AngelsWin.com

By Jonathan Northrop, AngelsWin.com Staff Writer
Ranking prospects is an in-exact science, to say the least. Some like to focus more on raw talent, whether athleticism or acquired baseball skills, while others like to look at actual performance. The following list is based upon the subjective opinions of nine different AngelsWin writers and members. The benefit of such a composite list is that we both get a wide array of perspectives and approaches, but we also tend to even out each other’s biases.
A note on methodology: To arrive at these rankings I simply averaged out each ranking; in the case of “honorable mentions,” I counted it as a #31; in the case when a player was neither ranked or honorably mentioned, I considered that as #32 – except in the case of Taylor Ward, who was mentioned on six lists but not on three; those participants felt that due to the fact that his rookie eligibility expired (by 5 at bats) he is no longer a prospect. But I made the judgement call to include him—based on those six lists—because six of nine is a pretty solid majority. If you take issue with Ward’s inclusion, simply erase him from your mental list and move everyone below him up; Luis Madero would be the new #30.
I’ve added in “Ranking Trends” so that you get a sense of the range of how each player was viewed.
The age in parentheses is the player’s 2018 season age, which is based upon the age they are on July 1, the approximate mid-point of the year.
The ETA is based upon age and level, adjusted by my own subjective sense of when we can expect to see that player reach the major leagues.
Finally, I’ve tried to keep the comments as un-opinionated as possible, but in those cases where an opinion is given and seems off-base, don’t blame anyone but this writer.
Without further ado…
1. Jo Adell OF (age 19)
Stats: 290/.355/.543, 20 HR, 15 SB in 99 games at A/A+/AA.
Ranking Trends: Consensus #1.
ETA: 2020.
Comments: Despite a weak finish that saw his overall numbers fall, Adell was everything the Angels hoped for and more, playing at three levels as a teenager. Some scouts and analysts—and not just Angels fans—see him as being one of the highest upside players in the minors. He’s a consensus top 20 prospect in all of baseball, currently ranked #15 on MLB.com’s Pipeline rankings and #17 on Fangraphs’ The BOARD. There’s a real chance that sometime in 2019 he’s the #1 prospect in the minors. He’s the best Angels prospects since You Know Who and a probable future star.
2. Griffin Canning RHP (22)
Stats: 4-3, 3.65 ERA, 44 walks and 125 strikeouts in 113.1 innings at A+/AA/AAA.
Ranking Trends: average 2.1, median 2, range 2-3 (eight 2s, one 3).
ETA: 2019.
Comments: Not bad for a first professional season. Canning utterly dominated A+ (0.00 ERA in two starts) and AA (1.97 ERA in 10 starts) before struggling in the hitter’s paradise that is the Pacific Coast League (5.49 ERA in 13 starts). Expect him to adjust in 2019 and be in the majors at some point. His floor seems to be that of a good mid-rotation starter, his ceiling that of a borderline ace. MLB.com has him ranked #72 and Fangraphs #90.
3. Brandon Marsh OF (20)
Stats: .266/.359/.408, 10 HR, 14 SB, 73 walks in 127 A/A+ games.
Ranking Trends: average 3.3, median 3, range 2-6 (2, six 3s, 4, 6)
ETA: 2020.
Comments: On first glance, a disappointing year – especially after a strong start in A ball. But Marsh greatly improved his plate discipline and showed flashes of better things to come. He’s a good candidate for a breakout in 2019, when he should spend most of the year as a Trash Panda (AA). MLB.com ranks him #98, Fangraphs #58.
4. Jose Suarez LHP (20)
Stats: 3.92 ERA, 44 walks and 142 strikeouts in 117 innings at A+/AA/AAA.
Ranking Trends: average 5.3, median 6, range 3-7.
ETA: 2019.
Comments: Like Canning, Suarez dominated in A+ (2.00 ERA in 2 starts) and AA ball (3.03 ERA in 7 starts) before struggling in AAA (4.48 ERA in 17 starts), but he did eventually adjust. Also like Canning, he’ll start games in the majors next year.
5. Jahmai Jones 2B (20)
Stats: .229/.337/.380, 10 HR, 24 SB, 67 walks in 123 A+/AA games.
Ranking Trends: average 5.3, median 6, range 3-8.
ETA: 2020.
Comments: See Marsh; not a great year statistically, but not only did his plate discipline improve but he adjusted back to second base. I wouldn’t be concerned until we see how his second year at 2B is. There’s a sense that Jones is teetering between a breakthrough to future star status and more of a average regular. #75 according to Fangraphs.
6. Luis Rengifo SS (21)
Stats: .299/.399/.452, 7 HR, 41 SB, 75 walks in 127 A+/AA/AAA games.
Ranking Trends: average 6, median 5, range 4-10.
ETA: 2019.
Comments: Rengifo was a revelation, one of the most dynamic performers in the minor leagues and probably the Angels prospect whose value jumped the most. At the very least he’ll be a very nice super utility player; he may also challenge David Fletcher and Jones for the long-term gig at second base as soon as next year.
7. Jordyn Adams OF (18)
Stats: .267/.361/.381, 0 HR, 5 SB in 29 Rookie games.
Ranking Trends: average 7.4, median 8, range 5-9.
ETA: 2022.
Comments: 2018 first round pick Jordyn “The Dunk” Adams held his own in his first exposure to professional ball. He seemed to be taking a step forward in Orem, hitting .314/.375/.486 in 9 games, before going down with injury. A very athletic player with a high upside, but there’s still quite a range of possible outcomes.
8. Taylor Ward 3B (24)
Stats:.349/.446/.531, 14 HR, 18 SB, 65 walks in 102 AA/AAA games; .178/.245/.333, 6 HR, 9 walks and 45 strikeouts in 40 MLB games.
Ranking Trends: average 8, median 9, range 5-10 (with three not ranked due to loss of rookie status).
ETA: 2018.
Comments:: Angels minor league player of the year? While a dozen or more prospects have higher upside, Ward might have had the best year of any Angel minor leaguer. He struggled at the major league level but deserves the benefit of the doubt. Unlikely to be a star, he could be a solid performer at 3B.
9. Patrick Sandoval RHP (21)
Stats:2.43 ERA, 29 walks and 145 strikeouts in 122.1 A/A+/AA games, including a 0.79 ERA in 7 starts in the Angels organization.
Ranking Trends: average 9.1, median 9, range 5-14.
ETA: 2020.
Comments: Acquired for Martin Maldonado, Sandoval is a very welcome addition to the farm system. Most seem to think he is a future back-end of the rotation starter, but the numbers alone speak of mid-rotation potential.
10. Matt Thaiss 1B (23)
Stats:.280/.335/.467, 16 HR, 44 walks in 125 games in AA/AAA.
Ranking Trends: average 10, median 10, range 5-12.
ETA: 2019.
Comments: Thaiss continues to improve incrementally, although perhaps not quickly enough to get excited about. The jury is still out on his future, whether he’ll be an above average performer or more of a fringe starter/platoon player.
11. Jeremiah Jackson SS (18)
Stats: .254/.314/.491, 7 HR, 10 SB, 15 walks and 59 strikeouts in 43 Rookie games.
Ranking Trends: average 10.1, median 11, range 5-16.
ETA: 2022.
Comments: Jackson showed a lot of game, albeit in flashes of streaky brilliance. After crushing AZL pitching (.317/.374/.598 in 21 games) he really struggled in Orem (.198/.260/.396 in 22 games), so it remains to be seen whether the Angels push him and start him in A ball or send him to extended spring until the short season starts in Orem.
12. D’Shawn Knowles OF (17)
Stats: .311/./391/.464, in 5 HR, 9 SB, 28 walks and 65 strikeouts in 58 Rookie games.
Ranking Trends: average 12, median 12, range 9-16.
ETA: 2022.
Comments: Knowles was considered second Bahamanian fiddle to Trent Deveaux before the season began, but vastly outperformed Deveaux in their first professional showing. He may not have the pure athletic tools of Deveaux or Adams, but there is a sense of him having that x-factor of make-up. Like Rengifo he seems to be more than the sum of his parts, but also like Rengifo it is hard to say how that will translate at the major league level. He’s got a lot of time.
13. Kevin Maitan 3B/SS (18)
Stats: .248/.306/.397, 8 HR, 19 walks and 66 strikeouts, and 32 errors (!) in 63 Rookie games.
Ranking Trends: average 12.1, median 13, range 4-16.
ETA: 2022.
Comments: That range of rankings tells it all about Maitan: He could turn out to be Miguel Cabrera or he could flounder in the low minors and be out of professional baseball in a few years. Perhaps it is time to let go of such comparisons as Miggy and give Maitan the kindness of a tabula rasa of expectations; if you look only at his stat line, you might think “Not bad for an 18-year old in high Rookie ball.” Let’s see how he develops.
14. Jose Soriano RHP (19)
Stats: 4.47 ERA, 23 walks and 35 strikeouts in 46.1 IP at A ball.
Ranking Trends: average 14.8, median 15, range 12-18.
ETA: 2022.
Comments: One of the higher upside pitchers in the system, Soriano flashed excellent stuff but with only mediocre results. A good breakout candidate in 2019.
15. Chris Rodriguez RHP (19)
Stats: Did not play.
Ranking Trends: average 16.1, median 14, range 13-24.
ETA: 2022.
Comments: Did not play due to a back injury. Expectations should be adjusted accordingly, but he’s a similar prospect to Soriano in terms of high ceiling, very low floor.
16. Michael Hermosillo OF (23)
Stats: .267/.357/.480, 12 HR and 10 SB in 68 AAA games; .211/.274/.333 in 62 PA in MLB.
Ranking Trends: average 17.6, median 16, range 13-24.
ETA: 2018.
Comments: A strong defensive player who can field the entire OF, with a bit of pop and speed but mediocre bat. Hermosillo could put it all together in a year or two and be a solid starter, but is the odd-man out in the Angels outfield of the 2020s. At the least, however, he’ll be a very good 4th outfielder.
17. Trent Deveaux OF (18)
Stats: .199/.309/.247, 1 HR and 7 SB in 44 Rookie games.
Ranking Trends: average 17.7, median 18, range 13-27.
ETA: 2022.
Comments: Deveaux looked completely over-matched this year, striking out 68 times in 194 PA. He’s got the talent, but a Jabari-esque batting stance that leaves many scratching their heads. Watch him closely in 2019; he could jump to be in the mix with Adams, or he could continue in the Chevy Clarke School of Prospects.
After Deveaux, there’s a solid drop-off in rankings, with the following players rounding out the top 30:
18. Aaron Hernandez RHP (21)
Stats: Did not play pro ball.
Ranking Trends: average 20.3, median 19, range 12-20+ (one unranked).
ETA: 2021.
Comments: There’s a lot to be excited about with the Angels’ third pick of the 2018 amateur draft; has a good chance of rising quickly up these rankings.
19. Ty Buttrey RHP (25)
Stats: 3.31 ERA, 16.1 IP, 5 walks and 20 strikeouts in 16 MLB games.
Ranking Trends: average 21.2, median 22, range 11-29.
ETA: 2018
Comments: A savvy pickup in the Ian Kinsler trade, some are considering Buttrey to be the closer of the future; at the least, he’s a central piece of the Angels bullpen going forward.
20. Jared Walsh OF/1B/LHP (24)
Stats: .277/.359/.536, 29 HR, 99 RBI in 128 games in A+/AA/AAA. 1.59 ERA, 5.2 IP, 2 walks and 7 strikeouts in 8 games in A+/AA/AAA.
Ranking Trends: average 21.3, median 21, range 11-27+ (one unranked).
ETA: 2019
Comments: A bit under the radar, Walsh has been a steady performer throughout his four-year minor league career, compiling a .294/.360/.496 line in 360 games. Definitely in the mix for 1B/RF in 2019.
21. Jose Miguel Fernandez, IF (30)
Stats: .267/.309/.388, 2 HR in 36 games for the Angels. .333/.396/.535, 17 HR in 91 games in AAA.
Ranking Trends: average 21.3, median 19, range 14-22+ (two unranked).
ETA: 2018
Comments: Held his own in 123 PA in the majors, although without the sexy high average and power numbers he put up in the minor leagues. Should at least be a solid bench piece.
22. Livan Soto SS (18)
Stats: .291/.385/.349, 0 HR, 9 SB in 44 games in Rookie ball.
Ranking Trends: average 22.7, median 23, range 15-26+ (one honorable mention).
ETA: 2021
Comments:As with Knowles-Deveaux and Jackson-Adams, the less heralded of the two former Braves prospects had the better year, but in this case AngelsWin writers still ranked Maitan higher, perhaps due to Soto’s utter lack of power (so far) and Maitan’s considerable upside. But Soto is a very nice prospect who should rise up the rankings as he works his way through the organization. Gotta love that OBP.
23. Orlando Martinez OF (20)
Stats: .305/.354/.432, 5 HR in 65 games in Rookie/A ball.
Ranking Trends: average 23.1edian 23, range 19-25.
ETA: 2022
Comments: Notice the tight ranking range. Hit .375/.415/.604 in 12 games in Rookie ball but came down to earth in A, hitting .289/.340/.394. A Brennan Lund-type prospect.
24. Alex Ramirez OF (15)
Stats: Did not play professional ball.
Ranking Trends: average 23.2, median 21, range 17-26+ (two unranked).
ETA: 2024
Comments: Very young, just turned 16 in August. Another toolsy outfielder to be intrigued by.
25. Jack Kruger C (23)
Stats: .299/.357/.413 with 7 HR in 97 games in A+/AA.
Ranking Trends: average 25.1, median 25, range 16-25+ (one honorable mention, two unranked).
ETA: 2020
Comments: Became a sleeper prospect and favorite in prospect discussions, perhaps because the Angels are so weak at the position. Could be a future platoon catcher.
26. Leonardo Rivas SS/2B (20)
Stats: .234/.354/.333, 5 HR and 16 SB, in 121 games in A ball (2 in Rookie).
Ranking Trends: average 26.7, median 27, range 22-28+ (one honorable mention, two unranked).
ETA: 2022
Comments: Really struggled in Burlington after hitting .286/.443/.396 in 2017, and has been surpassed by players like Rengifo and Soto on the middle infield depth chart. Still might have a place as a major league utility infielder.
27. Luis Pena RHP (22)
Stats: 5.03 ERA, 57 walks and 101 strikeouts in 105.2 IP in AA/AAA.
Ranking Trends: average 27.8, median honorable mention, range 15-27+ (two honorable mentions, three unranked).
ETA: 2019
Comments: A pitcher whose ERA doesn’t reflect his stuff, which is very good. Should at least have a future as a major league reliever, possibly back-end rotation starter.
28. Jesus Castillo RHP (22)
Stats: 4.94 ERA, 31 walks and 60 strikeouts in 98.1 IP in AA.
Ranking Trends: average 28.3, median 30, range 21-30+ two honorable mentions, one unranked).
ETA: 2020
Comments: His stock fell due to a mediocre year and possible decreased velocity. Could still be a #5 starter or swingman.
29. Kyle Bradish RHP (21)
Stats: Did not play professional ball.
Ranking Trends: average 28.4, median 28, range 22-28+ (three unranked).
ETA: 2021
Comments: Fourth pick in the draft, with good upside and should have a quick path to the majors.
30. William English OF/RHP (17)
Stats: .220/.325/.260 in 30 games in Rookie ball.
Ranking Trends: average 28.8, median 29, range 22-30+ (two unranked).
ETA: 2023
Comments: Not a pretty stat line, but there’s a lot to like here: a very athletic outfielder who can also pitch.
Ranked Prospects By Primary Position
C. 25
1B: 10, 20
2B: 5, 21, 26
SS: 6, 11, 22
3B: 8, 13
OF: 1, 3, 7, 12, 16, 17, 23, 24, 30
SP: 2, 4, 9, 14, 15, 18, 27, 28, 29
RP: 19
Honorable Mentions: Jason Alexander, Stiward Aquino, Jeremy Beasley, Denny Brady, Ryan Clark, Julio de la Cruz, Francisco Del Valle, Joe Gatto, Jenrry Gonzalez, Emilker Guzman, Brett Hanewich, Williams Jerez, Julian Leon, Conor Lillis-White, Brennan Lund, David MacKinnon, Luis Madero, Simon Mathews, Christopher Molina, Oliver Ortega, Mayky Perez, Daniel Procopio, Jeremy Rhoades, Jerryell Rivera, Jose Rojas, Brandon Sandoval, Tyler Stevens, John Swanda, Julian Tavarez, Raider Uceta, Andrew Wantz, Bo Way, Cam Williams, Nonie Williams, Hector Yan.
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New Angels manager Brad Ausmus, left, is joined by his wife Liz at a press conference to introduce him last month at Angel Stadium. (Photo by Leonard Ortiz, Orange County Register/SCNG)

New Angels manager Brad Ausmus talks to reporters during his introductory news conference last month at Angel Stadium. (AP Photo/Jae C. Hong)
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New Angels manager Brad Ausmus talks to reporters during his introductory news conference last month at Angel Stadium. (AP Photo/Jae C. Hong)

Angels owner Arte Moreno, left, and General Manager Billy Eppler, right, join the team’s new manager, Brad Ausmus, as he puts on a jersey during his introductory news conference last month at Angel Stadium. (AP Photo/Jae C. Hong)

New Angels manager Brad Ausmus talks to reporters during his introductory news conference last month at Angel Stadium. (Photo by Jayne Kamin-Oncea/Getty Images)

New Angels manager Brad Ausmus talks to reporters during his introductory news conference last month at Angel Stadium. (AP Photo/Jae C. Hong)

New Angels manager Brad Ausmus, center, puts on an Angels jersey with help from team owner Arte Moreno, left, and General Manager Billy Eppler during Monday’s introductory news conference at Angel Stadium. (Photo by Leonard Ortiz, Orange County Register/SCNG)Billy Eppler

New Angels manager Brad Ausmus, center, puts on an Angel jersey and is joined by owner Arte Moreno, left, and general manager Billy Eppler during a press conference at Angel Stadium in Anaheim on Monday, October 22, 2018. (Photo by Leonard Ortiz, Orange County Register/SCNG)Billy Eppler

New Angels manager Brad Ausmus, left, talks with Hall of Famer and former Angel Rod Carew after an introductory press conference last month at Angel Stadium. (Photo by Leonard Ortiz, Orange County Register/SCNG)

New Angels manager Brad Ausmus, left, talks with Hall of Famer and former Angel Rod Carew after an introductory press conference last month at Angel Stadium. (Photo by Jayne Kamin-Oncea/Getty Images)

New Angels manager Brad Ausmus pauses to listen to a question from a reporter during his introductory news conference last month at Angel Stadium. (AP Photo/Jae C. Hong)

New Angels manager Brad Ausmus, right, shakes hands with starting pitcher JC Ramirez after a news conference Monday, Oct. 22, 2018, in Anaheim, Calif. (AP Photo/Jae C. Hong)

New Angels manager Brad Ausmus answers questions from reporters during his introductory press conference last month at Angel Stadium. (Photo by Leonard Ortiz, Orange County Register/SCNG)

New Angels manager Brad Ausmus answers questions from reporters during his introductory press conference last month at Angel Stadium. (Photo by Jayne Kamin-Oncea/Getty Images)

New Angels manager Brad Ausmus does a radio interview following his introductory news conference last month at Angel Stadium. (Photo by Jayne Kamin-Oncea/Getty Images)

The Angel Stadium video board shows a picture of new Angels manager Brad Ausmus during his introductory news conference last month at Angel Stadium. (AP Photo/Jae C. Hong)

New Angels manager Brad Ausmus does a radio interview following his introductory news conference last month at Angel Stadium. (Photo by Jayne Kamin-Oncea/Getty Images)

“I still view players through the lens of being a player,” new Angels manager Brad Ausmus said. “This game is not easy. It may look easy on TV, but it’s not an easy game. If you carry that philosophy into managing or coaching, you’ll get a lot more respect from the players.” (Photo by Jayne Kamin-Oncea/Getty Images)
Show Caption of
Expand ENCINITAS — One long Saturday night in 2006, Brad Ausmus beat a path between the visitor’s dugout and the manager’s office at PNC Park in Pittsburgh.
It was, in reality, part of a path he’d been following ever since he began his big league playing career.
Ausmus, last month hired to replace Mike Scioscia as the Angels manager, had been destined for the manager’s office all along. It was something suspected by his teammates and managers from his rookie year in 1993 but perhaps cemented on that night in Pittsburgh.
The Houston Astros were battling through what would be an 18-inning loss to the Pirates on May 27, 2006. Veteran Astros manager Phil Garner had gotten himself tossed in the eighth inning. Bench coach Cecil Cooper, who would normally take over, was also away that night, as Ausmus recalled.
It left a void at the helm of the Astros as they fought the Pirates through the marathon game. Ausmus, who had not started at catcher that night, took it upon himself to serve as the messenger between the dugout and Garner, who was back in his office.
“Brad kept running from the dugout to the manager’s office and asking what we should do,” Garner recalled recently. “After a while, I asked Brad. ‘What would you do?’
“Then after a while, I had him run the game.”
As Ausmus recalls the game, Garner was simply taking his suggestions all along, his way of nurturing him along the path to his destiny.
In 2006, Ausmus was still a starting catcher, so managing had remained only in the back of his mind – although firmly there. In the final years of his 18-year career, which ended in 2010, it became an inescapable destination.
“I knew he was going to be a manager,” Garner said.
That night in Pittsburgh might have only crystallized a notion that was apparent as early as his rookie season with the Padres in 1993. Hall of Famer closer Trevor Hoffman, Ausmus’ close friend and teammate at the start of his career in San Diego, said he always knew Ausmus would manage.
“He was predetermined for that,” Hoffman said. “As a player, he was not thinking of himself, but always thinking about the pitching staff. He just had that way of thinking about the game the way managers do. He was super cerebral, even back then. Smart as a whip. He just thought differently than the rest of us.”
Ausmus’ smarts – the stuff that earned him an Ivy League degree while he was playing in the minor leagues – served him well to parlay a 48th-round selection in the draft into nearly two decades in the majors.
Ausmus pored over statistics – before anyone was calling them “analytics” – to help devise scouting reports. Later in his career, he took over the pitchers’ meetings.
While he was soaking up the numbers, he also remained grounded enough on the field to know when his eyes should override the statistics.
He also spent enough time in big league clubhouses, befriending everyone from the clubhouse workers to the future Hall of Famers, to know how to set the mood of the room. Or even the plane.
All of that, plus a stint in the Padres’ front office, led to a four-year run as the Detroit Tigers manager. After another year in the front office, this time with the Angels, he’s ready to take another crack at managing.
Although he had a losing record with an aging roster in Detroit, many have compared his second chance to that of Astros manager A.J. Hinch, who worked with Ausmus in the Padres’ front office. At the time, Hinch was between a short and turbulent stint as the Arizona Diamondbacks manager and a championship with the Astros.
The Angels would be thrilled if Ausmus, 49, can follow the same path.
As Ausmus reflected at one of his favorite beachfront Mexican restaurants in San Diego County, he sounded confident in his ability to take the next step with his new team.
“Now that I’ve gone through it,” he said, “there is no question in my mind experience helps.”
He’s experienced quite a lot.
ALWAYS AHEAD OF THE CURVE
The road began back at Cheshire Academy in Connecticut, where Ausmus starred on the baseball field and in the classroom. The son of a university history professor, Ausmus had been recruited by all the Ivy League schools, he said.
Ausmus had narrowed his options to Dartmouth, Harvard and Princeton, but ended up picking Dartmouth because a summer league teammate went there. Ausmus gave little thought to playing professionally, even after the New York Yankees picked him in the 48th round of the 1987 draft.
Ausmus was all set to begin college, but days before he was to start classes, he had a change of heart and signed with the Yankees. They gave him $20,000 and said he could still go to Dartmouth, on their dime, in the offseason.
Ausmus spent his entire freshman year on the Hanover, N.H., campus, helping out with the baseball team even though he was no longer eligible to play, and then he began playing in the Yankees’ farm system in the summer of 1988.
Balancing a minor league career and the demands of Dartmouth were a challenge. Ausmus crammed extra classes into the offseasons, even doing some correspondence courses from spring training as he finished the final classes to get his degree.
Over the winter in New Hampshire, he would work out with the baseball team.
“We’d go over to the field house and do soft toss and BP every night,” said John Ross, a Dartmouth baseball player who became Ausmus’ roommate and remains a close friend. “We’d walk over in our boots and parkas. He was completely dedicated to taking it to the next level.”
Ross said Ausmus was clearly at a different level than the Dartmouth players, in every way.
“He had an extra level of competitiveness that even the rest of athletes didn’t have,” Ross said. “In the winters he’d come back and you could imagine what a big deal it was for him to be around the team.”
Ausmus would then disappear for what Ross joked was his “internship with the Yankees.”
Ausmus got as high as Triple-A with the Yankees before being picked by the Colorado Rockies in the expansion draft in 1992. He began the 1993 season in the Rockies’ farm system and earned his degree in government from Dartmouth in June. In July, he was traded to the Padres and made his major league debut on July 28.
From there, Ausmus began a career that included 1,971 games. Although he was the 1,152nd player picked in the 1987 draft, he played more than all but three of the 1,151 players selected before him: Hall of Famers Ken Griffey Jr. (the No. 1 pick) and Craig Biggio, and five-time Gold Glove winner Steve Finley.
Ausmus went from the Padres to the Astros to the Tigers to the Astros. It was around the start of his second stint with the Astros, in 2000, that Ausmus began to absorb the increasingly available statistical information.
Back then, Inside Edge was producing the statistical analysis of hitters and pitchers, derived from college kids manually scoring games. It was rudimentary stuff, compared to what’s available now, but Ausmus dove in.
“When I was there, he led the pitchers’ meetings,” said C.J. Nitkowski, a reliever who played with Ausmus in Houston and Detroit. “He was one of those guys you had confidence in because every finger he put down there was a purpose behind it. He was always all the way in on that kind of stuff.”
By 2004, Garner had taken over as the Astros manager. At one point, he noticed the statistical packages weren’t making it to his desk anymore. Ausmus had been getting to the park before Garner and taking them.
“He took ownership in making sure the pitchers knew what we were going to do,” Garner said. “He was always ahead of the curve on that kind of stuff.”
Ausmus, however, said he never wanted to get too far off the field and into the numbers.
“If you are in the middle of a game, and you know what the numbers say, but it’s the third game of a four-game series and a hitter is showing you something else, you’ve got to adjust,” he said. “You’ve got to be able to watch what’s happening in front of you and trust your eyes.”
That also applied to reading his teammates, the most well-known example of which didn’t even occur on the field.
In the 2005 National League Championship Series against the St. Louis Cardinals, Ausmus was behind the plate with the Astros one out away from winning the pennant in five games. Brad Lidge was on the mound. Ausmus called for a slider, and Lidge left it up.
Albert Pujols crushed the ball, for a three-run homer that silenced the ballpark and, to this day, causes Astros fans to boo Pujols whenever he comes to the plate.
After what Ausmus said was one of the only sleepless nights of his career, he and his teammates were boarding the plane to St. Louis for Game 6, in a mood that disturbed their manager.
“Usually there is a lot of noise, card games, activity, but we were getting on the plane and it’s really quiet and subdued, to the point where I’m concerned,” Garner said. “I’m sitting there thinking, I’m going to have to come up with a good speech to give these guys when we get to St. Louis.”
Ausmus took care of that. Having felt the same dour mood of his teammates, Ausmus enlisted the help of the pilot.
As the plane reached its cruising altitude, a voice came over the speakers: “We are cruising at 35,000 feet. If you look to your right, you’ll see the ball Albert Pujols hit last night.”
“At first I was pretty fired up,” Lidge recalled. “I wanted to kill the pilot.”
Then he turned and looked at Ausmus, who winked at him. Soon, the players were laughing again. They beat the Cardinals the next night to advance to the World Series.
“That was kind of a defining moment for Brad Ausmus,” Lidge said. “It shows he understands the individual and group psychology. He was able to address the situation. When you can make a team relax, make them laugh about it, then it’s over. Sometimes you have to rip off the band-aid.”
By that point in Ausmus’ career, he had become such a focal point in the Astros’ clubhouse that Garner compared him to Crash Davis, the wise old minor league catcher played by Kevin Costner in the film “Bull Durham.” A big league version, of course.
“He was the one everyone looked to,” Garner said. “People always deferred to him. He always had the right answers at the right time. Players gravitated to him a little bit.”
At the end of 2008, as Ausmus finished his career with the Astros, the team sent him off with a comical tribute video, with light-hearted jabs at his skills but plenty of respect for him as a leader. Ausmus, however, still wanted to play, as long as he could be in Southern California, where he and his wife Liz had been raising two girls.
The Dodgers signed Ausmus and he spent 2009 and 2010 there, mentoring players like Clayton Kershaw, who had made his big league debut in 2008.
“Aus was awesome,” Kershaw said. “One of my favorite teammates. … He obviously knows the game really well. He just has that temperament, that demeanor. Obviously, he’s smart. Just everything that goes along with being a manager.”
FINDING THE PROPER BALANCE
Although Ausmus had known by the end of his playing career in 2010 that he wanted to manage, he didn’t want to do it just yet. His daughters were 12 and 11 and he wanted to spend some time with them, including a cross-country RV trip with Hoffman and his family.
The Padres hired Ausmus as a special assistant to the general manager, and he began to get his feet wet in the front office in 2011. He got a taste of all areas of baseball operations, and he began to dabble in analytics. Ausmus applied for a couple managerial jobs over the next few years, and he was finally hired by the Tigers after the 2013 season.
Dave Dombrowski, the Tigers GM who hired Ausmus, said he checked all the boxes.
“I’ve always been impressed with him,” said Dombrowski, now the Boston Red Sox GM. “He’s a very good baseball man, very knowledgeable, well-respected, good leadership qualities. He communicates well, although he’s not too boisterous. He’s more of a quiet leader, but he can take charge if he needs to.”
Ausmus stepped into a veteran-laden clubhouse that included the likes of Justin Verlander, Miguel Cabrera, Ian Kinsler and Torii Hunter. They had won three straight division titles before Ausmus arrived, and Ausmus ran the streak to four.
With the Tigers, Ausmus tackled one of the most important issues facing any modern manager: blending analytics from upstairs with the way the players operate on the field.
“He’s a very intelligent guy who will bring a bit of analytics and sabermetrics to the game, but not lose his gut feeling,” Hunter said.
Kinsler, who spent the first four months of last season with the Angels, said Ausmus had the right mix: “He can take that information and use it right. Right now baseball is so blind to analytics. It’s unbelievable. I don’t know if people think they can predict the game or think they are playing blackjack, but there’s a human element. I think Brad can handle that.”
After 18 years of playing with the mind of a manager, Ausmus was now managing with the mind of a player.
“I still view players through the lens of being a player,” Ausmus said the day he was introduced as the Angels’ manager. “This game is not easy. It may look easy on TV, but it’s not an easy game. If you carry that philosophy into managing or coaching, you’ll get a lot more respect from the players.”
Hunter and Kinsler both said they enjoyed playing for Ausmus, whose tenure in Detroit ended after a 98-loss, last-place finish in 2017.
“To blame Brad is wrong,” Kinsler said. “It was his first managerial job, so there were a lot of things he was trying to learn, but everybody loves Brad. He’s a great guy. He’s a good guy to be around on a daily basis.”
Related Articles
Angels’ Mike Trout honored with 6th Silver Slugger Award Angels looking for healthy starters to supplement their rotation Why wearable technology has some MLB free agents feeling nervous this winter Angels will be looking for relievers, but mostly in the bargain bin Angels’ Shohei Ohtani, Mike Trout named among top 3 for major awards After Ausmus lost the Tigers job, he knew he wanted to manage again, but only after another step back.
Angels general manager Billy Eppler, who only barely knew Ausmus a year ago, set up a meeting with him and hired him as a special assistant a year ago. For Ausmus, it was a chance to remain close to home, while diving into the analytics the Angels were using.
In that year, Ausmus saw every part of the Angels’ baseball operations department, and he and Eppler worked closely together.
Now Ausmus will return to the dugout, with what he believes is a further understanding of both the human and analytical sides of the job.
It’s a path familiar to Hinch, who was in the front office in between managing jobs in Arizona and Houston.
“I think the general view is that these new-age managers, all of us know the information, we appreciate the information, but it all comes down to how you apply the information and who you apply it to,” said Hinch, who remains a close friend of Ausmus. “Brad has a great balance. It’s not just having the information and accepting it. The art is applying it to the right people at the right time for the right reasons. I think you do that better the more experience you gather. I can see the match. I can see Brad flourishing there.”
View the full article

New Angels manager Brad Ausmus, left, is joined by his wife Liz at a press conference to introduce him last month at Angel Stadium. (Photo by Leonard Ortiz, Orange County Register/SCNG)

New Angels manager Brad Ausmus talks to reporters during his introductory news conference last month at Angel Stadium. (AP Photo/Jae C. Hong)
Sound The gallery will resume inseconds
New Angels manager Brad Ausmus talks to reporters during his introductory news conference last month at Angel Stadium. (AP Photo/Jae C. Hong)

Angels owner Arte Moreno, left, and General Manager Billy Eppler, right, join the team’s new manager, Brad Ausmus, as he puts on a jersey during his introductory news conference last month at Angel Stadium. (AP Photo/Jae C. Hong)

New Angels manager Brad Ausmus talks to reporters during his introductory news conference last month at Angel Stadium. (Photo by Jayne Kamin-Oncea/Getty Images)

New Angels manager Brad Ausmus talks to reporters during his introductory news conference last month at Angel Stadium. (AP Photo/Jae C. Hong)

New Angels manager Brad Ausmus, center, puts on an Angels jersey with help from team owner Arte Moreno, left, and General Manager Billy Eppler during Monday’s introductory news conference at Angel Stadium. (Photo by Leonard Ortiz, Orange County Register/SCNG)Billy Eppler

New Angels manager Brad Ausmus, center, puts on an Angel jersey and is joined by owner Arte Moreno, left, and general manager Billy Eppler during a press conference at Angel Stadium in Anaheim on Monday, October 22, 2018. (Photo by Leonard Ortiz, Orange County Register/SCNG)Billy Eppler

New Angels manager Brad Ausmus, left, talks with Hall of Famer and former Angel Rod Carew after an introductory press conference last month at Angel Stadium. (Photo by Leonard Ortiz, Orange County Register/SCNG)

New Angels manager Brad Ausmus, left, talks with Hall of Famer and former Angel Rod Carew after an introductory press conference last month at Angel Stadium. (Photo by Jayne Kamin-Oncea/Getty Images)

New Angels manager Brad Ausmus pauses to listen to a question from a reporter during his introductory news conference last month at Angel Stadium. (AP Photo/Jae C. Hong)

New Angels manager Brad Ausmus, right, shakes hands with starting pitcher JC Ramirez after a news conference Monday, Oct. 22, 2018, in Anaheim, Calif. (AP Photo/Jae C. Hong)

New Angels manager Brad Ausmus answers questions from reporters during his introductory press conference last month at Angel Stadium. (Photo by Leonard Ortiz, Orange County Register/SCNG)

New Angels manager Brad Ausmus answers questions from reporters during his introductory press conference last month at Angel Stadium. (Photo by Jayne Kamin-Oncea/Getty Images)

New Angels manager Brad Ausmus does a radio interview following his introductory news conference last month at Angel Stadium. (Photo by Jayne Kamin-Oncea/Getty Images)

The Angel Stadium video board shows a picture of new Angels manager Brad Ausmus during his introductory news conference last month at Angel Stadium. (AP Photo/Jae C. Hong)

New Angels manager Brad Ausmus does a radio interview following his introductory news conference last month at Angel Stadium. (Photo by Jayne Kamin-Oncea/Getty Images)

“I still view players through the lens of being a player,” new Angels manager Brad Ausmus said. “This game is not easy. It may look easy on TV, but it’s not an easy game. If you carry that philosophy into managing or coaching, you’ll get a lot more respect from the players.” (Photo by Jayne Kamin-Oncea/Getty Images)
Show Caption of
Expand ENCINITAS — One long Saturday night in 2006, Brad Ausmus beat a path between the visitor’s dugout and the manager’s office at PNC Park in Pittsburgh.
It was, in reality, part of a path he’d been following ever since he began his big league playing career.
Ausmus, last month hired to replace Mike Scioscia as the Angels manager, had been destined for the manager’s office all along. It was something suspected by his teammates and managers from his rookie year in 1993 but perhaps cemented on that night in Pittsburgh.
The Houston Astros were battling through what would be an 18-inning loss to the Pirates on May 27, 2006. Veteran Astros manager Phil Garner had gotten himself tossed in the eighth inning. Bench coach Cecil Cooper, who would normally take over, was also away that night, as Ausmus recalled.
It left a void at the helm of the Astros as they fought the Pirates through the marathon game. Ausmus, who had not started at catcher that night, took it upon himself to serve as the messenger between the dugout and Garner, who was back in his office.
“Brad kept running from the dugout to the manager’s office and asking what we should do,” Garner recalled recently. “After a while, I asked Brad. ‘What would you do?’
“Then after a while, I had him run the game.”
As Ausmus recalls the game, Garner was simply taking his suggestions all along, his way of nurturing him along the path to his destiny.
In 2006, Ausmus was still a starting catcher, so managing had remained only in the back of his mind – although firmly there. In the final years of his 18-year career, which ended in 2010, it became an inescapable destination.
“I knew he was going to be a manager,” Garner said.
That night in Pittsburgh might have only crystallized a notion that was apparent as early as his rookie season with the Padres in 1993. Hall of Famer closer Trevor Hoffman, Ausmus’ close friend and teammate at the start of his career in San Diego, said he always knew Ausmus would manage.
“He was predetermined for that,” Hoffman said. “As a player, he was not thinking of himself, but always thinking about the pitching staff. He just had that way of thinking about the game the way managers do. He was super cerebral, even back then. Smart as a whip. He just thought differently than the rest of us.”
Ausmus’ smarts – the stuff that earned him an Ivy League degree while he was playing in the minor leagues – served him well to parlay a 48th-round selection in the draft into nearly two decades in the majors.
Ausmus pored over statistics – before anyone was calling them “analytics” – to help devise scouting reports. Later in his career, he took over the pitchers’ meetings.
While he was soaking up the numbers, he also remained grounded enough on the field to know when his eyes should override the statistics.
He also spent enough time in big league clubhouses, befriending everyone from the clubhouse workers to the future Hall of Famers, to know how to set the mood of the room. Or even the plane.
All of that, plus a stint in the Padres’ front office, led to a four-year run as the Detroit Tigers manager. After another year in the front office, this time with the Angels, he’s ready to take another crack at managing.
Although he had a losing record with an aging roster in Detroit, many have compared his second chance to that of Astros manager A.J. Hinch, who worked with Ausmus in the Padres’ front office. At the time, Hinch was between a short and turbulent stint as the Arizona Diamondbacks manager and a championship with the Astros.
The Angels would be thrilled if Ausmus, 49, can follow the same path.
As Ausmus reflected at one of his favorite beachfront Mexican restaurants in San Diego County, he sounded confident in his ability to take the next step with his new team.
“Now that I’ve gone through it,” he said, “there is no question in my mind experience helps.”
He’s experienced quite a lot.
ALWAYS AHEAD OF THE CURVE
The road began back at Cheshire Academy in Connecticut, where Ausmus starred on the baseball field and in the classroom. The son of a university history professor, Ausmus had been recruited by all the Ivy League schools, he said.
Ausmus had narrowed his options to Dartmouth, Harvard and Princeton, but ended up picking Dartmouth because a summer league teammate went there. Ausmus gave little thought to playing professionally, even after the New York Yankees picked him in the 48th round of the 1987 draft.
Ausmus was all set to begin college, but days before he was to start classes, he had a change of heart and signed with the Yankees. They gave him $20,000 and said he could still go to Dartmouth, on their dime, in the offseason.
Ausmus spent his entire freshman year on the Hanover, N.H., campus, helping out with the baseball team even though he was no longer eligible to play, and then he began playing in the Yankees’ farm system in the summer of 1988.
Balancing a minor league career and the demands of Dartmouth were a challenge. Ausmus crammed extra classes into the offseasons, even doing some correspondence courses from spring training as he finished the final classes to get his degree.
Over the winter in New Hampshire, he would work out with the baseball team.
“We’d go over to the field house and do soft toss and BP every night,” said John Ross, a Dartmouth baseball player who became Ausmus’ roommate and remains a close friend. “We’d walk over in our boots and parkas. He was completely dedicated to taking it to the next level.”
Ross said Ausmus was clearly at a different level than the Dartmouth players, in every way.
“He had an extra level of competitiveness that even the rest of athletes didn’t have,” Ross said. “In the winters he’d come back and you could imagine what a big deal it was for him to be around the team.”
Ausmus would then disappear for what Ross joked was his “internship with the Yankees.”
Ausmus got as high as Triple-A with the Yankees before being picked by the Colorado Rockies in the expansion draft in 1992. He began the 1993 season in the Rockies’ farm system and earned his degree in government from Dartmouth in June. In July, he was traded to the Padres and made his major league debut on July 28.
From there, Ausmus began a career that included 1,971 games. Although he was the 1,152nd player picked in the 1987 draft, he played more than all but three of the 1,151 players selected before him: Hall of Famers Ken Griffey Jr. (the No. 1 pick) and Craig Biggio, and five-time Gold Glove winner Steve Finley.
Ausmus went from the Padres to the Astros to the Tigers to the Astros. It was around the start of his second stint with the Astros, in 2000, that Ausmus began to absorb the increasingly available statistical information.
Back then, Inside Edge was producing the statistical analysis of hitters and pitchers, derived from college kids manually scoring games. It was rudimentary stuff, compared to what’s available now, but Ausmus dove in.
“When I was there, he led the pitchers’ meetings,” said C.J. Nitkowski, a reliever who played with Ausmus in Houston and Detroit. “He was one of those guys you had confidence in because every finger he put down there was a purpose behind it. He was always all the way in on that kind of stuff.”
By 2004, Garner had taken over as the Astros manager. At one point, he noticed the statistical packages weren’t making it to his desk anymore. Ausmus had been getting to the park before Garner and taking them.
“He took ownership in making sure the pitchers knew what we were going to do,” Garner said. “He was always ahead of the curve on that kind of stuff.”
Ausmus, however, said he never wanted to get too far off the field and into the numbers.
“If you are in the middle of a game, and you know what the numbers say, but it’s the third game of a four-game series and a hitter is showing you something else, you’ve got to adjust,” he said. “You’ve got to be able to watch what’s happening in front of you and trust your eyes.”
That also applied to reading his teammates, the most well-known example of which didn’t even occur on the field.
In the 2005 National League Championship Series against the St. Louis Cardinals, Ausmus was behind the plate with the Astros one out away from winning the pennant in five games. Brad Lidge was on the mound. Ausmus called for a slider, and Lidge left it up.
Albert Pujols crushed the ball, for a three-run homer that silenced the ballpark and, to this day, causes Astros fans to boo Pujols whenever he comes to the plate.
After what Ausmus said was one of the only sleepless nights of his career, he and his teammates were boarding the plane to St. Louis for Game 6, in a mood that disturbed their manager.
“Usually there is a lot of noise, card games, activity, but we were getting on the plane and it’s really quiet and subdued, to the point where I’m concerned,” Garner said. “I’m sitting there thinking, I’m going to have to come up with a good speech to give these guys when we get to St. Louis.”
Ausmus took care of that. Having felt the same dour mood of his teammates, Ausmus enlisted the help of the pilot.
As the plane reached its cruising altitude, a voice came over the speakers: “We are cruising at 35,000 feet. If you look to your right, you’ll see the ball Albert Pujols hit last night.”
“At first I was pretty fired up,” Lidge recalled. “I wanted to kill the pilot.”
Then he turned and looked at Ausmus, who winked at him. Soon, the players were laughing again. They beat the Cardinals the next night to advance to the World Series.
“That was kind of a defining moment for Brad Ausmus,” Lidge said. “It shows he understands the individual and group psychology. He was able to address the situation. When you can make a team relax, make them laugh about it, then it’s over. Sometimes you have to rip off the band-aid.”
By that point in Ausmus’ career, he had become such a focal point in the Astros’ clubhouse that Garner compared him to Crash Davis, the wise old minor league catcher played by Kevin Costner in the film “Bull Durham.” A big league version, of course.
“He was the one everyone looked to,” Garner said. “People always deferred to him. He always had the right answers at the right time. Players gravitated to him a little bit.”
At the end of 2008, as Ausmus finished his career with the Astros, the team sent him off with a comical tribute video, with light-hearted jabs at his skills but plenty of respect for him as a leader. Ausmus, however, still wanted to play, as long as he could be in Southern California, where he and his wife Liz had been raising two girls.
The Dodgers signed Ausmus and he spent 2009 and 2010 there, mentoring players like Clayton Kershaw, who had made his big league debut in 2008.
“Aus was awesome,” Kershaw said. “One of my favorite teammates. … He obviously knows the game really well. He just has that temperament, that demeanor. Obviously, he’s smart. Just everything that goes along with being a manager.”
FINDING THE PROPER BALANCE
Although Ausmus had known by the end of his playing career in 2010 that he wanted to manage, he didn’t want to do it just yet. His daughters were 12 and 11 and he wanted to spend some time with them, including a cross-country RV trip with Hoffman and his family.
The Padres hired Ausmus as a special assistant to the general manager, and he began to get his feet wet in the front office in 2011. He got a taste of all areas of baseball operations, and he began to dabble in analytics. Ausmus applied for a couple managerial jobs over the next few years, and he was finally hired by the Tigers after the 2013 season.
Dave Dombrowski, the Tigers GM who hired Ausmus, said he checked all the boxes.
“I’ve always been impressed with him,” said Dombrowski, now the Boston Red Sox GM. “He’s a very good baseball man, very knowledgeable, well-respected, good leadership qualities. He communicates well, although he’s not too boisterous. He’s more of a quiet leader, but he can take charge if he needs to.”
Ausmus stepped into a veteran-laden clubhouse that included the likes of Justin Verlander, Miguel Cabrera, Ian Kinsler and Torii Hunter. They had won three straight division titles before Ausmus arrived, and Ausmus ran the streak to four.
With the Tigers, Ausmus tackled one of the most important issues facing any modern manager: blending analytics from upstairs with the way the players operate on the field.
“He’s a very intelligent guy who will bring a bit of analytics and sabermetrics to the game, but not lose his gut feeling,” Hunter said.
Kinsler, who spent the first four months of last season with the Angels, said Ausmus had the right mix: “He can take that information and use it right. Right now baseball is so blind to analytics. It’s unbelievable. I don’t know if people think they can predict the game or think they are playing blackjack, but there’s a human element. I think Brad can handle that.”
After 18 years of playing with the mind of a manager, Ausmus was now managing with the mind of a player.
“I still view players through the lens of being a player,” Ausmus said the day he was introduced as the Angels’ manager. “This game is not easy. It may look easy on TV, but it’s not an easy game. If you carry that philosophy into managing or coaching, you’ll get a lot more respect from the players.”
Hunter and Kinsler both said they enjoyed playing for Ausmus, whose tenure in Detroit ended after a 98-loss, last-place finish in 2017.
“To blame Brad is wrong,” Kinsler said. “It was his first managerial job, so there were a lot of things he was trying to learn, but everybody loves Brad. He’s a great guy. He’s a good guy to be around on a daily basis.”
Related Articles
Angels’ Mike Trout honored with 6th Silver Slugger Award Angels looking for healthy starters to supplement their rotation Why wearable technology has some MLB free agents feeling nervous this winter Angels will be looking for relievers, but mostly in the bargain bin Angels’ Shohei Ohtani, Mike Trout named among top 3 for major awards After Ausmus lost the Tigers job, he knew he wanted to manage again, but only after another step back.
Angels general manager Billy Eppler, who only barely knew Ausmus a year ago, set up a meeting with him and hired him as a special assistant a year ago. For Ausmus, it was a chance to remain close to home, while diving into the analytics the Angels were using.
In that year, Ausmus saw every part of the Angels’ baseball operations department, and he and Eppler worked closely together.
Now Ausmus will return to the dugout, with what he believes is a further understanding of both the human and analytical sides of the job.
It’s a path familiar to Hinch, who was in the front office in between managing jobs in Arizona and Houston.
“I think the general view is that these new-age managers, all of us know the information, we appreciate the information, but it all comes down to how you apply the information and who you apply it to,” said Hinch, who remains a close friend of Ausmus. “Brad has a great balance. It’s not just having the information and accepting it. The art is applying it to the right people at the right time for the right reasons. I think you do that better the more experience you gather. I can see the match. I can see Brad flourishing there.”
View the full article

New Angels manager Brad Ausmus, left, is joined by his wife Liz at a press conference to introduce him last month at Angel Stadium. (Photo by Leonard Ortiz, Orange County Register/SCNG)

New Angels manager Brad Ausmus talks to reporters during his introductory news conference last month at Angel Stadium. (AP Photo/Jae C. Hong)
Sound The gallery will resume inseconds
New Angels manager Brad Ausmus talks to reporters during his introductory news conference last month at Angel Stadium. (AP Photo/Jae C. Hong)

Angels owner Arte Moreno, left, and General Manager Billy Eppler, right, join the team’s new manager, Brad Ausmus, as he puts on a jersey during his introductory news conference last month at Angel Stadium. (AP Photo/Jae C. Hong)

New Angels manager Brad Ausmus talks to reporters during his introductory news conference last month at Angel Stadium. (Photo by Jayne Kamin-Oncea/Getty Images)

New Angels manager Brad Ausmus talks to reporters during his introductory news conference last month at Angel Stadium. (AP Photo/Jae C. Hong)

New Angels manager Brad Ausmus, center, puts on an Angels jersey with help from team owner Arte Moreno, left, and General Manager Billy Eppler during Monday’s introductory news conference at Angel Stadium. (Photo by Leonard Ortiz, Orange County Register/SCNG)Billy Eppler

New Angels manager Brad Ausmus, center, puts on an Angel jersey and is joined by owner Arte Moreno, left, and general manager Billy Eppler during a press conference at Angel Stadium in Anaheim on Monday, October 22, 2018. (Photo by Leonard Ortiz, Orange County Register/SCNG)Billy Eppler

New Angels manager Brad Ausmus, left, talks with Hall of Famer and former Angel Rod Carew after an introductory press conference last month at Angel Stadium. (Photo by Leonard Ortiz, Orange County Register/SCNG)

New Angels manager Brad Ausmus, left, talks with Hall of Famer and former Angel Rod Carew after an introductory press conference last month at Angel Stadium. (Photo by Jayne Kamin-Oncea/Getty Images)

New Angels manager Brad Ausmus pauses to listen to a question from a reporter during his introductory news conference last month at Angel Stadium. (AP Photo/Jae C. Hong)

New Angels manager Brad Ausmus, right, shakes hands with starting pitcher JC Ramirez after a news conference Monday, Oct. 22, 2018, in Anaheim, Calif. (AP Photo/Jae C. Hong)

New Angels manager Brad Ausmus answers questions from reporters during his introductory press conference last month at Angel Stadium. (Photo by Leonard Ortiz, Orange County Register/SCNG)

New Angels manager Brad Ausmus answers questions from reporters during his introductory press conference last month at Angel Stadium. (Photo by Jayne Kamin-Oncea/Getty Images)

New Angels manager Brad Ausmus does a radio interview following his introductory news conference last month at Angel Stadium. (Photo by Jayne Kamin-Oncea/Getty Images)

The Angel Stadium video board shows a picture of new Angels manager Brad Ausmus during his introductory news conference last month at Angel Stadium. (AP Photo/Jae C. Hong)

New Angels manager Brad Ausmus does a radio interview following his introductory news conference last month at Angel Stadium. (Photo by Jayne Kamin-Oncea/Getty Images)

“I still view players through the lens of being a player,” new Angels manager Brad Ausmus said. “This game is not easy. It may look easy on TV, but it’s not an easy game. If you carry that philosophy into managing or coaching, you’ll get a lot more respect from the players.” (Photo by Jayne Kamin-Oncea/Getty Images)
Show Caption of
Expand ENCINITAS — One long Saturday night in 2006, Brad Ausmus beat a path between the visitor’s dugout and the manager’s office at PNC Park in Pittsburgh.
It was, in reality, part of a path he’d been following ever since he began his big league playing career.
Ausmus, last month hired to replace Mike Scioscia as the Angels manager, had been destined for the manager’s office all along. It was something suspected by his teammates and managers from his rookie year in 1993 but perhaps cemented on that night in Pittsburgh.
The Houston Astros were battling through what would be an 18-inning loss to the Pirates on May 27, 2006. Veteran Astros manager Phil Garner had gotten himself tossed in the eighth inning. Bench coach Cecil Cooper, who would normally take over, was also away that night, as Ausmus recalled.
It left a void at the helm of the Astros as they fought the Pirates through the marathon game. Ausmus, who had not started at catcher that night, took it upon himself to serve as the messenger between the dugout and Garner, who was back in his office.
“Brad kept running from the dugout to the manager’s office and asking what we should do,” Garner recalled recently. “After a while, I asked Brad. ‘What would you do?’
“Then after a while, I had him run the game.”
As Ausmus recalls the game, Garner was simply taking his suggestions all along, his way of nurturing him along the path to his destiny.
In 2006, Ausmus was still a starting catcher, so managing had remained only in the back of his mind – although firmly there. In the final years of his 18-year career, which ended in 2010, it became an inescapable destination.
“I knew he was going to be a manager,” Garner said.
That night in Pittsburgh might have only crystallized a notion that was apparent as early as his rookie season with the Padres in 1993. Hall of Famer closer Trevor Hoffman, Ausmus’ close friend and teammate at the start of his career in San Diego, said he always knew Ausmus would manage.
“He was predetermined for that,” Hoffman said. “As a player, he was not thinking of himself, but always thinking about the pitching staff. He just had that way of thinking about the game the way managers do. He was super cerebral, even back then. Smart as a whip. He just thought differently than the rest of us.”
Ausmus’ smarts – the stuff that earned him an Ivy League degree while he was playing in the minor leagues – served him well to parlay a 48th-round selection in the draft into nearly two decades in the majors.
Ausmus pored over statistics – before anyone was calling them “analytics” – to help devise scouting reports. Later in his career, he took over the pitchers’ meetings.
While he was soaking up the numbers, he also remained grounded enough on the field to know when his eyes should override the statistics.
He also spent enough time in big league clubhouses, befriending everyone from the clubhouse workers to the future Hall of Famers, to know how to set the mood of the room. Or even the plane.
All of that, plus a stint in the Padres’ front office, led to a four-year run as the Detroit Tigers manager. After another year in the front office, this time with the Angels, he’s ready to take another crack at managing.
Although he had a losing record with an aging roster in Detroit, many have compared his second chance to that of Astros manager A.J. Hinch, who worked with Ausmus in the Padres’ front office. At the time, Hinch was between a short and turbulent stint as the Arizona Diamondbacks manager and a championship with the Astros.
The Angels would be thrilled if Ausmus, 49, can follow the same path.
As Ausmus reflected at one of his favorite beachfront Mexican restaurants in San Diego County, he sounded confident in his ability to take the next step with his new team.
“Now that I’ve gone through it,” he said, “there is no question in my mind experience helps.”
He’s experienced quite a lot.
ALWAYS AHEAD OF THE CURVE
The road began back at Cheshire Academy in Connecticut, where Ausmus starred on the baseball field and in the classroom. The son of a university history professor, Ausmus had been recruited by all the Ivy League schools, he said.
Ausmus had narrowed his options to Dartmouth, Harvard and Princeton, but ended up picking Dartmouth because a summer league teammate went there. Ausmus gave little thought to playing professionally, even after the New York Yankees picked him in the 48th round of the 1987 draft.
Ausmus was all set to begin college, but days before he was to start classes, he had a change of heart and signed with the Yankees. They gave him $20,000 and said he could still go to Dartmouth, on their dime, in the offseason.
Ausmus spent his entire freshman year on the Hanover, N.H., campus, helping out with the baseball team even though he was no longer eligible to play, and then he began playing in the Yankees’ farm system in the summer of 1988.
Balancing a minor league career and the demands of Dartmouth were a challenge. Ausmus crammed extra classes into the offseasons, even doing some correspondence courses from spring training as he finished the final classes to get his degree.
Over the winter in New Hampshire, he would work out with the baseball team.
“We’d go over to the field house and do soft toss and BP every night,” said John Ross, a Dartmouth baseball player who became Ausmus’ roommate and remains a close friend. “We’d walk over in our boots and parkas. He was completely dedicated to taking it to the next level.”
Ross said Ausmus was clearly at a different level than the Dartmouth players, in every way.
“He had an extra level of competitiveness that even the rest of athletes didn’t have,” Ross said. “In the winters he’d come back and you could imagine what a big deal it was for him to be around the team.”
Ausmus would then disappear for what Ross joked was his “internship with the Yankees.”
Ausmus got as high as Triple-A with the Yankees before being picked by the Colorado Rockies in the expansion draft in 1992. He began the 1993 season in the Rockies’ farm system and earned his degree in government from Dartmouth in June. In July, he was traded to the Padres and made his major league debut on July 28.
From there, Ausmus began a career that included 1,971 games. Although he was the 1,152nd player picked in the 1987 draft, he played more than all but three of the 1,151 players selected before him: Hall of Famers Ken Griffey Jr. (the No. 1 pick) and Craig Biggio, and five-time Gold Glove winner Steve Finley.
Ausmus went from the Padres to the Astros to the Tigers to the Astros. It was around the start of his second stint with the Astros, in 2000, that Ausmus began to absorb the increasingly available statistical information.
Back then, Inside Edge was producing the statistical analysis of hitters and pitchers, derived from college kids manually scoring games. It was rudimentary stuff, compared to what’s available now, but Ausmus dove in.
“When I was there, he led the pitchers’ meetings,” said C.J. Nitkowski, a reliever who played with Ausmus in Houston and Detroit. “He was one of those guys you had confidence in because every finger he put down there was a purpose behind it. He was always all the way in on that kind of stuff.”
By 2004, Garner had taken over as the Astros manager. At one point, he noticed the statistical packages weren’t making it to his desk anymore. Ausmus had been getting to the park before Garner and taking them.
“He took ownership in making sure the pitchers knew what we were going to do,” Garner said. “He was always ahead of the curve on that kind of stuff.”
Ausmus, however, said he never wanted to get too far off the field and into the numbers.
“If you are in the middle of a game, and you know what the numbers say, but it’s the third game of a four-game series and a hitter is showing you something else, you’ve got to adjust,” he said. “You’ve got to be able to watch what’s happening in front of you and trust your eyes.”
That also applied to reading his teammates, the most well-known example of which didn’t even occur on the field.
In the 2005 National League Championship Series against the St. Louis Cardinals, Ausmus was behind the plate with the Astros one out away from winning the pennant in five games. Brad Lidge was on the mound. Ausmus called for a slider, and Lidge left it up.
Albert Pujols crushed the ball, for a three-run homer that silenced the ballpark and, to this day, causes Astros fans to boo Pujols whenever he comes to the plate.
After what Ausmus said was one of the only sleepless nights of his career, he and his teammates were boarding the plane to St. Louis for Game 6, in a mood that disturbed their manager.
“Usually there is a lot of noise, card games, activity, but we were getting on the plane and it’s really quiet and subdued, to the point where I’m concerned,” Garner said. “I’m sitting there thinking, I’m going to have to come up with a good speech to give these guys when we get to St. Louis.”
Ausmus took care of that. Having felt the same dour mood of his teammates, Ausmus enlisted the help of the pilot.
As the plane reached its cruising altitude, a voice came over the speakers: “We are cruising at 35,000 feet. If you look to your right, you’ll see the ball Albert Pujols hit last night.”
“At first I was pretty fired up,” Lidge recalled. “I wanted to kill the pilot.”
Then he turned and looked at Ausmus, who winked at him. Soon, the players were laughing again. They beat the Cardinals the next night to advance to the World Series.
“That was kind of a defining moment for Brad Ausmus,” Lidge said. “It shows he understands the individual and group psychology. He was able to address the situation. When you can make a team relax, make them laugh about it, then it’s over. Sometimes you have to rip off the band-aid.”
By that point in Ausmus’ career, he had become such a focal point in the Astros’ clubhouse that Garner compared him to Crash Davis, the wise old minor league catcher played by Kevin Costner in the film “Bull Durham.” A big league version, of course.
“He was the one everyone looked to,” Garner said. “People always deferred to him. He always had the right answers at the right time. Players gravitated to him a little bit.”
At the end of 2008, as Ausmus finished his career with the Astros, the team sent him off with a comical tribute video, with light-hearted jabs at his skills but plenty of respect for him as a leader. Ausmus, however, still wanted to play, as long as he could be in Southern California, where he and his wife Liz had been raising two girls.
The Dodgers signed Ausmus and he spent 2009 and 2010 there, mentoring players like Clayton Kershaw, who had made his big league debut in 2008.
“Aus was awesome,” Kershaw said. “One of my favorite teammates. … He obviously knows the game really well. He just has that temperament, that demeanor. Obviously, he’s smart. Just everything that goes along with being a manager.”
FINDING THE PROPER BALANCE
Although Ausmus had known by the end of his playing career in 2010 that he wanted to manage, he didn’t want to do it just yet. His daughters were 12 and 11 and he wanted to spend some time with them, including a cross-country RV trip with Hoffman and his family.
The Padres hired Ausmus as a special assistant to the general manager, and he began to get his feet wet in the front office in 2011. He got a taste of all areas of baseball operations, and he began to dabble in analytics. Ausmus applied for a couple managerial jobs over the next few years, and he was finally hired by the Tigers after the 2013 season.
Dave Dombrowski, the Tigers GM who hired Ausmus, said he checked all the boxes.
“I’ve always been impressed with him,” said Dombrowski, now the Boston Red Sox GM. “He’s a very good baseball man, very knowledgeable, well-respected, good leadership qualities. He communicates well, although he’s not too boisterous. He’s more of a quiet leader, but he can take charge if he needs to.”
Ausmus stepped into a veteran-laden clubhouse that included the likes of Justin Verlander, Miguel Cabrera, Ian Kinsler and Torii Hunter. They had won three straight division titles before Ausmus arrived, and Ausmus ran the streak to four.
With the Tigers, Ausmus tackled one of the most important issues facing any modern manager: blending analytics from upstairs with the way the players operate on the field.
“He’s a very intelligent guy who will bring a bit of analytics and sabermetrics to the game, but not lose his gut feeling,” Hunter said.
Kinsler, who spent the first four months of last season with the Angels, said Ausmus had the right mix: “He can take that information and use it right. Right now baseball is so blind to analytics. It’s unbelievable. I don’t know if people think they can predict the game or think they are playing blackjack, but there’s a human element. I think Brad can handle that.”
After 18 years of playing with the mind of a manager, Ausmus was now managing with the mind of a player.
“I still view players through the lens of being a player,” Ausmus said the day he was introduced as the Angels’ manager. “This game is not easy. It may look easy on TV, but it’s not an easy game. If you carry that philosophy into managing or coaching, you’ll get a lot more respect from the players.”
Hunter and Kinsler both said they enjoyed playing for Ausmus, whose tenure in Detroit ended after a 98-loss, last-place finish in 2017.
“To blame Brad is wrong,” Kinsler said. “It was his first managerial job, so there were a lot of things he was trying to learn, but everybody loves Brad. He’s a great guy. He’s a good guy to be around on a daily basis.”
Related Articles
Angels’ Mike Trout honored with 6th Silver Slugger Award Angels looking for healthy starters to supplement their rotation Why wearable technology has some MLB free agents feeling nervous this winter Angels will be looking for relievers, but mostly in the bargain bin Angels’ Shohei Ohtani, Mike Trout named among top 3 for major awards After Ausmus lost the Tigers job, he knew he wanted to manage again, but only after another step back.
Angels general manager Billy Eppler, who only barely knew Ausmus a year ago, set up a meeting with him and hired him as a special assistant a year ago. For Ausmus, it was a chance to remain close to home, while diving into the analytics the Angels were using.
In that year, Ausmus saw every part of the Angels’ baseball operations department, and he and Eppler worked closely together.
Now Ausmus will return to the dugout, with what he believes is a further understanding of both the human and analytical sides of the job.
It’s a path familiar to Hinch, who was in the front office in between managing jobs in Arizona and Houston.
“I think the general view is that these new-age managers, all of us know the information, we appreciate the information, but it all comes down to how you apply the information and who you apply it to,” said Hinch, who remains a close friend of Ausmus. “Brad has a great balance. It’s not just having the information and accepting it. The art is applying it to the right people at the right time for the right reasons. I think you do that better the more experience you gather. I can see the match. I can see Brad flourishing there.”
View the full article

New Angels manager Brad Ausmus, left, is joined by his wife Liz at a press conference to introduce him last month at Angel Stadium. (Photo by Leonard Ortiz, Orange County Register/SCNG)

New Angels manager Brad Ausmus talks to reporters during his introductory news conference last month at Angel Stadium. (AP Photo/Jae C. Hong)
Sound The gallery will resume inseconds
New Angels manager Brad Ausmus talks to reporters during his introductory news conference last month at Angel Stadium. (AP Photo/Jae C. Hong)

Angels owner Arte Moreno, left, and General Manager Billy Eppler, right, join the team’s new manager, Brad Ausmus, as he puts on a jersey during his introductory news conference last month at Angel Stadium. (AP Photo/Jae C. Hong)

New Angels manager Brad Ausmus talks to reporters during his introductory news conference last month at Angel Stadium. (Photo by Jayne Kamin-Oncea/Getty Images)

New Angels manager Brad Ausmus talks to reporters during his introductory news conference last month at Angel Stadium. (AP Photo/Jae C. Hong)

New Angels manager Brad Ausmus, center, puts on an Angels jersey with help from team owner Arte Moreno, left, and General Manager Billy Eppler during Monday’s introductory news conference at Angel Stadium. (Photo by Leonard Ortiz, Orange County Register/SCNG)Billy Eppler

New Angels manager Brad Ausmus, center, puts on an Angel jersey and is joined by owner Arte Moreno, left, and general manager Billy Eppler during a press conference at Angel Stadium in Anaheim on Monday, October 22, 2018. (Photo by Leonard Ortiz, Orange County Register/SCNG)Billy Eppler

New Angels manager Brad Ausmus, left, talks with Hall of Famer and former Angel Rod Carew after an introductory press conference last month at Angel Stadium. (Photo by Leonard Ortiz, Orange County Register/SCNG)

New Angels manager Brad Ausmus, left, talks with Hall of Famer and former Angel Rod Carew after an introductory press conference last month at Angel Stadium. (Photo by Jayne Kamin-Oncea/Getty Images)

New Angels manager Brad Ausmus pauses to listen to a question from a reporter during his introductory news conference last month at Angel Stadium. (AP Photo/Jae C. Hong)

New Angels manager Brad Ausmus, right, shakes hands with starting pitcher JC Ramirez after a news conference Monday, Oct. 22, 2018, in Anaheim, Calif. (AP Photo/Jae C. Hong)

New Angels manager Brad Ausmus answers questions from reporters during his introductory press conference last month at Angel Stadium. (Photo by Leonard Ortiz, Orange County Register/SCNG)

New Angels manager Brad Ausmus answers questions from reporters during his introductory press conference last month at Angel Stadium. (Photo by Jayne Kamin-Oncea/Getty Images)

New Angels manager Brad Ausmus does a radio interview following his introductory news conference last month at Angel Stadium. (Photo by Jayne Kamin-Oncea/Getty Images)

The Angel Stadium video board shows a picture of new Angels manager Brad Ausmus during his introductory news conference last month at Angel Stadium. (AP Photo/Jae C. Hong)

New Angels manager Brad Ausmus does a radio interview following his introductory news conference last month at Angel Stadium. (Photo by Jayne Kamin-Oncea/Getty Images)

“I still view players through the lens of being a player,” new Angels manager Brad Ausmus said. “This game is not easy. It may look easy on TV, but it’s not an easy game. If you carry that philosophy into managing or coaching, you’ll get a lot more respect from the players.” (Photo by Jayne Kamin-Oncea/Getty Images)
Show Caption of
Expand ENCINITAS — One long Saturday night in 2006, Brad Ausmus beat a path between the visitor’s dugout and the manager’s office at PNC Park in Pittsburgh.
It was, in reality, part of a path he’d been following ever since he began his big league playing career.
Ausmus, last month hired to replace Mike Scioscia as the Angels manager, had been destined for the manager’s office all along. It was something suspected by his teammates and managers from his rookie year in 1993 but perhaps cemented on that night in Pittsburgh.
The Houston Astros were battling through what would be an 18-inning loss to the Pirates on May 27, 2006. Veteran Astros manager Phil Garner had gotten himself tossed in the eighth inning. Bench coach Cecil Cooper, who would normally take over, was also away that night, as Ausmus recalled.
It left a void at the helm of the Astros as they fought the Pirates through the marathon game. Ausmus, who had not started at catcher that night, took it upon himself to serve as the messenger between the dugout and Garner, who was back in his office.
“Brad kept running from the dugout to the manager’s office and asking what we should do,” Garner recalled recently. “After a while, I asked Brad. ‘What would you do?’
“Then after a while, I had him run the game.”
As Ausmus recalls the game, Garner was simply taking his suggestions all along, his way of nurturing him along the path to his destiny.
In 2006, Ausmus was still a starting catcher, so managing had remained only in the back of his mind – although firmly there. In the final years of his 18-year career, which ended in 2010, it became an inescapable destination.
“I knew he was going to be a manager,” Garner said.
That night in Pittsburgh might have only crystallized a notion that was apparent as early as his rookie season with the Padres in 1993. Hall of Famer closer Trevor Hoffman, Ausmus’ close friend and teammate at the start of his career in San Diego, said he always knew Ausmus would manage.
“He was predetermined for that,” Hoffman said. “As a player, he was not thinking of himself, but always thinking about the pitching staff. He just had that way of thinking about the game the way managers do. He was super cerebral, even back then. Smart as a whip. He just thought differently than the rest of us.”
Ausmus’ smarts – the stuff that earned him an Ivy League degree while he was playing in the minor leagues – served him well to parlay a 48th-round selection in the draft into nearly two decades in the majors.
Ausmus pored over statistics – before anyone was calling them “analytics” – to help devise scouting reports. Later in his career, he took over the pitchers’ meetings.
While he was soaking up the numbers, he also remained grounded enough on the field to know when his eyes should override the statistics.
He also spent enough time in big league clubhouses, befriending everyone from the clubhouse workers to the future Hall of Famers, to know how to set the mood of the room. Or even the plane.
All of that, plus a stint in the Padres’ front office, led to a four-year run as the Detroit Tigers manager. After another year in the front office, this time with the Angels, he’s ready to take another crack at managing.
Although he had a losing record with an aging roster in Detroit, many have compared his second chance to that of Astros manager A.J. Hinch, who worked with Ausmus in the Padres’ front office. At the time, Hinch was between a short and turbulent stint as the Arizona Diamondbacks manager and a championship with the Astros.
The Angels would be thrilled if Ausmus, 49, can follow the same path.
As Ausmus reflected at one of his favorite beachfront Mexican restaurants in San Diego County, he sounded confident in his ability to take the next step with his new team.
“Now that I’ve gone through it,” he said, “there is no question in my mind experience helps.”
He’s experienced quite a lot.
ALWAYS AHEAD OF THE CURVE
The road began back at Cheshire Academy in Connecticut, where Ausmus starred on the baseball field and in the classroom. The son of a university history professor, Ausmus had been recruited by all the Ivy League schools, he said.
Ausmus had narrowed his options to Dartmouth, Harvard and Princeton, but ended up picking Dartmouth because a summer league teammate went there. Ausmus gave little thought to playing professionally, even after the New York Yankees picked him in the 48th round of the 1987 draft.
Ausmus was all set to begin college, but days before he was to start classes, he had a change of heart and signed with the Yankees. They gave him $20,000 and said he could still go to Dartmouth, on their dime, in the offseason.
Ausmus spent his entire freshman year on the Hanover, N.H., campus, helping out with the baseball team even though he was no longer eligible to play, and then he began playing in the Yankees’ farm system in the summer of 1988.
Balancing a minor league career and the demands of Dartmouth were a challenge. Ausmus crammed extra classes into the offseasons, even doing some correspondence courses from spring training as he finished the final classes to get his degree.
Over the winter in New Hampshire, he would work out with the baseball team.
“We’d go over to the field house and do soft toss and BP every night,” said John Ross, a Dartmouth baseball player who became Ausmus’ roommate and remains a close friend. “We’d walk over in our boots and parkas. He was completely dedicated to taking it to the next level.”
Ross said Ausmus was clearly at a different level than the Dartmouth players, in every way.
“He had an extra level of competitiveness that even the rest of athletes didn’t have,” Ross said. “In the winters he’d come back and you could imagine what a big deal it was for him to be around the team.”
Ausmus would then disappear for what Ross joked was his “internship with the Yankees.”
Ausmus got as high as Triple-A with the Yankees before being picked by the Colorado Rockies in the expansion draft in 1992. He began the 1993 season in the Rockies’ farm system and earned his degree in government from Dartmouth in June. In July, he was traded to the Padres and made his major league debut on July 28.
From there, Ausmus began a career that included 1,971 games. Although he was the 1,152nd player picked in the 1987 draft, he played more than all but three of the 1,151 players selected before him: Hall of Famers Ken Griffey Jr. (the No. 1 pick) and Craig Biggio, and five-time Gold Glove winner Steve Finley.
Ausmus went from the Padres to the Astros to the Tigers to the Astros. It was around the start of his second stint with the Astros, in 2000, that Ausmus began to absorb the increasingly available statistical information.
Back then, Inside Edge was producing the statistical analysis of hitters and pitchers, derived from college kids manually scoring games. It was rudimentary stuff, compared to what’s available now, but Ausmus dove in.
“When I was there, he led the pitchers’ meetings,” said C.J. Nitkowski, a reliever who played with Ausmus in Houston and Detroit. “He was one of those guys you had confidence in because every finger he put down there was a purpose behind it. He was always all the way in on that kind of stuff.”
By 2004, Garner had taken over as the Astros manager. At one point, he noticed the statistical packages weren’t making it to his desk anymore. Ausmus had been getting to the park before Garner and taking them.
“He took ownership in making sure the pitchers knew what we were going to do,” Garner said. “He was always ahead of the curve on that kind of stuff.”
Ausmus, however, said he never wanted to get too far off the field and into the numbers.
“If you are in the middle of a game, and you know what the numbers say, but it’s the third game of a four-game series and a hitter is showing you something else, you’ve got to adjust,” he said. “You’ve got to be able to watch what’s happening in front of you and trust your eyes.”
That also applied to reading his teammates, the most well-known example of which didn’t even occur on the field.
In the 2005 National League Championship Series against the St. Louis Cardinals, Ausmus was behind the plate with the Astros one out away from winning the pennant in five games. Brad Lidge was on the mound. Ausmus called for a slider, and Lidge left it up.
Albert Pujols crushed the ball, for a three-run homer that silenced the ballpark and, to this day, causes Astros fans to boo Pujols whenever he comes to the plate.
After what Ausmus said was one of the only sleepless nights of his career, he and his teammates were boarding the plane to St. Louis for Game 6, in a mood that disturbed their manager.
“Usually there is a lot of noise, card games, activity, but we were getting on the plane and it’s really quiet and subdued, to the point where I’m concerned,” Garner said. “I’m sitting there thinking, I’m going to have to come up with a good speech to give these guys when we get to St. Louis.”
Ausmus took care of that. Having felt the same dour mood of his teammates, Ausmus enlisted the help of the pilot.
As the plane reached its cruising altitude, a voice came over the speakers: “We are cruising at 35,000 feet. If you look to your right, you’ll see the ball Albert Pujols hit last night.”
“At first I was pretty fired up,” Lidge recalled. “I wanted to kill the pilot.”
Then he turned and looked at Ausmus, who winked at him. Soon, the players were laughing again. They beat the Cardinals the next night to advance to the World Series.
“That was kind of a defining moment for Brad Ausmus,” Lidge said. “It shows he understands the individual and group psychology. He was able to address the situation. When you can make a team relax, make them laugh about it, then it’s over. Sometimes you have to rip off the band-aid.”
By that point in Ausmus’ career, he had become such a focal point in the Astros’ clubhouse that Garner compared him to Crash Davis, the wise old minor league catcher played by Kevin Costner in the film “Bull Durham.” A big league version, of course.
“He was the one everyone looked to,” Garner said. “People always deferred to him. He always had the right answers at the right time. Players gravitated to him a little bit.”
At the end of 2008, as Ausmus finished his career with the Astros, the team sent him off with a comical tribute video, with light-hearted jabs at his skills but plenty of respect for him as a leader. Ausmus, however, still wanted to play, as long as he could be in Southern California, where he and his wife Liz had been raising two girls.
The Dodgers signed Ausmus and he spent 2009 and 2010 there, mentoring players like Clayton Kershaw, who had made his big league debut in 2008.
“Aus was awesome,” Kershaw said. “One of my favorite teammates. … He obviously knows the game really well. He just has that temperament, that demeanor. Obviously, he’s smart. Just everything that goes along with being a manager.”
FINDING THE PROPER BALANCE
Although Ausmus had known by the end of his playing career in 2010 that he wanted to manage, he didn’t want to do it just yet. His daughters were 12 and 11 and he wanted to spend some time with them, including a cross-country RV trip with Hoffman and his family.
The Padres hired Ausmus as a special assistant to the general manager, and he began to get his feet wet in the front office in 2011. He got a taste of all areas of baseball operations, and he began to dabble in analytics. Ausmus applied for a couple managerial jobs over the next few years, and he was finally hired by the Tigers after the 2013 season.
Dave Dombrowski, the Tigers GM who hired Ausmus, said he checked all the boxes.
“I’ve always been impressed with him,” said Dombrowski, now the Boston Red Sox GM. “He’s a very good baseball man, very knowledgeable, well-respected, good leadership qualities. He communicates well, although he’s not too boisterous. He’s more of a quiet leader, but he can take charge if he needs to.”
Ausmus stepped into a veteran-laden clubhouse that included the likes of Justin Verlander, Miguel Cabrera, Ian Kinsler and Torii Hunter. They had won three straight division titles before Ausmus arrived, and Ausmus ran the streak to four.
With the Tigers, Ausmus tackled one of the most important issues facing any modern manager: blending analytics from upstairs with the way the players operate on the field.
“He’s a very intelligent guy who will bring a bit of analytics and sabermetrics to the game, but not lose his gut feeling,” Hunter said.
Kinsler, who spent the first four months of last season with the Angels, said Ausmus had the right mix: “He can take that information and use it right. Right now baseball is so blind to analytics. It’s unbelievable. I don’t know if people think they can predict the game or think they are playing blackjack, but there’s a human element. I think Brad can handle that.”
After 18 years of playing with the mind of a manager, Ausmus was now managing with the mind of a player.
“I still view players through the lens of being a player,” Ausmus said the day he was introduced as the Angels’ manager. “This game is not easy. It may look easy on TV, but it’s not an easy game. If you carry that philosophy into managing or coaching, you’ll get a lot more respect from the players.”
Hunter and Kinsler both said they enjoyed playing for Ausmus, whose tenure in Detroit ended after a 98-loss, last-place finish in 2017.
“To blame Brad is wrong,” Kinsler said. “It was his first managerial job, so there were a lot of things he was trying to learn, but everybody loves Brad. He’s a great guy. He’s a good guy to be around on a daily basis.”
Related Articles
Angels’ Mike Trout honored with 6th Silver Slugger Award Angels looking for healthy starters to supplement their rotation Why wearable technology has some MLB free agents feeling nervous this winter Angels will be looking for relievers, but mostly in the bargain bin Angels’ Shohei Ohtani, Mike Trout named among top 3 for major awards After Ausmus lost the Tigers job, he knew he wanted to manage again, but only after another step back.
Angels general manager Billy Eppler, who only barely knew Ausmus a year ago, set up a meeting with him and hired him as a special assistant a year ago. For Ausmus, it was a chance to remain close to home, while diving into the analytics the Angels were using.
In that year, Ausmus saw every part of the Angels’ baseball operations department, and he and Eppler worked closely together.
Now Ausmus will return to the dugout, with what he believes is a further understanding of both the human and analytical sides of the job.
It’s a path familiar to Hinch, who was in the front office in between managing jobs in Arizona and Houston.
“I think the general view is that these new-age managers, all of us know the information, we appreciate the information, but it all comes down to how you apply the information and who you apply it to,” said Hinch, who remains a close friend of Ausmus. “Brad has a great balance. It’s not just having the information and accepting it. The art is applying it to the right people at the right time for the right reasons. I think you do that better the more experience you gather. I can see the match. I can see Brad flourishing there.”
View the full article

New Angels manager Brad Ausmus, left, is joined by his wife Liz at a press conference to introduce him last month at Angel Stadium. (Photo by Leonard Ortiz, Orange County Register/SCNG)

New Angels manager Brad Ausmus talks to reporters during his introductory news conference last month at Angel Stadium. (AP Photo/Jae C. Hong)
Sound The gallery will resume inseconds
New Angels manager Brad Ausmus talks to reporters during his introductory news conference last month at Angel Stadium. (AP Photo/Jae C. Hong)

Angels owner Arte Moreno, left, and General Manager Billy Eppler, right, join the team’s new manager, Brad Ausmus, as he puts on a jersey during his introductory news conference last month at Angel Stadium. (AP Photo/Jae C. Hong)

New Angels manager Brad Ausmus talks to reporters during his introductory news conference last month at Angel Stadium. (Photo by Jayne Kamin-Oncea/Getty Images)

New Angels manager Brad Ausmus talks to reporters during his introductory news conference last month at Angel Stadium. (AP Photo/Jae C. Hong)

New Angels manager Brad Ausmus, center, puts on an Angels jersey with help from team owner Arte Moreno, left, and General Manager Billy Eppler during Monday’s introductory news conference at Angel Stadium. (Photo by Leonard Ortiz, Orange County Register/SCNG)Billy Eppler

New Angels manager Brad Ausmus, center, puts on an Angel jersey and is joined by owner Arte Moreno, left, and general manager Billy Eppler during a press conference at Angel Stadium in Anaheim on Monday, October 22, 2018. (Photo by Leonard Ortiz, Orange County Register/SCNG)Billy Eppler

New Angels manager Brad Ausmus, left, talks with Hall of Famer and former Angel Rod Carew after an introductory press conference last month at Angel Stadium. (Photo by Leonard Ortiz, Orange County Register/SCNG)

New Angels manager Brad Ausmus, left, talks with Hall of Famer and former Angel Rod Carew after an introductory press conference last month at Angel Stadium. (Photo by Jayne Kamin-Oncea/Getty Images)

New Angels manager Brad Ausmus pauses to listen to a question from a reporter during his introductory news conference last month at Angel Stadium. (AP Photo/Jae C. Hong)

New Angels manager Brad Ausmus, right, shakes hands with starting pitcher JC Ramirez after a news conference Monday, Oct. 22, 2018, in Anaheim, Calif. (AP Photo/Jae C. Hong)

New Angels manager Brad Ausmus answers questions from reporters during his introductory press conference last month at Angel Stadium. (Photo by Leonard Ortiz, Orange County Register/SCNG)

New Angels manager Brad Ausmus answers questions from reporters during his introductory press conference last month at Angel Stadium. (Photo by Jayne Kamin-Oncea/Getty Images)

New Angels manager Brad Ausmus does a radio interview following his introductory news conference last month at Angel Stadium. (Photo by Jayne Kamin-Oncea/Getty Images)

The Angel Stadium video board shows a picture of new Angels manager Brad Ausmus during his introductory news conference last month at Angel Stadium. (AP Photo/Jae C. Hong)

New Angels manager Brad Ausmus does a radio interview following his introductory news conference last month at Angel Stadium. (Photo by Jayne Kamin-Oncea/Getty Images)

“I still view players through the lens of being a player,” new Angels manager Brad Ausmus said. “This game is not easy. It may look easy on TV, but it’s not an easy game. If you carry that philosophy into managing or coaching, you’ll get a lot more respect from the players.” (Photo by Jayne Kamin-Oncea/Getty Images)
Show Caption of
Expand ENCINITAS — One long Saturday night in 2006, Brad Ausmus beat a path between the visitor’s dugout and the manager’s office at PNC Park in Pittsburgh.
It was, in reality, part of a path he’d been following ever since he began his big league playing career.
Ausmus, last month hired to replace Mike Scioscia as the Angels manager, had been destined for the manager’s office all along. It was something suspected by his teammates and managers from his rookie year in 1993 but perhaps cemented on that night in Pittsburgh.
The Houston Astros were battling through what would be an 18-inning loss to the Pirates on May 27, 2006. Veteran Astros manager Phil Garner had gotten himself tossed in the eighth inning. Bench coach Cecil Cooper, who would normally take over, was also away that night, as Ausmus recalled.
It left a void at the helm of the Astros as they fought the Pirates through the marathon game. Ausmus, who had not started at catcher that night, took it upon himself to serve as the messenger between the dugout and Garner, who was back in his office.
“Brad kept running from the dugout to the manager’s office and asking what we should do,” Garner recalled recently. “After a while, I asked Brad. ‘What would you do?’
“Then after a while, I had him run the game.”
As Ausmus recalls the game, Garner was simply taking his suggestions all along, his way of nurturing him along the path to his destiny.
In 2006, Ausmus was still a starting catcher, so managing had remained only in the back of his mind – although firmly there. In the final years of his 18-year career, which ended in 2010, it became an inescapable destination.
“I knew he was going to be a manager,” Garner said.
That night in Pittsburgh might have only crystallized a notion that was apparent as early as his rookie season with the Padres in 1993. Hall of Famer closer Trevor Hoffman, Ausmus’ close friend and teammate at the start of his career in San Diego, said he always knew Ausmus would manage.
“He was predetermined for that,” Hoffman said. “As a player, he was not thinking of himself, but always thinking about the pitching staff. He just had that way of thinking about the game the way managers do. He was super cerebral, even back then. Smart as a whip. He just thought differently than the rest of us.”
Ausmus’ smarts – the stuff that earned him an Ivy League degree while he was playing in the minor leagues – served him well to parlay a 48th-round selection in the draft into nearly two decades in the majors.
Ausmus pored over statistics – before anyone was calling them “analytics” – to help devise scouting reports. Later in his career, he took over the pitchers’ meetings.
While he was soaking up the numbers, he also remained grounded enough on the field to know when his eyes should override the statistics.
He also spent enough time in big league clubhouses, befriending everyone from the clubhouse workers to the future Hall of Famers, to know how to set the mood of the room. Or even the plane.
All of that, plus a stint in the Padres’ front office, led to a four-year run as the Detroit Tigers manager. After another year in the front office, this time with the Angels, he’s ready to take another crack at managing.
Although he had a losing record with an aging roster in Detroit, many have compared his second chance to that of Astros manager A.J. Hinch, who worked with Ausmus in the Padres’ front office. At the time, Hinch was between a short and turbulent stint as the Arizona Diamondbacks manager and a championship with the Astros.
The Angels would be thrilled if Ausmus, 49, can follow the same path.
As Ausmus reflected at one of his favorite beachfront Mexican restaurants in San Diego County, he sounded confident in his ability to take the next step with his new team.
“Now that I’ve gone through it,” he said, “there is no question in my mind experience helps.”
He’s experienced quite a lot.
ALWAYS AHEAD OF THE CURVE
The road began back at Cheshire Academy in Connecticut, where Ausmus starred on the baseball field and in the classroom. The son of a university history professor, Ausmus had been recruited by all the Ivy League schools, he said.
Ausmus had narrowed his options to Dartmouth, Harvard and Princeton, but ended up picking Dartmouth because a summer league teammate went there. Ausmus gave little thought to playing professionally, even after the New York Yankees picked him in the 48th round of the 1987 draft.
Ausmus was all set to begin college, but days before he was to start classes, he had a change of heart and signed with the Yankees. They gave him $20,000 and said he could still go to Dartmouth, on their dime, in the offseason.
Ausmus spent his entire freshman year on the Hanover, N.H., campus, helping out with the baseball team even though he was no longer eligible to play, and then he began playing in the Yankees’ farm system in the summer of 1988.
Balancing a minor league career and the demands of Dartmouth were a challenge. Ausmus crammed extra classes into the offseasons, even doing some correspondence courses from spring training as he finished the final classes to get his degree.
Over the winter in New Hampshire, he would work out with the baseball team.
“We’d go over to the field house and do soft toss and BP every night,” said John Ross, a Dartmouth baseball player who became Ausmus’ roommate and remains a close friend. “We’d walk over in our boots and parkas. He was completely dedicated to taking it to the next level.”
Ross said Ausmus was clearly at a different level than the Dartmouth players, in every way.
“He had an extra level of competitiveness that even the rest of athletes didn’t have,” Ross said. “In the winters he’d come back and you could imagine what a big deal it was for him to be around the team.”
Ausmus would then disappear for what Ross joked was his “internship with the Yankees.”
Ausmus got as high as Triple-A with the Yankees before being picked by the Colorado Rockies in the expansion draft in 1992. He began the 1993 season in the Rockies’ farm system and earned his degree in government from Dartmouth in June. In July, he was traded to the Padres and made his major league debut on July 28.
From there, Ausmus began a career that included 1,971 games. Although he was the 1,152nd player picked in the 1987 draft, he played more than all but three of the 1,151 players selected before him: Hall of Famers Ken Griffey Jr. (the No. 1 pick) and Craig Biggio, and five-time Gold Glove winner Steve Finley.
Ausmus went from the Padres to the Astros to the Tigers to the Astros. It was around the start of his second stint with the Astros, in 2000, that Ausmus began to absorb the increasingly available statistical information.
Back then, Inside Edge was producing the statistical analysis of hitters and pitchers, derived from college kids manually scoring games. It was rudimentary stuff, compared to what’s available now, but Ausmus dove in.
“When I was there, he led the pitchers’ meetings,” said C.J. Nitkowski, a reliever who played with Ausmus in Houston and Detroit. “He was one of those guys you had confidence in because every finger he put down there was a purpose behind it. He was always all the way in on that kind of stuff.”
By 2004, Garner had taken over as the Astros manager. At one point, he noticed the statistical packages weren’t making it to his desk anymore. Ausmus had been getting to the park before Garner and taking them.
“He took ownership in making sure the pitchers knew what we were going to do,” Garner said. “He was always ahead of the curve on that kind of stuff.”
Ausmus, however, said he never wanted to get too far off the field and into the numbers.
“If you are in the middle of a game, and you know what the numbers say, but it’s the third game of a four-game series and a hitter is showing you something else, you’ve got to adjust,” he said. “You’ve got to be able to watch what’s happening in front of you and trust your eyes.”
That also applied to reading his teammates, the most well-known example of which didn’t even occur on the field.
In the 2005 National League Championship Series against the St. Louis Cardinals, Ausmus was behind the plate with the Astros one out away from winning the pennant in five games. Brad Lidge was on the mound. Ausmus called for a slider, and Lidge left it up.
Albert Pujols crushed the ball, for a three-run homer that silenced the ballpark and, to this day, causes Astros fans to boo Pujols whenever he comes to the plate.
After what Ausmus said was one of the only sleepless nights of his career, he and his teammates were boarding the plane to St. Louis for Game 6, in a mood that disturbed their manager.
“Usually there is a lot of noise, card games, activity, but we were getting on the plane and it’s really quiet and subdued, to the point where I’m concerned,” Garner said. “I’m sitting there thinking, I’m going to have to come up with a good speech to give these guys when we get to St. Louis.”
Ausmus took care of that. Having felt the same dour mood of his teammates, Ausmus enlisted the help of the pilot.
As the plane reached its cruising altitude, a voice came over the speakers: “We are cruising at 35,000 feet. If you look to your right, you’ll see the ball Albert Pujols hit last night.”
“At first I was pretty fired up,” Lidge recalled. “I wanted to kill the pilot.”
Then he turned and looked at Ausmus, who winked at him. Soon, the players were laughing again. They beat the Cardinals the next night to advance to the World Series.
“That was kind of a defining moment for Brad Ausmus,” Lidge said. “It shows he understands the individual and group psychology. He was able to address the situation. When you can make a team relax, make them laugh about it, then it’s over. Sometimes you have to rip off the band-aid.”
By that point in Ausmus’ career, he had become such a focal point in the Astros’ clubhouse that Garner compared him to Crash Davis, the wise old minor league catcher played by Kevin Costner in the film “Bull Durham.” A big league version, of course.
“He was the one everyone looked to,” Garner said. “People always deferred to him. He always had the right answers at the right time. Players gravitated to him a little bit.”
At the end of 2008, as Ausmus finished his career with the Astros, the team sent him off with a comical tribute video, with light-hearted jabs at his skills but plenty of respect for him as a leader. Ausmus, however, still wanted to play, as long as he could be in Southern California, where he and his wife Liz had been raising two girls.
The Dodgers signed Ausmus and he spent 2009 and 2010 there, mentoring players like Clayton Kershaw, who had made his big league debut in 2008.
“Aus was awesome,” Kershaw said. “One of my favorite teammates. … He obviously knows the game really well. He just has that temperament, that demeanor. Obviously, he’s smart. Just everything that goes along with being a manager.”
FINDING THE PROPER BALANCE
Although Ausmus had known by the end of his playing career in 2010 that he wanted to manage, he didn’t want to do it just yet. His daughters were 12 and 11 and he wanted to spend some time with them, including a cross-country RV trip with Hoffman and his family.
The Padres hired Ausmus as a special assistant to the general manager, and he began to get his feet wet in the front office in 2011. He got a taste of all areas of baseball operations, and he began to dabble in analytics. Ausmus applied for a couple managerial jobs over the next few years, and he was finally hired by the Tigers after the 2013 season.
Dave Dombrowski, the Tigers GM who hired Ausmus, said he checked all the boxes.
“I’ve always been impressed with him,” said Dombrowski, now the Boston Red Sox GM. “He’s a very good baseball man, very knowledgeable, well-respected, good leadership qualities. He communicates well, although he’s not too boisterous. He’s more of a quiet leader, but he can take charge if he needs to.”
Ausmus stepped into a veteran-laden clubhouse that included the likes of Justin Verlander, Miguel Cabrera, Ian Kinsler and Torii Hunter. They had won three straight division titles before Ausmus arrived, and Ausmus ran the streak to four.
With the Tigers, Ausmus tackled one of the most important issues facing any modern manager: blending analytics from upstairs with the way the players operate on the field.
“He’s a very intelligent guy who will bring a bit of analytics and sabermetrics to the game, but not lose his gut feeling,” Hunter said.
Kinsler, who spent the first four months of last season with the Angels, said Ausmus had the right mix: “He can take that information and use it right. Right now baseball is so blind to analytics. It’s unbelievable. I don’t know if people think they can predict the game or think they are playing blackjack, but there’s a human element. I think Brad can handle that.”
After 18 years of playing with the mind of a manager, Ausmus was now managing with the mind of a player.
“I still view players through the lens of being a player,” Ausmus said the day he was introduced as the Angels’ manager. “This game is not easy. It may look easy on TV, but it’s not an easy game. If you carry that philosophy into managing or coaching, you’ll get a lot more respect from the players.”
Hunter and Kinsler both said they enjoyed playing for Ausmus, whose tenure in Detroit ended after a 98-loss, last-place finish in 2017.
“To blame Brad is wrong,” Kinsler said. “It was his first managerial job, so there were a lot of things he was trying to learn, but everybody loves Brad. He’s a great guy. He’s a good guy to be around on a daily basis.”
Related Articles
Angels’ Mike Trout honored with 6th Silver Slugger Award Angels looking for healthy starters to supplement their rotation Why wearable technology has some MLB free agents feeling nervous this winter Angels will be looking for relievers, but mostly in the bargain bin Angels’ Shohei Ohtani, Mike Trout named among top 3 for major awards After Ausmus lost the Tigers job, he knew he wanted to manage again, but only after another step back.
Angels general manager Billy Eppler, who only barely knew Ausmus a year ago, set up a meeting with him and hired him as a special assistant a year ago. For Ausmus, it was a chance to remain close to home, while diving into the analytics the Angels were using.
In that year, Ausmus saw every part of the Angels’ baseball operations department, and he and Eppler worked closely together.
Now Ausmus will return to the dugout, with what he believes is a further understanding of both the human and analytical sides of the job.
It’s a path familiar to Hinch, who was in the front office in between managing jobs in Arizona and Houston.
“I think the general view is that these new-age managers, all of us know the information, we appreciate the information, but it all comes down to how you apply the information and who you apply it to,” said Hinch, who remains a close friend of Ausmus. “Brad has a great balance. It’s not just having the information and accepting it. The art is applying it to the right people at the right time for the right reasons. I think you do that better the more experience you gather. I can see the match. I can see Brad flourishing there.”
View the full article

New Angels manager Brad Ausmus, left, is joined by his wife Liz at a press conference to introduce him last month at Angel Stadium. (Photo by Leonard Ortiz, Orange County Register/SCNG)

New Angels manager Brad Ausmus talks to reporters during his introductory news conference last month at Angel Stadium. (AP Photo/Jae C. Hong)
Sound The gallery will resume inseconds
New Angels manager Brad Ausmus talks to reporters during his introductory news conference last month at Angel Stadium. (AP Photo/Jae C. Hong)

Angels owner Arte Moreno, left, and General Manager Billy Eppler, right, join the team’s new manager, Brad Ausmus, as he puts on a jersey during his introductory news conference last month at Angel Stadium. (AP Photo/Jae C. Hong)

New Angels manager Brad Ausmus talks to reporters during his introductory news conference last month at Angel Stadium. (Photo by Jayne Kamin-Oncea/Getty Images)

New Angels manager Brad Ausmus talks to reporters during his introductory news conference last month at Angel Stadium. (AP Photo/Jae C. Hong)

New Angels manager Brad Ausmus, center, puts on an Angels jersey with help from team owner Arte Moreno, left, and General Manager Billy Eppler during Monday’s introductory news conference at Angel Stadium. (Photo by Leonard Ortiz, Orange County Register/SCNG)Billy Eppler

New Angels manager Brad Ausmus, center, puts on an Angel jersey and is joined by owner Arte Moreno, left, and general manager Billy Eppler during a press conference at Angel Stadium in Anaheim on Monday, October 22, 2018. (Photo by Leonard Ortiz, Orange County Register/SCNG)Billy Eppler

New Angels manager Brad Ausmus, left, talks with Hall of Famer and former Angel Rod Carew after an introductory press conference last month at Angel Stadium. (Photo by Leonard Ortiz, Orange County Register/SCNG)

New Angels manager Brad Ausmus, left, talks with Hall of Famer and former Angel Rod Carew after an introductory press conference last month at Angel Stadium. (Photo by Jayne Kamin-Oncea/Getty Images)

New Angels manager Brad Ausmus pauses to listen to a question from a reporter during his introductory news conference last month at Angel Stadium. (AP Photo/Jae C. Hong)

New Angels manager Brad Ausmus, right, shakes hands with starting pitcher JC Ramirez after a news conference Monday, Oct. 22, 2018, in Anaheim, Calif. (AP Photo/Jae C. Hong)

New Angels manager Brad Ausmus answers questions from reporters during his introductory press conference last month at Angel Stadium. (Photo by Leonard Ortiz, Orange County Register/SCNG)

New Angels manager Brad Ausmus answers questions from reporters during his introductory press conference last month at Angel Stadium. (Photo by Jayne Kamin-Oncea/Getty Images)

New Angels manager Brad Ausmus does a radio interview following his introductory news conference last month at Angel Stadium. (Photo by Jayne Kamin-Oncea/Getty Images)

The Angel Stadium video board shows a picture of new Angels manager Brad Ausmus during his introductory news conference last month at Angel Stadium. (AP Photo/Jae C. Hong)

New Angels manager Brad Ausmus does a radio interview following his introductory news conference last month at Angel Stadium. (Photo by Jayne Kamin-Oncea/Getty Images)

“I still view players through the lens of being a player,” new Angels manager Brad Ausmus said. “This game is not easy. It may look easy on TV, but it’s not an easy game. If you carry that philosophy into managing or coaching, you’ll get a lot more respect from the players.” (Photo by Jayne Kamin-Oncea/Getty Images)
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Expand ENCINITAS — One long Saturday night in 2006, Brad Ausmus beat a path between the visitor’s dugout and the manager’s office at PNC Park in Pittsburgh.
It was, in reality, part of a path he’d been following ever since he began his big league playing career.
Ausmus, last month hired to replace Mike Scioscia as the Angels manager, had been destined for the manager’s office all along. It was something suspected by his teammates and managers from his rookie year in 1993 but perhaps cemented on that night in Pittsburgh.
The Houston Astros were battling through what would be an 18-inning loss to the Pirates on May 27, 2006. Veteran Astros manager Phil Garner had gotten himself tossed in the eighth inning. Bench coach Cecil Cooper, who would normally take over, was also away that night, as Ausmus recalled.
It left a void at the helm of the Astros as they fought the Pirates through the marathon game. Ausmus, who had not started at catcher that night, took it upon himself to serve as the messenger between the dugout and Garner, who was back in his office.
“Brad kept running from the dugout to the manager’s office and asking what we should do,” Garner recalled recently. “After a while, I asked Brad. ‘What would you do?’
“Then after a while, I had him run the game.”
As Ausmus recalls the game, Garner was simply taking his suggestions all along, his way of nurturing him along the path to his destiny.
In 2006, Ausmus was still a starting catcher, so managing had remained only in the back of his mind – although firmly there. In the final years of his 18-year career, which ended in 2010, it became an inescapable destination.
“I knew he was going to be a manager,” Garner said.
That night in Pittsburgh might have only crystallized a notion that was apparent as early as his rookie season with the Padres in 1993. Hall of Famer closer Trevor Hoffman, Ausmus’ close friend and teammate at the start of his career in San Diego, said he always knew Ausmus would manage.
“He was predetermined for that,” Hoffman said. “As a player, he was not thinking of himself, but always thinking about the pitching staff. He just had that way of thinking about the game the way managers do. He was super cerebral, even back then. Smart as a whip. He just thought differently than the rest of us.”
Ausmus’ smarts – the stuff that earned him an Ivy League degree while he was playing in the minor leagues – served him well to parlay a 48th-round selection in the draft into nearly two decades in the majors.
Ausmus pored over statistics – before anyone was calling them “analytics” – to help devise scouting reports. Later in his career, he took over the pitchers’ meetings.
While he was soaking up the numbers, he also remained grounded enough on the field to know when his eyes should override the statistics.
He also spent enough time in big league clubhouses, befriending everyone from the clubhouse workers to the future Hall of Famers, to know how to set the mood of the room. Or even the plane.
All of that, plus a stint in the Padres’ front office, led to a four-year run as the Detroit Tigers manager. After another year in the front office, this time with the Angels, he’s ready to take another crack at managing.
Although he had a losing record with an aging roster in Detroit, many have compared his second chance to that of Astros manager A.J. Hinch, who worked with Ausmus in the Padres’ front office. At the time, Hinch was between a short and turbulent stint as the Arizona Diamondbacks manager and a championship with the Astros.
The Angels would be thrilled if Ausmus, 49, can follow the same path.
As Ausmus reflected at one of his favorite beachfront Mexican restaurants in San Diego County, he sounded confident in his ability to take the next step with his new team.
“Now that I’ve gone through it,” he said, “there is no question in my mind experience helps.”
He’s experienced quite a lot.
ALWAYS AHEAD OF THE CURVE
The road began back at Cheshire Academy in Connecticut, where Ausmus starred on the baseball field and in the classroom. The son of a university history professor, Ausmus had been recruited by all the Ivy League schools, he said.
Ausmus had narrowed his options to Dartmouth, Harvard and Princeton, but ended up picking Dartmouth because a summer league teammate went there. Ausmus gave little thought to playing professionally, even after the New York Yankees picked him in the 48th round of the 1987 draft.
Ausmus was all set to begin college, but days before he was to start classes, he had a change of heart and signed with the Yankees. They gave him $20,000 and said he could still go to Dartmouth, on their dime, in the offseason.
Ausmus spent his entire freshman year on the Hanover, N.H., campus, helping out with the baseball team even though he was no longer eligible to play, and then he began playing in the Yankees’ farm system in the summer of 1988.
Balancing a minor league career and the demands of Dartmouth were a challenge. Ausmus crammed extra classes into the offseasons, even doing some correspondence courses from spring training as he finished the final classes to get his degree.
Over the winter in New Hampshire, he would work out with the baseball team.
“We’d go over to the field house and do soft toss and BP every night,” said John Ross, a Dartmouth baseball player who became Ausmus’ roommate and remains a close friend. “We’d walk over in our boots and parkas. He was completely dedicated to taking it to the next level.”
Ross said Ausmus was clearly at a different level than the Dartmouth players, in every way.
“He had an extra level of competitiveness that even the rest of athletes didn’t have,” Ross said. “In the winters he’d come back and you could imagine what a big deal it was for him to be around the team.”
Ausmus would then disappear for what Ross joked was his “internship with the Yankees.”
Ausmus got as high as Triple-A with the Yankees before being picked by the Colorado Rockies in the expansion draft in 1992. He began the 1993 season in the Rockies’ farm system and earned his degree in government from Dartmouth in June. In July, he was traded to the Padres and made his major league debut on July 28.
From there, Ausmus began a career that included 1,971 games. Although he was the 1,152nd player picked in the 1987 draft, he played more than all but three of the 1,151 players selected before him: Hall of Famers Ken Griffey Jr. (the No. 1 pick) and Craig Biggio, and five-time Gold Glove winner Steve Finley.
Ausmus went from the Padres to the Astros to the Tigers to the Astros. It was around the start of his second stint with the Astros, in 2000, that Ausmus began to absorb the increasingly available statistical information.
Back then, Inside Edge was producing the statistical analysis of hitters and pitchers, derived from college kids manually scoring games. It was rudimentary stuff, compared to what’s available now, but Ausmus dove in.
“When I was there, he led the pitchers’ meetings,” said C.J. Nitkowski, a reliever who played with Ausmus in Houston and Detroit. “He was one of those guys you had confidence in because every finger he put down there was a purpose behind it. He was always all the way in on that kind of stuff.”
By 2004, Garner had taken over as the Astros manager. At one point, he noticed the statistical packages weren’t making it to his desk anymore. Ausmus had been getting to the park before Garner and taking them.
“He took ownership in making sure the pitchers knew what we were going to do,” Garner said. “He was always ahead of the curve on that kind of stuff.”
Ausmus, however, said he never wanted to get too far off the field and into the numbers.
“If you are in the middle of a game, and you know what the numbers say, but it’s the third game of a four-game series and a hitter is showing you something else, you’ve got to adjust,” he said. “You’ve got to be able to watch what’s happening in front of you and trust your eyes.”
That also applied to reading his teammates, the most well-known example of which didn’t even occur on the field.
In the 2005 National League Championship Series against the St. Louis Cardinals, Ausmus was behind the plate with the Astros one out away from winning the pennant in five games. Brad Lidge was on the mound. Ausmus called for a slider, and Lidge left it up.
Albert Pujols crushed the ball, for a three-run homer that silenced the ballpark and, to this day, causes Astros fans to boo Pujols whenever he comes to the plate.
After what Ausmus said was one of the only sleepless nights of his career, he and his teammates were boarding the plane to St. Louis for Game 6, in a mood that disturbed their manager.
“Usually there is a lot of noise, card games, activity, but we were getting on the plane and it’s really quiet and subdued, to the point where I’m concerned,” Garner said. “I’m sitting there thinking, I’m going to have to come up with a good speech to give these guys when we get to St. Louis.”
Ausmus took care of that. Having felt the same dour mood of his teammates, Ausmus enlisted the help of the pilot.
As the plane reached its cruising altitude, a voice came over the speakers: “We are cruising at 35,000 feet. If you look to your right, you’ll see the ball Albert Pujols hit last night.”
“At first I was pretty fired up,” Lidge recalled. “I wanted to kill the pilot.”
Then he turned and looked at Ausmus, who winked at him. Soon, the players were laughing again. They beat the Cardinals the next night to advance to the World Series.
“That was kind of a defining moment for Brad Ausmus,” Lidge said. “It shows he understands the individual and group psychology. He was able to address the situation. When you can make a team relax, make them laugh about it, then it’s over. Sometimes you have to rip off the band-aid.”
By that point in Ausmus’ career, he had become such a focal point in the Astros’ clubhouse that Garner compared him to Crash Davis, the wise old minor league catcher played by Kevin Costner in the film “Bull Durham.” A big league version, of course.
“He was the one everyone looked to,” Garner said. “People always deferred to him. He always had the right answers at the right time. Players gravitated to him a little bit.”
At the end of 2008, as Ausmus finished his career with the Astros, the team sent him off with a comical tribute video, with light-hearted jabs at his skills but plenty of respect for him as a leader. Ausmus, however, still wanted to play, as long as he could be in Southern California, where he and his wife Liz had been raising two girls.
The Dodgers signed Ausmus and he spent 2009 and 2010 there, mentoring players like Clayton Kershaw, who had made his big league debut in 2008.
“Aus was awesome,” Kershaw said. “One of my favorite teammates. … He obviously knows the game really well. He just has that temperament, that demeanor. Obviously, he’s smart. Just everything that goes along with being a manager.”
FINDING THE PROPER BALANCE
Although Ausmus had known by the end of his playing career in 2010 that he wanted to manage, he didn’t want to do it just yet. His daughters were 12 and 11 and he wanted to spend some time with them, including a cross-country RV trip with Hoffman and his family.
The Padres hired Ausmus as a special assistant to the general manager, and he began to get his feet wet in the front office in 2011. He got a taste of all areas of baseball operations, and he began to dabble in analytics. Ausmus applied for a couple managerial jobs over the next few years, and he was finally hired by the Tigers after the 2013 season.
Dave Dombrowski, the Tigers GM who hired Ausmus, said he checked all the boxes.
“I’ve always been impressed with him,” said Dombrowski, now the Boston Red Sox GM. “He’s a very good baseball man, very knowledgeable, well-respected, good leadership qualities. He communicates well, although he’s not too boisterous. He’s more of a quiet leader, but he can take charge if he needs to.”
Ausmus stepped into a veteran-laden clubhouse that included the likes of Justin Verlander, Miguel Cabrera, Ian Kinsler and Torii Hunter. They had won three straight division titles before Ausmus arrived, and Ausmus ran the streak to four.
With the Tigers, Ausmus tackled one of the most important issues facing any modern manager: blending analytics from upstairs with the way the players operate on the field.
“He’s a very intelligent guy who will bring a bit of analytics and sabermetrics to the game, but not lose his gut feeling,” Hunter said.
Kinsler, who spent the first four months of last season with the Angels, said Ausmus had the right mix: “He can take that information and use it right. Right now baseball is so blind to analytics. It’s unbelievable. I don’t know if people think they can predict the game or think they are playing blackjack, but there’s a human element. I think Brad can handle that.”
After 18 years of playing with the mind of a manager, Ausmus was now managing with the mind of a player.
“I still view players through the lens of being a player,” Ausmus said the day he was introduced as the Angels’ manager. “This game is not easy. It may look easy on TV, but it’s not an easy game. If you carry that philosophy into managing or coaching, you’ll get a lot more respect from the players.”
Hunter and Kinsler both said they enjoyed playing for Ausmus, whose tenure in Detroit ended after a 98-loss, last-place finish in 2017.
“To blame Brad is wrong,” Kinsler said. “It was his first managerial job, so there were a lot of things he was trying to learn, but everybody loves Brad. He’s a great guy. He’s a good guy to be around on a daily basis.”
Related Articles
Angels’ Mike Trout honored with 6th Silver Slugger Award Angels looking for healthy starters to supplement their rotation Why wearable technology has some MLB free agents feeling nervous this winter Angels will be looking for relievers, but mostly in the bargain bin Angels’ Shohei Ohtani, Mike Trout named among top 3 for major awards After Ausmus lost the Tigers job, he knew he wanted to manage again, but only after another step back.
Angels general manager Billy Eppler, who only barely knew Ausmus a year ago, set up a meeting with him and hired him as a special assistant a year ago. For Ausmus, it was a chance to remain close to home, while diving into the analytics the Angels were using.
In that year, Ausmus saw every part of the Angels’ baseball operations department, and he and Eppler worked closely together.
Now Ausmus will return to the dugout, with what he believes is a further understanding of both the human and analytical sides of the job.
It’s a path familiar to Hinch, who was in the front office in between managing jobs in Arizona and Houston.
“I think the general view is that these new-age managers, all of us know the information, we appreciate the information, but it all comes down to how you apply the information and who you apply it to,” said Hinch, who remains a close friend of Ausmus. “Brad has a great balance. It’s not just having the information and accepting it. The art is applying it to the right people at the right time for the right reasons. I think you do that better the more experience you gather. I can see the match. I can see Brad flourishing there.”
View the full article

New Angels manager Brad Ausmus, left, is joined by his wife Liz at a press conference to introduce him last month at Angel Stadium. (Photo by Leonard Ortiz, Orange County Register/SCNG)

New Angels manager Brad Ausmus talks to reporters during his introductory news conference last month at Angel Stadium. (AP Photo/Jae C. Hong)
Sound The gallery will resume inseconds
New Angels manager Brad Ausmus talks to reporters during his introductory news conference last month at Angel Stadium. (AP Photo/Jae C. Hong)

Angels owner Arte Moreno, left, and General Manager Billy Eppler, right, join the team’s new manager, Brad Ausmus, as he puts on a jersey during his introductory news conference last month at Angel Stadium. (AP Photo/Jae C. Hong)

New Angels manager Brad Ausmus talks to reporters during his introductory news conference last month at Angel Stadium. (Photo by Jayne Kamin-Oncea/Getty Images)

New Angels manager Brad Ausmus talks to reporters during his introductory news conference last month at Angel Stadium. (AP Photo/Jae C. Hong)

New Angels manager Brad Ausmus, center, puts on an Angels jersey with help from team owner Arte Moreno, left, and General Manager Billy Eppler during Monday’s introductory news conference at Angel Stadium. (Photo by Leonard Ortiz, Orange County Register/SCNG)Billy Eppler

New Angels manager Brad Ausmus, center, puts on an Angel jersey and is joined by owner Arte Moreno, left, and general manager Billy Eppler during a press conference at Angel Stadium in Anaheim on Monday, October 22, 2018. (Photo by Leonard Ortiz, Orange County Register/SCNG)Billy Eppler

New Angels manager Brad Ausmus, left, talks with Hall of Famer and former Angel Rod Carew after an introductory press conference last month at Angel Stadium. (Photo by Leonard Ortiz, Orange County Register/SCNG)

New Angels manager Brad Ausmus, left, talks with Hall of Famer and former Angel Rod Carew after an introductory press conference last month at Angel Stadium. (Photo by Jayne Kamin-Oncea/Getty Images)

New Angels manager Brad Ausmus pauses to listen to a question from a reporter during his introductory news conference last month at Angel Stadium. (AP Photo/Jae C. Hong)

New Angels manager Brad Ausmus, right, shakes hands with starting pitcher JC Ramirez after a news conference Monday, Oct. 22, 2018, in Anaheim, Calif. (AP Photo/Jae C. Hong)

New Angels manager Brad Ausmus answers questions from reporters during his introductory press conference last month at Angel Stadium. (Photo by Leonard Ortiz, Orange County Register/SCNG)

New Angels manager Brad Ausmus answers questions from reporters during his introductory press conference last month at Angel Stadium. (Photo by Jayne Kamin-Oncea/Getty Images)

New Angels manager Brad Ausmus does a radio interview following his introductory news conference last month at Angel Stadium. (Photo by Jayne Kamin-Oncea/Getty Images)

The Angel Stadium video board shows a picture of new Angels manager Brad Ausmus during his introductory news conference last month at Angel Stadium. (AP Photo/Jae C. Hong)

New Angels manager Brad Ausmus does a radio interview following his introductory news conference last month at Angel Stadium. (Photo by Jayne Kamin-Oncea/Getty Images)

“I still view players through the lens of being a player,” new Angels manager Brad Ausmus said. “This game is not easy. It may look easy on TV, but it’s not an easy game. If you carry that philosophy into managing or coaching, you’ll get a lot more respect from the players.” (Photo by Jayne Kamin-Oncea/Getty Images)
Show Caption of
Expand ENCINITAS — One long Saturday night in 2006, Brad Ausmus beat a path between the visitor’s dugout and the manager’s office at PNC Park in Pittsburgh.
It was, in reality, part of a path he’d been following ever since he began his big league playing career.
Ausmus, last month hired to replace Mike Scioscia as the Angels manager, had been destined for the manager’s office all along. It was something suspected by his teammates and managers from his rookie year in 1993 but perhaps cemented on that night in Pittsburgh.
The Houston Astros were battling through what would be an 18-inning loss to the Pirates on May 27, 2006. Veteran Astros manager Phil Garner had gotten himself tossed in the eighth inning. Bench coach Cecil Cooper, who would normally take over, was also away that night, as Ausmus recalled.
It left a void at the helm of the Astros as they fought the Pirates through the marathon game. Ausmus, who had not started at catcher that night, took it upon himself to serve as the messenger between the dugout and Garner, who was back in his office.
“Brad kept running from the dugout to the manager’s office and asking what we should do,” Garner recalled recently. “After a while, I asked Brad. ‘What would you do?’
“Then after a while, I had him run the game.”
As Ausmus recalls the game, Garner was simply taking his suggestions all along, his way of nurturing him along the path to his destiny.
In 2006, Ausmus was still a starting catcher, so managing had remained only in the back of his mind – although firmly there. In the final years of his 18-year career, which ended in 2010, it became an inescapable destination.
“I knew he was going to be a manager,” Garner said.
That night in Pittsburgh might have only crystallized a notion that was apparent as early as his rookie season with the Padres in 1993. Hall of Famer closer Trevor Hoffman, Ausmus’ close friend and teammate at the start of his career in San Diego, said he always knew Ausmus would manage.
“He was predetermined for that,” Hoffman said. “As a player, he was not thinking of himself, but always thinking about the pitching staff. He just had that way of thinking about the game the way managers do. He was super cerebral, even back then. Smart as a whip. He just thought differently than the rest of us.”
Ausmus’ smarts – the stuff that earned him an Ivy League degree while he was playing in the minor leagues – served him well to parlay a 48th-round selection in the draft into nearly two decades in the majors.
Ausmus pored over statistics – before anyone was calling them “analytics” – to help devise scouting reports. Later in his career, he took over the pitchers’ meetings.
While he was soaking up the numbers, he also remained grounded enough on the field to know when his eyes should override the statistics.
He also spent enough time in big league clubhouses, befriending everyone from the clubhouse workers to the future Hall of Famers, to know how to set the mood of the room. Or even the plane.
All of that, plus a stint in the Padres’ front office, led to a four-year run as the Detroit Tigers manager. After another year in the front office, this time with the Angels, he’s ready to take another crack at managing.
Although he had a losing record with an aging roster in Detroit, many have compared his second chance to that of Astros manager A.J. Hinch, who worked with Ausmus in the Padres’ front office. At the time, Hinch was between a short and turbulent stint as the Arizona Diamondbacks manager and a championship with the Astros.
The Angels would be thrilled if Ausmus, 49, can follow the same path.
As Ausmus reflected at one of his favorite beachfront Mexican restaurants in San Diego County, he sounded confident in his ability to take the next step with his new team.
“Now that I’ve gone through it,” he said, “there is no question in my mind experience helps.”
He’s experienced quite a lot.
ALWAYS AHEAD OF THE CURVE
The road began back at Cheshire Academy in Connecticut, where Ausmus starred on the baseball field and in the classroom. The son of a university history professor, Ausmus had been recruited by all the Ivy League schools, he said.
Ausmus had narrowed his options to Dartmouth, Harvard and Princeton, but ended up picking Dartmouth because a summer league teammate went there. Ausmus gave little thought to playing professionally, even after the New York Yankees picked him in the 48th round of the 1987 draft.
Ausmus was all set to begin college, but days before he was to start classes, he had a change of heart and signed with the Yankees. They gave him $20,000 and said he could still go to Dartmouth, on their dime, in the offseason.
Ausmus spent his entire freshman year on the Hanover, N.H., campus, helping out with the baseball team even though he was no longer eligible to play, and then he began playing in the Yankees’ farm system in the summer of 1988.
Balancing a minor league career and the demands of Dartmouth were a challenge. Ausmus crammed extra classes into the offseasons, even doing some correspondence courses from spring training as he finished the final classes to get his degree.
Over the winter in New Hampshire, he would work out with the baseball team.
“We’d go over to the field house and do soft toss and BP every night,” said John Ross, a Dartmouth baseball player who became Ausmus’ roommate and remains a close friend. “We’d walk over in our boots and parkas. He was completely dedicated to taking it to the next level.”
Ross said Ausmus was clearly at a different level than the Dartmouth players, in every way.
“He had an extra level of competitiveness that even the rest of athletes didn’t have,” Ross said. “In the winters he’d come back and you could imagine what a big deal it was for him to be around the team.”
Ausmus would then disappear for what Ross joked was his “internship with the Yankees.”
Ausmus got as high as Triple-A with the Yankees before being picked by the Colorado Rockies in the expansion draft in 1992. He began the 1993 season in the Rockies’ farm system and earned his degree in government from Dartmouth in June. In July, he was traded to the Padres and made his major league debut on July 28.
From there, Ausmus began a career that included 1,971 games. Although he was the 1,152nd player picked in the 1987 draft, he played more than all but three of the 1,151 players selected before him: Hall of Famers Ken Griffey Jr. (the No. 1 pick) and Craig Biggio, and five-time Gold Glove winner Steve Finley.
Ausmus went from the Padres to the Astros to the Tigers to the Astros. It was around the start of his second stint with the Astros, in 2000, that Ausmus began to absorb the increasingly available statistical information.
Back then, Inside Edge was producing the statistical analysis of hitters and pitchers, derived from college kids manually scoring games. It was rudimentary stuff, compared to what’s available now, but Ausmus dove in.
“When I was there, he led the pitchers’ meetings,” said C.J. Nitkowski, a reliever who played with Ausmus in Houston and Detroit. “He was one of those guys you had confidence in because every finger he put down there was a purpose behind it. He was always all the way in on that kind of stuff.”
By 2004, Garner had taken over as the Astros manager. At one point, he noticed the statistical packages weren’t making it to his desk anymore. Ausmus had been getting to the park before Garner and taking them.
“He took ownership in making sure the pitchers knew what we were going to do,” Garner said. “He was always ahead of the curve on that kind of stuff.”
Ausmus, however, said he never wanted to get too far off the field and into the numbers.
“If you are in the middle of a game, and you know what the numbers say, but it’s the third game of a four-game series and a hitter is showing you something else, you’ve got to adjust,” he said. “You’ve got to be able to watch what’s happening in front of you and trust your eyes.”
That also applied to reading his teammates, the most well-known example of which didn’t even occur on the field.
In the 2005 National League Championship Series against the St. Louis Cardinals, Ausmus was behind the plate with the Astros one out away from winning the pennant in five games. Brad Lidge was on the mound. Ausmus called for a slider, and Lidge left it up.
Albert Pujols crushed the ball, for a three-run homer that silenced the ballpark and, to this day, causes Astros fans to boo Pujols whenever he comes to the plate.
After what Ausmus said was one of the only sleepless nights of his career, he and his teammates were boarding the plane to St. Louis for Game 6, in a mood that disturbed their manager.
“Usually there is a lot of noise, card games, activity, but we were getting on the plane and it’s really quiet and subdued, to the point where I’m concerned,” Garner said. “I’m sitting there thinking, I’m going to have to come up with a good speech to give these guys when we get to St. Louis.”
Ausmus took care of that. Having felt the same dour mood of his teammates, Ausmus enlisted the help of the pilot.
As the plane reached its cruising altitude, a voice came over the speakers: “We are cruising at 35,000 feet. If you look to your right, you’ll see the ball Albert Pujols hit last night.”
“At first I was pretty fired up,” Lidge recalled. “I wanted to kill the pilot.”
Then he turned and looked at Ausmus, who winked at him. Soon, the players were laughing again. They beat the Cardinals the next night to advance to the World Series.
“That was kind of a defining moment for Brad Ausmus,” Lidge said. “It shows he understands the individual and group psychology. He was able to address the situation. When you can make a team relax, make them laugh about it, then it’s over. Sometimes you have to rip off the band-aid.”
By that point in Ausmus’ career, he had become such a focal point in the Astros’ clubhouse that Garner compared him to Crash Davis, the wise old minor league catcher played by Kevin Costner in the film “Bull Durham.” A big league version, of course.
“He was the one everyone looked to,” Garner said. “People always deferred to him. He always had the right answers at the right time. Players gravitated to him a little bit.”
At the end of 2008, as Ausmus finished his career with the Astros, the team sent him off with a comical tribute video, with light-hearted jabs at his skills but plenty of respect for him as a leader. Ausmus, however, still wanted to play, as long as he could be in Southern California, where he and his wife Liz had been raising two girls.
The Dodgers signed Ausmus and he spent 2009 and 2010 there, mentoring players like Clayton Kershaw, who had made his big league debut in 2008.
“Aus was awesome,” Kershaw said. “One of my favorite teammates. … He obviously knows the game really well. He just has that temperament, that demeanor. Obviously, he’s smart. Just everything that goes along with being a manager.”
FINDING THE PROPER BALANCE
Although Ausmus had known by the end of his playing career in 2010 that he wanted to manage, he didn’t want to do it just yet. His daughters were 12 and 11 and he wanted to spend some time with them, including a cross-country RV trip with Hoffman and his family.
The Padres hired Ausmus as a special assistant to the general manager, and he began to get his feet wet in the front office in 2011. He got a taste of all areas of baseball operations, and he began to dabble in analytics. Ausmus applied for a couple managerial jobs over the next few years, and he was finally hired by the Tigers after the 2013 season.
Dave Dombrowski, the Tigers GM who hired Ausmus, said he checked all the boxes.
“I’ve always been impressed with him,” said Dombrowski, now the Boston Red Sox GM. “He’s a very good baseball man, very knowledgeable, well-respected, good leadership qualities. He communicates well, although he’s not too boisterous. He’s more of a quiet leader, but he can take charge if he needs to.”
Ausmus stepped into a veteran-laden clubhouse that included the likes of Justin Verlander, Miguel Cabrera, Ian Kinsler and Torii Hunter. They had won three straight division titles before Ausmus arrived, and Ausmus ran the streak to four.
With the Tigers, Ausmus tackled one of the most important issues facing any modern manager: blending analytics from upstairs with the way the players operate on the field.
“He’s a very intelligent guy who will bring a bit of analytics and sabermetrics to the game, but not lose his gut feeling,” Hunter said.
Kinsler, who spent the first four months of last season with the Angels, said Ausmus had the right mix: “He can take that information and use it right. Right now baseball is so blind to analytics. It’s unbelievable. I don’t know if people think they can predict the game or think they are playing blackjack, but there’s a human element. I think Brad can handle that.”
After 18 years of playing with the mind of a manager, Ausmus was now managing with the mind of a player.
“I still view players through the lens of being a player,” Ausmus said the day he was introduced as the Angels’ manager. “This game is not easy. It may look easy on TV, but it’s not an easy game. If you carry that philosophy into managing or coaching, you’ll get a lot more respect from the players.”
Hunter and Kinsler both said they enjoyed playing for Ausmus, whose tenure in Detroit ended after a 98-loss, last-place finish in 2017.
“To blame Brad is wrong,” Kinsler said. “It was his first managerial job, so there were a lot of things he was trying to learn, but everybody loves Brad. He’s a great guy. He’s a good guy to be around on a daily basis.”
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Angels general manager Billy Eppler, who only barely knew Ausmus a year ago, set up a meeting with him and hired him as a special assistant a year ago. For Ausmus, it was a chance to remain close to home, while diving into the analytics the Angels were using.
In that year, Ausmus saw every part of the Angels’ baseball operations department, and he and Eppler worked closely together.
Now Ausmus will return to the dugout, with what he believes is a further understanding of both the human and analytical sides of the job.
It’s a path familiar to Hinch, who was in the front office in between managing jobs in Arizona and Houston.
“I think the general view is that these new-age managers, all of us know the information, we appreciate the information, but it all comes down to how you apply the information and who you apply it to,” said Hinch, who remains a close friend of Ausmus. “Brad has a great balance. It’s not just having the information and accepting it. The art is applying it to the right people at the right time for the right reasons. I think you do that better the more experience you gather. I can see the match. I can see Brad flourishing there.”
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New Angels manager Brad Ausmus, left, is joined by his wife Liz at a press conference to introduce him last month at Angel Stadium. (Photo by Leonard Ortiz, Orange County Register/SCNG)

New Angels manager Brad Ausmus talks to reporters during his introductory news conference last month at Angel Stadium. (AP Photo/Jae C. Hong)
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New Angels manager Brad Ausmus talks to reporters during his introductory news conference last month at Angel Stadium. (AP Photo/Jae C. Hong)

Angels owner Arte Moreno, left, and General Manager Billy Eppler, right, join the team’s new manager, Brad Ausmus, as he puts on a jersey during his introductory news conference last month at Angel Stadium. (AP Photo/Jae C. Hong)

New Angels manager Brad Ausmus talks to reporters during his introductory news conference last month at Angel Stadium. (Photo by Jayne Kamin-Oncea/Getty Images)

New Angels manager Brad Ausmus talks to reporters during his introductory news conference last month at Angel Stadium. (AP Photo/Jae C. Hong)

New Angels manager Brad Ausmus, center, puts on an Angels jersey with help from team owner Arte Moreno, left, and General Manager Billy Eppler during Monday’s introductory news conference at Angel Stadium. (Photo by Leonard Ortiz, Orange County Register/SCNG)Billy Eppler

New Angels manager Brad Ausmus, center, puts on an Angel jersey and is joined by owner Arte Moreno, left, and general manager Billy Eppler during a press conference at Angel Stadium in Anaheim on Monday, October 22, 2018. (Photo by Leonard Ortiz, Orange County Register/SCNG)Billy Eppler

New Angels manager Brad Ausmus, left, talks with Hall of Famer and former Angel Rod Carew after an introductory press conference last month at Angel Stadium. (Photo by Leonard Ortiz, Orange County Register/SCNG)

New Angels manager Brad Ausmus, left, talks with Hall of Famer and former Angel Rod Carew after an introductory press conference last month at Angel Stadium. (Photo by Jayne Kamin-Oncea/Getty Images)

New Angels manager Brad Ausmus pauses to listen to a question from a reporter during his introductory news conference last month at Angel Stadium. (AP Photo/Jae C. Hong)

New Angels manager Brad Ausmus, right, shakes hands with starting pitcher JC Ramirez after a news conference Monday, Oct. 22, 2018, in Anaheim, Calif. (AP Photo/Jae C. Hong)

New Angels manager Brad Ausmus answers questions from reporters during his introductory press conference last month at Angel Stadium. (Photo by Leonard Ortiz, Orange County Register/SCNG)

New Angels manager Brad Ausmus answers questions from reporters during his introductory press conference last month at Angel Stadium. (Photo by Jayne Kamin-Oncea/Getty Images)

New Angels manager Brad Ausmus does a radio interview following his introductory news conference last month at Angel Stadium. (Photo by Jayne Kamin-Oncea/Getty Images)

The Angel Stadium video board shows a picture of new Angels manager Brad Ausmus during his introductory news conference last month at Angel Stadium. (AP Photo/Jae C. Hong)

New Angels manager Brad Ausmus does a radio interview following his introductory news conference last month at Angel Stadium. (Photo by Jayne Kamin-Oncea/Getty Images)

“I still view players through the lens of being a player,” new Angels manager Brad Ausmus said. “This game is not easy. It may look easy on TV, but it’s not an easy game. If you carry that philosophy into managing or coaching, you’ll get a lot more respect from the players.” (Photo by Jayne Kamin-Oncea/Getty Images)
Show Caption of
Expand ENCINITAS — One long Saturday night in 2006, Brad Ausmus beat a path between the visitor’s dugout and the manager’s office at PNC Park in Pittsburgh.
It was, in reality, part of a path he’d been following ever since he began his big league playing career.
Ausmus, last month hired to replace Mike Scioscia as the Angels manager, had been destined for the manager’s office all along. It was something suspected by his teammates and managers from his rookie year in 1993 but perhaps cemented on that night in Pittsburgh.
The Houston Astros were battling through what would be an 18-inning loss to the Pirates on May 27, 2006. Veteran Astros manager Phil Garner had gotten himself tossed in the eighth inning. Bench coach Cecil Cooper, who would normally take over, was also away that night, as Ausmus recalled.
It left a void at the helm of the Astros as they fought the Pirates through the marathon game. Ausmus, who had not started at catcher that night, took it upon himself to serve as the messenger between the dugout and Garner, who was back in his office.
“Brad kept running from the dugout to the manager’s office and asking what we should do,” Garner recalled recently. “After a while, I asked Brad. ‘What would you do?’
“Then after a while, I had him run the game.”
As Ausmus recalls the game, Garner was simply taking his suggestions all along, his way of nurturing him along the path to his destiny.
In 2006, Ausmus was still a starting catcher, so managing had remained only in the back of his mind – although firmly there. In the final years of his 18-year career, which ended in 2010, it became an inescapable destination.
“I knew he was going to be a manager,” Garner said.
That night in Pittsburgh might have only crystallized a notion that was apparent as early as his rookie season with the Padres in 1993. Hall of Famer closer Trevor Hoffman, Ausmus’ close friend and teammate at the start of his career in San Diego, said he always knew Ausmus would manage.
“He was predetermined for that,” Hoffman said. “As a player, he was not thinking of himself, but always thinking about the pitching staff. He just had that way of thinking about the game the way managers do. He was super cerebral, even back then. Smart as a whip. He just thought differently than the rest of us.”
Ausmus’ smarts – the stuff that earned him an Ivy League degree while he was playing in the minor leagues – served him well to parlay a 48th-round selection in the draft into nearly two decades in the majors.
Ausmus pored over statistics – before anyone was calling them “analytics” – to help devise scouting reports. Later in his career, he took over the pitchers’ meetings.
While he was soaking up the numbers, he also remained grounded enough on the field to know when his eyes should override the statistics.
He also spent enough time in big league clubhouses, befriending everyone from the clubhouse workers to the future Hall of Famers, to know how to set the mood of the room. Or even the plane.
All of that, plus a stint in the Padres’ front office, led to a four-year run as the Detroit Tigers manager. After another year in the front office, this time with the Angels, he’s ready to take another crack at managing.
Although he had a losing record with an aging roster in Detroit, many have compared his second chance to that of Astros manager A.J. Hinch, who worked with Ausmus in the Padres’ front office. At the time, Hinch was between a short and turbulent stint as the Arizona Diamondbacks manager and a championship with the Astros.
The Angels would be thrilled if Ausmus, 49, can follow the same path.
As Ausmus reflected at one of his favorite beachfront Mexican restaurants in San Diego County, he sounded confident in his ability to take the next step with his new team.
“Now that I’ve gone through it,” he said, “there is no question in my mind experience helps.”
He’s experienced quite a lot.
ALWAYS AHEAD OF THE CURVE
The road began back at Cheshire Academy in Connecticut, where Ausmus starred on the baseball field and in the classroom. The son of a university history professor, Ausmus had been recruited by all the Ivy League schools, he said.
Ausmus had narrowed his options to Dartmouth, Harvard and Princeton, but ended up picking Dartmouth because a summer league teammate went there. Ausmus gave little thought to playing professionally, even after the New York Yankees picked him in the 48th round of the 1987 draft.
Ausmus was all set to begin college, but days before he was to start classes, he had a change of heart and signed with the Yankees. They gave him $20,000 and said he could still go to Dartmouth, on their dime, in the offseason.
Ausmus spent his entire freshman year on the Hanover, N.H., campus, helping out with the baseball team even though he was no longer eligible to play, and then he began playing in the Yankees’ farm system in the summer of 1988.
Balancing a minor league career and the demands of Dartmouth were a challenge. Ausmus crammed extra classes into the offseasons, even doing some correspondence courses from spring training as he finished the final classes to get his degree.
Over the winter in New Hampshire, he would work out with the baseball team.
“We’d go over to the field house and do soft toss and BP every night,” said John Ross, a Dartmouth baseball player who became Ausmus’ roommate and remains a close friend. “We’d walk over in our boots and parkas. He was completely dedicated to taking it to the next level.”
Ross said Ausmus was clearly at a different level than the Dartmouth players, in every way.
“He had an extra level of competitiveness that even the rest of athletes didn’t have,” Ross said. “In the winters he’d come back and you could imagine what a big deal it was for him to be around the team.”
Ausmus would then disappear for what Ross joked was his “internship with the Yankees.”
Ausmus got as high as Triple-A with the Yankees before being picked by the Colorado Rockies in the expansion draft in 1992. He began the 1993 season in the Rockies’ farm system and earned his degree in government from Dartmouth in June. In July, he was traded to the Padres and made his major league debut on July 28.
From there, Ausmus began a career that included 1,971 games. Although he was the 1,152nd player picked in the 1987 draft, he played more than all but three of the 1,151 players selected before him: Hall of Famers Ken Griffey Jr. (the No. 1 pick) and Craig Biggio, and five-time Gold Glove winner Steve Finley.
Ausmus went from the Padres to the Astros to the Tigers to the Astros. It was around the start of his second stint with the Astros, in 2000, that Ausmus began to absorb the increasingly available statistical information.
Back then, Inside Edge was producing the statistical analysis of hitters and pitchers, derived from college kids manually scoring games. It was rudimentary stuff, compared to what’s available now, but Ausmus dove in.
“When I was there, he led the pitchers’ meetings,” said C.J. Nitkowski, a reliever who played with Ausmus in Houston and Detroit. “He was one of those guys you had confidence in because every finger he put down there was a purpose behind it. He was always all the way in on that kind of stuff.”
By 2004, Garner had taken over as the Astros manager. At one point, he noticed the statistical packages weren’t making it to his desk anymore. Ausmus had been getting to the park before Garner and taking them.
“He took ownership in making sure the pitchers knew what we were going to do,” Garner said. “He was always ahead of the curve on that kind of stuff.”
Ausmus, however, said he never wanted to get too far off the field and into the numbers.
“If you are in the middle of a game, and you know what the numbers say, but it’s the third game of a four-game series and a hitter is showing you something else, you’ve got to adjust,” he said. “You’ve got to be able to watch what’s happening in front of you and trust your eyes.”
That also applied to reading his teammates, the most well-known example of which didn’t even occur on the field.
In the 2005 National League Championship Series against the St. Louis Cardinals, Ausmus was behind the plate with the Astros one out away from winning the pennant in five games. Brad Lidge was on the mound. Ausmus called for a slider, and Lidge left it up.
Albert Pujols crushed the ball, for a three-run homer that silenced the ballpark and, to this day, causes Astros fans to boo Pujols whenever he comes to the plate.
After what Ausmus said was one of the only sleepless nights of his career, he and his teammates were boarding the plane to St. Louis for Game 6, in a mood that disturbed their manager.
“Usually there is a lot of noise, card games, activity, but we were getting on the plane and it’s really quiet and subdued, to the point where I’m concerned,” Garner said. “I’m sitting there thinking, I’m going to have to come up with a good speech to give these guys when we get to St. Louis.”
Ausmus took care of that. Having felt the same dour mood of his teammates, Ausmus enlisted the help of the pilot.
As the plane reached its cruising altitude, a voice came over the speakers: “We are cruising at 35,000 feet. If you look to your right, you’ll see the ball Albert Pujols hit last night.”
“At first I was pretty fired up,” Lidge recalled. “I wanted to kill the pilot.”
Then he turned and looked at Ausmus, who winked at him. Soon, the players were laughing again. They beat the Cardinals the next night to advance to the World Series.
“That was kind of a defining moment for Brad Ausmus,” Lidge said. “It shows he understands the individual and group psychology. He was able to address the situation. When you can make a team relax, make them laugh about it, then it’s over. Sometimes you have to rip off the band-aid.”
By that point in Ausmus’ career, he had become such a focal point in the Astros’ clubhouse that Garner compared him to Crash Davis, the wise old minor league catcher played by Kevin Costner in the film “Bull Durham.” A big league version, of course.
“He was the one everyone looked to,” Garner said. “People always deferred to him. He always had the right answers at the right time. Players gravitated to him a little bit.”
At the end of 2008, as Ausmus finished his career with the Astros, the team sent him off with a comical tribute video, with light-hearted jabs at his skills but plenty of respect for him as a leader. Ausmus, however, still wanted to play, as long as he could be in Southern California, where he and his wife Liz had been raising two girls.
The Dodgers signed Ausmus and he spent 2009 and 2010 there, mentoring players like Clayton Kershaw, who had made his big league debut in 2008.
“Aus was awesome,” Kershaw said. “One of my favorite teammates. … He obviously knows the game really well. He just has that temperament, that demeanor. Obviously, he’s smart. Just everything that goes along with being a manager.”
FINDING THE PROPER BALANCE
Although Ausmus had known by the end of his playing career in 2010 that he wanted to manage, he didn’t want to do it just yet. His daughters were 12 and 11 and he wanted to spend some time with them, including a cross-country RV trip with Hoffman and his family.
The Padres hired Ausmus as a special assistant to the general manager, and he began to get his feet wet in the front office in 2011. He got a taste of all areas of baseball operations, and he began to dabble in analytics. Ausmus applied for a couple managerial jobs over the next few years, and he was finally hired by the Tigers after the 2013 season.
Dave Dombrowski, the Tigers GM who hired Ausmus, said he checked all the boxes.
“I’ve always been impressed with him,” said Dombrowski, now the Boston Red Sox GM. “He’s a very good baseball man, very knowledgeable, well-respected, good leadership qualities. He communicates well, although he’s not too boisterous. He’s more of a quiet leader, but he can take charge if he needs to.”
Ausmus stepped into a veteran-laden clubhouse that included the likes of Justin Verlander, Miguel Cabrera, Ian Kinsler and Torii Hunter. They had won three straight division titles before Ausmus arrived, and Ausmus ran the streak to four.
With the Tigers, Ausmus tackled one of the most important issues facing any modern manager: blending analytics from upstairs with the way the players operate on the field.
“He’s a very intelligent guy who will bring a bit of analytics and sabermetrics to the game, but not lose his gut feeling,” Hunter said.
Kinsler, who spent the first four months of last season with the Angels, said Ausmus had the right mix: “He can take that information and use it right. Right now baseball is so blind to analytics. It’s unbelievable. I don’t know if people think they can predict the game or think they are playing blackjack, but there’s a human element. I think Brad can handle that.”
After 18 years of playing with the mind of a manager, Ausmus was now managing with the mind of a player.
“I still view players through the lens of being a player,” Ausmus said the day he was introduced as the Angels’ manager. “This game is not easy. It may look easy on TV, but it’s not an easy game. If you carry that philosophy into managing or coaching, you’ll get a lot more respect from the players.”
Hunter and Kinsler both said they enjoyed playing for Ausmus, whose tenure in Detroit ended after a 98-loss, last-place finish in 2017.
“To blame Brad is wrong,” Kinsler said. “It was his first managerial job, so there were a lot of things he was trying to learn, but everybody loves Brad. He’s a great guy. He’s a good guy to be around on a daily basis.”
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Angels general manager Billy Eppler, who only barely knew Ausmus a year ago, set up a meeting with him and hired him as a special assistant a year ago. For Ausmus, it was a chance to remain close to home, while diving into the analytics the Angels were using.
In that year, Ausmus saw every part of the Angels’ baseball operations department, and he and Eppler worked closely together.
Now Ausmus will return to the dugout, with what he believes is a further understanding of both the human and analytical sides of the job.
It’s a path familiar to Hinch, who was in the front office in between managing jobs in Arizona and Houston.
“I think the general view is that these new-age managers, all of us know the information, we appreciate the information, but it all comes down to how you apply the information and who you apply it to,” said Hinch, who remains a close friend of Ausmus. “Brad has a great balance. It’s not just having the information and accepting it. The art is applying it to the right people at the right time for the right reasons. I think you do that better the more experience you gather. I can see the match. I can see Brad flourishing there.”
View the full article

By Jonathan Northrop, AngelsWin.com Staff Writer
Ranking prospects is an in-exact science, to say the least. Some like to focus more on raw talent, whether athleticism or acquired baseball skills, while others like to look at actual performance. The following list is based upon the subjective opinions of nine different AngelsWin writers and members. The benefit of such a composite list is that we both get a wide array of perspectives and approaches, but we also tend to even out each other’s biases.
A note on methodology: To arrive at these rankings I simply averaged out each ranking; in the case of “honorable mentions,” I counted it as a #31; in the case when a player was neither ranked or honorably mentioned, I considered that as #32 – except in the case of Taylor Ward, who was mentioned on six lists but not on three; those participants felt that due to the fact that his rookie eligibility expired (by 5 at bats) he is no longer a prospect. But I made the judgement call to include him—based on those six lists—because six of nine is a pretty solid majority. If you take issue with Ward’s inclusion, simply erase him from your mental list and move everyone below him up; Luis Madero would be the new #30.
I’ve added in “Ranking Trends” so that you get a sense of the range of how each player was viewed.
The age in parentheses is the player’s 2018 season age, which is based upon the age they are on July 1, the approximate mid-point of the year.
The ETA is based upon age and level, adjusted by my own subjective sense of when we can expect to see that player reach the major leagues.
Finally, I’ve tried to keep the comments as un-opinionated as possible, but in those cases where an opinion is given and seems off-base, don’t blame anyone but this writer.
Without further ado…
1. Jo Adell OF (age 19)
Stats: 290/.355/.543, 20 HR, 15 SB in 99 games at A/A+/AA.
Ranking Trends: Consensus #1.
ETA: 2020.
Comments: Despite a weak finish that saw his overall numbers fall, Adell was everything the Angels hoped for and more, playing at three levels as a teenager. Some scouts and analysts—and not just Angels fans—see him as being one of the highest upside players in the minors. He’s a consensus top 20 prospect in all of baseball, currently ranked #15 on MLB.com’s Pipeline rankings and #17 on Fangraphs’ The BOARD. There’s a real chance that sometime in 2019 he’s the #1 prospect in the minors. He’s the best Angels prospects since You Know Who and a probable future star.
2. Griffin Canning RHP (22)
Stats: 4-3, 3.65 ERA, 44 walks and 125 strikeouts in 113.1 innings at A+/AA/AAA.
Ranking Trends: average 2.1, median 2, range 2-3 (eight 2s, one 3).
ETA: 2019.
Comments: Not bad for a first professional season. Canning utterly dominated A+ (0.00 ERA in two starts) and AA (1.97 ERA in 10 starts) before struggling in the hitter’s paradise that is the Pacific Coast League (5.49 ERA in 13 starts). Expect him to adjust in 2019 and be in the majors at some point. His floor seems to be that of a good mid-rotation starter, his ceiling that of a borderline ace. MLB.com has him ranked #72 and Fangraphs #90.
3. Brandon Marsh OF (20)
Stats: .266/.359/.408, 10 HR, 14 SB, 73 walks in 127 A/A+ games.
Ranking Trends: average 3.3, median 3, range 2-6 (2, six 3s, 4, 6)
ETA: 2020.
Comments: On first glance, a disappointing year – especially after a strong start in A ball. But Marsh greatly improved his plate discipline and showed flashes of better things to come. He’s a good candidate for a breakout in 2019, when he should spend most of the year as a Trash Panda (AA). MLB.com ranks him #98, Fangraphs #58.
4. Jose Suarez LHP (20)
Stats: 3.92 ERA, 44 walks and 142 strikeouts in 117 innings at A+/AA/AAA.
Ranking Trends: average 5.3, median 6, range 3-7.
ETA: 2019.
Comments: Like Canning, Suarez dominated in A+ (2.00 ERA in 2 starts) and AA ball (3.03 ERA in 7 starts) before struggling in AAA (4.48 ERA in 17 starts), but he did eventually adjust. Also like Canning, he’ll start games in the majors next year.
5. Jahmai Jones 2B (20)
Stats: .229/.337/.380, 10 HR, 24 SB, 67 walks in 123 A+/AA games.
Ranking Trends: average 5.3, median 6, range 3-8.
ETA: 2020.
Comments: See Marsh; not a great year statistically, but not only did his plate discipline improve but he adjusted back to second base. I wouldn’t be concerned until we see how his second year at 2B is. There’s a sense that Jones is teetering between a breakthrough to future star status and more of a average regular. #75 according to Fangraphs.
6. Luis Rengifo SS (21)
Stats: .299/.399/.452, 7 HR, 41 SB, 75 walks in 127 A+/AA/AAA games.
Ranking Trends: average 6, median 5, range 4-10.
ETA: 2019.
Comments: Rengifo was a revelation, one of the most dynamic performers in the minor leagues and probably the Angels prospect whose value jumped the most. At the very least he’ll be a very nice super utility player; he may also challenge David Fletcher and Jones for the long-term gig at second base as soon as next year.
7. Jordyn Adams OF (18)
Stats: .267/.361/.381, 0 HR, 5 SB in 29 Rookie games.
Ranking Trends: average 7.4, median 8, range 5-9.
ETA: 2022.
Comments: 2018 first round pick Jordyn “The Dunk” Adams held his own in his first exposure to professional ball. He seemed to be taking a step forward in Orem, hitting .314/.375/.486 in 9 games, before going down with injury. A very athletic player with a high upside, but there’s still quite a range of possible outcomes.
8. Taylor Ward 3B (24)
Stats:.349/.446/.531, 14 HR, 18 SB, 65 walks in 102 AA/AAA games; .178/.245/.333, 6 HR, 9 walks and 45 strikeouts in 40 MLB games.
Ranking Trends: average 8, median 9, range 5-10 (with three not ranked due to loss of rookie status).
ETA: 2018.
Comments:: Angels minor league player of the year? While a dozen or more prospects have higher upside, Ward might have had the best year of any Angel minor leaguer. He struggled at the major league level but deserves the benefit of the doubt. Unlikely to be a star, he could be a solid performer at 3B.
9. Patrick Sandoval RHP (21)
Stats:2.43 ERA, 29 walks and 145 strikeouts in 122.1 A/A+/AA games, including a 0.79 ERA in 7 starts in the Angels organization.
Ranking Trends: average 9.1, median 9, range 5-14.
ETA: 2020.
Comments: Acquired for Martin Maldonado, Sandoval is a very welcome addition to the farm system. Most seem to think he is a future back-end of the rotation starter, but the numbers alone speak of mid-rotation potential.
10. Matt Thaiss 1B (23)
Stats:.280/.335/.467, 16 HR, 44 walks in 125 games in AA/AAA.
Ranking Trends: average 10, median 10, range 5-12.
ETA: 2019.
Comments: Thaiss continues to improve incrementally, although perhaps not quickly enough to get excited about. The jury is still out on his future, whether he’ll be an above average performer or more of a fringe starter/platoon player.
11. Jeremiah Jackson SS (18)
Stats: .254/.314/.491, 7 HR, 10 SB, 15 walks and 59 strikeouts in 43 Rookie games.
Ranking Trends: average 10.1, median 11, range 5-16.
ETA: 2022.
Comments: Jackson showed a lot of game, albeit in flashes of streaky brilliance. After crushing AZL pitching (.317/.374/.598 in 21 games) he really struggled in Orem (.198/.260/.396 in 22 games), so it remains to be seen whether the Angels push him and start him in A ball or send him to extended spring until the short season starts in Orem.
12. D’Shawn Knowles OF (17)
Stats: .311/./391/.464, in 5 HR, 9 SB, 28 walks and 65 strikeouts in 58 Rookie games.
Ranking Trends: average 12, median 12, range 9-16.
ETA: 2022.
Comments: Knowles was considered second Bahamanian fiddle to Trent Deveaux before the season began, but vastly outperformed Deveaux in their first professional showing. He may not have the pure athletic tools of Deveaux or Adams, but there is a sense of him having that x-factor of make-up. Like Rengifo he seems to be more than the sum of his parts, but also like Rengifo it is hard to say how that will translate at the major league level. He’s got a lot of time.
13. Kevin Maitan 3B/SS (18)
Stats: .248/.306/.397, 8 HR, 19 walks and 66 strikeouts, and 32 errors (!) in 63 Rookie games.
Ranking Trends: average 12.1, median 13, range 4-16.
ETA: 2022.
Comments: That range of rankings tells it all about Maitan: He could turn out to be Miguel Cabrera or he could flounder in the low minors and be out of professional baseball in a few years. Perhaps it is time to let go of such comparisons as Miggy and give Maitan the kindness of a tabula rasa of expectations; if you look only at his stat line, you might think “Not bad for an 18-year old in high Rookie ball.” Let’s see how he develops.
14. Jose Soriano RHP (19)
Stats: 4.47 ERA, 23 walks and 35 strikeouts in 46.1 IP at A ball.
Ranking Trends: average 14.8, median 15, range 12-18.
ETA: 2022.
Comments: One of the higher upside pitchers in the system, Soriano flashed excellent stuff but with only mediocre results. A good breakout candidate in 2019.
15. Chris Rodriguez RHP (19)
Stats: Did not play.
Ranking Trends: average 16.1, median 14, range 13-24.
ETA: 2022.
Comments: Did not play due to a back injury. Expectations should be adjusted accordingly, but he’s a similar prospect to Soriano in terms of high ceiling, very low floor.
16. Michael Hermosillo OF (23)
Stats: .267/.357/.480, 12 HR and 10 SB in 68 AAA games; .211/.274/.333 in 62 PA in MLB.
Ranking Trends: average 17.6, median 16, range 13-24.
ETA: 2018.
Comments: A strong defensive player who can field the entire OF, with a bit of pop and speed but mediocre bat. Hermosillo could put it all together in a year or two and be a solid starter, but is the odd-man out in the Angels outfield of the 2020s. At the least, however, he’ll be a very good 4th outfielder.
17. Trent Deveaux OF (18)
Stats: .199/.309/.247, 1 HR and 7 SB in 44 Rookie games.
Ranking Trends: average 17.7, median 18, range 13-27.
ETA: 2022.
Comments: Deveaux looked completely over-matched this year, striking out 68 times in 194 PA. He’s got the talent, but a Jabari-esque batting stance that leaves many scratching their heads. Watch him closely in 2019; he could jump to be in the mix with Adams, or he could continue in the Chevy Clarke School of Prospects.
After Deveaux, there’s a solid drop-off in rankings, with the following players rounding out the top 30:
18. Aaron Hernandez RHP (21)
Stats: Did not play pro ball.
Ranking Trends: average 20.3, median 19, range 12-20+ (one unranked).
ETA: 2021.
Comments: There’s a lot to be excited about with the Angels’ third pick of the 2018 amateur draft; has a good chance of rising quickly up these rankings.
19. Ty Buttrey RHP (25)
Stats: 3.31 ERA, 16.1 IP, 5 walks and 20 strikeouts in 16 MLB games.
Ranking Trends: average 21.2, median 22, range 11-29.
ETA: 2018
Comments: A savvy pickup in the Ian Kinsler trade, some are considering Buttrey to be the closer of the future; at the least, he’s a central piece of the Angels bullpen going forward.
20. Jared Walsh OF/1B/LHP (24)
Stats: .277/.359/.536, 29 HR, 99 RBI in 128 games in A+/AA/AAA. 1.59 ERA, 5.2 IP, 2 walks and 7 strikeouts in 8 games in A+/AA/AAA.
Ranking Trends: average 21.3, median 21, range 11-27+ (one unranked).
ETA: 2019
Comments: A bit under the radar, Walsh has been a steady performer throughout his four-year minor league career, compiling a .294/.360/.496 line in 360 games. Definitely in the mix for 1B/RF in 2019.
21. Jose Miguel Fernandez, IF (30)
Stats: .267/.309/.388, 2 HR in 36 games for the Angels. .333/.396/.535, 17 HR in 91 games in AAA.
Ranking Trends: average 21.3, median 19, range 14-22+ (two unranked).
ETA: 2018
Comments: Held his own in 123 PA in the majors, although without the sexy high average and power numbers he put up in the minor leagues. Should at least be a solid bench piece.
22. Livan Soto SS (18)
Stats: .291/.385/.349, 0 HR, 9 SB in 44 games in Rookie ball.
Ranking Trends: average 22.7, median 23, range 15-26+ (one honorable mention).
ETA: 2021
Comments:As with Knowles-Deveaux and Jackson-Adams, the less heralded of the two former Braves prospects had the better year, but in this case AngelsWin writers still ranked Maitan higher, perhaps due to Soto’s utter lack of power (so far) and Maitan’s considerable upside. But Soto is a very nice prospect who should rise up the rankings as he works his way through the organization. Gotta love that OBP.
23. Orlando Martinez OF (20)
Stats: .305/.354/.432, 5 HR in 65 games in Rookie/A ball.
Ranking Trends: average 23.1edian 23, range 19-25.
ETA: 2022
Comments: Notice the tight ranking range. Hit .375/.415/.604 in 12 games in Rookie ball but came down to earth in A, hitting .289/.340/.394. A Brennan Lund-type prospect.
24. Alex Ramirez OF (15)
Stats: Did not play professional ball.
Ranking Trends: average 23.2, median 21, range 17-26+ (two unranked).
ETA: 2024
Comments: Very young, just turned 16 in August. Another toolsy outfielder to be intrigued by.
25. Jack Kruger C (23)
Stats: .299/.357/.413 with 7 HR in 97 games in A+/AA.
Ranking Trends: average 25.1, median 25, range 16-25+ (one honorable mention, two unranked).
ETA: 2020
Comments: Became a sleeper prospect and favorite in prospect discussions, perhaps because the Angels are so weak at the position. Could be a future platoon catcher.
26. Leonardo Rivas SS/2B (20)
Stats: .234/.354/.333, 5 HR and 16 SB, in 121 games in A ball (2 in Rookie).
Ranking Trends: average 26.7, median 27, range 22-28+ (one honorable mention, two unranked).
ETA: 2022
Comments: Really struggled in Burlington after hitting .286/.443/.396 in 2017, and has been surpassed by players like Rengifo and Soto on the middle infield depth chart. Still might have a place as a major league utility infielder.
27. Luis Pena RHP (22)
Stats: 5.03 ERA, 57 walks and 101 strikeouts in 105.2 IP in AA/AAA.
Ranking Trends: average 27.8, median honorable mention, range 15-27+ (two honorable mentions, three unranked).
ETA: 2019
Comments: A pitcher whose ERA doesn’t reflect his stuff, which is very good. Should at least have a future as a major league reliever, possibly back-end rotation starter.
28. Jesus Castillo RHP (22)
Stats: 4.94 ERA, 31 walks and 60 strikeouts in 98.1 IP in AA.
Ranking Trends: average 28.3, median 30, range 21-30+ two honorable mentions, one unranked).
ETA: 2020
Comments: His stock fell due to a mediocre year and possible decreased velocity. Could still be a #5 starter or swingman.
29. Kyle Bradish RHP (21)
Stats: Did not play professional ball.
Ranking Trends: average 28.4, median 28, range 22-28+ (three unranked).
ETA: 2021
Comments: Fourth pick in the draft, with good upside and should have a quick path to the majors.
30. William English OF/RHP (17)
Stats: .220/.325/.260 in 30 games in Rookie ball.
Ranking Trends: average 28.8, median 29, range 22-30+ (two unranked).
ETA: 2023
Comments: Not a pretty stat line, but there’s a lot to like here: a very athletic outfielder who can also pitch.
Ranked Prospects By Primary Position
C. 25
1B: 10, 20
2B: 5, 21, 26
SS: 6, 11, 22
3B: 8, 13
OF: 1, 3, 7, 12, 16, 17, 23, 24, 30
SP: 2, 4, 9, 14, 15, 18, 27, 28, 29
RP: 19
Honorable Mentions: Jason Alexander, Stiward Aquino, Jeremy Beasley, Denny Brady, Ryan Clark, Julio de la Cruz, Francisco Del Valle, Joe Gatto, Jenrry Gonzalez, Emilker Guzman, Brett Hanewich, Williams Jerez, Julian Leon, Conor Lillis-White, Brennan Lund, David MacKinnon, Luis Madero, Simon Mathews, Christopher Molina, Oliver Ortega, Mayky Perez, Daniel Procopio, Jeremy Rhoades, Jerryell Rivera, Jose Rojas, Brandon Sandoval, Tyler Stevens, John Swanda, Julian Tavarez, Raider Uceta, Andrew Wantz, Bo Way, Cam Williams, Nonie Williams, Hector Yan.
View the full article

By Jonathan Northrop, AngelsWin.com Staff Writer
Ranking prospects is an in-exact science, to say the least. Some like to focus more on raw talent, whether athleticism or acquired baseball skills, while others like to look at actual performance. The following list is based upon the subjective opinions of nine different AngelsWin writers and members. The benefit of such a composite list is that we both get a wide array of perspectives and approaches, but we also tend to even out each other’s biases.
A note on methodology: To arrive at these rankings I simply averaged out each ranking; in the case of “honorable mentions,” I counted it as a #31; in the case when a player was neither ranked or honorably mentioned, I considered that as #32 – except in the case of Taylor Ward, who was mentioned on six lists but not on three; those participants felt that due to the fact that his rookie eligibility expired (by 5 at bats) he is no longer a prospect. But I made the judgement call to include him—based on those six lists—because six of nine is a pretty solid majority. If you take issue with Ward’s inclusion, simply erase him from your mental list and move everyone below him up; Luis Madero would be the new #30.
I’ve added in “Ranking Trends” so that you get a sense of the range of how each player was viewed.
The age in parentheses is the player’s 2018 season age, which is based upon the age they are on July 1, the approximate mid-point of the year.
The ETA is based upon age and level, adjusted by my own subjective sense of when we can expect to see that player reach the major leagues.
Finally, I’ve tried to keep the comments as un-opinionated as possible, but in those cases where an opinion is given and seems off-base, don’t blame anyone but this writer.
Without further ado…
1. Jo Adell OF (age 19)
Stats: 290/.355/.543, 20 HR, 15 SB in 99 games at A/A+/AA.
Ranking Trends: Consensus #1.
ETA: 2020.
Comments: Despite a weak finish that saw his overall numbers fall, Adell was everything the Angels hoped for and more, playing at three levels as a teenager. Some scouts and analysts—and not just Angels fans—see him as being one of the highest upside players in the minors. He’s a consensus top 20 prospect in all of baseball, currently ranked #15 on MLB.com’s Pipeline rankings and #17 on Fangraphs’ The BOARD. There’s a real chance that sometime in 2019 he’s the #1 prospect in the minors. He’s the best Angels prospects since You Know Who and a probable future star.
2. Griffin Canning RHP (22)
Stats: 4-3, 3.65 ERA, 44 walks and 125 strikeouts in 113.1 innings at A+/AA/AAA.
Ranking Trends: average 2.1, median 2, range 2-3 (eight 2s, one 3).
ETA: 2019.
Comments: Not bad for a first professional season. Canning utterly dominated A+ (0.00 ERA in two starts) and AA (1.97 ERA in 10 starts) before struggling in the hitter’s paradise that is the Pacific Coast League (5.49 ERA in 13 starts). Expect him to adjust in 2019 and be in the majors at some point. His floor seems to be that of a good mid-rotation starter, his ceiling that of a borderline ace. MLB.com has him ranked #72 and Fangraphs #90.
3. Brandon Marsh OF (20)
Stats: .266/.359/.408, 10 HR, 14 SB, 73 walks in 127 A/A+ games.
Ranking Trends: average 3.3, median 3, range 2-6 (2, six 3s, 4, 6)
ETA: 2020.
Comments: On first glance, a disappointing year – especially after a strong start in A ball. But Marsh greatly improved his plate discipline and showed flashes of better things to come. He’s a good candidate for a breakout in 2019, when he should spend most of the year as a Trash Panda (AA). MLB.com ranks him #98, Fangraphs #58.
4. Jose Suarez LHP (20)
Stats: 3.92 ERA, 44 walks and 142 strikeouts in 117 innings at A+/AA/AAA.
Ranking Trends: average 5.3, median 6, range 3-7.
ETA: 2019.
Comments: Like Canning, Suarez dominated in A+ (2.00 ERA in 2 starts) and AA ball (3.03 ERA in 7 starts) before struggling in AAA (4.48 ERA in 17 starts), but he did eventually adjust. Also like Canning, he’ll start games in the majors next year.
5. Jahmai Jones 2B (20)
Stats: .229/.337/.380, 10 HR, 24 SB, 67 walks in 123 A+/AA games.
Ranking Trends: average 5.3, median 6, range 3-8.
ETA: 2020.
Comments: See Marsh; not a great year statistically, but not only did his plate discipline improve but he adjusted back to second base. I wouldn’t be concerned until we see how his second year at 2B is. There’s a sense that Jones is teetering between a breakthrough to future star status and more of a average regular. #75 according to Fangraphs.
6. Luis Rengifo SS (21)
Stats: .299/.399/.452, 7 HR, 41 SB, 75 walks in 127 A+/AA/AAA games.
Ranking Trends: average 6, median 5, range 4-10.
ETA: 2019.
Comments: Rengifo was a revelation, one of the most dynamic performers in the minor leagues and probably the Angels prospect whose value jumped the most. At the very least he’ll be a very nice super utility player; he may also challenge David Fletcher and Jones for the long-term gig at second base as soon as next year.
7. Jordyn Adams OF (18)
Stats: .267/.361/.381, 0 HR, 5 SB in 29 Rookie games.
Ranking Trends: average 7.4, median 8, range 5-9.
ETA: 2022.
Comments: 2018 first round pick Jordyn “The Dunk” Adams held his own in his first exposure to professional ball. He seemed to be taking a step forward in Orem, hitting .314/.375/.486 in 9 games, before going down with injury. A very athletic player with a high upside, but there’s still quite a range of possible outcomes.
8. Taylor Ward 3B (24)
Stats:.349/.446/.531, 14 HR, 18 SB, 65 walks in 102 AA/AAA games; .178/.245/.333, 6 HR, 9 walks and 45 strikeouts in 40 MLB games.
Ranking Trends: average 8, median 9, range 5-10 (with three not ranked due to loss of rookie status).
ETA: 2018.
Comments:: Angels minor league player of the year? While a dozen or more prospects have higher upside, Ward might have had the best year of any Angel minor leaguer. He struggled at the major league level but deserves the benefit of the doubt. Unlikely to be a star, he could be a solid performer at 3B.
9. Patrick Sandoval RHP (21)
Stats:2.43 ERA, 29 walks and 145 strikeouts in 122.1 A/A+/AA games, including a 0.79 ERA in 7 starts in the Angels organization.
Ranking Trends: average 9.1, median 9, range 5-14.
ETA: 2020.
Comments: Acquired for Martin Maldonado, Sandoval is a very welcome addition to the farm system. Most seem to think he is a future back-end of the rotation starter, but the numbers alone speak of mid-rotation potential.
10. Matt Thaiss 1B (23)
Stats:.280/.335/.467, 16 HR, 44 walks in 125 games in AA/AAA.
Ranking Trends: average 10, median 10, range 5-12.
ETA: 2019.
Comments: Thaiss continues to improve incrementally, although perhaps not quickly enough to get excited about. The jury is still out on his future, whether he’ll be an above average performer or more of a fringe starter/platoon player.
11. Jeremiah Jackson SS (18)
Stats: .254/.314/.491, 7 HR, 10 SB, 15 walks and 59 strikeouts in 43 Rookie games.
Ranking Trends: average 10.1, median 11, range 5-16.
ETA: 2022.
Comments: Jackson showed a lot of game, albeit in flashes of streaky brilliance. After crushing AZL pitching (.317/.374/.598 in 21 games) he really struggled in Orem (.198/.260/.396 in 22 games), so it remains to be seen whether the Angels push him and start him in A ball or send him to extended spring until the short season starts in Orem.
12. D’Shawn Knowles OF (17)
Stats: .311/./391/.464, in 5 HR, 9 SB, 28 walks and 65 strikeouts in 58 Rookie games.
Ranking Trends: average 12, median 12, range 9-16.
ETA: 2022.
Comments: Knowles was considered second Bahamanian fiddle to Trent Deveaux before the season began, but vastly outperformed Deveaux in their first professional showing. He may not have the pure athletic tools of Deveaux or Adams, but there is a sense of him having that x-factor of make-up. Like Rengifo he seems to be more than the sum of his parts, but also like Rengifo it is hard to say how that will translate at the major league level. He’s got a lot of time.
13. Kevin Maitan 3B/SS (18)
Stats: .248/.306/.397, 8 HR, 19 walks and 66 strikeouts, and 32 errors (!) in 63 Rookie games.
Ranking Trends: average 12.1, median 13, range 4-16.
ETA: 2022.
Comments: That range of rankings tells it all about Maitan: He could turn out to be Miguel Cabrera or he could flounder in the low minors and be out of professional baseball in a few years. Perhaps it is time to let go of such comparisons as Miggy and give Maitan the kindness of a tabula rasa of expectations; if you look only at his stat line, you might think “Not bad for an 18-year old in high Rookie ball.” Let’s see how he develops.
14. Jose Soriano RHP (19)
Stats: 4.47 ERA, 23 walks and 35 strikeouts in 46.1 IP at A ball.
Ranking Trends: average 14.8, median 15, range 12-18.
ETA: 2022.
Comments: One of the higher upside pitchers in the system, Soriano flashed excellent stuff but with only mediocre results. A good breakout candidate in 2019.
15. Chris Rodriguez RHP (19)
Stats: Did not play.
Ranking Trends: average 16.1, median 14, range 13-24.
ETA: 2022.
Comments: Did not play due to a back injury. Expectations should be adjusted accordingly, but he’s a similar prospect to Soriano in terms of high ceiling, very low floor.
16. Michael Hermosillo OF (23)
Stats: .267/.357/.480, 12 HR and 10 SB in 68 AAA games; .211/.274/.333 in 62 PA in MLB.
Ranking Trends: average 17.6, median 16, range 13-24.
ETA: 2018.
Comments: A strong defensive player who can field the entire OF, with a bit of pop and speed but mediocre bat. Hermosillo could put it all together in a year or two and be a solid starter, but is the odd-man out in the Angels outfield of the 2020s. At the least, however, he’ll be a very good 4th outfielder.
17. Trent Deveaux OF (18)
Stats: .199/.309/.247, 1 HR and 7 SB in 44 Rookie games.
Ranking Trends: average 17.7, median 18, range 13-27.
ETA: 2022.
Comments: Deveaux looked completely over-matched this year, striking out 68 times in 194 PA. He’s got the talent, but a Jabari-esque batting stance that leaves many scratching their heads. Watch him closely in 2019; he could jump to be in the mix with Adams, or he could continue in the Chevy Clarke School of Prospects.
After Deveaux, there’s a solid drop-off in rankings, with the following players rounding out the top 30:
18. Aaron Hernandez RHP (21)
Stats: Did not play pro ball.
Ranking Trends: average 20.3, median 19, range 12-20+ (one unranked).
ETA: 2021.
Comments: There’s a lot to be excited about with the Angels’ third pick of the 2018 amateur draft; has a good chance of rising quickly up these rankings.
19. Ty Buttrey RHP (25)
Stats: 3.31 ERA, 16.1 IP, 5 walks and 20 strikeouts in 16 MLB games.
Ranking Trends: average 21.2, median 22, range 11-29.
ETA: 2018
Comments: A savvy pickup in the Ian Kinsler trade, some are considering Buttrey to be the closer of the future; at the least, he’s a central piece of the Angels bullpen going forward.
20. Jared Walsh OF/1B/LHP (24)
Stats: .277/.359/.536, 29 HR, 99 RBI in 128 games in A+/AA/AAA. 1.59 ERA, 5.2 IP, 2 walks and 7 strikeouts in 8 games in A+/AA/AAA.
Ranking Trends: average 21.3, median 21, range 11-27+ (one unranked).
ETA: 2019
Comments: A bit under the radar, Walsh has been a steady performer throughout his four-year minor league career, compiling a .294/.360/.496 line in 360 games. Definitely in the mix for 1B/RF in 2019.
21. Jose Miguel Fernandez, IF (30)
Stats: .267/.309/.388, 2 HR in 36 games for the Angels. .333/.396/.535, 17 HR in 91 games in AAA.
Ranking Trends: average 21.3, median 19, range 14-22+ (two unranked).
ETA: 2018
Comments: Held his own in 123 PA in the majors, although without the sexy high average and power numbers he put up in the minor leagues. Should at least be a solid bench piece.
22. Livan Soto SS (18)
Stats: .291/.385/.349, 0 HR, 9 SB in 44 games in Rookie ball.
Ranking Trends: average 22.7, median 23, range 15-26+ (one honorable mention).
ETA: 2021
Comments:As with Knowles-Deveaux and Jackson-Adams, the less heralded of the two former Braves prospects had the better year, but in this case AngelsWin writers still ranked Maitan higher, perhaps due to Soto’s utter lack of power (so far) and Maitan’s considerable upside. But Soto is a very nice prospect who should rise up the rankings as he works his way through the organization. Gotta love that OBP.
23. Orlando Martinez OF (20)
Stats: .305/.354/.432, 5 HR in 65 games in Rookie/A ball.
Ranking Trends: average 23.1edian 23, range 19-25.
ETA: 2022
Comments: Notice the tight ranking range. Hit .375/.415/.604 in 12 games in Rookie ball but came down to earth in A, hitting .289/.340/.394. A Brennan Lund-type prospect.
24. Alex Ramirez OF (15)
Stats: Did not play professional ball.
Ranking Trends: average 23.2, median 21, range 17-26+ (two unranked).
ETA: 2024
Comments: Very young, just turned 16 in August. Another toolsy outfielder to be intrigued by.
25. Jack Kruger C (23)
Stats: .299/.357/.413 with 7 HR in 97 games in A+/AA.
Ranking Trends: average 25.1, median 25, range 16-25+ (one honorable mention, two unranked).
ETA: 2020
Comments: Became a sleeper prospect and favorite in prospect discussions, perhaps because the Angels are so weak at the position. Could be a future platoon catcher.
26. Leonardo Rivas SS/2B (20)
Stats: .234/.354/.333, 5 HR and 16 SB, in 121 games in A ball (2 in Rookie).
Ranking Trends: average 26.7, median 27, range 22-28+ (one honorable mention, two unranked).
ETA: 2022
Comments: Really struggled in Burlington after hitting .286/.443/.396 in 2017, and has been surpassed by players like Rengifo and Soto on the middle infield depth chart. Still might have a place as a major league utility infielder.
27. Luis Pena RHP (22)
Stats: 5.03 ERA, 57 walks and 101 strikeouts in 105.2 IP in AA/AAA.
Ranking Trends: average 27.8, median honorable mention, range 15-27+ (two honorable mentions, three unranked).
ETA: 2019
Comments: A pitcher whose ERA doesn’t reflect his stuff, which is very good. Should at least have a future as a major league reliever, possibly back-end rotation starter.
28. Jesus Castillo RHP (22)
Stats: 4.94 ERA, 31 walks and 60 strikeouts in 98.1 IP in AA.
Ranking Trends: average 28.3, median 30, range 21-30+ two honorable mentions, one unranked).
ETA: 2020
Comments: His stock fell due to a mediocre year and possible decreased velocity. Could still be a #5 starter or swingman.
29. Kyle Bradish RHP (21)
Stats: Did not play professional ball.
Ranking Trends: average 28.4, median 28, range 22-28+ (three unranked).
ETA: 2021
Comments: Fourth pick in the draft, with good upside and should have a quick path to the majors.
30. William English OF/RHP (17)
Stats: .220/.325/.260 in 30 games in Rookie ball.
Ranking Trends: average 28.8, median 29, range 22-30+ (two unranked).
ETA: 2023
Comments: Not a pretty stat line, but there’s a lot to like here: a very athletic outfielder who can also pitch.
Ranked Prospects By Primary Position
C. 25
1B: 10, 20
2B: 5, 21, 26
SS: 6, 11, 22
3B: 8, 13
OF: 1, 3, 7, 12, 16, 17, 23, 24, 30
SP: 2, 4, 9, 14, 15, 18, 27, 28, 29
RP: 19
Honorable Mentions: Jason Alexander, Stiward Aquino, Jeremy Beasley, Denny Brady, Ryan Clark, Julio de la Cruz, Francisco Del Valle, Joe Gatto, Jenrry Gonzalez, Emilker Guzman, Brett Hanewich, Williams Jerez, Julian Leon, Conor Lillis-White, Brennan Lund, David MacKinnon, Luis Madero, Simon Mathews, Christopher Molina, Oliver Ortega, Mayky Perez, Daniel Procopio, Jeremy Rhoades, Jerryell Rivera, Jose Rojas, Brandon Sandoval, Tyler Stevens, John Swanda, Julian Tavarez, Raider Uceta, Andrew Wantz, Bo Way, Cam Williams, Nonie Williams, Hector Yan.
View the full article

By Jonathan Northrop, AngelsWin.com Staff Writer
Ranking prospects is an in-exact science, to say the least. Some like to focus more on raw talent, whether athleticism or acquired baseball skills, while others like to look at actual performance. The following list is based upon the subjective opinions of nine different AngelsWin writers and members. The benefit of such a composite list is that we both get a wide array of perspectives and approaches, but we also tend to even out each other’s biases.
A note on methodology: To arrive at these rankings I simply averaged out each ranking; in the case of “honorable mentions,” I counted it as a #31; in the case when a player was neither ranked or honorably mentioned, I considered that as #32 – except in the case of Taylor Ward, who was mentioned on six lists but not on three; those participants felt that due to the fact that his rookie eligibility expired (by 5 at bats) he is no longer a prospect. But I made the judgement call to include him—based on those six lists—because six of nine is a pretty solid majority. If you take issue with Ward’s inclusion, simply erase him from your mental list and move everyone below him up; Luis Madero would be the new #30.
I’ve added in “Ranking Trends” so that you get a sense of the range of how each player was viewed.
The age in parentheses is the player’s 2018 season age, which is based upon the age they are on July 1, the approximate mid-point of the year.
The ETA is based upon age and level, adjusted by my own subjective sense of when we can expect to see that player reach the major leagues.
Finally, I’ve tried to keep the comments as un-opinionated as possible, but in those cases where an opinion is given and seems off-base, don’t blame anyone but this writer.
Without further ado…
1. Jo Adell OF (age 19)
Stats: 290/.355/.543, 20 HR, 15 SB in 99 games at A/A+/AA.
Ranking Trends: Consensus #1.
ETA: 2020.
Comments: Despite a weak finish that saw his overall numbers fall, Adell was everything the Angels hoped for and more, playing at three levels as a teenager. Some scouts and analysts—and not just Angels fans—see him as being one of the highest upside players in the minors. He’s a consensus top 20 prospect in all of baseball, currently ranked #15 on MLB.com’s Pipeline rankings and #17 on Fangraphs’ The BOARD. There’s a real chance that sometime in 2019 he’s the #1 prospect in the minors. He’s the best Angels prospects since You Know Who and a probable future star.
2. Griffin Canning RHP (22)
Stats: 4-3, 3.65 ERA, 44 walks and 125 strikeouts in 113.1 innings at A+/AA/AAA.
Ranking Trends: average 2.1, median 2, range 2-3 (eight 2s, one 3).
ETA: 2019.
Comments: Not bad for a first professional season. Canning utterly dominated A+ (0.00 ERA in two starts) and AA (1.97 ERA in 10 starts) before struggling in the hitter’s paradise that is the Pacific Coast League (5.49 ERA in 13 starts). Expect him to adjust in 2019 and be in the majors at some point. His floor seems to be that of a good mid-rotation starter, his ceiling that of a borderline ace. MLB.com has him ranked #72 and Fangraphs #90.
3. Brandon Marsh OF (20)
Stats: .266/.359/.408, 10 HR, 14 SB, 73 walks in 127 A/A+ games.
Ranking Trends: average 3.3, median 3, range 2-6 (2, six 3s, 4, 6)
ETA: 2020.
Comments: On first glance, a disappointing year – especially after a strong start in A ball. But Marsh greatly improved his plate discipline and showed flashes of better things to come. He’s a good candidate for a breakout in 2019, when he should spend most of the year as a Trash Panda (AA). MLB.com ranks him #98, Fangraphs #58.
4. Jose Suarez LHP (20)
Stats: 3.92 ERA, 44 walks and 142 strikeouts in 117 innings at A+/AA/AAA.
Ranking Trends: average 5.3, median 6, range 3-7.
ETA: 2019.
Comments: Like Canning, Suarez dominated in A+ (2.00 ERA in 2 starts) and AA ball (3.03 ERA in 7 starts) before struggling in AAA (4.48 ERA in 17 starts), but he did eventually adjust. Also like Canning, he’ll start games in the majors next year.
5. Jahmai Jones 2B (20)
Stats: .229/.337/.380, 10 HR, 24 SB, 67 walks in 123 A+/AA games.
Ranking Trends: average 5.3, median 6, range 3-8.
ETA: 2020.
Comments: See Marsh; not a great year statistically, but not only did his plate discipline improve but he adjusted back to second base. I wouldn’t be concerned until we see how his second year at 2B is. There’s a sense that Jones is teetering between a breakthrough to future star status and more of a average regular. #75 according to Fangraphs.
6. Luis Rengifo SS (21)
Stats: .299/.399/.452, 7 HR, 41 SB, 75 walks in 127 A+/AA/AAA games.
Ranking Trends: average 6, median 5, range 4-10.
ETA: 2019.
Comments: Rengifo was a revelation, one of the most dynamic performers in the minor leagues and probably the Angels prospect whose value jumped the most. At the very least he’ll be a very nice super utility player; he may also challenge David Fletcher and Jones for the long-term gig at second base as soon as next year.
7. Jordyn Adams OF (18)
Stats: .267/.361/.381, 0 HR, 5 SB in 29 Rookie games.
Ranking Trends: average 7.4, median 8, range 5-9.
ETA: 2022.
Comments: 2018 first round pick Jordyn “The Dunk” Adams held his own in his first exposure to professional ball. He seemed to be taking a step forward in Orem, hitting .314/.375/.486 in 9 games, before going down with injury. A very athletic player with a high upside, but there’s still quite a range of possible outcomes.
8. Taylor Ward 3B (24)
Stats:.349/.446/.531, 14 HR, 18 SB, 65 walks in 102 AA/AAA games; .178/.245/.333, 6 HR, 9 walks and 45 strikeouts in 40 MLB games.
Ranking Trends: average 8, median 9, range 5-10 (with three not ranked due to loss of rookie status).
ETA: 2018.
Comments:: Angels minor league player of the year? While a dozen or more prospects have higher upside, Ward might have had the best year of any Angel minor leaguer. He struggled at the major league level but deserves the benefit of the doubt. Unlikely to be a star, he could be a solid performer at 3B.
9. Patrick Sandoval RHP (21)
Stats:2.43 ERA, 29 walks and 145 strikeouts in 122.1 A/A+/AA games, including a 0.79 ERA in 7 starts in the Angels organization.
Ranking Trends: average 9.1, median 9, range 5-14.
ETA: 2020.
Comments: Acquired for Martin Maldonado, Sandoval is a very welcome addition to the farm system. Most seem to think he is a future back-end of the rotation starter, but the numbers alone speak of mid-rotation potential.
10. Matt Thaiss 1B (23)
Stats:.280/.335/.467, 16 HR, 44 walks in 125 games in AA/AAA.
Ranking Trends: average 10, median 10, range 5-12.
ETA: 2019.
Comments: Thaiss continues to improve incrementally, although perhaps not quickly enough to get excited about. The jury is still out on his future, whether he’ll be an above average performer or more of a fringe starter/platoon player.
11. Jeremiah Jackson SS (18)
Stats: .254/.314/.491, 7 HR, 10 SB, 15 walks and 59 strikeouts in 43 Rookie games.
Ranking Trends: average 10.1, median 11, range 5-16.
ETA: 2022.
Comments: Jackson showed a lot of game, albeit in flashes of streaky brilliance. After crushing AZL pitching (.317/.374/.598 in 21 games) he really struggled in Orem (.198/.260/.396 in 22 games), so it remains to be seen whether the Angels push him and start him in A ball or send him to extended spring until the short season starts in Orem.
12. D’Shawn Knowles OF (17)
Stats: .311/./391/.464, in 5 HR, 9 SB, 28 walks and 65 strikeouts in 58 Rookie games.
Ranking Trends: average 12, median 12, range 9-16.
ETA: 2022.
Comments: Knowles was considered second Bahamanian fiddle to Trent Deveaux before the season began, but vastly outperformed Deveaux in their first professional showing. He may not have the pure athletic tools of Deveaux or Adams, but there is a sense of him having that x-factor of make-up. Like Rengifo he seems to be more than the sum of his parts, but also like Rengifo it is hard to say how that will translate at the major league level. He’s got a lot of time.
13. Kevin Maitan 3B/SS (18)
Stats: .248/.306/.397, 8 HR, 19 walks and 66 strikeouts, and 32 errors (!) in 63 Rookie games.
Ranking Trends: average 12.1, median 13, range 4-16.
ETA: 2022.
Comments: That range of rankings tells it all about Maitan: He could turn out to be Miguel Cabrera or he could flounder in the low minors and be out of professional baseball in a few years. Perhaps it is time to let go of such comparisons as Miggy and give Maitan the kindness of a tabula rasa of expectations; if you look only at his stat line, you might think “Not bad for an 18-year old in high Rookie ball.” Let’s see how he develops.
14. Jose Soriano RHP (19)
Stats: 4.47 ERA, 23 walks and 35 strikeouts in 46.1 IP at A ball.
Ranking Trends: average 14.8, median 15, range 12-18.
ETA: 2022.
Comments: One of the higher upside pitchers in the system, Soriano flashed excellent stuff but with only mediocre results. A good breakout candidate in 2019.
15. Chris Rodriguez RHP (19)
Stats: Did not play.
Ranking Trends: average 16.1, median 14, range 13-24.
ETA: 2022.
Comments: Did not play due to a back injury. Expectations should be adjusted accordingly, but he’s a similar prospect to Soriano in terms of high ceiling, very low floor.
16. Michael Hermosillo OF (23)
Stats: .267/.357/.480, 12 HR and 10 SB in 68 AAA games; .211/.274/.333 in 62 PA in MLB.
Ranking Trends: average 17.6, median 16, range 13-24.
ETA: 2018.
Comments: A strong defensive player who can field the entire OF, with a bit of pop and speed but mediocre bat. Hermosillo could put it all together in a year or two and be a solid starter, but is the odd-man out in the Angels outfield of the 2020s. At the least, however, he’ll be a very good 4th outfielder.
17. Trent Deveaux OF (18)
Stats: .199/.309/.247, 1 HR and 7 SB in 44 Rookie games.
Ranking Trends: average 17.7, median 18, range 13-27.
ETA: 2022.
Comments: Deveaux looked completely over-matched this year, striking out 68 times in 194 PA. He’s got the talent, but a Jabari-esque batting stance that leaves many scratching their heads. Watch him closely in 2019; he could jump to be in the mix with Adams, or he could continue in the Chevy Clarke School of Prospects.
After Deveaux, there’s a solid drop-off in rankings, with the following players rounding out the top 30:
18. Aaron Hernandez RHP (21)
Stats: Did not play pro ball.
Ranking Trends: average 20.3, median 19, range 12-20+ (one unranked).
ETA: 2021.
Comments: There’s a lot to be excited about with the Angels’ third pick of the 2018 amateur draft; has a good chance of rising quickly up these rankings.
19. Ty Buttrey RHP (25)
Stats: 3.31 ERA, 16.1 IP, 5 walks and 20 strikeouts in 16 MLB games.
Ranking Trends: average 21.2, median 22, range 11-29.
ETA: 2018
Comments: A savvy pickup in the Ian Kinsler trade, some are considering Buttrey to be the closer of the future; at the least, he’s a central piece of the Angels bullpen going forward.
20. Jared Walsh OF/1B/LHP (24)
Stats: .277/.359/.536, 29 HR, 99 RBI in 128 games in A+/AA/AAA. 1.59 ERA, 5.2 IP, 2 walks and 7 strikeouts in 8 games in A+/AA/AAA.
Ranking Trends: average 21.3, median 21, range 11-27+ (one unranked).
ETA: 2019
Comments: A bit under the radar, Walsh has been a steady performer throughout his four-year minor league career, compiling a .294/.360/.496 line in 360 games. Definitely in the mix for 1B/RF in 2019.
21. Jose Miguel Fernandez, IF (30)
Stats: .267/.309/.388, 2 HR in 36 games for the Angels. .333/.396/.535, 17 HR in 91 games in AAA.
Ranking Trends: average 21.3, median 19, range 14-22+ (two unranked).
ETA: 2018
Comments: Held his own in 123 PA in the majors, although without the sexy high average and power numbers he put up in the minor leagues. Should at least be a solid bench piece.
22. Livan Soto SS (18)
Stats: .291/.385/.349, 0 HR, 9 SB in 44 games in Rookie ball.
Ranking Trends: average 22.7, median 23, range 15-26+ (one honorable mention).
ETA: 2021
Comments:As with Knowles-Deveaux and Jackson-Adams, the less heralded of the two former Braves prospects had the better year, but in this case AngelsWin writers still ranked Maitan higher, perhaps due to Soto’s utter lack of power (so far) and Maitan’s considerable upside. But Soto is a very nice prospect who should rise up the rankings as he works his way through the organization. Gotta love that OBP.
23. Orlando Martinez OF (20)
Stats: .305/.354/.432, 5 HR in 65 games in Rookie/A ball.
Ranking Trends: average 23.1edian 23, range 19-25.
ETA: 2022
Comments: Notice the tight ranking range. Hit .375/.415/.604 in 12 games in Rookie ball but came down to earth in A, hitting .289/.340/.394. A Brennan Lund-type prospect.
24. Alex Ramirez OF (15)
Stats: Did not play professional ball.
Ranking Trends: average 23.2, median 21, range 17-26+ (two unranked).
ETA: 2024
Comments: Very young, just turned 16 in August. Another toolsy outfielder to be intrigued by.
25. Jack Kruger C (23)
Stats: .299/.357/.413 with 7 HR in 97 games in A+/AA.
Ranking Trends: average 25.1, median 25, range 16-25+ (one honorable mention, two unranked).
ETA: 2020
Comments: Became a sleeper prospect and favorite in prospect discussions, perhaps because the Angels are so weak at the position. Could be a future platoon catcher.
26. Leonardo Rivas SS/2B (20)
Stats: .234/.354/.333, 5 HR and 16 SB, in 121 games in A ball (2 in Rookie).
Ranking Trends: average 26.7, median 27, range 22-28+ (one honorable mention, two unranked).
ETA: 2022
Comments: Really struggled in Burlington after hitting .286/.443/.396 in 2017, and has been surpassed by players like Rengifo and Soto on the middle infield depth chart. Still might have a place as a major league utility infielder.
27. Luis Pena RHP (22)
Stats: 5.03 ERA, 57 walks and 101 strikeouts in 105.2 IP in AA/AAA.
Ranking Trends: average 27.8, median honorable mention, range 15-27+ (two honorable mentions, three unranked).
ETA: 2019
Comments: A pitcher whose ERA doesn’t reflect his stuff, which is very good. Should at least have a future as a major league reliever, possibly back-end rotation starter.
28. Jesus Castillo RHP (22)
Stats: 4.94 ERA, 31 walks and 60 strikeouts in 98.1 IP in AA.
Ranking Trends: average 28.3, median 30, range 21-30+ two honorable mentions, one unranked).
ETA: 2020
Comments: His stock fell due to a mediocre year and possible decreased velocity. Could still be a #5 starter or swingman.
29. Kyle Bradish RHP (21)
Stats: Did not play professional ball.
Ranking Trends: average 28.4, median 28, range 22-28+ (three unranked).
ETA: 2021
Comments: Fourth pick in the draft, with good upside and should have a quick path to the majors.
30. William English OF/RHP (17)
Stats: .220/.325/.260 in 30 games in Rookie ball.
Ranking Trends: average 28.8, median 29, range 22-30+ (two unranked).
ETA: 2023
Comments: Not a pretty stat line, but there’s a lot to like here: a very athletic outfielder who can also pitch.
Ranked Prospects By Primary Position
C. 25
1B: 10, 20
2B: 5, 21, 26
SS: 6, 11, 22
3B: 8, 13
OF: 1, 3, 7, 12, 16, 17, 23, 24, 30
SP: 2, 4, 9, 14, 15, 18, 27, 28, 29
RP: 19
Honorable Mentions: Jason Alexander, Stiward Aquino, Jeremy Beasley, Denny Brady, Ryan Clark, Julio de la Cruz, Francisco Del Valle, Joe Gatto, Jenrry Gonzalez, Emilker Guzman, Brett Hanewich, Williams Jerez, Julian Leon, Conor Lillis-White, Brennan Lund, David MacKinnon, Luis Madero, Simon Mathews, Christopher Molina, Oliver Ortega, Mayky Perez, Daniel Procopio, Jeremy Rhoades, Jerryell Rivera, Jose Rojas, Brandon Sandoval, Tyler Stevens, John Swanda, Julian Tavarez, Raider Uceta, Andrew Wantz, Bo Way, Cam Williams, Nonie Williams, Hector Yan.
View the full article

By Jonathan Northrop, AngelsWin.com Staff Writer
Ranking prospects is an in-exact science, to say the least. Some like to focus more on raw talent, whether athleticism or acquired baseball skills, while others like to look at actual performance. The following list is based upon the subjective opinions of nine different AngelsWin writers and members. The benefit of such a composite list is that we both get a wide array of perspectives and approaches, but we also tend to even out each other’s biases.
A note on methodology: To arrive at these rankings I simply averaged out each ranking; in the case of “honorable mentions,” I counted it as a #31; in the case when a player was neither ranked or honorably mentioned, I considered that as #32 – except in the case of Taylor Ward, who was mentioned on six lists but not on three; those participants felt that due to the fact that his rookie eligibility expired (by 5 at bats) he is no longer a prospect. But I made the judgement call to include him—based on those six lists—because six of nine is a pretty solid majority. If you take issue with Ward’s inclusion, simply erase him from your mental list and move everyone below him up; Luis Madero would be the new #30.
I’ve added in “Ranking Trends” so that you get a sense of the range of how each player was viewed.
The age in parentheses is the player’s 2018 season age, which is based upon the age they are on July 1, the approximate mid-point of the year.
The ETA is based upon age and level, adjusted by my own subjective sense of when we can expect to see that player reach the major leagues.
Finally, I’ve tried to keep the comments as un-opinionated as possible, but in those cases where an opinion is given and seems off-base, don’t blame anyone but this writer.
Without further ado…
1. Jo Adell OF (age 19)
Stats: 290/.355/.543, 20 HR, 15 SB in 99 games at A/A+/AA.
Ranking Trends: Consensus #1.
ETA: 2020.
Comments: Despite a weak finish that saw his overall numbers fall, Adell was everything the Angels hoped for and more, playing at three levels as a teenager. Some scouts and analysts—and not just Angels fans—see him as being one of the highest upside players in the minors. He’s a consensus top 20 prospect in all of baseball, currently ranked #15 on MLB.com’s Pipeline rankings and #17 on Fangraphs’ The BOARD. There’s a real chance that sometime in 2019 he’s the #1 prospect in the minors. He’s the best Angels prospects since You Know Who and a probable future star.
2. Griffin Canning RHP (22)
Stats: 4-3, 3.65 ERA, 44 walks and 125 strikeouts in 113.1 innings at A+/AA/AAA.
Ranking Trends: average 2.1, median 2, range 2-3 (eight 2s, one 3).
ETA: 2019.
Comments: Not bad for a first professional season. Canning utterly dominated A+ (0.00 ERA in two starts) and AA (1.97 ERA in 10 starts) before struggling in the hitter’s paradise that is the Pacific Coast League (5.49 ERA in 13 starts). Expect him to adjust in 2019 and be in the majors at some point. His floor seems to be that of a good mid-rotation starter, his ceiling that of a borderline ace. MLB.com has him ranked #72 and Fangraphs #90.
3. Brandon Marsh OF (20)
Stats: .266/.359/.408, 10 HR, 14 SB, 73 walks in 127 A/A+ games.
Ranking Trends: average 3.3, median 3, range 2-6 (2, six 3s, 4, 6)
ETA: 2020.
Comments: On first glance, a disappointing year – especially after a strong start in A ball. But Marsh greatly improved his plate discipline and showed flashes of better things to come. He’s a good candidate for a breakout in 2019, when he should spend most of the year as a Trash Panda (AA). MLB.com ranks him #98, Fangraphs #58.
4. Jose Suarez LHP (20)
Stats: 3.92 ERA, 44 walks and 142 strikeouts in 117 innings at A+/AA/AAA.
Ranking Trends: average 5.3, median 6, range 3-7.
ETA: 2019.
Comments: Like Canning, Suarez dominated in A+ (2.00 ERA in 2 starts) and AA ball (3.03 ERA in 7 starts) before struggling in AAA (4.48 ERA in 17 starts), but he did eventually adjust. Also like Canning, he’ll start games in the majors next year.
5. Jahmai Jones 2B (20)
Stats: .229/.337/.380, 10 HR, 24 SB, 67 walks in 123 A+/AA games.
Ranking Trends: average 5.3, median 6, range 3-8.
ETA: 2020.
Comments: See Marsh; not a great year statistically, but not only did his plate discipline improve but he adjusted back to second base. I wouldn’t be concerned until we see how his second year at 2B is. There’s a sense that Jones is teetering between a breakthrough to future star status and more of a average regular. #75 according to Fangraphs.
6. Luis Rengifo SS (21)
Stats: .299/.399/.452, 7 HR, 41 SB, 75 walks in 127 A+/AA/AAA games.
Ranking Trends: average 6, median 5, range 4-10.
ETA: 2019.
Comments: Rengifo was a revelation, one of the most dynamic performers in the minor leagues and probably the Angels prospect whose value jumped the most. At the very least he’ll be a very nice super utility player; he may also challenge David Fletcher and Jones for the long-term gig at second base as soon as next year.
7. Jordyn Adams OF (18)
Stats: .267/.361/.381, 0 HR, 5 SB in 29 Rookie games.
Ranking Trends: average 7.4, median 8, range 5-9.
ETA: 2022.
Comments: 2018 first round pick Jordyn “The Dunk” Adams held his own in his first exposure to professional ball. He seemed to be taking a step forward in Orem, hitting .314/.375/.486 in 9 games, before going down with injury. A very athletic player with a high upside, but there’s still quite a range of possible outcomes.
8. Taylor Ward 3B (24)
Stats:.349/.446/.531, 14 HR, 18 SB, 65 walks in 102 AA/AAA games; .178/.245/.333, 6 HR, 9 walks and 45 strikeouts in 40 MLB games.
Ranking Trends: average 8, median 9, range 5-10 (with three not ranked due to loss of rookie status).
ETA: 2018.
Comments:: Angels minor league player of the year? While a dozen or more prospects have higher upside, Ward might have had the best year of any Angel minor leaguer. He struggled at the major league level but deserves the benefit of the doubt. Unlikely to be a star, he could be a solid performer at 3B.
9. Patrick Sandoval RHP (21)
Stats:2.43 ERA, 29 walks and 145 strikeouts in 122.1 A/A+/AA games, including a 0.79 ERA in 7 starts in the Angels organization.
Ranking Trends: average 9.1, median 9, range 5-14.
ETA: 2020.
Comments: Acquired for Martin Maldonado, Sandoval is a very welcome addition to the farm system. Most seem to think he is a future back-end of the rotation starter, but the numbers alone speak of mid-rotation potential.
10. Matt Thaiss 1B (23)
Stats:.280/.335/.467, 16 HR, 44 walks in 125 games in AA/AAA.
Ranking Trends: average 10, median 10, range 5-12.
ETA: 2019.
Comments: Thaiss continues to improve incrementally, although perhaps not quickly enough to get excited about. The jury is still out on his future, whether he’ll be an above average performer or more of a fringe starter/platoon player.
11. Jeremiah Jackson SS (18)
Stats: .254/.314/.491, 7 HR, 10 SB, 15 walks and 59 strikeouts in 43 Rookie games.
Ranking Trends: average 10.1, median 11, range 5-16.
ETA: 2022.
Comments: Jackson showed a lot of game, albeit in flashes of streaky brilliance. After crushing AZL pitching (.317/.374/.598 in 21 games) he really struggled in Orem (.198/.260/.396 in 22 games), so it remains to be seen whether the Angels push him and start him in A ball or send him to extended spring until the short season starts in Orem.
12. D’Shawn Knowles OF (17)
Stats: .311/./391/.464, in 5 HR, 9 SB, 28 walks and 65 strikeouts in 58 Rookie games.
Ranking Trends: average 12, median 12, range 9-16.
ETA: 2022.
Comments: Knowles was considered second Bahamanian fiddle to Trent Deveaux before the season began, but vastly outperformed Deveaux in their first professional showing. He may not have the pure athletic tools of Deveaux or Adams, but there is a sense of him having that x-factor of make-up. Like Rengifo he seems to be more than the sum of his parts, but also like Rengifo it is hard to say how that will translate at the major league level. He’s got a lot of time.
13. Kevin Maitan 3B/SS (18)
Stats: .248/.306/.397, 8 HR, 19 walks and 66 strikeouts, and 32 errors (!) in 63 Rookie games.
Ranking Trends: average 12.1, median 13, range 4-16.
ETA: 2022.
Comments: That range of rankings tells it all about Maitan: He could turn out to be Miguel Cabrera or he could flounder in the low minors and be out of professional baseball in a few years. Perhaps it is time to let go of such comparisons as Miggy and give Maitan the kindness of a tabula rasa of expectations; if you look only at his stat line, you might think “Not bad for an 18-year old in high Rookie ball.” Let’s see how he develops.
14. Jose Soriano RHP (19)
Stats: 4.47 ERA, 23 walks and 35 strikeouts in 46.1 IP at A ball.
Ranking Trends: average 14.8, median 15, range 12-18.
ETA: 2022.
Comments: One of the higher upside pitchers in the system, Soriano flashed excellent stuff but with only mediocre results. A good breakout candidate in 2019.
15. Chris Rodriguez RHP (19)
Stats: Did not play.
Ranking Trends: average 16.1, median 14, range 13-24.
ETA: 2022.
Comments: Did not play due to a back injury. Expectations should be adjusted accordingly, but he’s a similar prospect to Soriano in terms of high ceiling, very low floor.
16. Michael Hermosillo OF (23)
Stats: .267/.357/.480, 12 HR and 10 SB in 68 AAA games; .211/.274/.333 in 62 PA in MLB.
Ranking Trends: average 17.6, median 16, range 13-24.
ETA: 2018.
Comments: A strong defensive player who can field the entire OF, with a bit of pop and speed but mediocre bat. Hermosillo could put it all together in a year or two and be a solid starter, but is the odd-man out in the Angels outfield of the 2020s. At the least, however, he’ll be a very good 4th outfielder.
17. Trent Deveaux OF (18)
Stats: .199/.309/.247, 1 HR and 7 SB in 44 Rookie games.
Ranking Trends: average 17.7, median 18, range 13-27.
ETA: 2022.
Comments: Deveaux looked completely over-matched this year, striking out 68 times in 194 PA. He’s got the talent, but a Jabari-esque batting stance that leaves many scratching their heads. Watch him closely in 2019; he could jump to be in the mix with Adams, or he could continue in the Chevy Clarke School of Prospects.
After Deveaux, there’s a solid drop-off in rankings, with the following players rounding out the top 30:
18. Aaron Hernandez RHP (21)
Stats: Did not play pro ball.
Ranking Trends: average 20.3, median 19, range 12-20+ (one unranked).
ETA: 2021.
Comments: There’s a lot to be excited about with the Angels’ third pick of the 2018 amateur draft; has a good chance of rising quickly up these rankings.
19. Ty Buttrey RHP (25)
Stats: 3.31 ERA, 16.1 IP, 5 walks and 20 strikeouts in 16 MLB games.
Ranking Trends: average 21.2, median 22, range 11-29.
ETA: 2018
Comments: A savvy pickup in the Ian Kinsler trade, some are considering Buttrey to be the closer of the future; at the least, he’s a central piece of the Angels bullpen going forward.
20. Jared Walsh OF/1B/LHP (24)
Stats: .277/.359/.536, 29 HR, 99 RBI in 128 games in A+/AA/AAA. 1.59 ERA, 5.2 IP, 2 walks and 7 strikeouts in 8 games in A+/AA/AAA.
Ranking Trends: average 21.3, median 21, range 11-27+ (one unranked).
ETA: 2019
Comments: A bit under the radar, Walsh has been a steady performer throughout his four-year minor league career, compiling a .294/.360/.496 line in 360 games. Definitely in the mix for 1B/RF in 2019.
21. Jose Miguel Fernandez, IF (30)
Stats: .267/.309/.388, 2 HR in 36 games for the Angels. .333/.396/.535, 17 HR in 91 games in AAA.
Ranking Trends: average 21.3, median 19, range 14-22+ (two unranked).
ETA: 2018
Comments: Held his own in 123 PA in the majors, although without the sexy high average and power numbers he put up in the minor leagues. Should at least be a solid bench piece.
22. Livan Soto SS (18)
Stats: .291/.385/.349, 0 HR, 9 SB in 44 games in Rookie ball.
Ranking Trends: average 22.7, median 23, range 15-26+ (one honorable mention).
ETA: 2021
Comments:As with Knowles-Deveaux and Jackson-Adams, the less heralded of the two former Braves prospects had the better year, but in this case AngelsWin writers still ranked Maitan higher, perhaps due to Soto’s utter lack of power (so far) and Maitan’s considerable upside. But Soto is a very nice prospect who should rise up the rankings as he works his way through the organization. Gotta love that OBP.
23. Orlando Martinez OF (20)
Stats: .305/.354/.432, 5 HR in 65 games in Rookie/A ball.
Ranking Trends: average 23.1edian 23, range 19-25.
ETA: 2022
Comments: Notice the tight ranking range. Hit .375/.415/.604 in 12 games in Rookie ball but came down to earth in A, hitting .289/.340/.394. A Brennan Lund-type prospect.
24. Alex Ramirez OF (15)
Stats: Did not play professional ball.
Ranking Trends: average 23.2, median 21, range 17-26+ (two unranked).
ETA: 2024
Comments: Very young, just turned 16 in August. Another toolsy outfielder to be intrigued by.
25. Jack Kruger C (23)
Stats: .299/.357/.413 with 7 HR in 97 games in A+/AA.
Ranking Trends: average 25.1, median 25, range 16-25+ (one honorable mention, two unranked).
ETA: 2020
Comments: Became a sleeper prospect and favorite in prospect discussions, perhaps because the Angels are so weak at the position. Could be a future platoon catcher.
26. Leonardo Rivas SS/2B (20)
Stats: .234/.354/.333, 5 HR and 16 SB, in 121 games in A ball (2 in Rookie).
Ranking Trends: average 26.7, median 27, range 22-28+ (one honorable mention, two unranked).
ETA: 2022
Comments: Really struggled in Burlington after hitting .286/.443/.396 in 2017, and has been surpassed by players like Rengifo and Soto on the middle infield depth chart. Still might have a place as a major league utility infielder.
27. Luis Pena RHP (22)
Stats: 5.03 ERA, 57 walks and 101 strikeouts in 105.2 IP in AA/AAA.
Ranking Trends: average 27.8, median honorable mention, range 15-27+ (two honorable mentions, three unranked).
ETA: 2019
Comments: A pitcher whose ERA doesn’t reflect his stuff, which is very good. Should at least have a future as a major league reliever, possibly back-end rotation starter.
28. Jesus Castillo RHP (22)
Stats: 4.94 ERA, 31 walks and 60 strikeouts in 98.1 IP in AA.
Ranking Trends: average 28.3, median 30, range 21-30+ two honorable mentions, one unranked).
ETA: 2020
Comments: His stock fell due to a mediocre year and possible decreased velocity. Could still be a #5 starter or swingman.
29. Kyle Bradish RHP (21)
Stats: Did not play professional ball.
Ranking Trends: average 28.4, median 28, range 22-28+ (three unranked).
ETA: 2021
Comments: Fourth pick in the draft, with good upside and should have a quick path to the majors.
30. William English OF/RHP (17)
Stats: .220/.325/.260 in 30 games in Rookie ball.
Ranking Trends: average 28.8, median 29, range 22-30+ (two unranked).
ETA: 2023
Comments: Not a pretty stat line, but there’s a lot to like here: a very athletic outfielder who can also pitch.
Ranked Prospects By Primary Position
C. 25
1B: 10, 20
2B: 5, 21, 26
SS: 6, 11, 22
3B: 8, 13
OF: 1, 3, 7, 12, 16, 17, 23, 24, 30
SP: 2, 4, 9, 14, 15, 18, 27, 28, 29
RP: 19
Honorable Mentions: Jason Alexander, Stiward Aquino, Jeremy Beasley, Denny Brady, Ryan Clark, Julio de la Cruz, Francisco Del Valle, Joe Gatto, Jenrry Gonzalez, Emilker Guzman, Brett Hanewich, Williams Jerez, Julian Leon, Conor Lillis-White, Brennan Lund, David MacKinnon, Luis Madero, Simon Mathews, Christopher Molina, Oliver Ortega, Mayky Perez, Daniel Procopio, Jeremy Rhoades, Jerryell Rivera, Jose Rojas, Brandon Sandoval, Tyler Stevens, John Swanda, Julian Tavarez, Raider Uceta, Andrew Wantz, Bo Way, Cam Williams, Nonie Williams, Hector Yan.
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By Jonathan Northrop, AngelsWin.com Staff Writer
Ranking prospects is an in-exact science, to say the least. Some like to focus more on raw talent, whether athleticism or acquired baseball skills, while others like to look at actual performance. The following list is based upon the subjective opinions of nine different AngelsWin writers and members. The benefit of such a composite list is that we both get a wide array of perspectives and approaches, but we also tend to even out each other’s biases.
A note on methodology: To arrive at these rankings I simply averaged out each ranking; in the case of “honorable mentions,” I counted it as a #31; in the case when a player was neither ranked or honorably mentioned, I considered that as #32 – except in the case of Taylor Ward, who was mentioned on six lists but not on three; those participants felt that due to the fact that his rookie eligibility expired (by 5 at bats) he is no longer a prospect. But I made the judgement call to include him—based on those six lists—because six of nine is a pretty solid majority. If you take issue with Ward’s inclusion, simply erase him from your mental list and move everyone below him up; Luis Madero would be the new #30.
I’ve added in “Ranking Trends” so that you get a sense of the range of how each player was viewed.
The age in parentheses is the player’s 2018 season age, which is based upon the age they are on July 1, the approximate mid-point of the year.
The ETA is based upon age and level, adjusted by my own subjective sense of when we can expect to see that player reach the major leagues.
Finally, I’ve tried to keep the comments as un-opinionated as possible, but in those cases where an opinion is given and seems off-base, don’t blame anyone but this writer.
Without further ado…
1. Jo Adell OF (age 19)
Stats: 290/.355/.543, 20 HR, 15 SB in 99 games at A/A+/AA.
Ranking Trends: Consensus #1.
ETA: 2020.
Comments: Despite a weak finish that saw his overall numbers fall, Adell was everything the Angels hoped for and more, playing at three levels as a teenager. Some scouts and analysts—and not just Angels fans—see him as being one of the highest upside players in the minors. He’s a consensus top 20 prospect in all of baseball, currently ranked #15 on MLB.com’s Pipeline rankings and #17 on Fangraphs’ The BOARD. There’s a real chance that sometime in 2019 he’s the #1 prospect in the minors. He’s the best Angels prospects since You Know Who and a probable future star.
2. Griffin Canning RHP (22)
Stats: 4-3, 3.65 ERA, 44 walks and 125 strikeouts in 113.1 innings at A+/AA/AAA.
Ranking Trends: average 2.1, median 2, range 2-3 (eight 2s, one 3).
ETA: 2019.
Comments: Not bad for a first professional season. Canning utterly dominated A+ (0.00 ERA in two starts) and AA (1.97 ERA in 10 starts) before struggling in the hitter’s paradise that is the Pacific Coast League (5.49 ERA in 13 starts). Expect him to adjust in 2019 and be in the majors at some point. His floor seems to be that of a good mid-rotation starter, his ceiling that of a borderline ace. MLB.com has him ranked #72 and Fangraphs #90.
3. Brandon Marsh OF (20)
Stats: .266/.359/.408, 10 HR, 14 SB, 73 walks in 127 A/A+ games.
Ranking Trends: average 3.3, median 3, range 2-6 (2, six 3s, 4, 6)
ETA: 2020.
Comments: On first glance, a disappointing year – especially after a strong start in A ball. But Marsh greatly improved his plate discipline and showed flashes of better things to come. He’s a good candidate for a breakout in 2019, when he should spend most of the year as a Trash Panda (AA). MLB.com ranks him #98, Fangraphs #58.
4. Jose Suarez LHP (20)
Stats: 3.92 ERA, 44 walks and 142 strikeouts in 117 innings at A+/AA/AAA.
Ranking Trends: average 5.3, median 6, range 3-7.
ETA: 2019.
Comments: Like Canning, Suarez dominated in A+ (2.00 ERA in 2 starts) and AA ball (3.03 ERA in 7 starts) before struggling in AAA (4.48 ERA in 17 starts), but he did eventually adjust. Also like Canning, he’ll start games in the majors next year.
5. Jahmai Jones 2B (20)
Stats: .229/.337/.380, 10 HR, 24 SB, 67 walks in 123 A+/AA games.
Ranking Trends: average 5.3, median 6, range 3-8.
ETA: 2020.
Comments: See Marsh; not a great year statistically, but not only did his plate discipline improve but he adjusted back to second base. I wouldn’t be concerned until we see how his second year at 2B is. There’s a sense that Jones is teetering between a breakthrough to future star status and more of a average regular. #75 according to Fangraphs.
6. Luis Rengifo SS (21)
Stats: .299/.399/.452, 7 HR, 41 SB, 75 walks in 127 A+/AA/AAA games.
Ranking Trends: average 6, median 5, range 4-10.
ETA: 2019.
Comments: Rengifo was a revelation, one of the most dynamic performers in the minor leagues and probably the Angels prospect whose value jumped the most. At the very least he’ll be a very nice super utility player; he may also challenge David Fletcher and Jones for the long-term gig at second base as soon as next year.
7. Jordyn Adams OF (18)
Stats: .267/.361/.381, 0 HR, 5 SB in 29 Rookie games.
Ranking Trends: average 7.4, median 8, range 5-9.
ETA: 2022.
Comments: 2018 first round pick Jordyn “The Dunk” Adams held his own in his first exposure to professional ball. He seemed to be taking a step forward in Orem, hitting .314/.375/.486 in 9 games, before going down with injury. A very athletic player with a high upside, but there’s still quite a range of possible outcomes.
8. Taylor Ward 3B (24)
Stats:.349/.446/.531, 14 HR, 18 SB, 65 walks in 102 AA/AAA games; .178/.245/.333, 6 HR, 9 walks and 45 strikeouts in 40 MLB games.
Ranking Trends: average 8, median 9, range 5-10 (with three not ranked due to loss of rookie status).
ETA: 2018.
Comments:: Angels minor league player of the year? While a dozen or more prospects have higher upside, Ward might have had the best year of any Angel minor leaguer. He struggled at the major league level but deserves the benefit of the doubt. Unlikely to be a star, he could be a solid performer at 3B.
9. Patrick Sandoval RHP (21)
Stats:2.43 ERA, 29 walks and 145 strikeouts in 122.1 A/A+/AA games, including a 0.79 ERA in 7 starts in the Angels organization.
Ranking Trends: average 9.1, median 9, range 5-14.
ETA: 2020.
Comments: Acquired for Martin Maldonado, Sandoval is a very welcome addition to the farm system. Most seem to think he is a future back-end of the rotation starter, but the numbers alone speak of mid-rotation potential.
10. Matt Thaiss 1B (23)
Stats:.280/.335/.467, 16 HR, 44 walks in 125 games in AA/AAA.
Ranking Trends: average 10, median 10, range 5-12.
ETA: 2019.
Comments: Thaiss continues to improve incrementally, although perhaps not quickly enough to get excited about. The jury is still out on his future, whether he’ll be an above average performer or more of a fringe starter/platoon player.
11. Jeremiah Jackson SS (18)
Stats: .254/.314/.491, 7 HR, 10 SB, 15 walks and 59 strikeouts in 43 Rookie games.
Ranking Trends: average 10.1, median 11, range 5-16.
ETA: 2022.
Comments: Jackson showed a lot of game, albeit in flashes of streaky brilliance. After crushing AZL pitching (.317/.374/.598 in 21 games) he really struggled in Orem (.198/.260/.396 in 22 games), so it remains to be seen whether the Angels push him and start him in A ball or send him to extended spring until the short season starts in Orem.
12. D’Shawn Knowles OF (17)
Stats: .311/./391/.464, in 5 HR, 9 SB, 28 walks and 65 strikeouts in 58 Rookie games.
Ranking Trends: average 12, median 12, range 9-16.
ETA: 2022.
Comments: Knowles was considered second Bahamanian fiddle to Trent Deveaux before the season began, but vastly outperformed Deveaux in their first professional showing. He may not have the pure athletic tools of Deveaux or Adams, but there is a sense of him having that x-factor of make-up. Like Rengifo he seems to be more than the sum of his parts, but also like Rengifo it is hard to say how that will translate at the major league level. He’s got a lot of time.
13. Kevin Maitan 3B/SS (18)
Stats: .248/.306/.397, 8 HR, 19 walks and 66 strikeouts, and 32 errors (!) in 63 Rookie games.
Ranking Trends: average 12.1, median 13, range 4-16.
ETA: 2022.
Comments: That range of rankings tells it all about Maitan: He could turn out to be Miguel Cabrera or he could flounder in the low minors and be out of professional baseball in a few years. Perhaps it is time to let go of such comparisons as Miggy and give Maitan the kindness of a tabula rasa of expectations; if you look only at his stat line, you might think “Not bad for an 18-year old in high Rookie ball.” Let’s see how he develops.
14. Jose Soriano RHP (19)
Stats: 4.47 ERA, 23 walks and 35 strikeouts in 46.1 IP at A ball.
Ranking Trends: average 14.8, median 15, range 12-18.
ETA: 2022.
Comments: One of the higher upside pitchers in the system, Soriano flashed excellent stuff but with only mediocre results. A good breakout candidate in 2019.
15. Chris Rodriguez RHP (19)
Stats: Did not play.
Ranking Trends: average 16.1, median 14, range 13-24.
ETA: 2022.
Comments: Did not play due to a back injury. Expectations should be adjusted accordingly, but he’s a similar prospect to Soriano in terms of high ceiling, very low floor.
16. Michael Hermosillo OF (23)
Stats: .267/.357/.480, 12 HR and 10 SB in 68 AAA games; .211/.274/.333 in 62 PA in MLB.
Ranking Trends: average 17.6, median 16, range 13-24.
ETA: 2018.
Comments: A strong defensive player who can field the entire OF, with a bit of pop and speed but mediocre bat. Hermosillo could put it all together in a year or two and be a solid starter, but is the odd-man out in the Angels outfield of the 2020s. At the least, however, he’ll be a very good 4th outfielder.
17. Trent Deveaux OF (18)
Stats: .199/.309/.247, 1 HR and 7 SB in 44 Rookie games.
Ranking Trends: average 17.7, median 18, range 13-27.
ETA: 2022.
Comments: Deveaux looked completely over-matched this year, striking out 68 times in 194 PA. He’s got the talent, but a Jabari-esque batting stance that leaves many scratching their heads. Watch him closely in 2019; he could jump to be in the mix with Adams, or he could continue in the Chevy Clarke School of Prospects.
After Deveaux, there’s a solid drop-off in rankings, with the following players rounding out the top 30:
18. Aaron Hernandez RHP (21)
Stats: Did not play pro ball.
Ranking Trends: average 20.3, median 19, range 12-20+ (one unranked).
ETA: 2021.
Comments: There’s a lot to be excited about with the Angels’ third pick of the 2018 amateur draft; has a good chance of rising quickly up these rankings.
19. Ty Buttrey RHP (25)
Stats: 3.31 ERA, 16.1 IP, 5 walks and 20 strikeouts in 16 MLB games.
Ranking Trends: average 21.2, median 22, range 11-29.
ETA: 2018
Comments: A savvy pickup in the Ian Kinsler trade, some are considering Buttrey to be the closer of the future; at the least, he’s a central piece of the Angels bullpen going forward.
20. Jared Walsh OF/1B/LHP (24)
Stats: .277/.359/.536, 29 HR, 99 RBI in 128 games in A+/AA/AAA. 1.59 ERA, 5.2 IP, 2 walks and 7 strikeouts in 8 games in A+/AA/AAA.
Ranking Trends: average 21.3, median 21, range 11-27+ (one unranked).
ETA: 2019
Comments: A bit under the radar, Walsh has been a steady performer throughout his four-year minor league career, compiling a .294/.360/.496 line in 360 games. Definitely in the mix for 1B/RF in 2019.
21. Jose Miguel Fernandez, IF (30)
Stats: .267/.309/.388, 2 HR in 36 games for the Angels. .333/.396/.535, 17 HR in 91 games in AAA.
Ranking Trends: average 21.3, median 19, range 14-22+ (two unranked).
ETA: 2018
Comments: Held his own in 123 PA in the majors, although without the sexy high average and power numbers he put up in the minor leagues. Should at least be a solid bench piece.
22. Livan Soto SS (18)
Stats: .291/.385/.349, 0 HR, 9 SB in 44 games in Rookie ball.
Ranking Trends: average 22.7, median 23, range 15-26+ (one honorable mention).
ETA: 2021
Comments:As with Knowles-Deveaux and Jackson-Adams, the less heralded of the two former Braves prospects had the better year, but in this case AngelsWin writers still ranked Maitan higher, perhaps due to Soto’s utter lack of power (so far) and Maitan’s considerable upside. But Soto is a very nice prospect who should rise up the rankings as he works his way through the organization. Gotta love that OBP.
23. Orlando Martinez OF (20)
Stats: .305/.354/.432, 5 HR in 65 games in Rookie/A ball.
Ranking Trends: average 23.1edian 23, range 19-25.
ETA: 2022
Comments: Notice the tight ranking range. Hit .375/.415/.604 in 12 games in Rookie ball but came down to earth in A, hitting .289/.340/.394. A Brennan Lund-type prospect.
24. Alex Ramirez OF (15)
Stats: Did not play professional ball.
Ranking Trends: average 23.2, median 21, range 17-26+ (two unranked).
ETA: 2024
Comments: Very young, just turned 16 in August. Another toolsy outfielder to be intrigued by.
25. Jack Kruger C (23)
Stats: .299/.357/.413 with 7 HR in 97 games in A+/AA.
Ranking Trends: average 25.1, median 25, range 16-25+ (one honorable mention, two unranked).
ETA: 2020
Comments: Became a sleeper prospect and favorite in prospect discussions, perhaps because the Angels are so weak at the position. Could be a future platoon catcher.
26. Leonardo Rivas SS/2B (20)
Stats: .234/.354/.333, 5 HR and 16 SB, in 121 games in A ball (2 in Rookie).
Ranking Trends: average 26.7, median 27, range 22-28+ (one honorable mention, two unranked).
ETA: 2022
Comments: Really struggled in Burlington after hitting .286/.443/.396 in 2017, and has been surpassed by players like Rengifo and Soto on the middle infield depth chart. Still might have a place as a major league utility infielder.
27. Luis Pena RHP (22)
Stats: 5.03 ERA, 57 walks and 101 strikeouts in 105.2 IP in AA/AAA.
Ranking Trends: average 27.8, median honorable mention, range 15-27+ (two honorable mentions, three unranked).
ETA: 2019
Comments: A pitcher whose ERA doesn’t reflect his stuff, which is very good. Should at least have a future as a major league reliever, possibly back-end rotation starter.
28. Jesus Castillo RHP (22)
Stats: 4.94 ERA, 31 walks and 60 strikeouts in 98.1 IP in AA.
Ranking Trends: average 28.3, median 30, range 21-30+ two honorable mentions, one unranked).
ETA: 2020
Comments: His stock fell due to a mediocre year and possible decreased velocity. Could still be a #5 starter or swingman.
29. Kyle Bradish RHP (21)
Stats: Did not play professional ball.
Ranking Trends: average 28.4, median 28, range 22-28+ (three unranked).
ETA: 2021
Comments: Fourth pick in the draft, with good upside and should have a quick path to the majors.
30. William English OF/RHP (17)
Stats: .220/.325/.260 in 30 games in Rookie ball.
Ranking Trends: average 28.8, median 29, range 22-30+ (two unranked).
ETA: 2023
Comments: Not a pretty stat line, but there’s a lot to like here: a very athletic outfielder who can also pitch.
Ranked Prospects By Primary Position
C. 25
1B: 10, 20
2B: 5, 21, 26
SS: 6, 11, 22
3B: 8, 13
OF: 1, 3, 7, 12, 16, 17, 23, 24, 30
SP: 2, 4, 9, 14, 15, 18, 27, 28, 29
RP: 19
Honorable Mentions: Jason Alexander, Stiward Aquino, Jeremy Beasley, Denny Brady, Ryan Clark, Julio de la Cruz, Francisco Del Valle, Joe Gatto, Jenrry Gonzalez, Emilker Guzman, Brett Hanewich, Williams Jerez, Julian Leon, Conor Lillis-White, Brennan Lund, David MacKinnon, Luis Madero, Simon Mathews, Christopher Molina, Oliver Ortega, Mayky Perez, Daniel Procopio, Jeremy Rhoades, Jerryell Rivera, Jose Rojas, Brandon Sandoval, Tyler Stevens, John Swanda, Julian Tavarez, Raider Uceta, Andrew Wantz, Bo Way, Cam Williams, Nonie Williams, Hector Yan.
View the full article

By Jonathan Northrop, AngelsWin.com Staff Writer
Ranking prospects is an in-exact science, to say the least. Some like to focus more on raw talent, whether athleticism or acquired baseball skills, while others like to look at actual performance. The following list is based upon the subjective opinions of nine different AngelsWin writers and members. The benefit of such a composite list is that we both get a wide array of perspectives and approaches, but we also tend to even out each other’s biases.
A note on methodology: To arrive at these rankings I simply averaged out each ranking; in the case of “honorable mentions,” I counted it as a #31; in the case when a player was neither ranked or honorably mentioned, I considered that as #32 – except in the case of Taylor Ward, who was mentioned on six lists but not on three; those participants felt that due to the fact that his rookie eligibility expired (by 5 at bats) he is no longer a prospect. But I made the judgement call to include him—based on those six lists—because six of nine is a pretty solid majority. If you take issue with Ward’s inclusion, simply erase him from your mental list and move everyone below him up; Luis Madero would be the new #30.
I’ve added in “Ranking Trends” so that you get a sense of the range of how each player was viewed.
The age in parentheses is the player’s 2018 season age, which is based upon the age they are on July 1, the approximate mid-point of the year.
The ETA is based upon age and level, adjusted by my own subjective sense of when we can expect to see that player reach the major leagues.
Finally, I’ve tried to keep the comments as un-opinionated as possible, but in those cases where an opinion is given and seems off-base, don’t blame anyone but this writer.
Without further ado…
1. Jo Adell OF (age 19)
Stats: 290/.355/.543, 20 HR, 15 SB in 99 games at A/A+/AA.
Ranking Trends: Consensus #1.
ETA: 2020.
Comments: Despite a weak finish that saw his overall numbers fall, Adell was everything the Angels hoped for and more, playing at three levels as a teenager. Some scouts and analysts—and not just Angels fans—see him as being one of the highest upside players in the minors. He’s a consensus top 20 prospect in all of baseball, currently ranked #15 on MLB.com’s Pipeline rankings and #17 on Fangraphs’ The BOARD. There’s a real chance that sometime in 2019 he’s the #1 prospect in the minors. He’s the best Angels prospects since You Know Who and a probable future star.
2. Griffin Canning RHP (22)
Stats: 4-3, 3.65 ERA, 44 walks and 125 strikeouts in 113.1 innings at A+/AA/AAA.
Ranking Trends: average 2.1, median 2, range 2-3 (eight 2s, one 3).
ETA: 2019.
Comments: Not bad for a first professional season. Canning utterly dominated A+ (0.00 ERA in two starts) and AA (1.97 ERA in 10 starts) before struggling in the hitter’s paradise that is the Pacific Coast League (5.49 ERA in 13 starts). Expect him to adjust in 2019 and be in the majors at some point. His floor seems to be that of a good mid-rotation starter, his ceiling that of a borderline ace. MLB.com has him ranked #72 and Fangraphs #90.
3. Brandon Marsh OF (20)
Stats: .266/.359/.408, 10 HR, 14 SB, 73 walks in 127 A/A+ games.
Ranking Trends: average 3.3, median 3, range 2-6 (2, six 3s, 4, 6)
ETA: 2020.
Comments: On first glance, a disappointing year – especially after a strong start in A ball. But Marsh greatly improved his plate discipline and showed flashes of better things to come. He’s a good candidate for a breakout in 2019, when he should spend most of the year as a Trash Panda (AA). MLB.com ranks him #98, Fangraphs #58.
4. Jose Suarez LHP (20)
Stats: 3.92 ERA, 44 walks and 142 strikeouts in 117 innings at A+/AA/AAA.
Ranking Trends: average 5.3, median 6, range 3-7.
ETA: 2019.
Comments: Like Canning, Suarez dominated in A+ (2.00 ERA in 2 starts) and AA ball (3.03 ERA in 7 starts) before struggling in AAA (4.48 ERA in 17 starts), but he did eventually adjust. Also like Canning, he’ll start games in the majors next year.
5. Jahmai Jones 2B (20)
Stats: .229/.337/.380, 10 HR, 24 SB, 67 walks in 123 A+/AA games.
Ranking Trends: average 5.3, median 6, range 3-8.
ETA: 2020.
Comments: See Marsh; not a great year statistically, but not only did his plate discipline improve but he adjusted back to second base. I wouldn’t be concerned until we see how his second year at 2B is. There’s a sense that Jones is teetering between a breakthrough to future star status and more of a average regular. #75 according to Fangraphs.
6. Luis Rengifo SS (21)
Stats: .299/.399/.452, 7 HR, 41 SB, 75 walks in 127 A+/AA/AAA games.
Ranking Trends: average 6, median 5, range 4-10.
ETA: 2019.
Comments: Rengifo was a revelation, one of the most dynamic performers in the minor leagues and probably the Angels prospect whose value jumped the most. At the very least he’ll be a very nice super utility player; he may also challenge David Fletcher and Jones for the long-term gig at second base as soon as next year.
7. Jordyn Adams OF (18)
Stats: .267/.361/.381, 0 HR, 5 SB in 29 Rookie games.
Ranking Trends: average 7.4, median 8, range 5-9.
ETA: 2022.
Comments: 2018 first round pick Jordyn “The Dunk” Adams held his own in his first exposure to professional ball. He seemed to be taking a step forward in Orem, hitting .314/.375/.486 in 9 games, before going down with injury. A very athletic player with a high upside, but there’s still quite a range of possible outcomes.
8. Taylor Ward 3B (24)
Stats:.349/.446/.531, 14 HR, 18 SB, 65 walks in 102 AA/AAA games; .178/.245/.333, 6 HR, 9 walks and 45 strikeouts in 40 MLB games.
Ranking Trends: average 8, median 9, range 5-10 (with three not ranked due to loss of rookie status).
ETA: 2018.
Comments:: Angels minor league player of the year? While a dozen or more prospects have higher upside, Ward might have had the best year of any Angel minor leaguer. He struggled at the major league level but deserves the benefit of the doubt. Unlikely to be a star, he could be a solid performer at 3B.
9. Patrick Sandoval RHP (21)
Stats:2.43 ERA, 29 walks and 145 strikeouts in 122.1 A/A+/AA games, including a 0.79 ERA in 7 starts in the Angels organization.
Ranking Trends: average 9.1, median 9, range 5-14.
ETA: 2020.
Comments: Acquired for Martin Maldonado, Sandoval is a very welcome addition to the farm system. Most seem to think he is a future back-end of the rotation starter, but the numbers alone speak of mid-rotation potential.
10. Matt Thaiss 1B (23)
Stats:.280/.335/.467, 16 HR, 44 walks in 125 games in AA/AAA.
Ranking Trends: average 10, median 10, range 5-12.
ETA: 2019.
Comments: Thaiss continues to improve incrementally, although perhaps not quickly enough to get excited about. The jury is still out on his future, whether he’ll be an above average performer or more of a fringe starter/platoon player.
11. Jeremiah Jackson SS (18)
Stats: .254/.314/.491, 7 HR, 10 SB, 15 walks and 59 strikeouts in 43 Rookie games.
Ranking Trends: average 10.1, median 11, range 5-16.
ETA: 2022.
Comments: Jackson showed a lot of game, albeit in flashes of streaky brilliance. After crushing AZL pitching (.317/.374/.598 in 21 games) he really struggled in Orem (.198/.260/.396 in 22 games), so it remains to be seen whether the Angels push him and start him in A ball or send him to extended spring until the short season starts in Orem.
12. D’Shawn Knowles OF (17)
Stats: .311/./391/.464, in 5 HR, 9 SB, 28 walks and 65 strikeouts in 58 Rookie games.
Ranking Trends: average 12, median 12, range 9-16.
ETA: 2022.
Comments: Knowles was considered second Bahamanian fiddle to Trent Deveaux before the season began, but vastly outperformed Deveaux in their first professional showing. He may not have the pure athletic tools of Deveaux or Adams, but there is a sense of him having that x-factor of make-up. Like Rengifo he seems to be more than the sum of his parts, but also like Rengifo it is hard to say how that will translate at the major league level. He’s got a lot of time.
13. Kevin Maitan 3B/SS (18)
Stats: .248/.306/.397, 8 HR, 19 walks and 66 strikeouts, and 32 errors (!) in 63 Rookie games.
Ranking Trends: average 12.1, median 13, range 4-16.
ETA: 2022.
Comments: That range of rankings tells it all about Maitan: He could turn out to be Miguel Cabrera or he could flounder in the low minors and be out of professional baseball in a few years. Perhaps it is time to let go of such comparisons as Miggy and give Maitan the kindness of a tabula rasa of expectations; if you look only at his stat line, you might think “Not bad for an 18-year old in high Rookie ball.” Let’s see how he develops.
14. Jose Soriano RHP (19)
Stats: 4.47 ERA, 23 walks and 35 strikeouts in 46.1 IP at A ball.
Ranking Trends: average 14.8, median 15, range 12-18.
ETA: 2022.
Comments: One of the higher upside pitchers in the system, Soriano flashed excellent stuff but with only mediocre results. A good breakout candidate in 2019.
15. Chris Rodriguez RHP (19)
Stats: Did not play.
Ranking Trends: average 16.1, median 14, range 13-24.
ETA: 2022.
Comments: Did not play due to a back injury. Expectations should be adjusted accordingly, but he’s a similar prospect to Soriano in terms of high ceiling, very low floor.
16. Michael Hermosillo OF (23)
Stats: .267/.357/.480, 12 HR and 10 SB in 68 AAA games; .211/.274/.333 in 62 PA in MLB.
Ranking Trends: average 17.6, median 16, range 13-24.
ETA: 2018.
Comments: A strong defensive player who can field the entire OF, with a bit of pop and speed but mediocre bat. Hermosillo could put it all together in a year or two and be a solid starter, but is the odd-man out in the Angels outfield of the 2020s. At the least, however, he’ll be a very good 4th outfielder.
17. Trent Deveaux OF (18)
Stats: .199/.309/.247, 1 HR and 7 SB in 44 Rookie games.
Ranking Trends: average 17.7, median 18, range 13-27.
ETA: 2022.
Comments: Deveaux looked completely over-matched this year, striking out 68 times in 194 PA. He’s got the talent, but a Jabari-esque batting stance that leaves many scratching their heads. Watch him closely in 2019; he could jump to be in the mix with Adams, or he could continue in the Chevy Clarke School of Prospects.
After Deveaux, there’s a solid drop-off in rankings, with the following players rounding out the top 30:
18. Aaron Hernandez RHP (21)
Stats: Did not play pro ball.
Ranking Trends: average 20.3, median 19, range 12-20+ (one unranked).
ETA: 2021.
Comments: There’s a lot to be excited about with the Angels’ third pick of the 2018 amateur draft; has a good chance of rising quickly up these rankings.
19. Ty Buttrey RHP (25)
Stats: 3.31 ERA, 16.1 IP, 5 walks and 20 strikeouts in 16 MLB games.
Ranking Trends: average 21.2, median 22, range 11-29.
ETA: 2018
Comments: A savvy pickup in the Ian Kinsler trade, some are considering Buttrey to be the closer of the future; at the least, he’s a central piece of the Angels bullpen going forward.
20. Jared Walsh OF/1B/LHP (24)
Stats: .277/.359/.536, 29 HR, 99 RBI in 128 games in A+/AA/AAA. 1.59 ERA, 5.2 IP, 2 walks and 7 strikeouts in 8 games in A+/AA/AAA.
Ranking Trends: average 21.3, median 21, range 11-27+ (one unranked).
ETA: 2019
Comments: A bit under the radar, Walsh has been a steady performer throughout his four-year minor league career, compiling a .294/.360/.496 line in 360 games. Definitely in the mix for 1B/RF in 2019.
21. Jose Miguel Fernandez, IF (30)
Stats: .267/.309/.388, 2 HR in 36 games for the Angels. .333/.396/.535, 17 HR in 91 games in AAA.
Ranking Trends: average 21.3, median 19, range 14-22+ (two unranked).
ETA: 2018
Comments: Held his own in 123 PA in the majors, although without the sexy high average and power numbers he put up in the minor leagues. Should at least be a solid bench piece.
22. Livan Soto SS (18)
Stats: .291/.385/.349, 0 HR, 9 SB in 44 games in Rookie ball.
Ranking Trends: average 22.7, median 23, range 15-26+ (one honorable mention).
ETA: 2021
Comments:As with Knowles-Deveaux and Jackson-Adams, the less heralded of the two former Braves prospects had the better year, but in this case AngelsWin writers still ranked Maitan higher, perhaps due to Soto’s utter lack of power (so far) and Maitan’s considerable upside. But Soto is a very nice prospect who should rise up the rankings as he works his way through the organization. Gotta love that OBP.
23. Orlando Martinez OF (20)
Stats: .305/.354/.432, 5 HR in 65 games in Rookie/A ball.
Ranking Trends: average 23.1edian 23, range 19-25.
ETA: 2022
Comments: Notice the tight ranking range. Hit .375/.415/.604 in 12 games in Rookie ball but came down to earth in A, hitting .289/.340/.394. A Brennan Lund-type prospect.
24. Alex Ramirez OF (15)
Stats: Did not play professional ball.
Ranking Trends: average 23.2, median 21, range 17-26+ (two unranked).
ETA: 2024
Comments: Very young, just turned 16 in August. Another toolsy outfielder to be intrigued by.
25. Jack Kruger C (23)
Stats: .299/.357/.413 with 7 HR in 97 games in A+/AA.
Ranking Trends: average 25.1, median 25, range 16-25+ (one honorable mention, two unranked).
ETA: 2020
Comments: Became a sleeper prospect and favorite in prospect discussions, perhaps because the Angels are so weak at the position. Could be a future platoon catcher.
26. Leonardo Rivas SS/2B (20)
Stats: .234/.354/.333, 5 HR and 16 SB, in 121 games in A ball (2 in Rookie).
Ranking Trends: average 26.7, median 27, range 22-28+ (one honorable mention, two unranked).
ETA: 2022
Comments: Really struggled in Burlington after hitting .286/.443/.396 in 2017, and has been surpassed by players like Rengifo and Soto on the middle infield depth chart. Still might have a place as a major league utility infielder.
27. Luis Pena RHP (22)
Stats: 5.03 ERA, 57 walks and 101 strikeouts in 105.2 IP in AA/AAA.
Ranking Trends: average 27.8, median honorable mention, range 15-27+ (two honorable mentions, three unranked).
ETA: 2019
Comments: A pitcher whose ERA doesn’t reflect his stuff, which is very good. Should at least have a future as a major league reliever, possibly back-end rotation starter.
28. Jesus Castillo RHP (22)
Stats: 4.94 ERA, 31 walks and 60 strikeouts in 98.1 IP in AA.
Ranking Trends: average 28.3, median 30, range 21-30+ two honorable mentions, one unranked).
ETA: 2020
Comments: His stock fell due to a mediocre year and possible decreased velocity. Could still be a #5 starter or swingman.
29. Kyle Bradish RHP (21)
Stats: Did not play professional ball.
Ranking Trends: average 28.4, median 28, range 22-28+ (three unranked).
ETA: 2021
Comments: Fourth pick in the draft, with good upside and should have a quick path to the majors.
30. William English OF/RHP (17)
Stats: .220/.325/.260 in 30 games in Rookie ball.
Ranking Trends: average 28.8, median 29, range 22-30+ (two unranked).
ETA: 2023
Comments: Not a pretty stat line, but there’s a lot to like here: a very athletic outfielder who can also pitch.
Ranked Prospects By Primary Position
C. 25
1B: 10, 20
2B: 5, 21, 26
SS: 6, 11, 22
3B: 8, 13
OF: 1, 3, 7, 12, 16, 17, 23, 24, 30
SP: 2, 4, 9, 14, 15, 18, 27, 28, 29
RP: 19
Honorable Mentions: Jason Alexander, Stiward Aquino, Jeremy Beasley, Denny Brady, Ryan Clark, Julio de la Cruz, Francisco Del Valle, Joe Gatto, Jenrry Gonzalez, Emilker Guzman, Brett Hanewich, Williams Jerez, Julian Leon, Conor Lillis-White, Brennan Lund, David MacKinnon, Luis Madero, Simon Mathews, Christopher Molina, Oliver Ortega, Mayky Perez, Daniel Procopio, Jeremy Rhoades, Jerryell Rivera, Jose Rojas, Brandon Sandoval, Tyler Stevens, John Swanda, Julian Tavarez, Raider Uceta, Andrew Wantz, Bo Way, Cam Williams, Nonie Williams, Hector Yan.
View the full article

By Jonathan Northrop, AngelsWin.com Staff Writer
Ranking prospects is an in-exact science, to say the least. Some like to focus more on raw talent, whether athleticism or acquired baseball skills, while others like to look at actual performance. The following list is based upon the subjective opinions of nine different AngelsWin writers and members. The benefit of such a composite list is that we both get a wide array of perspectives and approaches, but we also tend to even out each other’s biases.
A note on methodology: To arrive at these rankings I simply averaged out each ranking; in the case of “honorable mentions,” I counted it as a #31; in the case when a player was neither ranked or honorably mentioned, I considered that as #32 – except in the case of Taylor Ward, who was mentioned on six lists but not on three; those participants felt that due to the fact that his rookie eligibility expired (by 5 at bats) he is no longer a prospect. But I made the judgement call to include him—based on those six lists—because six of nine is a pretty solid majority. If you take issue with Ward’s inclusion, simply erase him from your mental list and move everyone below him up; Luis Madero would be the new #30.
I’ve added in “Ranking Trends” so that you get a sense of the range of how each player was viewed.
The age in parentheses is the player’s 2018 season age, which is based upon the age they are on July 1, the approximate mid-point of the year.
The ETA is based upon age and level, adjusted by my own subjective sense of when we can expect to see that player reach the major leagues.
Finally, I’ve tried to keep the comments as un-opinionated as possible, but in those cases where an opinion is given and seems off-base, don’t blame anyone but this writer.
Without further ado…
1. Jo Adell OF (age 19)
Stats: 290/.355/.543, 20 HR, 15 SB in 99 games at A/A+/AA.
Ranking Trends: Consensus #1.
ETA: 2020.
Comments: Despite a weak finish that saw his overall numbers fall, Adell was everything the Angels hoped for and more, playing at three levels as a teenager. Some scouts and analysts—and not just Angels fans—see him as being one of the highest upside players in the minors. He’s a consensus top 20 prospect in all of baseball, currently ranked #15 on MLB.com’s Pipeline rankings and #17 on Fangraphs’ The BOARD. There’s a real chance that sometime in 2019 he’s the #1 prospect in the minors. He’s the best Angels prospects since You Know Who and a probable future star.
2. Griffin Canning RHP (22)
Stats: 4-3, 3.65 ERA, 44 walks and 125 strikeouts in 113.1 innings at A+/AA/AAA.
Ranking Trends: average 2.1, median 2, range 2-3 (eight 2s, one 3).
ETA: 2019.
Comments: Not bad for a first professional season. Canning utterly dominated A+ (0.00 ERA in two starts) and AA (1.97 ERA in 10 starts) before struggling in the hitter’s paradise that is the Pacific Coast League (5.49 ERA in 13 starts). Expect him to adjust in 2019 and be in the majors at some point. His floor seems to be that of a good mid-rotation starter, his ceiling that of a borderline ace. MLB.com has him ranked #72 and Fangraphs #90.
3. Brandon Marsh OF (20)
Stats: .266/.359/.408, 10 HR, 14 SB, 73 walks in 127 A/A+ games.
Ranking Trends: average 3.3, median 3, range 2-6 (2, six 3s, 4, 6)
ETA: 2020.
Comments: On first glance, a disappointing year – especially after a strong start in A ball. But Marsh greatly improved his plate discipline and showed flashes of better things to come. He’s a good candidate for a breakout in 2019, when he should spend most of the year as a Trash Panda (AA). MLB.com ranks him #98, Fangraphs #58.
4. Jose Suarez LHP (20)
Stats: 3.92 ERA, 44 walks and 142 strikeouts in 117 innings at A+/AA/AAA.
Ranking Trends: average 5.3, median 6, range 3-7.
ETA: 2019.
Comments: Like Canning, Suarez dominated in A+ (2.00 ERA in 2 starts) and AA ball (3.03 ERA in 7 starts) before struggling in AAA (4.48 ERA in 17 starts), but he did eventually adjust. Also like Canning, he’ll start games in the majors next year.
5. Jahmai Jones 2B (20)
Stats: .229/.337/.380, 10 HR, 24 SB, 67 walks in 123 A+/AA games.
Ranking Trends: average 5.3, median 6, range 3-8.
ETA: 2020.
Comments: See Marsh; not a great year statistically, but not only did his plate discipline improve but he adjusted back to second base. I wouldn’t be concerned until we see how his second year at 2B is. There’s a sense that Jones is teetering between a breakthrough to future star status and more of a average regular. #75 according to Fangraphs.
6. Luis Rengifo SS (21)
Stats: .299/.399/.452, 7 HR, 41 SB, 75 walks in 127 A+/AA/AAA games.
Ranking Trends: average 6, median 5, range 4-10.
ETA: 2019.
Comments: Rengifo was a revelation, one of the most dynamic performers in the minor leagues and probably the Angels prospect whose value jumped the most. At the very least he’ll be a very nice super utility player; he may also challenge David Fletcher and Jones for the long-term gig at second base as soon as next year.
7. Jordyn Adams OF (18)
Stats: .267/.361/.381, 0 HR, 5 SB in 29 Rookie games.
Ranking Trends: average 7.4, median 8, range 5-9.
ETA: 2022.
Comments: 2018 first round pick Jordyn “The Dunk” Adams held his own in his first exposure to professional ball. He seemed to be taking a step forward in Orem, hitting .314/.375/.486 in 9 games, before going down with injury. A very athletic player with a high upside, but there’s still quite a range of possible outcomes.
8. Taylor Ward 3B (24)
Stats:.349/.446/.531, 14 HR, 18 SB, 65 walks in 102 AA/AAA games; .178/.245/.333, 6 HR, 9 walks and 45 strikeouts in 40 MLB games.
Ranking Trends: average 8, median 9, range 5-10 (with three not ranked due to loss of rookie status).
ETA: 2018.
Comments:: Angels minor league player of the year? While a dozen or more prospects have higher upside, Ward might have had the best year of any Angel minor leaguer. He struggled at the major league level but deserves the benefit of the doubt. Unlikely to be a star, he could be a solid performer at 3B.
9. Patrick Sandoval RHP (21)
Stats:2.43 ERA, 29 walks and 145 strikeouts in 122.1 A/A+/AA games, including a 0.79 ERA in 7 starts in the Angels organization.
Ranking Trends: average 9.1, median 9, range 5-14.
ETA: 2020.
Comments: Acquired for Martin Maldonado, Sandoval is a very welcome addition to the farm system. Most seem to think he is a future back-end of the rotation starter, but the numbers alone speak of mid-rotation potential.
10. Matt Thaiss 1B (23)
Stats:.280/.335/.467, 16 HR, 44 walks in 125 games in AA/AAA.
Ranking Trends: average 10, median 10, range 5-12.
ETA: 2019.
Comments: Thaiss continues to improve incrementally, although perhaps not quickly enough to get excited about. The jury is still out on his future, whether he’ll be an above average performer or more of a fringe starter/platoon player.
11. Jeremiah Jackson SS (18)
Stats: .254/.314/.491, 7 HR, 10 SB, 15 walks and 59 strikeouts in 43 Rookie games.
Ranking Trends: average 10.1, median 11, range 5-16.
ETA: 2022.
Comments: Jackson showed a lot of game, albeit in flashes of streaky brilliance. After crushing AZL pitching (.317/.374/.598 in 21 games) he really struggled in Orem (.198/.260/.396 in 22 games), so it remains to be seen whether the Angels push him and start him in A ball or send him to extended spring until the short season starts in Orem.
12. D’Shawn Knowles OF (17)
Stats: .311/./391/.464, in 5 HR, 9 SB, 28 walks and 65 strikeouts in 58 Rookie games.
Ranking Trends: average 12, median 12, range 9-16.
ETA: 2022.
Comments: Knowles was considered second Bahamanian fiddle to Trent Deveaux before the season began, but vastly outperformed Deveaux in their first professional showing. He may not have the pure athletic tools of Deveaux or Adams, but there is a sense of him having that x-factor of make-up. Like Rengifo he seems to be more than the sum of his parts, but also like Rengifo it is hard to say how that will translate at the major league level. He’s got a lot of time.
13. Kevin Maitan 3B/SS (18)
Stats: .248/.306/.397, 8 HR, 19 walks and 66 strikeouts, and 32 errors (!) in 63 Rookie games.
Ranking Trends: average 12.1, median 13, range 4-16.
ETA: 2022.
Comments: That range of rankings tells it all about Maitan: He could turn out to be Miguel Cabrera or he could flounder in the low minors and be out of professional baseball in a few years. Perhaps it is time to let go of such comparisons as Miggy and give Maitan the kindness of a tabula rasa of expectations; if you look only at his stat line, you might think “Not bad for an 18-year old in high Rookie ball.” Let’s see how he develops.
14. Jose Soriano RHP (19)
Stats: 4.47 ERA, 23 walks and 35 strikeouts in 46.1 IP at A ball.
Ranking Trends: average 14.8, median 15, range 12-18.
ETA: 2022.
Comments: One of the higher upside pitchers in the system, Soriano flashed excellent stuff but with only mediocre results. A good breakout candidate in 2019.
15. Chris Rodriguez RHP (19)
Stats: Did not play.
Ranking Trends: average 16.1, median 14, range 13-24.
ETA: 2022.
Comments: Did not play due to a back injury. Expectations should be adjusted accordingly, but he’s a similar prospect to Soriano in terms of high ceiling, very low floor.
16. Michael Hermosillo OF (23)
Stats: .267/.357/.480, 12 HR and 10 SB in 68 AAA games; .211/.274/.333 in 62 PA in MLB.
Ranking Trends: average 17.6, median 16, range 13-24.
ETA: 2018.
Comments: A strong defensive player who can field the entire OF, with a bit of pop and speed but mediocre bat. Hermosillo could put it all together in a year or two and be a solid starter, but is the odd-man out in the Angels outfield of the 2020s. At the least, however, he’ll be a very good 4th outfielder.
17. Trent Deveaux OF (18)
Stats: .199/.309/.247, 1 HR and 7 SB in 44 Rookie games.
Ranking Trends: average 17.7, median 18, range 13-27.
ETA: 2022.
Comments: Deveaux looked completely over-matched this year, striking out 68 times in 194 PA. He’s got the talent, but a Jabari-esque batting stance that leaves many scratching their heads. Watch him closely in 2019; he could jump to be in the mix with Adams, or he could continue in the Chevy Clarke School of Prospects.
After Deveaux, there’s a solid drop-off in rankings, with the following players rounding out the top 30:
18. Aaron Hernandez RHP (21)
Stats: Did not play pro ball.
Ranking Trends: average 20.3, median 19, range 12-20+ (one unranked).
ETA: 2021.
Comments: There’s a lot to be excited about with the Angels’ third pick of the 2018 amateur draft; has a good chance of rising quickly up these rankings.
19. Ty Buttrey RHP (25)
Stats: 3.31 ERA, 16.1 IP, 5 walks and 20 strikeouts in 16 MLB games.
Ranking Trends: average 21.2, median 22, range 11-29.
ETA: 2018
Comments: A savvy pickup in the Ian Kinsler trade, some are considering Buttrey to be the closer of the future; at the least, he’s a central piece of the Angels bullpen going forward.
20. Jared Walsh OF/1B/LHP (24)
Stats: .277/.359/.536, 29 HR, 99 RBI in 128 games in A+/AA/AAA. 1.59 ERA, 5.2 IP, 2 walks and 7 strikeouts in 8 games in A+/AA/AAA.
Ranking Trends: average 21.3, median 21, range 11-27+ (one unranked).
ETA: 2019
Comments: A bit under the radar, Walsh has been a steady performer throughout his four-year minor league career, compiling a .294/.360/.496 line in 360 games. Definitely in the mix for 1B/RF in 2019.
21. Jose Miguel Fernandez, IF (30)
Stats: .267/.309/.388, 2 HR in 36 games for the Angels. .333/.396/.535, 17 HR in 91 games in AAA.
Ranking Trends: average 21.3, median 19, range 14-22+ (two unranked).
ETA: 2018
Comments: Held his own in 123 PA in the majors, although without the sexy high average and power numbers he put up in the minor leagues. Should at least be a solid bench piece.
22. Livan Soto SS (18)
Stats: .291/.385/.349, 0 HR, 9 SB in 44 games in Rookie ball.
Ranking Trends: average 22.7, median 23, range 15-26+ (one honorable mention).
ETA: 2021
Comments:As with Knowles-Deveaux and Jackson-Adams, the less heralded of the two former Braves prospects had the better year, but in this case AngelsWin writers still ranked Maitan higher, perhaps due to Soto’s utter lack of power (so far) and Maitan’s considerable upside. But Soto is a very nice prospect who should rise up the rankings as he works his way through the organization. Gotta love that OBP.
23. Orlando Martinez OF (20)
Stats: .305/.354/.432, 5 HR in 65 games in Rookie/A ball.
Ranking Trends: average 23.1edian 23, range 19-25.
ETA: 2022
Comments: Notice the tight ranking range. Hit .375/.415/.604 in 12 games in Rookie ball but came down to earth in A, hitting .289/.340/.394. A Brennan Lund-type prospect.
24. Alex Ramirez OF (15)
Stats: Did not play professional ball.
Ranking Trends: average 23.2, median 21, range 17-26+ (two unranked).
ETA: 2024
Comments: Very young, just turned 16 in August. Another toolsy outfielder to be intrigued by.
25. Jack Kruger C (23)
Stats: .299/.357/.413 with 7 HR in 97 games in A+/AA.
Ranking Trends: average 25.1, median 25, range 16-25+ (one honorable mention, two unranked).
ETA: 2020
Comments: Became a sleeper prospect and favorite in prospect discussions, perhaps because the Angels are so weak at the position. Could be a future platoon catcher.
26. Leonardo Rivas SS/2B (20)
Stats: .234/.354/.333, 5 HR and 16 SB, in 121 games in A ball (2 in Rookie).
Ranking Trends: average 26.7, median 27, range 22-28+ (one honorable mention, two unranked).
ETA: 2022
Comments: Really struggled in Burlington after hitting .286/.443/.396 in 2017, and has been surpassed by players like Rengifo and Soto on the middle infield depth chart. Still might have a place as a major league utility infielder.
27. Luis Pena RHP (22)
Stats: 5.03 ERA, 57 walks and 101 strikeouts in 105.2 IP in AA/AAA.
Ranking Trends: average 27.8, median honorable mention, range 15-27+ (two honorable mentions, three unranked).
ETA: 2019
Comments: A pitcher whose ERA doesn’t reflect his stuff, which is very good. Should at least have a future as a major league reliever, possibly back-end rotation starter.
28. Jesus Castillo RHP (22)
Stats: 4.94 ERA, 31 walks and 60 strikeouts in 98.1 IP in AA.
Ranking Trends: average 28.3, median 30, range 21-30+ two honorable mentions, one unranked).
ETA: 2020
Comments: His stock fell due to a mediocre year and possible decreased velocity. Could still be a #5 starter or swingman.
29. Kyle Bradish RHP (21)
Stats: Did not play professional ball.
Ranking Trends: average 28.4, median 28, range 22-28+ (three unranked).
ETA: 2021
Comments: Fourth pick in the draft, with good upside and should have a quick path to the majors.
30. William English OF/RHP (17)
Stats: .220/.325/.260 in 30 games in Rookie ball.
Ranking Trends: average 28.8, median 29, range 22-30+ (two unranked).
ETA: 2023
Comments: Not a pretty stat line, but there’s a lot to like here: a very athletic outfielder who can also pitch.
Ranked Prospects By Primary Position
C. 25
1B: 10, 20
2B: 5, 21, 26
SS: 6, 11, 22
3B: 8, 13
OF: 1, 3, 7, 12, 16, 17, 23, 24, 30
SP: 2, 4, 9, 14, 15, 18, 27, 28, 29
RP: 19
Honorable Mentions: Jason Alexander, Stiward Aquino, Jeremy Beasley, Denny Brady, Ryan Clark, Julio de la Cruz, Francisco Del Valle, Joe Gatto, Jenrry Gonzalez, Emilker Guzman, Brett Hanewich, Williams Jerez, Julian Leon, Conor Lillis-White, Brennan Lund, David MacKinnon, Luis Madero, Simon Mathews, Christopher Molina, Oliver Ortega, Mayky Perez, Daniel Procopio, Jeremy Rhoades, Jerryell Rivera, Jose Rojas, Brandon Sandoval, Tyler Stevens, John Swanda, Julian Tavarez, Raider Uceta, Andrew Wantz, Bo Way, Cam Williams, Nonie Williams, Hector Yan.
View the full article

By Jonathan Northrop, AngelsWin.com Staff Writer
Ranking prospects is an in-exact science, to say the least. Some like to focus more on raw talent, whether athleticism or acquired baseball skills, while others like to look at actual performance. The following list is based upon the subjective opinions of nine different AngelsWin writers and members. The benefit of such a composite list is that we both get a wide array of perspectives and approaches, but we also tend to even out each other’s biases.
A note on methodology: To arrive at these rankings I simply averaged out each ranking; in the case of “honorable mentions,” I counted it as a #31; in the case when a player was neither ranked or honorably mentioned, I considered that as #32 – except in the case of Taylor Ward, who was mentioned on six lists but not on three; those participants felt that due to the fact that his rookie eligibility expired (by 5 at bats) he is no longer a prospect. But I made the judgement call to include him—based on those six lists—because six of nine is a pretty solid majority. If you take issue with Ward’s inclusion, simply erase him from your mental list and move everyone below him up; Luis Madero would be the new #30.
I’ve added in “Ranking Trends” so that you get a sense of the range of how each player was viewed.
The age in parentheses is the player’s 2018 season age, which is based upon the age they are on July 1, the approximate mid-point of the year.
The ETA is based upon age and level, adjusted by my own subjective sense of when we can expect to see that player reach the major leagues.
Finally, I’ve tried to keep the comments as un-opinionated as possible, but in those cases where an opinion is given and seems off-base, don’t blame anyone but this writer.
Without further ado…
1. Jo Adell OF (age 19)
Stats: 290/.355/.543, 20 HR, 15 SB in 99 games at A/A+/AA.
Ranking Trends: Consensus #1.
ETA: 2020.
Comments: Despite a weak finish that saw his overall numbers fall, Adell was everything the Angels hoped for and more, playing at three levels as a teenager. Some scouts and analysts—and not just Angels fans—see him as being one of the highest upside players in the minors. He’s a consensus top 20 prospect in all of baseball, currently ranked #15 on MLB.com’s Pipeline rankings and #17 on Fangraphs’ The BOARD. There’s a real chance that sometime in 2019 he’s the #1 prospect in the minors. He’s the best Angels prospects since You Know Who and a probable future star.
2. Griffin Canning RHP (22)
Stats: 4-3, 3.65 ERA, 44 walks and 125 strikeouts in 113.1 innings at A+/AA/AAA.
Ranking Trends: average 2.1, median 2, range 2-3 (eight 2s, one 3).
ETA: 2019.
Comments: Not bad for a first professional season. Canning utterly dominated A+ (0.00 ERA in two starts) and AA (1.97 ERA in 10 starts) before struggling in the hitter’s paradise that is the Pacific Coast League (5.49 ERA in 13 starts). Expect him to adjust in 2019 and be in the majors at some point. His floor seems to be that of a good mid-rotation starter, his ceiling that of a borderline ace. MLB.com has him ranked #72 and Fangraphs #90.
3. Brandon Marsh OF (20)
Stats: .266/.359/.408, 10 HR, 14 SB, 73 walks in 127 A/A+ games.
Ranking Trends: average 3.3, median 3, range 2-6 (2, six 3s, 4, 6)
ETA: 2020.
Comments: On first glance, a disappointing year – especially after a strong start in A ball. But Marsh greatly improved his plate discipline and showed flashes of better things to come. He’s a good candidate for a breakout in 2019, when he should spend most of the year as a Trash Panda (AA). MLB.com ranks him #98, Fangraphs #58.
4. Jose Suarez LHP (20)
Stats: 3.92 ERA, 44 walks and 142 strikeouts in 117 innings at A+/AA/AAA.
Ranking Trends: average 5.3, median 6, range 3-7.
ETA: 2019.
Comments: Like Canning, Suarez dominated in A+ (2.00 ERA in 2 starts) and AA ball (3.03 ERA in 7 starts) before struggling in AAA (4.48 ERA in 17 starts), but he did eventually adjust. Also like Canning, he’ll start games in the majors next year.
5. Jahmai Jones 2B (20)
Stats: .229/.337/.380, 10 HR, 24 SB, 67 walks in 123 A+/AA games.
Ranking Trends: average 5.3, median 6, range 3-8.
ETA: 2020.
Comments: See Marsh; not a great year statistically, but not only did his plate discipline improve but he adjusted back to second base. I wouldn’t be concerned until we see how his second year at 2B is. There’s a sense that Jones is teetering between a breakthrough to future star status and more of a average regular. #75 according to Fangraphs.
6. Luis Rengifo SS (21)
Stats: .299/.399/.452, 7 HR, 41 SB, 75 walks in 127 A+/AA/AAA games.
Ranking Trends: average 6, median 5, range 4-10.
ETA: 2019.
Comments: Rengifo was a revelation, one of the most dynamic performers in the minor leagues and probably the Angels prospect whose value jumped the most. At the very least he’ll be a very nice super utility player; he may also challenge David Fletcher and Jones for the long-term gig at second base as soon as next year.
7. Jordyn Adams OF (18)
Stats: .267/.361/.381, 0 HR, 5 SB in 29 Rookie games.
Ranking Trends: average 7.4, median 8, range 5-9.
ETA: 2022.
Comments: 2018 first round pick Jordyn “The Dunk” Adams held his own in his first exposure to professional ball. He seemed to be taking a step forward in Orem, hitting .314/.375/.486 in 9 games, before going down with injury. A very athletic player with a high upside, but there’s still quite a range of possible outcomes.
8. Taylor Ward 3B (24)
Stats:.349/.446/.531, 14 HR, 18 SB, 65 walks in 102 AA/AAA games; .178/.245/.333, 6 HR, 9 walks and 45 strikeouts in 40 MLB games.
Ranking Trends: average 8, median 9, range 5-10 (with three not ranked due to loss of rookie status).
ETA: 2018.
Comments:: Angels minor league player of the year? While a dozen or more prospects have higher upside, Ward might have had the best year of any Angel minor leaguer. He struggled at the major league level but deserves the benefit of the doubt. Unlikely to be a star, he could be a solid performer at 3B.
9. Patrick Sandoval RHP (21)
Stats:2.43 ERA, 29 walks and 145 strikeouts in 122.1 A/A+/AA games, including a 0.79 ERA in 7 starts in the Angels organization.
Ranking Trends: average 9.1, median 9, range 5-14.
ETA: 2020.
Comments: Acquired for Martin Maldonado, Sandoval is a very welcome addition to the farm system. Most seem to think he is a future back-end of the rotation starter, but the numbers alone speak of mid-rotation potential.
10. Matt Thaiss 1B (23)
Stats:.280/.335/.467, 16 HR, 44 walks in 125 games in AA/AAA.
Ranking Trends: average 10, median 10, range 5-12.
ETA: 2019.
Comments: Thaiss continues to improve incrementally, although perhaps not quickly enough to get excited about. The jury is still out on his future, whether he’ll be an above average performer or more of a fringe starter/platoon player.
11. Jeremiah Jackson SS (18)
Stats: .254/.314/.491, 7 HR, 10 SB, 15 walks and 59 strikeouts in 43 Rookie games.
Ranking Trends: average 10.1, median 11, range 5-16.
ETA: 2022.
Comments: Jackson showed a lot of game, albeit in flashes of streaky brilliance. After crushing AZL pitching (.317/.374/.598 in 21 games) he really struggled in Orem (.198/.260/.396 in 22 games), so it remains to be seen whether the Angels push him and start him in A ball or send him to extended spring until the short season starts in Orem.
12. D’Shawn Knowles OF (17)
Stats: .311/./391/.464, in 5 HR, 9 SB, 28 walks and 65 strikeouts in 58 Rookie games.
Ranking Trends: average 12, median 12, range 9-16.
ETA: 2022.
Comments: Knowles was considered second Bahamanian fiddle to Trent Deveaux before the season began, but vastly outperformed Deveaux in their first professional showing. He may not have the pure athletic tools of Deveaux or Adams, but there is a sense of him having that x-factor of make-up. Like Rengifo he seems to be more than the sum of his parts, but also like Rengifo it is hard to say how that will translate at the major league level. He’s got a lot of time.
13. Kevin Maitan 3B/SS (18)
Stats: .248/.306/.397, 8 HR, 19 walks and 66 strikeouts, and 32 errors (!) in 63 Rookie games.
Ranking Trends: average 12.1, median 13, range 4-16.
ETA: 2022.
Comments: That range of rankings tells it all about Maitan: He could turn out to be Miguel Cabrera or he could flounder in the low minors and be out of professional baseball in a few years. Perhaps it is time to let go of such comparisons as Miggy and give Maitan the kindness of a tabula rasa of expectations; if you look only at his stat line, you might think “Not bad for an 18-year old in high Rookie ball.” Let’s see how he develops.
14. Jose Soriano RHP (19)
Stats: 4.47 ERA, 23 walks and 35 strikeouts in 46.1 IP at A ball.
Ranking Trends: average 14.8, median 15, range 12-18.
ETA: 2022.
Comments: One of the higher upside pitchers in the system, Soriano flashed excellent stuff but with only mediocre results. A good breakout candidate in 2019.
15. Chris Rodriguez RHP (19)
Stats: Did not play.
Ranking Trends: average 16.1, median 14, range 13-24.
ETA: 2022.
Comments: Did not play due to a back injury. Expectations should be adjusted accordingly, but he’s a similar prospect to Soriano in terms of high ceiling, very low floor.
16. Michael Hermosillo OF (23)
Stats: .267/.357/.480, 12 HR and 10 SB in 68 AAA games; .211/.274/.333 in 62 PA in MLB.
Ranking Trends: average 17.6, median 16, range 13-24.
ETA: 2018.
Comments: A strong defensive player who can field the entire OF, with a bit of pop and speed but mediocre bat. Hermosillo could put it all together in a year or two and be a solid starter, but is the odd-man out in the Angels outfield of the 2020s. At the least, however, he’ll be a very good 4th outfielder.
17. Trent Deveaux OF (18)
Stats: .199/.309/.247, 1 HR and 7 SB in 44 Rookie games.
Ranking Trends: average 17.7, median 18, range 13-27.
ETA: 2022.
Comments: Deveaux looked completely over-matched this year, striking out 68 times in 194 PA. He’s got the talent, but a Jabari-esque batting stance that leaves many scratching their heads. Watch him closely in 2019; he could jump to be in the mix with Adams, or he could continue in the Chevy Clarke School of Prospects.
After Deveaux, there’s a solid drop-off in rankings, with the following players rounding out the top 30:
18. Aaron Hernandez RHP (21)
Stats: Did not play pro ball.
Ranking Trends: average 20.3, median 19, range 12-20+ (one unranked).
ETA: 2021.
Comments: There’s a lot to be excited about with the Angels’ third pick of the 2018 amateur draft; has a good chance of rising quickly up these rankings.
19. Ty Buttrey RHP (25)
Stats: 3.31 ERA, 16.1 IP, 5 walks and 20 strikeouts in 16 MLB games.
Ranking Trends: average 21.2, median 22, range 11-29.
ETA: 2018
Comments: A savvy pickup in the Ian Kinsler trade, some are considering Buttrey to be the closer of the future; at the least, he’s a central piece of the Angels bullpen going forward.
20. Jared Walsh OF/1B/LHP (24)
Stats: .277/.359/.536, 29 HR, 99 RBI in 128 games in A+/AA/AAA. 1.59 ERA, 5.2 IP, 2 walks and 7 strikeouts in 8 games in A+/AA/AAA.
Ranking Trends: average 21.3, median 21, range 11-27+ (one unranked).
ETA: 2019
Comments: A bit under the radar, Walsh has been a steady performer throughout his four-year minor league career, compiling a .294/.360/.496 line in 360 games. Definitely in the mix for 1B/RF in 2019.
21. Jose Miguel Fernandez, IF (30)
Stats: .267/.309/.388, 2 HR in 36 games for the Angels. .333/.396/.535, 17 HR in 91 games in AAA.
Ranking Trends: average 21.3, median 19, range 14-22+ (two unranked).
ETA: 2018
Comments: Held his own in 123 PA in the majors, although without the sexy high average and power numbers he put up in the minor leagues. Should at least be a solid bench piece.
22. Livan Soto SS (18)
Stats: .291/.385/.349, 0 HR, 9 SB in 44 games in Rookie ball.
Ranking Trends: average 22.7, median 23, range 15-26+ (one honorable mention).
ETA: 2021
Comments:As with Knowles-Deveaux and Jackson-Adams, the less heralded of the two former Braves prospects had the better year, but in this case AngelsWin writers still ranked Maitan higher, perhaps due to Soto’s utter lack of power (so far) and Maitan’s considerable upside. But Soto is a very nice prospect who should rise up the rankings as he works his way through the organization. Gotta love that OBP.
23. Orlando Martinez OF (20)
Stats: .305/.354/.432, 5 HR in 65 games in Rookie/A ball.
Ranking Trends: average 23.1edian 23, range 19-25.
ETA: 2022
Comments: Notice the tight ranking range. Hit .375/.415/.604 in 12 games in Rookie ball but came down to earth in A, hitting .289/.340/.394. A Brennan Lund-type prospect.
24. Alex Ramirez OF (15)
Stats: Did not play professional ball.
Ranking Trends: average 23.2, median 21, range 17-26+ (two unranked).
ETA: 2024
Comments: Very young, just turned 16 in August. Another toolsy outfielder to be intrigued by.
25. Jack Kruger C (23)
Stats: .299/.357/.413 with 7 HR in 97 games in A+/AA.
Ranking Trends: average 25.1, median 25, range 16-25+ (one honorable mention, two unranked).
ETA: 2020
Comments: Became a sleeper prospect and favorite in prospect discussions, perhaps because the Angels are so weak at the position. Could be a future platoon catcher.
26. Leonardo Rivas SS/2B (20)
Stats: .234/.354/.333, 5 HR and 16 SB, in 121 games in A ball (2 in Rookie).
Ranking Trends: average 26.7, median 27, range 22-28+ (one honorable mention, two unranked).
ETA: 2022
Comments: Really struggled in Burlington after hitting .286/.443/.396 in 2017, and has been surpassed by players like Rengifo and Soto on the middle infield depth chart. Still might have a place as a major league utility infielder.
27. Luis Pena RHP (22)
Stats: 5.03 ERA, 57 walks and 101 strikeouts in 105.2 IP in AA/AAA.
Ranking Trends: average 27.8, median honorable mention, range 15-27+ (two honorable mentions, three unranked).
ETA: 2019
Comments: A pitcher whose ERA doesn’t reflect his stuff, which is very good. Should at least have a future as a major league reliever, possibly back-end rotation starter.
28. Jesus Castillo RHP (22)
Stats: 4.94 ERA, 31 walks and 60 strikeouts in 98.1 IP in AA.
Ranking Trends: average 28.3, median 30, range 21-30+ two honorable mentions, one unranked).
ETA: 2020
Comments: His stock fell due to a mediocre year and possible decreased velocity. Could still be a #5 starter or swingman.
29. Kyle Bradish RHP (21)
Stats: Did not play professional ball.
Ranking Trends: average 28.4, median 28, range 22-28+ (three unranked).
ETA: 2021
Comments: Fourth pick in the draft, with good upside and should have a quick path to the majors.
30. William English OF/RHP (17)
Stats: .220/.325/.260 in 30 games in Rookie ball.
Ranking Trends: average 28.8, median 29, range 22-30+ (two unranked).
ETA: 2023
Comments: Not a pretty stat line, but there’s a lot to like here: a very athletic outfielder who can also pitch.
Ranked Prospects By Primary Position
C. 25
1B: 10, 20
2B: 5, 21, 26
SS: 6, 11, 22
3B: 8, 13
OF: 1, 3, 7, 12, 16, 17, 23, 24, 30
SP: 2, 4, 9, 14, 15, 18, 27, 28, 29
RP: 19
Honorable Mentions: Jason Alexander, Stiward Aquino, Jeremy Beasley, Denny Brady, Ryan Clark, Julio de la Cruz, Francisco Del Valle, Joe Gatto, Jenrry Gonzalez, Emilker Guzman, Brett Hanewich, Williams Jerez, Julian Leon, Conor Lillis-White, Brennan Lund, David MacKinnon, Luis Madero, Simon Mathews, Christopher Molina, Oliver Ortega, Mayky Perez, Daniel Procopio, Jeremy Rhoades, Jerryell Rivera, Jose Rojas, Brandon Sandoval, Tyler Stevens, John Swanda, Julian Tavarez, Raider Uceta, Andrew Wantz, Bo Way, Cam Williams, Nonie Williams, Hector Yan.
View the full article

By Jonathan Northrop, AngelsWin.com Staff Writer
Ranking prospects is an in-exact science, to say the least. Some like to focus more on raw talent, whether athleticism or acquired baseball skills, while others like to look at actual performance. The following list is based upon the subjective opinions of nine different AngelsWin writers and members. The benefit of such a composite list is that we both get a wide array of perspectives and approaches, but we also tend to even out each other’s biases.
A note on methodology: To arrive at these rankings I simply averaged out each ranking; in the case of “honorable mentions,” I counted it as a #31; in the case when a player was neither ranked or honorably mentioned, I considered that as #32 – except in the case of Taylor Ward, who was mentioned on six lists but not on three; those participants felt that due to the fact that his rookie eligibility expired (by 5 at bats) he is no longer a prospect. But I made the judgement call to include him—based on those six lists—because six of nine is a pretty solid majority. If you take issue with Ward’s inclusion, simply erase him from your mental list and move everyone below him up; Luis Madero would be the new #30.
I’ve added in “Ranking Trends” so that you get a sense of the range of how each player was viewed.
The age in parentheses is the player’s 2018 season age, which is based upon the age they are on July 1, the approximate mid-point of the year.
The ETA is based upon age and level, adjusted by my own subjective sense of when we can expect to see that player reach the major leagues.
Finally, I’ve tried to keep the comments as un-opinionated as possible, but in those cases where an opinion is given and seems off-base, don’t blame anyone but this writer.
Without further ado…
1. Jo Adell OF (age 19)
Stats: 290/.355/.543, 20 HR, 15 SB in 99 games at A/A+/AA.
Ranking Trends: Consensus #1.
ETA: 2020.
Comments: Despite a weak finish that saw his overall numbers fall, Adell was everything the Angels hoped for and more, playing at three levels as a teenager. Some scouts and analysts—and not just Angels fans—see him as being one of the highest upside players in the minors. He’s a consensus top 20 prospect in all of baseball, currently ranked #15 on MLB.com’s Pipeline rankings and #17 on Fangraphs’ The BOARD. There’s a real chance that sometime in 2019 he’s the #1 prospect in the minors. He’s the best Angels prospects since You Know Who and a probable future star.
2. Griffin Canning RHP (22)
Stats: 4-3, 3.65 ERA, 44 walks and 125 strikeouts in 113.1 innings at A+/AA/AAA.
Ranking Trends: average 2.1, median 2, range 2-3 (eight 2s, one 3).
ETA: 2019.
Comments: Not bad for a first professional season. Canning utterly dominated A+ (0.00 ERA in two starts) and AA (1.97 ERA in 10 starts) before struggling in the hitter’s paradise that is the Pacific Coast League (5.49 ERA in 13 starts). Expect him to adjust in 2019 and be in the majors at some point. His floor seems to be that of a good mid-rotation starter, his ceiling that of a borderline ace. MLB.com has him ranked #72 and Fangraphs #90.
3. Brandon Marsh OF (20)
Stats: .266/.359/.408, 10 HR, 14 SB, 73 walks in 127 A/A+ games.
Ranking Trends: average 3.3, median 3, range 2-6 (2, six 3s, 4, 6)
ETA: 2020.
Comments: On first glance, a disappointing year – especially after a strong start in A ball. But Marsh greatly improved his plate discipline and showed flashes of better things to come. He’s a good candidate for a breakout in 2019, when he should spend most of the year as a Trash Panda (AA). MLB.com ranks him #98, Fangraphs #58.
4. Jose Suarez LHP (20)
Stats: 3.92 ERA, 44 walks and 142 strikeouts in 117 innings at A+/AA/AAA.
Ranking Trends: average 5.3, median 6, range 3-7.
ETA: 2019.
Comments: Like Canning, Suarez dominated in A+ (2.00 ERA in 2 starts) and AA ball (3.03 ERA in 7 starts) before struggling in AAA (4.48 ERA in 17 starts), but he did eventually adjust. Also like Canning, he’ll start games in the majors next year.
5. Jahmai Jones 2B (20)
Stats: .229/.337/.380, 10 HR, 24 SB, 67 walks in 123 A+/AA games.
Ranking Trends: average 5.3, median 6, range 3-8.
ETA: 2020.
Comments: See Marsh; not a great year statistically, but not only did his plate discipline improve but he adjusted back to second base. I wouldn’t be concerned until we see how his second year at 2B is. There’s a sense that Jones is teetering between a breakthrough to future star status and more of a average regular. #75 according to Fangraphs.
6. Luis Rengifo SS (21)
Stats: .299/.399/.452, 7 HR, 41 SB, 75 walks in 127 A+/AA/AAA games.
Ranking Trends: average 6, median 5, range 4-10.
ETA: 2019.
Comments: Rengifo was a revelation, one of the most dynamic performers in the minor leagues and probably the Angels prospect whose value jumped the most. At the very least he’ll be a very nice super utility player; he may also challenge David Fletcher and Jones for the long-term gig at second base as soon as next year.
7. Jordyn Adams OF (18)
Stats: .267/.361/.381, 0 HR, 5 SB in 29 Rookie games.
Ranking Trends: average 7.4, median 8, range 5-9.
ETA: 2022.
Comments: 2018 first round pick Jordyn “The Dunk” Adams held his own in his first exposure to professional ball. He seemed to be taking a step forward in Orem, hitting .314/.375/.486 in 9 games, before going down with injury. A very athletic player with a high upside, but there’s still quite a range of possible outcomes.
8. Taylor Ward 3B (24)
Stats:.349/.446/.531, 14 HR, 18 SB, 65 walks in 102 AA/AAA games; .178/.245/.333, 6 HR, 9 walks and 45 strikeouts in 40 MLB games.
Ranking Trends: average 8, median 9, range 5-10 (with three not ranked due to loss of rookie status).
ETA: 2018.
Comments:: Angels minor league player of the year? While a dozen or more prospects have higher upside, Ward might have had the best year of any Angel minor leaguer. He struggled at the major league level but deserves the benefit of the doubt. Unlikely to be a star, he could be a solid performer at 3B.
9. Patrick Sandoval RHP (21)
Stats:2.43 ERA, 29 walks and 145 strikeouts in 122.1 A/A+/AA games, including a 0.79 ERA in 7 starts in the Angels organization.
Ranking Trends: average 9.1, median 9, range 5-14.
ETA: 2020.
Comments: Acquired for Martin Maldonado, Sandoval is a very welcome addition to the farm system. Most seem to think he is a future back-end of the rotation starter, but the numbers alone speak of mid-rotation potential.
10. Matt Thaiss 1B (23)
Stats:.280/.335/.467, 16 HR, 44 walks in 125 games in AA/AAA.
Ranking Trends: average 10, median 10, range 5-12.
ETA: 2019.
Comments: Thaiss continues to improve incrementally, although perhaps not quickly enough to get excited about. The jury is still out on his future, whether he’ll be an above average performer or more of a fringe starter/platoon player.
11. Jeremiah Jackson SS (18)
Stats: .254/.314/.491, 7 HR, 10 SB, 15 walks and 59 strikeouts in 43 Rookie games.
Ranking Trends: average 10.1, median 11, range 5-16.
ETA: 2022.
Comments: Jackson showed a lot of game, albeit in flashes of streaky brilliance. After crushing AZL pitching (.317/.374/.598 in 21 games) he really struggled in Orem (.198/.260/.396 in 22 games), so it remains to be seen whether the Angels push him and start him in A ball or send him to extended spring until the short season starts in Orem.
12. D’Shawn Knowles OF (17)
Stats: .311/./391/.464, in 5 HR, 9 SB, 28 walks and 65 strikeouts in 58 Rookie games.
Ranking Trends: average 12, median 12, range 9-16.
ETA: 2022.
Comments: Knowles was considered second Bahamanian fiddle to Trent Deveaux before the season began, but vastly outperformed Deveaux in their first professional showing. He may not have the pure athletic tools of Deveaux or Adams, but there is a sense of him having that x-factor of make-up. Like Rengifo he seems to be more than the sum of his parts, but also like Rengifo it is hard to say how that will translate at the major league level. He’s got a lot of time.
13. Kevin Maitan 3B/SS (18)
Stats: .248/.306/.397, 8 HR, 19 walks and 66 strikeouts, and 32 errors (!) in 63 Rookie games.
Ranking Trends: average 12.1, median 13, range 4-16.
ETA: 2022.
Comments: That range of rankings tells it all about Maitan: He could turn out to be Miguel Cabrera or he could flounder in the low minors and be out of professional baseball in a few years. Perhaps it is time to let go of such comparisons as Miggy and give Maitan the kindness of a tabula rasa of expectations; if you look only at his stat line, you might think “Not bad for an 18-year old in high Rookie ball.” Let’s see how he develops.
14. Jose Soriano RHP (19)
Stats: 4.47 ERA, 23 walks and 35 strikeouts in 46.1 IP at A ball.
Ranking Trends: average 14.8, median 15, range 12-18.
ETA: 2022.
Comments: One of the higher upside pitchers in the system, Soriano flashed excellent stuff but with only mediocre results. A good breakout candidate in 2019.
15. Chris Rodriguez RHP (19)
Stats: Did not play.
Ranking Trends: average 16.1, median 14, range 13-24.
ETA: 2022.
Comments: Did not play due to a back injury. Expectations should be adjusted accordingly, but he’s a similar prospect to Soriano in terms of high ceiling, very low floor.
16. Michael Hermosillo OF (23)
Stats: .267/.357/.480, 12 HR and 10 SB in 68 AAA games; .211/.274/.333 in 62 PA in MLB.
Ranking Trends: average 17.6, median 16, range 13-24.
ETA: 2018.
Comments: A strong defensive player who can field the entire OF, with a bit of pop and speed but mediocre bat. Hermosillo could put it all together in a year or two and be a solid starter, but is the odd-man out in the Angels outfield of the 2020s. At the least, however, he’ll be a very good 4th outfielder.
17. Trent Deveaux OF (18)
Stats: .199/.309/.247, 1 HR and 7 SB in 44 Rookie games.
Ranking Trends: average 17.7, median 18, range 13-27.
ETA: 2022.
Comments: Deveaux looked completely over-matched this year, striking out 68 times in 194 PA. He’s got the talent, but a Jabari-esque batting stance that leaves many scratching their heads. Watch him closely in 2019; he could jump to be in the mix with Adams, or he could continue in the Chevy Clarke School of Prospects.
After Deveaux, there’s a solid drop-off in rankings, with the following players rounding out the top 30:
18. Aaron Hernandez RHP (21)
Stats: Did not play pro ball.
Ranking Trends: average 20.3, median 19, range 12-20+ (one unranked).
ETA: 2021.
Comments: There’s a lot to be excited about with the Angels’ third pick of the 2018 amateur draft; has a good chance of rising quickly up these rankings.
19. Ty Buttrey RHP (25)
Stats: 3.31 ERA, 16.1 IP, 5 walks and 20 strikeouts in 16 MLB games.
Ranking Trends: average 21.2, median 22, range 11-29.
ETA: 2018
Comments: A savvy pickup in the Ian Kinsler trade, some are considering Buttrey to be the closer of the future; at the least, he’s a central piece of the Angels bullpen going forward.
20. Jared Walsh OF/1B/LHP (24)
Stats: .277/.359/.536, 29 HR, 99 RBI in 128 games in A+/AA/AAA. 1.59 ERA, 5.2 IP, 2 walks and 7 strikeouts in 8 games in A+/AA/AAA.
Ranking Trends: average 21.3, median 21, range 11-27+ (one unranked).
ETA: 2019
Comments: A bit under the radar, Walsh has been a steady performer throughout his four-year minor league career, compiling a .294/.360/.496 line in 360 games. Definitely in the mix for 1B/RF in 2019.
21. Jose Miguel Fernandez, IF (30)
Stats: .267/.309/.388, 2 HR in 36 games for the Angels. .333/.396/.535, 17 HR in 91 games in AAA.
Ranking Trends: average 21.3, median 19, range 14-22+ (two unranked).
ETA: 2018
Comments: Held his own in 123 PA in the majors, although without the sexy high average and power numbers he put up in the minor leagues. Should at least be a solid bench piece.
22. Livan Soto SS (18)
Stats: .291/.385/.349, 0 HR, 9 SB in 44 games in Rookie ball.
Ranking Trends: average 22.7, median 23, range 15-26+ (one honorable mention).
ETA: 2021
Comments:As with Knowles-Deveaux and Jackson-Adams, the less heralded of the two former Braves prospects had the better year, but in this case AngelsWin writers still ranked Maitan higher, perhaps due to Soto’s utter lack of power (so far) and Maitan’s considerable upside. But Soto is a very nice prospect who should rise up the rankings as he works his way through the organization. Gotta love that OBP.
23. Orlando Martinez OF (20)
Stats: .305/.354/.432, 5 HR in 65 games in Rookie/A ball.
Ranking Trends: average 23.1edian 23, range 19-25.
ETA: 2022
Comments: Notice the tight ranking range. Hit .375/.415/.604 in 12 games in Rookie ball but came down to earth in A, hitting .289/.340/.394. A Brennan Lund-type prospect.
24. Alex Ramirez OF (15)
Stats: Did not play professional ball.
Ranking Trends: average 23.2, median 21, range 17-26+ (two unranked).
ETA: 2024
Comments: Very young, just turned 16 in August. Another toolsy outfielder to be intrigued by.
25. Jack Kruger C (23)
Stats: .299/.357/.413 with 7 HR in 97 games in A+/AA.
Ranking Trends: average 25.1, median 25, range 16-25+ (one honorable mention, two unranked).
ETA: 2020
Comments: Became a sleeper prospect and favorite in prospect discussions, perhaps because the Angels are so weak at the position. Could be a future platoon catcher.
26. Leonardo Rivas SS/2B (20)
Stats: .234/.354/.333, 5 HR and 16 SB, in 121 games in A ball (2 in Rookie).
Ranking Trends: average 26.7, median 27, range 22-28+ (one honorable mention, two unranked).
ETA: 2022
Comments: Really struggled in Burlington after hitting .286/.443/.396 in 2017, and has been surpassed by players like Rengifo and Soto on the middle infield depth chart. Still might have a place as a major league utility infielder.
27. Luis Pena RHP (22)
Stats: 5.03 ERA, 57 walks and 101 strikeouts in 105.2 IP in AA/AAA.
Ranking Trends: average 27.8, median honorable mention, range 15-27+ (two honorable mentions, three unranked).
ETA: 2019
Comments: A pitcher whose ERA doesn’t reflect his stuff, which is very good. Should at least have a future as a major league reliever, possibly back-end rotation starter.
28. Jesus Castillo RHP (22)
Stats: 4.94 ERA, 31 walks and 60 strikeouts in 98.1 IP in AA.
Ranking Trends: average 28.3, median 30, range 21-30+ two honorable mentions, one unranked).
ETA: 2020
Comments: His stock fell due to a mediocre year and possible decreased velocity. Could still be a #5 starter or swingman.
29. Kyle Bradish RHP (21)
Stats: Did not play professional ball.
Ranking Trends: average 28.4, median 28, range 22-28+ (three unranked).
ETA: 2021
Comments: Fourth pick in the draft, with good upside and should have a quick path to the majors.
30. William English OF/RHP (17)
Stats: .220/.325/.260 in 30 games in Rookie ball.
Ranking Trends: average 28.8, median 29, range 22-30+ (two unranked).
ETA: 2023
Comments: Not a pretty stat line, but there’s a lot to like here: a very athletic outfielder who can also pitch.
Ranked Prospects By Primary Position
C. 25
1B: 10, 20
2B: 5, 21, 26
SS: 6, 11, 22
3B: 8, 13
OF: 1, 3, 7, 12, 16, 17, 23, 24, 30
SP: 2, 4, 9, 14, 15, 18, 27, 28, 29
RP: 19
Honorable Mentions: Jason Alexander, Stiward Aquino, Jeremy Beasley, Denny Brady, Ryan Clark, Julio de la Cruz, Francisco Del Valle, Joe Gatto, Jenrry Gonzalez, Emilker Guzman, Brett Hanewich, Williams Jerez, Julian Leon, Conor Lillis-White, Brennan Lund, David MacKinnon, Luis Madero, Simon Mathews, Christopher Molina, Oliver Ortega, Mayky Perez, Daniel Procopio, Jeremy Rhoades, Jerryell Rivera, Jose Rojas, Brandon Sandoval, Tyler Stevens, John Swanda, Julian Tavarez, Raider Uceta, Andrew Wantz, Bo Way, Cam Williams, Nonie Williams, Hector Yan.
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CARLSBAD — The Angels’ need for pitching goes beyond simply needing good pitchers.
They need healthy pitchers.
After three years worth of season-shattering injuries to their pitching staff, the Angels are looking for durability, particularly among starters, this winter.
Although General Manager Billy Eppler wouldn’t say on Wednesday at the GM meetings how much the Angels weigh durability vs. upside, it’s clear that a large part of the equation is finding pitchers who won’t get hurt.
How do you do that?
“You look at their track record, their recent workload, and some other things that are proprietary,” Eppler said with a smile.
Eppler is likely talking about elements of a pitcher’s delivery, of his physical build, that they believe will lead to health.
“Durability is built in several different ways,” Washington Nationals GM Mike Rizzo said. “Delivery is an imprint aspect. Physicality is important. What type of arm action he has. What type of effort does he use when he throws. All those things you evaluate and put into the picture and you give yourself a risk rating of how vulnerable they are to get hurt.”
Based on the recent history of avoiding injury, the best durable free agents are pitchers like Dallas Keuchel, J.A. Happ and Gio Gonzalez. Potential trade candidates with relatively clean injury histories include Kyle Gibson or Julio Teheran.
There are other pitchers, like Lance Lynn, Patrick Corbin and Nathan Eovaldi, who have come back from Tommy John surgery.
While there might be some sentiment that a pitcher who has had the surgery is now safer, Eppler said he doesn’t view it that way.
“A reconstructed elbow is not a new elbow,” Eppler said. “It’s a reconstructed elbow. A 1990 Camaro with a new engine is not a new Camaro. It’s just a 1990 Camaro with a new engine.”
CATCHER SEARCH
Among position players, the only spot at which Eppler even hints at a need is catcher. He has said repeatedly they have the in-house options to fill the holes in the infield and outfield.
Currently, the Angels have José Briceño and waiver-claim Kevan Smith as their two catchers.
“We’re open-minded to upgrading there to see where we can be better,” Eppler said. “It’s a need. I think we can supplement it and be better.”
Eppler said he’s had talks with clubs about trades and with agents about free agent catchers.
The top available catcher is J.T. Realmuto of the Miami Marlins, who has two years left before free agency. He will be in high demand, and thus require a large prospect bounty.
“I’m very open-minded to bringing in a catcher if the acquisition cost (is right), the finances and/or the prospect yield in terms of a trade,” he said. “I’m open-minded to it, but I’m not going to jeopardize the health of the organization to make sure I check a box.”
The top free agent catchers are Yasmani Grandal and Wilson Ramos, although neither are strong defensively, and the Angels have tended to lean toward good defensive catchers.
They could also go for a free agent like Kurt Suzuki, a veteran who could certainly be had on a one-year deal in the neighborhood of $3 million. He could share the job with Briceño or Smith. Martín Maldonado, who the Angels traded to the Astros in July, is also a free agent.
“We don’t need a catcher at all costs,” Eppler said, “but if we can do it, we’ll be open to it.”
ALSO
Andrelton Simmons was named the Wilson Defensive Player of the Year at shortstop. It’s a less prestigious honor than the Gold Glove, which Simmons won on Sunday. However, it’s also a major league honor, as opposed to an American League award. …
Prospect Jahmai Jones has continued to impress the Angels with his adjustment to second base. He was drafted as an outfielder and moved to second this year, his fourth season. Jones is currently playing in the Arizona Fall League. “He’s doing really well at second,” Eppler said. “He’s caught on quicker than we were anticipating.”
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By Robert Cunningham, Angelswin.com Senior Writer
Author’s Note: The author does not have full access to complete team financial data so the numbers contained in this series represent either actual, published contractual details or best estimates. Great effort was made to provide factual evidence and details using reliable sources such as BaseballProspectus.com, Baseball-Reference.com, MLBTraderumors.com, BaseballSavant.com, MLB.com, FanGraphs.com, RosterResource.com, Brooksbaseball.net, StatCorner.com, LATimes.com, OCRegister.com (specifically Jeff Fletcher), and Spotrac.com among others.
History tends to repeat itself and unfortunately, despite the organizations best efforts to put a contending team on the field in 2018, the Angels fell short of their goal to enter the post-season once again.
If this is a familiar refrain or you think you are having a case of deja vous, you are not alone. We, at Angelswin.com, have been making the same opening statement to this annual series for the last few seasons with nearly similar results.
Insanity I tell you! Insanity!
But here we are, again, entering the 2018-2019 off-season with the hope that Arte Moreno and Billy Eppler can apply team resources to create a contender now and beyond.
This Primer Series will once again attempt to give Angelswin.com readers insight and knowledge into what is to come by examining and understanding the Angels goals, restrictions, and short and long term needs, based on actual production in recent seasons and what the free agent and trade markets have to offer in the present.
First of all the primary goal, as it is each and every year, is to put the highest-caliber team on the field of play to secure and bring home a World Series Championship. This key objective is the “parent” of every other goal, restriction, and need that Billy Eppler must address in preparation for Opening Day 2019.
As we discussed last year, one all-encompassing goal, restriction, and need is superstar Mike Trout.
You want to win while you have him on your roster which means you need to compete over his current, remaining two years of contractual control (2019-2020) irrespective of Mike potentially signing a career-long extension contract.
It is also a serious restriction because it drives a large portion of front office decision making into a well-defined window. This does not mean that Eppler and the front office do not have a long-term outlook or plan, it is just acknowledging the fact that the Angels best opportunity to win games and get to the playoffs likely resides in the next two seasons.
Finally it is a need in the sense that Trout is a driving factor for Billy to acquire competent players to surround him with over that period of time which has the dual purpose of giving him a reason to sign an extension and stay with the only team he has known to-date. This extension topic will be discussed further in the Center Field section of the Primer Series.
Beyond the goals of winning a World Series Championship and building the team around Mike Trout, the Angels must manage team payroll, follow the rules of the Collective Bargaining Agreement (CBA), build and manage the front office and coaching staff, continue to construct a top-tier Minor League farm system, and fill several positional needs around the diamond.
This is made all the more difficult by the retirement of long-time Angels Manager Mike Scioscia. In many ways this was not an unexpected outcome. Mike has been at the helm for nearly 19 years and it was only a matter of time before he hung up his secondary spikes. However, if Scioscia gets his way, he may find a way to stay in the dugout.
Despite what you may or may not think of Mike, he was a competent manager and on-field tactician with a very thorough understanding of the MLB rule book. Above all else Scioscia was always the safe port in the storm with about as even a keel, personality-wise, as you can find in baseball.
Brad Ausmus, Eppler’s choice for the next Angels manager, will be challenged to lead this team now and beyond while navigating the daily waters as deftly as Scioscia did. It is not impossible to replace Mike but Ausmus does have a large pair of shoes to fill. The good news is that he has the support of the General Manager and they have proven they can work together over the last year as Billy reconstructs a roster that has lost some key pieces to free agency this season.
The Angels have parted ways with their short-time, free agent, players like Martin Maldonado and Ian Kinsler, freeing up nearly $15M in payroll while bringing in two potential bullpen pieces for 2019 (Buttrey and Jerez) and a potential starter for 2020 and beyond (Sandoval).  Additionally, Garrett Richards $7.3M salary comes off the books as well as Blake Wood and Chris Young, liberating another $10M or so.
As we mentioned last season, Arte Moreno may choose to strike, monetarily, in the 2019-2020 window. Free agency is fertile this off-season and the trade market may have some interesting targets for the Angels to acquire.
Really at this point we at Angelswin.com will be surprised if Moreno and Eppler do not get aggressive in some form or fashion soon. Clearly a Mike Trout extension is a real possibility, likely closer to the beginning of the 2019 season, which will be huge if it happens. However, it will take more roster building than that to be successful now and beyond.
This year the Competitive Balance Tax (CBT, also known as the Luxury Tax threshold) line is $206M. Next year in 2020 it will rise slightly to $208M. The following season it will be $210M.
As discussed in last year’s Primer Series, two-time offenders (meaning teams that exceed the Luxury Tax threshold two years in a row) that do not exceed the CBT threshold by more than $40M, pay a milder outlay of cash in comparison to teams that exceed $40M or go three or more years over the CBT line (third-time offenders).
For reference here is the relevant excerpt of the 2017-2021 CBA, Article XXIII, B., (4), b., ii., that shows specific surcharge gates at $20M and $40M:

It seems logical that Moreno would not become a third-time offender nor exceed the CBT threshold by more than $40M, due to the significantly higher tax rates. If he did either of those he may, quite literally, not be able to buy the proverbial yacht fuel Angels fans joke about so much.
Thus the two-year window of Mike Trout (barring a career-long extension) and the potential, two-time CBT violator window could align beginning this year. Let us not forget that Arte is not getting any younger (sorry Mr. Moreno if it is any consolation none of us are getting any younger) and winning a World Series Championship is almost certainly high on his to-do list (as it has been since he purchased the team).
So if there was ever a time to push all the chips in, it would be this two-year window. This in turn may mean that Moreno will authorize Eppler to exceed the Luxury Tax in the off-season or by the trade deadline at the end of July 2019 to give Billy maximum flexibility to build and improve the roster.
The proof, of course, will be in the pudding. If it does happen they could go big and hand out a large mega-signing for someone like Manny Machado or Bryce Harper with opt-outs after 2019 and 2020 (essentially a one or two year high-paid rental) or trade for another superstar like Nolan Arenado or Jacob deGrom now or at the Trade Deadline.
Alternatively, in the overspend scenario, the Angels could spread the money out to multiple players and possibly use significant performance bonuses or short-term, high salary deals as contractual instruments to bring in blue-chip talent if Moreno puts his blessing on it.
No matter what decision is made regarding how much payroll the Halos will add, prior to the start of 2019, one thing seems quite certain: the Angels will be improved, yet again, on Opening Day. Billy Eppler, despite his limited, yet developing supply of prospects, will have marketable assets and a considerable amount of payroll space to apply in trade(s) and free agency.
For the purposes of this series, though, we will assume that Arte Moreno does not allow his GM to exceed the Luxury Tax to start the year. This means we will operate under the presumption that team payroll, in terms of AAV, will not go over the 2019 CBT threshold of $206M. The result is that the Angels will likely spend no more than $190M-$195M, give or take, in actual payroll to start the season. Essentially this means the Angels have approximately $30M to spend.
The reason for that is the team needs to maintain payroll margin in order to make potential trades in-season or before the July 31st deadline to reinforce or upgrade their roster. Keeping a few million in reserve maintains payroll and roster flexibility and is a common business practice that Billy Eppler may, or may not, follow based on acquisition opportunities, team performance, and/or firm instructions and concurrence from Moreno regarding payroll expenditures and permission to exceed the CBT threshold.
Beyond payroll, another very important goal is the continuing growth and development of the Angels Minor League farm system.
The Angels had an average draft in 2015, an above average one in 2016, followed by a top-heavy draft in 2017, and another solid one in 2018. Names like Jo Adell, Brandon Marsh, Griffin Canning, Jahmai Jones, Jose Suarez, Taylor Ward, Jordyn Adams, Jeremiah Jackson, Matt Thaiss, and Chris Rodriguez are just some of the names Halos fans should keep an eye on in the coming years. Some of them will form the core of the next great Angels team in 2020 and beyond!
Part of this more recent success has to do not only with better overall draft picks but the strong efforts of Billy Eppler, scouting director Matt Swanson, and the tireless work of the Angels cross-checkers and scouts around the country. The organization has focused on finding and molding raw, athletic players and it has started to pay off.
Additionally, the Halos continue to dip into the international market. This year they signed 16-year old Dominican outfield prospect Alexander Ramirez for a cool $1M signing bonus. Also, recently, per Angels reporter Taylor Blake Ward, they inked Dominican RHP Danifan Diaz too. It feels like the front office has turned a real corner and fans should expect to hear of other, albeit less notable, international signings heading into the off-season.
In addition to the farm system improvements, Eppler has expertly acquired multiple players via trades and use of the waiver wire. Names like Ty Buttrey, Luis Rengifo, Kevin Maitan, Noe Ramirez, Taylor Cole, Felix Pena, Williams Jerez, Hansel Robles, and Patrick Sandoval are some of the names that did not start in our farm system but were targeted by scouts and the analytics department for their potential and they are now beginning to shine on the field in the Majors and the Angels Minor League affiliates. Some may pan out and others may falter but the organization certainly has an eye for raw talent that cannot be denied.
Yet another goal Billy must address are the positional holes to fill around the diamond, including a primary and backup C, potentially a platoon 1B, a 2B or 3B, based on what they do with Zack Cozart, and possibly a DH. The team also needs to improve offensive production against left-handed pitching and develop or acquire a real lead-off hitter. Also the rotation is unsettled, especially at the top with Ohtani out for next season on the mound, so finding a quality, reliable starter is critical. The bullpen was a bit of a mess in 2018 so adding one or more relievers, particularly with options, to the mix would produce more viable options for next season.
As he tried to do in 2018, Billy will also need to build sufficient depth behind the 25-man roster, particularly in position player and rotation depth. It would not be surprising to see Eppler expertly work the waiver wire, again, to supplement next years squad. In particular, the Rule 5 Draft, this off-season, is potentially fruitful and may have a target or two Eppler might snag to supplement the bench or more likely the bullpen.
Without a doubt there are many challenges here for Billy and the front office to handle. Eppler will have to use his talented scouting system to identify the targets they need and want to acquire and either spend the cash and/or the farm system assets needed to obtain them. Along with that, the Angels farm system took some large strides forward in 2018 and once Eppler is done with the off-season, the team should be truly competitive with greater depth than in previous seasons.
The future success of the franchise is being set no matter whether the Angels retain Mike Trout or he departs during or after the 2020 season. These incremental steps laid by Billy Eppler yesterday, today, and tomorrow should put this organization back on the path to regular, yearly contention over the next several years.
In the next Section we will discuss the teams Finances heading into the off-season.
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By Robert Cunningham, Angelswin.com Senior Writer
Author’s Note: The author does not have full access to complete team financial data so the numbers contained in this series represent either actual, published contractual details or best estimates. Great effort was made to provide factual evidence and details using reliable sources such as BaseballProspectus.com, Baseball-Reference.com, MLBTraderumors.com, BaseballSavant.com, MLB.com, FanGraphs.com, RosterResource.com, Brooksbaseball.net, StatCorner.com, LATimes.com, OCRegister.com (specifically Jeff Fletcher), and Spotrac.com among others.
History tends to repeat itself and unfortunately, despite the organizations best efforts to put a contending team on the field in 2018, the Angels fell short of their goal to enter the post-season once again.
If this is a familiar refrain or you think you are having a case of deja vous, you are not alone. We, at Angelswin.com, have been making the same opening statement to this annual series for the last few seasons with nearly similar results.
Insanity I tell you! Insanity!
But here we are, again, entering the 2018-2019 off-season with the hope that Arte Moreno and Billy Eppler can apply team resources to create a contender now and beyond.
This Primer Series will once again attempt to give Angelswin.com readers insight and knowledge into what is to come by examining and understanding the Angels goals, restrictions, and short and long term needs, based on actual production in recent seasons and what the free agent and trade markets have to offer in the present.
First of all the primary goal, as it is each and every year, is to put the highest-caliber team on the field of play to secure and bring home a World Series Championship. This key objective is the “parent” of every other goal, restriction, and need that Billy Eppler must address in preparation for Opening Day 2019.
As we discussed last year, one all-encompassing goal, restriction, and need is superstar Mike Trout.
You want to win while you have him on your roster which means you need to compete over his current, remaining two years of contractual control (2019-2020) irrespective of Mike potentially signing a career-long extension contract.
It is also a serious restriction because it drives a large portion of front office decision making into a well-defined window. This does not mean that Eppler and the front office do not have a long-term outlook or plan, it is just acknowledging the fact that the Angels best opportunity to win games and get to the playoffs likely resides in the next two seasons.
Finally it is a need in the sense that Trout is a driving factor for Billy to acquire competent players to surround him with over that period of time which has the dual purpose of giving him a reason to sign an extension and stay with the only team he has known to-date. This extension topic will be discussed further in the Center Field section of the Primer Series.
Beyond the goals of winning a World Series Championship and building the team around Mike Trout, the Angels must manage team payroll, follow the rules of the Collective Bargaining Agreement (CBA), build and manage the front office and coaching staff, continue to construct a top-tier Minor League farm system, and fill several positional needs around the diamond.
This is made all the more difficult by the retirement of long-time Angels Manager Mike Scioscia. In many ways this was not an unexpected outcome. Mike has been at the helm for nearly 19 years and it was only a matter of time before he hung up his secondary spikes. However, if Scioscia gets his way, he may find a way to stay in the dugout.
Despite what you may or may not think of Mike, he was a competent manager and on-field tactician with a very thorough understanding of the MLB rule book. Above all else Scioscia was always the safe port in the storm with about as even a keel, personality-wise, as you can find in baseball.
Brad Ausmus, Eppler’s choice for the next Angels manager, will be challenged to lead this team now and beyond while navigating the daily waters as deftly as Scioscia did. It is not impossible to replace Mike but Ausmus does have a large pair of shoes to fill. The good news is that he has the support of the General Manager and they have proven they can work together over the last year as Billy reconstructs a roster that has lost some key pieces to free agency this season.
The Angels have parted ways with their short-time, free agent, players like Martin Maldonado and Ian Kinsler, freeing up nearly $15M in payroll while bringing in two potential bullpen pieces for 2019 (Buttrey and Jerez) and a potential starter for 2020 and beyond (Sandoval).  Additionally, Garrett Richards $7.3M salary comes off the books as well as Blake Wood and Chris Young, liberating another $10M or so.
As we mentioned last season, Arte Moreno may choose to strike, monetarily, in the 2019-2020 window. Free agency is fertile this off-season and the trade market may have some interesting targets for the Angels to acquire.
Really at this point we at Angelswin.com will be surprised if Moreno and Eppler do not get aggressive in some form or fashion soon. Clearly a Mike Trout extension is a real possibility, likely closer to the beginning of the 2019 season, which will be huge if it happens. However, it will take more roster building than that to be successful now and beyond.
This year the Competitive Balance Tax (CBT, also known as the Luxury Tax threshold) line is $206M. Next year in 2020 it will rise slightly to $208M. The following season it will be $210M.
As discussed in last year’s Primer Series, two-time offenders (meaning teams that exceed the Luxury Tax threshold two years in a row) that do not exceed the CBT threshold by more than $40M, pay a milder outlay of cash in comparison to teams that exceed $40M or go three or more years over the CBT line (third-time offenders).
For reference here is the relevant excerpt of the 2017-2021 CBA, Article XXIII, B., (4), b., ii., that shows specific surcharge gates at $20M and $40M:

It seems logical that Moreno would not become a third-time offender nor exceed the CBT threshold by more than $40M, due to the significantly higher tax rates. If he did either of those he may, quite literally, not be able to buy the proverbial yacht fuel Angels fans joke about so much.
Thus the two-year window of Mike Trout (barring a career-long extension) and the potential, two-time CBT violator window could align beginning this year. Let us not forget that Arte is not getting any younger (sorry Mr. Moreno if it is any consolation none of us are getting any younger) and winning a World Series Championship is almost certainly high on his to-do list (as it has been since he purchased the team).
So if there was ever a time to push all the chips in, it would be this two-year window. This in turn may mean that Moreno will authorize Eppler to exceed the Luxury Tax in the off-season or by the trade deadline at the end of July 2019 to give Billy maximum flexibility to build and improve the roster.
The proof, of course, will be in the pudding. If it does happen they could go big and hand out a large mega-signing for someone like Manny Machado or Bryce Harper with opt-outs after 2019 and 2020 (essentially a one or two year high-paid rental) or trade for another superstar like Nolan Arenado or Jacob deGrom now or at the Trade Deadline.
Alternatively, in the overspend scenario, the Angels could spread the money out to multiple players and possibly use significant performance bonuses or short-term, high salary deals as contractual instruments to bring in blue-chip talent if Moreno puts his blessing on it.
No matter what decision is made regarding how much payroll the Halos will add, prior to the start of 2019, one thing seems quite certain: the Angels will be improved, yet again, on Opening Day. Billy Eppler, despite his limited, yet developing supply of prospects, will have marketable assets and a considerable amount of payroll space to apply in trade(s) and free agency.
For the purposes of this series, though, we will assume that Arte Moreno does not allow his GM to exceed the Luxury Tax to start the year. This means we will operate under the presumption that team payroll, in terms of AAV, will not go over the 2019 CBT threshold of $206M. The result is that the Angels will likely spend no more than $190M-$195M, give or take, in actual payroll to start the season. Essentially this means the Angels have approximately $30M to spend.
The reason for that is the team needs to maintain payroll margin in order to make potential trades in-season or before the July 31st deadline to reinforce or upgrade their roster. Keeping a few million in reserve maintains payroll and roster flexibility and is a common business practice that Billy Eppler may, or may not, follow based on acquisition opportunities, team performance, and/or firm instructions and concurrence from Moreno regarding payroll expenditures and permission to exceed the CBT threshold.
Beyond payroll, another very important goal is the continuing growth and development of the Angels Minor League farm system.
The Angels had an average draft in 2015, an above average one in 2016, followed by a top-heavy draft in 2017, and another solid one in 2018. Names like Jo Adell, Brandon Marsh, Griffin Canning, Jahmai Jones, Jose Suarez, Taylor Ward, Jordyn Adams, Jeremiah Jackson, Matt Thaiss, and Chris Rodriguez are just some of the names Halos fans should keep an eye on in the coming years. Some of them will form the core of the next great Angels team in 2020 and beyond!
Part of this more recent success has to do not only with better overall draft picks but the strong efforts of Billy Eppler, scouting director Matt Swanson, and the tireless work of the Angels cross-checkers and scouts around the country. The organization has focused on finding and molding raw, athletic players and it has started to pay off.
Additionally, the Halos continue to dip into the international market. This year they signed 16-year old Dominican outfield prospect Alexander Ramirez for a cool $1M signing bonus. Also, recently, per Angels reporter Taylor Blake Ward, they inked Dominican RHP Danifan Diaz too. It feels like the front office has turned a real corner and fans should expect to hear of other, albeit less notable, international signings heading into the off-season.
In addition to the farm system improvements, Eppler has expertly acquired multiple players via trades and use of the waiver wire. Names like Ty Buttrey, Luis Rengifo, Kevin Maitan, Noe Ramirez, Taylor Cole, Felix Pena, Williams Jerez, Hansel Robles, and Patrick Sandoval are some of the names that did not start in our farm system but were targeted by scouts and the analytics department for their potential and they are now beginning to shine on the field in the Majors and the Angels Minor League affiliates. Some may pan out and others may falter but the organization certainly has an eye for raw talent that cannot be denied.
Yet another goal Billy must address are the positional holes to fill around the diamond, including a primary and backup C, potentially a platoon 1B, a 2B or 3B, based on what they do with Zack Cozart, and possibly a DH. The team also needs to improve offensive production against left-handed pitching and develop or acquire a real lead-off hitter. Also the rotation is unsettled, especially at the top with Ohtani out for next season on the mound, so finding a quality, reliable starter is critical. The bullpen was a bit of a mess in 2018 so adding one or more relievers, particularly with options, to the mix would produce more viable options for next season.
As he tried to do in 2018, Billy will also need to build sufficient depth behind the 25-man roster, particularly in position player and rotation depth. It would not be surprising to see Eppler expertly work the waiver wire, again, to supplement next years squad. In particular, the Rule 5 Draft, this off-season, is potentially fruitful and may have a target or two Eppler might snag to supplement the bench or more likely the bullpen.
Without a doubt there are many challenges here for Billy and the front office to handle. Eppler will have to use his talented scouting system to identify the targets they need and want to acquire and either spend the cash and/or the farm system assets needed to obtain them. Along with that, the Angels farm system took some large strides forward in 2018 and once Eppler is done with the off-season, the team should be truly competitive with greater depth than in previous seasons.
The future success of the franchise is being set no matter whether the Angels retain Mike Trout or he departs during or after the 2020 season. These incremental steps laid by Billy Eppler yesterday, today, and tomorrow should put this organization back on the path to regular, yearly contention over the next several years.
In the next Section we will discuss the teams Finances heading into the off-season.
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Easy baked acorn squash recipe, perfect for the fall. Squash is cut in half, insides scooped out, then baked with a little butter, brown sugar, and maple syrup. Continue reading "Baked Acorn Squash with Butter and Brown Sugar" »
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The Angels have promoted Jeremy Reed to hitting coach, replacing Eric Hinske and making him the second confirmed new member of the staff under new manager Brad Ausmus.
Reed had been the Angels minor league hitting coordinator for the past two seasons. He was specifically mentioned by Kole Calhoun and Francisco Arcia as being instrumental to helping them last season.
Reed, 37, had previously worked for three seasons as a hitting coach in the Milwaukee Brewers system.
A product of Long Beach State, Reed spent parts of eight years as a major league outfielder, with the Seattle Mariners, New York Mets, Toronto Blue Jays and Brewers.
Reed will be joined by pitching coach Doug White among the new members of Ausmus staff. The Angels are planning to announce the entire staff once it’s complete, within the next week or two.
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(This is the latest in a series of quick profiles on players who fit for the Angels to add over the winter. They are purely “informed speculation,” based on what we know about the Angels’ roster needs along with General Manager Billy Eppler’s preferences and history. We’ll have a new one every weekday, until the GM Meetings, which are the unofficial start of the hot stove season.)
KYLE GIBSON, RHP, Minnesota Twins
The basics: Gibson has been one of the mainstays of the Twins rotations in recent years, bouncing between pitching like a No. 2 or 3 to a No. 5. He has been durable, though. He’ll be 31 next season.
2018 season: Gibson had his best season, posting a 3.62 ERA in 32 starts, over 196-2/3 innings.
Contract status: Gibson has one more year of arbitration before free agency. He is due to earn about $8 million in 2019.
Why he makes sense: Although Gibson has been somewhat inconsistent throughout his career, he’s taken the ball. Over his five full seasons, he’s averaged 30 starts and 175 innings. He’s now been surpassed by José Berrios as the leader of the Twins rotation, and the Twins are down to his final year, so they might choose to sell high on him and get something before risking losing him to free agency. Because he’s got just one year left and has a spotty history, he wouldn’t cost as much in prospect capital as one of the premium pitchers on the trade market. Gibson is also a pitch-to-contact guy, so maybe he does even better with the Angels’ exceptional defense behind him. If he fares in his walk year as well as he did in 2018, the Angels would have a solid right-handed starter to go alongside Tyler Skaggs and Andrew Heaney, and in front of Jaime Barría, Matt Shoemaker, Felix Peña, etc. And even if he’s more of a mid-rotation inning-eater, that’s still worth his relatively modest salary.
Why he doesn’t: Sonny Gray and Lance Lynn were examples of pitchers on whom the Angels could buy low, hoping for bounce-back seasons. Gibson is the opposite. He had back-to-back seasons with an ERA over 5.00 in 2016 and 2017. His career ERA is 4.47. Although the innings seem like a relatively safe bet, if he reverts to the form of 2017, the Angels would be paying a lot for a fifth starter, and giving up a prospect to do it.
Previous players: C J.T. Realmuto, RHP Nate Eovaldi, RHP Sonny Gray, LHP Patrick Corbin, LHP CC Sabathia, UT Daniel Descalso, RHP Julio Teheran, LHP Gio Gonzalez, UT Marwin Gonzalez, LHP J.A. Happ, LHP Will Smith, 3B Mike Moustakas, OF Jon Jay, RHP Lance Lynn.
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