the game for years to come.

By Keith Allison from Hanover, MD, USA - Mookie Betts
#1: MIKE TROUT 8.7 (Angels, CF, 28)
2019 Stats: .291/.438/.645, 180 wRC+, 8.6 WAR, 45 HR in 134 games.
Did you expect anyone else? Trout is #1 by a solid 1.0 WAR margin. He's actually reached a new level of performance in 2017-19, with a 180, 190, and 180 wRC+, averaging 10.5 fWAR per 162 games played. The lone concern is that he's missed at least 22 games in each of the last three years. Injury kept him from 50 HR and 10 WAR in 2019 (as well as 2018), but he still managed career highs in HR, ISO, and SLG, and led the majors in WAR, if only just barely. If healthy, he should reach the 10 fWAR mark and could even have an 11 fWAR season in him over the next few years. Sit back and enjoy.
 
ADDENDUM: ODDS AND ENDS
Honorable Mentions (aka the Next Dozen)
Ketel Marte 4.5, Freddie Freeman 4.5, Javier Baez 4.4, Juan Soto 4.4, Kris Bryant 4.3, Bryce Harper 4.2, Eugenio Suarez 4.2, J.D. Martinez 4.2, Paul Goldschmidt 4.1, Manny Machado 4.0, Tommy Pham 4.0, Justin Turner 4.0.
That is a nice place to cut it off, as everyone else has a 3.9 Weighted fWAR or lower.
Surprise Absenses
Who is not mentioned in the expanded 33 Best Players (the 21 listed but 12 honorable mentions)? Well, the first name that comes to my mind is Carlos Correa, who after two 5 fWAR seasons in 2016-17, was a contender for at least the top 10. I remember people debating whether Correa or Lindor was going to be the best shortstop of the future; that seems to have been decided, at least for now. Correa’s struggles are mainly injury-related as he’s played only 185 games over the last two seasons with a total of 4.8 fWAR. If he can remain healthy, he has a chance to become the fourth Astro in the top 20.
Giancarlo Stanton also comes to mind. After a career high 59 HR and 7.3 WAR in 2017 for the Marlins, he became a merely garden-variety slugger for the Yankees the following year (38 HR, 4.3 WAR), and then missed all but 18 games in 2019. He’ll be 30 next year, so we’ll see if he can re-find his 2017 form.
A couple others I’d like to mention: Josh Donaldson had a comeback 4.9 WAR season, but is still not quite as good as his 2013-17 peak when his 34.4 fWAR was second only to You Know Who. He’ll need another two more similar seasons to sneak back on this list; at 34 that will be difficult, but possible, I suppose.
 Finally, a note on Buster Posey. Despite winning an MVP and three World Series, he may be a bit under-appreciated, at least outside of the Bay Area. As with Donaldson, he can claim to be the second best player in baseball over a chunk of years, with a 42.9 fWAR over a six-year span of 2012-17. Like many catchers, he’s been underrated, and like most catchers, he’s declined early, with a rather steap decline over the last three years, from 6.7 fWAR in 2014 to 4.7, 2.3, and 1.8 last year.  
Threats for 2021:Up-and-Comers
The youth revolution continues in baseball, with a bunch of young players establishing themselves as stars. Juan Soto, Yoan Moncada, Ozzie Albies, Jeff McNeil, Rafael Devers, Max Kepler, Yordan Alvarez, Vladimir Guerrero Jr, Bo Bichette, Keston Hiura, and Fernando Tatis Jr are among the candidates for this list a year or two from now, depending upon how they develop. Some of these guys may already be as good as players listed above, but just need the playing time to prove it.
View the full article

By Jason Sinner, AngelsWin.com Columnist (aka @Dochalo)
Here's who unlikely will spend on players outside of some 1 and maybe 2-yr deals. We won't really go into much detail here for the following teams.
BAL, DET, KC, TB, TOR, ARZ, MIA, COL, PIT, SF.  
Here's who might spend some money but likely on deals in the 1-3yr range.  Not on any big names.  

BOS - likely to shed some payroll.  can't see them being big FA players
OAK - don't have much money but might surprise with a key player or two on shorter deals.  Nothing big.  Could make a couple trades.  
CLE - Payroll is manageable now.  If they trade Lindor, they could make a small deal or two.  
SEA - don't see them going big on any particular player.  a couple of small deals and of course some trades
CHC - payroll already at 183m.  Don't see them doing much other than some complementary pieces.  Cap number is already above 200m.  
HOU - I debated on where to put them but I really think they'll stay fairly conservative this year.  They'll add some pieces but they're already at 220m for 2020.   
NYM - At 180m  in salary and 203m in AAV.  don't see them going big.  
Teams that could spend just because of who they are:

LAD - always a threat to go at a big time player.  They've avoided long term contracts in the recent past and already have a good team with a great farm.  At 175m for 2020.  They're gonna do some stuff.  I definitely see them as a player for the SP market.  Maybe Cole but more likely in that next tier down.  
NYY - same as the Dodgers.  2020 payroll at 204m.  AAV at 215.  again, they could always spend but I think they end up being a little more conservative.  
Teams that could spend and go after a longer term contract on a couple key players but won't go huge:
ARZ - they were a pretty good team in 2019.  payroll at 109m.  Made some substantial trades at the deadline and could move Ray for more cheap talent.  Wouldn't surprise me if they went after a slightly more expensive player or two.  
ATL - I don't think they'll go big but their current payroll sits at about 90m so they definitely could.  Lots of prospect capital here as well.  I think they'll definitely be in on SP in the tier after Cole.  Could surprise and even make a run at Cole but I doubt it.  
CIN - smaller market team who could also be in the secondary market and spend some but likely not huge.  At 122m already for 2020.
MIL - similar to CIN.  They're likely still trying to hold on to their window.  At about 97m right now so they've definitely got some room.  
STL - at 163m in payroll and 176m in AAV.  They won't be afraid to add the right players but I don't see them in the top of the market.  
The big spenders:

TEX - I could see them shelling out some dough this winter on both SP and Rendon.  Personally I think that would be a mistake as they got some non sustainable performances to make them seem better than they really can be long term.  Pence, Choo, Lynn, Minor, Santana.  There are rumors of them going after Rendon which I could see happening but I think there's a fair amount of fools gold with this team.  
MIN - they are losing 4 of their SP from their rotation and had a 100 win season.  Payroll is at 80m.  Plus they they a very good farm.  I think they'll be very active this winter.  I don't see them going after Cole, but anyone in the tier below is someone they'll target.  Plus, I could see them in on big trade or two.  
CWS - a good lineup and better than most people think with some key additions.  Payroll is at about 60m.  They'll definitely be in on Cole and probably Rendon as well.  They may very well whiff on everyone they go after, but they'll be looking to make some big splashes (plural).  Plus, they still have a good farm system.  
WSH - just won the series.  They have spent in the past and payroll of 120m gives them plenty of room to work.  
PHI - disappointing year and payroll at 171m with AAV at 191m.  They were all in last year and need pitching.  They'll spend but this could be a team that's in a bad way by the end of 2020.  
LAA - money to spend. Need starting pitching. No brainer! 
View the full article

By Geoff Stoddart, AngelsWin.com Director of Social Media (better known as: @Spirit)
In February of 2004, Chuck Richter, launched the AngelsWin.com site and community forum as a place for Angels fans from around the country and around the world to come and discuss not only the team they loved, but also a wide array of topics that interested them.  As the community grew, the forum became the go to place for Angels fans on the internet to call their home discuss their team.
In the years that followed, two small websites became publicly available and changed the way the world interacted online.  Twitter in July 2006 and Facebook in September 2006. 
It is impossible to overstate the immense impact both of these social media platforms have had on the world we live in.  At first, they appeared to be a pioneering leap forward in allowing people to connect and reconnect with others on the internet. Family members, long lost friends, sports heroes, entertainers and the list goes on.  People shared their photos, stories of their kids, animals, dates and jobs with anyone who was willing to follow them and give them a like.  It started off all so promising. 
But like many things in life, too much of a good thing can often turn ugly.  Such has been the case with both Twitter and Facebook. 
How many times have you logged onto one of these platforms looking for Angels news and/or discussions, only to find yourself having to weed through endless amounts of drama, politics and hate?  If you said, “every time,” then you’re being honest.
As fans of the website slowly began transitioning over to the social media platforms, AngelsWin joined them.  We’ve had fun with discussions, memes, meltdowns and the like.  But over the last couple of years, we’ve seen interest wane.  People are getting tired of these internet cesspools.  And that’s caused something of a shift for our website.  What was old is suddenly becoming new again!  The AngelsWin community forum has continued to see a steady resurgence in activity. 
So, why is this happening?  Why are people migrating back to a format that has been around since the 90’s?  Well, the answer is pretty simple.  They want to engage without having to weed through the madness.
The AngelsWin community forum has everything you want from your ideal social media platforms.  A place for Angels baseball, a place for sports of all kinds, a place for politics, a place for general nonsense, and the list goes on.  But the great part about these forums is that they’re all separate from each other.  You don’t have to engage in a discussion about Ohtani’s recovery, while also having to read that someone thinks <insert politician’s name here> is a Nazi all the while getting a creepy or spam filled DM by strangers.
There are other benefits too …
·        You can easily search for topics or posts from days, weeks or even months before. (Try doing that on Twitter or Facebook)
·        We don’t mine your data and sell it to horrible people who will do horrible things. (I’m looking at you, Facebook!)
·        AngelsWin contests and prizes
·        Fanfest events with former and current players
·        Intelligent discussion threads that are moderated to filter out and hide any trolling that would derail the topic or disrespect others. 
·        Angels live Gameday threads & chat with fans, as well as up to date prospect updates and in-game stat lines through the major and minor league season.
·        Full access to our members gallery to upload & share pictures, calendar, private clubs to discuss topics in a group setting, private messaging & chat (coming soon).
·        Easily embed .Gifs just like on Twitter, upload images and videos, and we offer a full set of emoji's to share with the entire community. 
·        We have more than just the Facebook LIKE or Twitter Heart reaction. So take that!
·        Our mobile experience is modern, responsive and rivals all the popular social media apps out there. 
·        We have exclusive High Definition video interviews with front office members, both active and former players, as well as our top minor league talent. 
·        Angels news quickly populated to our forum via an RSS feed from the OC Register, including interaction & Q&A with Angels' beat writer @Jeff Fletcher.
·        While user accounts are always free, an upgrade to our Premium Member status provides you with an ad free experience.
 So if you’ve never been to AngelsWin.com before, come give us a try!  And if you were a member who has fallen away, come give the site another look. We think you’ll be very happy with what you find! 
The AngelsWin Community Forum … it’s new again!
 
 

By Geoff Stoddart, AngelsWin.com Director of Social Media (better known as: @Spirit)
In February of 2004, Chuck Richter, launched the AngelsWin.com site and community forum as a place for Angels fans from around the country and around the world to come and discuss not only the team they loved, but also a wide array of topics that interested them.  As the community grew, the forum became the go to place for Angels fans on the internet to call their home discuss their team.
In the years that followed, two small websites became publicly available and changed the way the world interacted online.  Twitter in July 2006 and Facebook in September 2006. 
It is impossible to overstate the immense impact both of these social media platforms have had on the world we live in.  At first, they appeared to be a pioneering leap forward in allowing people to connect and reconnect with others on the internet. Family members, long lost friends, sports heroes, entertainers and the list goes on.  People shared their photos, stories of their kids, animals, dates and jobs with anyone who was willing to follow them and give them a like.  It started off all so promising. 
But like many things in life, too much of a good thing can often turn ugly.  Such has been the case with both Twitter and Facebook. 
How many times have you logged onto one of these platforms looking for Angels news and/or discussions, only to find yourself having to weed through endless amounts of drama, politics and hate?  If you said, “every time,” then you’re being honest.
As fans of the website slowly began transitioning over to the social media platforms, AngelsWin joined them.  We’ve had fun with discussions, memes, meltdowns and the like.  But over the last couple of years, we’ve seen interest wane.  People are getting tired of these internet cesspools.  And that’s caused something of a shift for our website.  What was old is suddenly becoming new again!  The AngelsWin community forum has continued to see a steady resurgence in activity. 
So, why is this happening?  Why are people migrating back to a format that has been around since the 90’s?  Well, the answer is pretty simple.  They want to engage without having to weed through the madness.
The AngelsWin community forum has everything you want from your ideal social media platforms.  A place for Angels baseball, a place for sports of all kinds, a place for politics, a place for general nonsense, and the list goes on.  But the great part about these forums is that they’re all separate from each other.  You don’t have to engage in a discussion about Ohtani’s recovery, while also having to read that someone thinks <insert politician’s name here> is a Nazi all the while getting a creepy or spam filled DM by strangers.
There are other benefits too …
·        You can easily search for topics or posts from days, weeks or even months before. (Try doing that on Twitter or Facebook)
·        We don’t mine your data and sell it to horrible people who will do horrible things. (I’m looking at you, Facebook!)
·        AngelsWin contests and prizes
·        Fanfest events with former and current players
·        Intelligent discussion threads that are moderated to filter out and hide any trolling that would derail the topic or disrespect others. 
·        Angels live Gameday threads & chat with fans, as well as up to date prospect updates and in-game stat lines through the major and minor league season.
·        Full access to our members gallery to upload & share pictures, calendar, private clubs to discuss topics in a group setting, private messaging & chat (coming soon).
·        Easily embed .Gifs just like on Twitter, upload images and videos, and we offer a full set of emoji's to share with the entire community. 
·        We have more than just the Facebook LIKE or Twitter Heart reaction. So take that!
·        Our mobile experience is modern, responsive and rivals all the popular social media apps out there. 
·        We have exclusive High Definition video interviews with front office members, both active and former players, as well as our top minor league talent. 
·        Angels news quickly populated to our forum via an RSS feed from the OC Register, including interaction & Q&A with Angels' beat writer @Jeff Fletcher.
·        While user accounts are always free, an upgrade to our Premium Member status provides you with an ad free experience.
 So if you’ve never been to AngelsWin.com before, come give us a try!  And if you were a member who has fallen away, come give the site another look. We think you’ll be very happy with what you find! 
The AngelsWin Community Forum … it’s new again!
 
 

By Geoff Stoddart, AngelsWin.com Director of Social Media (better known as: @Spirit)
In February of 2004, Chuck Richter, launched the AngelsWin.com site and community forum as a place for Angels fans from around the country and around the world to come and discuss not only the team they loved, but also a wide array of topics that interested them.  As the community grew, the forum became the go to place for Angels fans on the internet to call their home discuss their team.
In the years that followed, two small websites became publicly available and changed the way the world interacted online.  Twitter in July 2006 and Facebook in September 2006. 
It is impossible to overstate the immense impact both of these social media platforms have had on the world we live in.  At first, they appeared to be a pioneering leap forward in allowing people to connect and reconnect with others on the internet. Family members, long lost friends, sports heroes, entertainers and the list goes on.  People shared their photos, stories of their kids, animals, dates and jobs with anyone who was willing to follow them and give them a like.  It started off all so promising. 
But like many things in life, too much of a good thing can often turn ugly.  Such has been the case with both Twitter and Facebook. 
How many times have you logged onto one of these platforms looking for Angels news and/or discussions, only to find yourself having to weed through endless amounts of drama, politics and hate?  If you said, “every time,” then you’re being honest.
As fans of the website slowly began transitioning over to the social media platforms, AngelsWin joined them.  We’ve had fun with discussions, memes, meltdowns and the like.  But over the last couple of years, we’ve seen interest wane.  People are getting tired of these internet cesspools.  And that’s caused something of a shift for our website.  What was old is suddenly becoming new again!  The AngelsWin community forum has continued to see a steady resurgence in activity. 
So, why is this happening?  Why are people migrating back to a format that has been around since the 90’s?  Well, the answer is pretty simple.  They want to engage without having to weed through the madness.
The AngelsWin community forum has everything you want from your ideal social media platforms.  A place for Angels baseball, a place for sports of all kinds, a place for politics, a place for general nonsense, and the list goes on.  But the great part about these forums is that they’re all separate from each other.  You don’t have to engage in a discussion about Ohtani’s recovery, while also having to read that someone thinks <insert politician’s name here> is a Nazi all the while getting a creepy or spam filled DM by strangers.
There are other benefits too …
·        You can easily search for topics or posts from days, weeks or even months before. (Try doing that on Twitter or Facebook)
·        We don’t mine your data and sell it to horrible people who will do horrible things. (I’m looking at you, Facebook!)
·        AngelsWin contests and prizes
·        Fanfest events with former and current players
·        Intelligent discussion threads that are moderated to filter out and hide any trolling that would derail the topic or disrespect others. 
·        Angels live Gameday threads & chat with fans, as well as up to date prospect updates and in-game stat lines through the major and minor league season.
·        Full access to our members gallery to upload & share pictures, calendar, private clubs to discuss topics in a group setting, private messaging & chat (coming soon).
·        Easily embed .Gifs just like on Twitter, upload images and videos, and we offer a full set of emoji's to share with the entire community. 
·        We have more than just the Facebook LIKE or Twitter Heart reaction. So take that!
·        Our mobile experience is modern, responsive and rivals all the popular social media apps out there. 
·        We have exclusive High Definition video interviews with front office members, both active and former players, as well as our top minor league talent. 
·        Angels news quickly populated to our forum via an RSS feed from the OC Register, including interaction & Q&A with Angels' beat writer @Jeff Fletcher.
·        While user accounts are always free, an upgrade to our Premium Member status provides you with an ad free experience.
 So if you’ve never been to AngelsWin.com before, come give us a try!  And if you were a member who has fallen away, come give the site another look. We think you’ll be very happy with what you find! 
The AngelsWin Community Forum … it’s new again!
 
 

The new manager of the Angels and the baseball coach at UC Riverside have a relationship that goes way back.
It includes some, um, unconventional training methods implemented by Joe Maddon, then an Angels minor league instructor, one Troy Percival will never forget.
“I was a catcher, and that was kind of his forte, working with the catchers and hitting as well,” Percival recalled of that initial introduction in the summer of 1990. “He had me out there with something called the Lobster (which is actually a tennis ball machine), throwing multi-colored balls at me, and balls with numbers on them. And I’m trying to hit them.
“Next thing I know, I’ve got batting gloves that have tubes between ’em, (part of) trying to teach me how to hit. So I worked a lot with Joe when I came up.”
This is the part of the story where we remind you that, for all of his subsequent success as an instructor, coach and ultimately manager, Joe Maddon certainly isn’t infallible. In that 1990 season at Boise of the short-season Northwest League, Percival – a sixth-round draft choice out of UCR as a catcher that June – hit .203, with a slugging percentage of .203 as well, in 101 plate appearances. As a catcher, he wasn’t long for professional baseball.
The next season, back at Boise, Percival was a pitcher, and that was the route that eventually got him to the big leagues.
“I was fresh out of college at that point, and anybody who had an Angels uniform on and was a coach, I assume they all knew their stuff,” Percival said. “And Joe was just so positive and made you believe in anything.
“And that’s one thing he’s good at. He will make you believe in your ability, in your team’s ability. It’s just the way he comes across. He’s a people person, and everybody respects and likes being around him.”
Maddon will be introduced to the masses Thursday at Angel Stadium as the franchise’s 18th full-time manager, having agreed to a three-year contract last week. He has already been one of five Angels interim managers during his 31 years in the organization; in his two stints as a fill-in he was 27-24, which already puts him third on the franchise’s all-time list in winning percentage behind Mike Scioscia and Gene Mauch.
Percival, who will begin his sixth season as UCR’s baseball coach in the spring of 2020, soaked up Maddon’s knowledge and wisdom both in the Angels’ farm system and with the big club; Maddon arrived in Anaheim as a coach in 1993, while Percival reached the big leagues to stay in ’95. And the pitcher received an upper-level baseball education in the season-plus that he spent in the bullpen with Maddon’s Tampa Bay Rays, in 2008 – when the Rays reached the World Series – and the first two months of ’09.
“I always went into his office whenever there was anything I didn’t understand, especially baseball-wise,” he recalled. “He’s always five steps ahead on everything. I’m like, ‘Hey, Joe, you did this in the second inning. Why?’ And he’d be like, ‘Well, because if this guy came in to face this guy in the fifth or sixth inning and this happened or this happened, I wanted to have this available.’ And I’m like, ‘Holy crap.’
“I mean, this guy thinks so far ahead of the game. And I try to do that sometimes, but to me, it’s a little more convoluted when I try to do it with college players. Big league players, you know that every single guy can do the job you need him to do.”
(Mostly, anyway. When the job involves a bunt, for example, it becomes murkier.)
A grasp of strategy, leavened with an embrace of analytics and a willingness to be unconventional, is one thing. A grasp of people skills is something else, and that might be Maddon’s true strength. Beyond the dress-up flights, guest speakers and other devices to keep things interesting, he shows players (and non-players) the respect of treating them the way he would want to be treated. The tenor of his clubhouse reflects that.
“He knows how to get the most out of his players, and I don’t even think it’s a technique,” Percival said. “You want to go out there and play for the man. You want to play hard.
“I had the same thing with (Scioscia). I would literally run in front of a train to get the job done because I respected him so much. When I got to Joe it was like, there’s no way this isn’t going to work. I’m going to make it work for Joe, for the team, because it becomes such a big team effort when you play for Joe.
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When Maddon took over the Rays in 2006 they were a forlorn club and organization; they were 61-101 in his first season but won 97 games and a pennant two years later. When the Cubs hired him for the 2015 season, they had a collection of young talent on the cusp of being really good; by year two they were World Series champs for the first time in 108 years.
The Angels are somewhere in between, and as Percival noted: “I think Arte (Moreno) is ready to go out and compete again.”
Maddon’s replacement of Brad Ausmus – the owner’s call, by all indications – is one sign. Signing Mike Trout to what amounts to a lifetime contract last spring is another.
And if two top-of-the-rotation starting pitchers join them in Anaheim next year, there’s your proof.
jalexander@scng.com
@Jim_Alexander on Twitter
View the full article

Finally, I spent some time and went through it and put it all in one location for viewing. 
You can now see it on the menu bar under the header logo when on desktop, or by clicking on the 3 horizontal lines in the upper right on a mobile device, then choosing "Greatest Moments" from the drop down menu. You can also view this in our Blog here as a featured article as well. 
This feature is without a doubt the finest work I've been a part of in a collaborative effort. The Angels acknowledged the work we did and even used some of our content in their Under The Halo book project for their 50th anniversary season. So super proud of the entire effort.
Enjoy taking a trip back into memory lane. 
 

Former Chicago Cubs manager Joe Maddon is set to interview with the Angels this week, a source confirmed on Sunday, fueling speculation that the pairing of the Angels and Maddon remains on track.
Maddon, 65, is the only confirmed candidate for the Angels manager job, although general manager Billy Eppler said last week they would conduct a search.
The Angels fired Brad Ausmus after he led the team to a 72-90 record in his only season at the helm.
Maddon spent 31 years as a player and a coach in the Angels organization. He was a part of the coaching staff for the World Series title team in 2002 under manager Mike Scioscia.
Maddon has led the Chicago Cubs and Tampa Bay Rays to eight playoff appearances, including a World Series title with the Cubs in 2016.
Related Articles
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ANAHEIM — When the Angels claimed Hansel Robles on waivers last summer, they could not have fully imagined just what they were getting.
Beyond Robles’ physical tools, which the Angels have helped mold into one of baseball’s best relievers in the second half this season, they got a player overflowing with a personality that he says had been stifled with the New York Mets.
“Here, they let me be who I am,” Robles said through an interpreter. “They embraced me. They let people be comfortable.”
A 29-year-old Dominican, Robles struts around the Angels clubhouse, playfully joking with teammates, clubhouse workers and reporters in three languages: English, Spanish and Japanese.
Lately, he’s been carrying a gold 1980s style boom box, which blasts music with a Latin flare.
And, of course, on the field he is now known for the epic entrance created by the Angel Stadium entertainment staff in April. Dramatic theme music from The Undertaker — his favorite pro wrestler — plays while he slowly jogs to the mound, as the video board shows a montage of a falling red rose petals, white horses and candles. Someone in the ballpark entertainment control room wears a white horse mask under a black hood.

Robles, who prefers the nickname Caballo Blanco because of his love for white horses, smiles broadly when describing the video.
“I like it a lot,” he said.
When the video first debuted, Manager Brad Ausmus was distracted from the field enough to take notice. He later called it “buzzworthy.”
Since then, Ausmus has become more familiar with the quirky, outsized personality that inspired that video. Robles is always in his ear, telling his manager that he can play shortstop, or at least that he should let him take batting practice.
All of it — from the video to the boom box — plays much better when accompanied by success.
Arguably the best pitching acquisition in general manager Billy Eppler’s four seasons, Robles has blossomed in a season and a half with the Angels. He became the closer in April, and has converted 22 saves this season.
“Last September he kind of opened everyone’s eyes and he’s kept it rolling right through the offseason and through the 2019 season,” Ausmus said. “He’s certainly exceeded what our expectations were going into the season.”
When the Angels claimed Robles, he’d posted a 4.07 ERA in three and a half years with the Mets, including a 5.03 mark in the first half of 2018.
But Eppler saw potential.
“He’s got big tools, and if you can kind of highlight somebody’s strengths and give them a particular approach that might allow them to enhance those tools, there’s upside in that,” Eppler said.
Robles posted a 2.97 ERA with the Angels over the rest of the 2018 season, but he didn’t truly have his breakthrough until a couple months into this season.
Robles had relied on his 97 mph fastball and a slider, only occasionally throwing his changeup. When he did, he had two changeups, one that he threw for a strike, and one that was a swing-and-miss pitch he used when he was ahead.
That pitch, one thrown with a split-finger grip, was the one that the Angels wanted to accentuate.
Robles said bullpen coach Andrew Bailey was the one who helped tweak his grip with that pitch, enough that Robles could be consistent enough with it to make it his primary off speed pitch. It replaced the slider, and the other changeup.
“I think it was just helping him realize that it was a strength of his, not really a third pitch,” Bailey said. “The movement qualities of the pitch are actually elite.”
Most changeups actually break slightly to the pitcher’s arm side, so right-handed pitchers throw fewer changeups to right-handed hitters than lefties, because the pitch breaks toward the hitter.
A splitter, however, has more of a straight down drop, which makes it effective against righties and lefties.
Robles had thrown his changeup just 5.4 percent of the time through the end of May. Since then, he’s increased the percentage each month, from 22 to 30.5 to 33.1 to 46.5 percent in September.
Not coincidentally, he’s been more successful. Robles had a 4.26 ERA at the end of May, and since June 1 he has a 1.19 ERA, with 47 strikeouts and nine walks in 45-1/3 innings.
“I think it’s a great tool for him to add to his arsenal,” catcher Kevan Smith said. “He does a great job keeping hitters off balance. If I was hitting against him, I would think he’s a fastball-slider guy, if you have a nasty changeup like that, you’ve really got to respect it.”
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“I don’t know what he’s doing with that, but that’s his thing,” Smith said with a smile. “Everyone has their own quirk and something that makes them special. If it brings him confidence and a little swag out there, I’m all for it.”
Robles said the Mets wouldn’t allow him to do it. The Angels seem to have no issue with it, which is further evidence to him that he’s in the right place.
“They are more relaxed with me,” he said. “They let me be myself. They embrace who I want to be as a player on a day in and day out basis. I feel like I’m at home here.”
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Angels (LHP Dillon Peters, 3-3, 4.81) vs. A’s (RHP Homer Bailey, 13-8, 4.55), 7:07 p.m., Fox Sports West
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