OldAndInTheWay

By Taylor Blake Ward, AngelsWin.com Columnist
As we near the 72-hour mark for the 2023 MLB Draft, Taylor Blake Ward of AngelsWin gives you his draft preview for the Angels.
The MLB Draft is always filled with obscurity, but just for the sake of sanity and assumption, there is a top five group that has become the first-tier of talent in the draft and even with how arbitrary the draft can be there is a safe assumption that group of five will not be available by the time the Angels select at pick No. 11. For that reason, Dylan Crews (LSU), Paul Skenes (LSU), Wyatt Langford (Florida), Max Clark (Franklin HS (IN)), and Walker Jenkins (South Brunswick HS (NC)) will not appear in this preview.
That does not take away from the talent that will be taken in the first round of this draft which is seen as one of the strongest drafts based on talent and depth in recent years. The quantity of quality talent is larger than usual, and there are over 20 names that the Angels could look at for their pick with only five going before them after the aforementioned top five leaving a multitude of outcomes. We'll take a look at 22 names that could range near the Angels pick, including three sleepers who have started to float towards the top 15 selections for differing reasons.
*NOTE: Players have been placed in alphabetical order by last name and position so as not to place any form of ranking on any given player. All reports are from Taylor Blake Ward who serves as a Draft Analyst/Columnist for AngelsWin. *
 
CATCHERS:
Blake Mitchell, C, Sinton HS (TX): There isn't a riskier demographic in the draft than prep catchers, but not many come with a pro-ready toolset quite like Mitchell. Mitchell is athletic behind the plate with one of the strongest arms in the class, giving confidence to his long-term ability as a backstop. At the plate, Mitchell is known for his ability to find the barrel and swing with intent letting his bat speed produce power from the left side. He's shown an advanced/patient prep approach only building confidence in the offensive profile. It will take a big bonus to lure Mitchell away from his LSU commitment, but his talent and early-to-mid first-round outlook will land him in pro ball as opposed to Baton Rouge.
Kyle Teel, C, Virginia: Teel separated himself not only from the top catchers, but also the majority of the second tier of talent in this draft. He's getting some attention in the top five picks and common belief would be that he won't be around when the Angels pick comes. Left-handed hitting catchers who are projected to not only hit near the middle or top of an order and stick behind the plate long term are scarce and come at a premium in the draft. Teel provides that making him a top end amateur who could be among the best at his position once all is said and done. Teel has a violent and controlled swing with minimal swing-and-miss making him a well-rounded offensive catcher who could produce average or better contact and power. Teel is praised for his leadership and ability to work with pitchers while also being one of the better athletes behind the plate with a plus arm and surefire actions making him a long-term catching solution.
FIRST BASEMEN:
Nolan Schanuel, 1B/OF, Florida Atlantic: No one across Division-1 ball had an offensive year quite like Schanuel who led the nation in on-base percentage (.615) and walks (71) while finishing second in batting average by .002 (.447) and second in slugging (.868). Some questions arise about Schanuel's overall hit tool after a lackluster performance in the Cape Cod, but he's always shown patience and an ability to reach base. It may be approach-over-hit but there's enough confidence in Schanuel's offensive upside for an analytically minded club to take him upwards of the teen picks this year. Schanuel has a clean left-handed swing with strength behind the ball to have enough power to profile as a corner hitter, whether it be first base or the outfield. He's athletic enough to try left or right field with first base, looking like the ultimate outcome.
THIRD BASEMEN:
Aidan Miller, 3B, Mitchell HS (FL): Miller is a pro-ready corner infielder with plenty of power to dream on star upside. Physically advanced for prep, Miller has strength all over his frame and uses it to punish baseballs and regularly tap into his plus raw power from the right side with ease. Miller has a whippy swing meant for damage, but it doesn't diminish from his ability to hit which he has proven against tough prep talent on the summer circuit and Tampa prep region. Miller has twitchy dirt actions and though he won't be able to play much up-the-middle he has plenty of value at third base with a plus arm and shortstop actions which could make him a solid defender at the hot corner. Missing most of his senior year with a broken hamate, Miller has impressed in workouts and is still a first-round talent. Miller's brother, Jackson, is a prospect in the Cincinnati Reds organization, and his range tends to start with Cincinnati at seven all the way to the 20's. Miller is committed to Arkansas, but his draft status should keep him from Fayetteville.
Yohandy Morales, 3B, Miami: Morales is an aggressive, power-driven third baseman who has been in prospect circles since his prep days. Morales is a physical presence at the plate who utilizes his natural strength to whip his barrel through the zone and drive the ball with authority to all fields with 25+ home run potential. There may be development focus on toning down his highly aggressive approach to tap more into his offensive profile. Morales has twitchy dirt actions that will play well at third base along with his strong arm. Morales is seen more as a mid/late teen pick who could land in the 20's.
Brayden Taylor, 3B, TCU: Among the biggest risers late in the spring, Taylor is getting attention all over the first round upwards of the top ten after a solid showing at the Big-12 Tournament and NCAA Regionals going a combined 16-for-30 with five home runs and hitting the ball hard during the College World Series despite a lesser on-paper performance. Taylor constantly grinds out at bats with a good eye for the zone and good bat-to-ball skills and ability to drive the ball to all parts of the field with intent. With a well-rounded offensive profile, Taylor rounds out his toolset with solid dirt actions that have played up the middle at the college level but are more suited for third base with less than moderate middle infield versatility. Taylor is a grinder who is model-friendly and could go anywhere in the first round.
Brock Wilken, 3B, Wake Forest: Gaining more traction towards the middle of the first round, Wilken has been a long-time power production third baseman, including a wood bat track record. Big bodied at 6'4/220, Wilken has an uphill with good loft and extension mixed with explosive bat speed producing immense raw power from the right side. There's swing-and-miss in the power profile, but he's improved in his swing decisions and been more disciplined, while still needing some refinements to tap into his hitability. Wilken's arm should keep him at third base, while he may never be a Gold Glove winner but has enough natural actions to be fair at the position.
SHORTSTOPS:
Jacob Gonzalez, SS, Ole Miss: Potentially one of the quickest-moving bats in the class, Gonzalez has taken a lengthy track record of hitting at Ole Miss to seeing his name range from the top six picks to the late teens due to his offensive upside with potential at a premium defensive position. Gonzalez has excellent bat-to-ball skills and creates torque utilizing his strength and bat speed to frequently drive the ball with above-average power potential making him a dual offensive threat from the left side. He's always been a selective hitter, giving more confidence to his offensive profile. Defensively, Gonzalez has the actions, athleticism, and arm for shortstop, but his range can be limited due to his below-average raw speed and a move to second or third base is likely. With a high-ceiling offensive profile and some dirt versatility, Gonzalez could be a long-term middle of the order bat who hits his way to an eventual All-Star selection.
Colin Houck, SS, Parkview HS (GA): Arguably the best prep shortstop in the class, Houck is a two-sport stud with potential impact tools. Houck has a compact swing from the right side and takes physical and aggressive swings that allow his natural strength and plus bat speed turn into above-average over-the-fence production. There are some chase concerns but it's not alarming enough to take away from the belief he could hit for average and power. Houck's athleticism and ability to throw on the run was on full display on the gridiron as a three-star recruit and shows on the infield dirt where he plays a physical shortstop with a strong and accurate arm from different angles. If he can't find the range at short, he could be an outstanding defender at the hot corner.
Arjun Nimmala, SS, Strawberry Crest HS (FL): There was some early spring arguments that Nimmala could be a top five pick with his power upside at a premium position and his age (he doesn't turn 18 until mid-October) making him a dream for model-based clubs. He had a solid spring and still has the toolsy projection, but the top five noise is now more of top ten onward noise. Nimmala regularly takes daddy hacks with an explosive loose uphill swing that lets him drive the ball all over the field and get to his plus raw power stemming from a strong and athletic frame. Nimmala is aggressive in the box and can get out of sync and chase which will be a focus in development to tap into his immense offensive upside. Nimmala is a twitchy athlete with plenty of actions and a strong arm that should keep him at shortstop long term. There's a lot of development needed to tap into the projection, but Nimmala has All-Star upside with power at a premium position which is a commodity early in the draft.
Matt Shaw, SS, Maryland: There may not be as well-rounded a player in the draft class as Shaw, who was an impressive three-year performer for Maryland while also showcasing a lengthy wood bat track record (2022 Cape Cod League MVP) giving confidence to his ability to hit in pro ball and potentially be a quick-mover. Shaw has a whippy right-handed swing with excellent feel for the barrel and quick hands/strong wrists to spray the ball with strength to all fields. Shaw has a pro-ready approach with balanced discipline and a keen eye for the zone with rare swing-and-miss in and out of the zone. Defensively, Shaw has moved all around the infield with a focus on his shortstop future where his plus speed makes him a rangy defender, though his fringe arm may move him around the dirt when all is said and done. Shaw uses his plus speed well on the base paths and is an aggressive baserunner. Shaw isn't as flashy as his counterparts that fit his draft range from the top ten to teens, but his tools give confidence to have an impact future in all facets of the game.
Tommy Troy, SS, Stanford: Not dissimilar to Shaw, Troy has been a steady three-year performer with a wood bat track record and well-rounded toolset to have confidence in his impact future. Troy has a compact right-handed swing with good bat-to-ball skills that allow him to drive the ball with strength to all fields. His ability to regularly barrel the ball with bat speed to get to his power giving him plenty of middle of the order offensive balance, only aided by his excellent pitch selection and eye for the zone. Troy is an above-average runner with rangy shortstop actions but is more sound than exceedingly athletic and a move around the dirt is expected.
Jacob Wilson, SS, Grand Canyon: In prospect circles for a long time not only for his pure talent but also his Major League lineage, Wilson has done nothing but hit, and hit, and hit his way into the first round with ease. Wilson has a short, contact-driven swing from the right side with elite bat-to-ball skills and elite swing data with just 31 strikeouts in 697 college plate appearances (4.4 K%) though that does come with some aggression that take away from his leadoff profile and lean more to a two-hitter role. There's some extension-driven power in Wilson's swing where his focus on contact should allow him to get to some double-digit home run potential, but he'll always be contact-over-power. Wilson has a high baseball IQ and is a tough player who is more of an instinctual defender at shortstop though he has shown the actions and arm to stick at the position. Wilson is the son of 12-year Major Leaguer, Jack, who coached him throughout his prep and collegiate career and though they share a last name and similar grinding traits, the comparisons should end there with the younger Wilson being a better hitter with the same chance of being a long term table setter in the Majors. Wilson has the offensive potential to hit .300 at the highest level while also being a serviceable defender at a premium position.
OUTFIELDERS:
Enrique Bradfield Jr., OF, Vanderbilt: With baseball adapting more to speed, Bradfield's profile fits today's game better than yesteryears. He's a real 80-runner who uses that speed well at the plate, on the basepaths, and in the field. More of a flat-planed swinger, Bradfield has the ability to drive the ball and produce high exit velocities but is more focused on making consistent contact and putting the ball on the ground and beating out infield throws with easy sub 4 home-to-first times. There's raw power in the tank but it's unlikely he'll ever be a power threat with his speed/contact focus with a highly disciplined approach where he should get on base frequently enough to be a stolen base threat every time he's on base. His speed plays in center field where he has a quick first step, efficient routes, and elite closing speed giving him Gold Glove potential at a premium position. Whichever team takes him may want to get him to focus on driving the ball more, but he's a high-floor player with his speed and discipline alone.
Chase Davis, OF, Arizona: Davis has seen a late rise this spring with a flurry of teams looking at him in the teens. Always known for physicality and power, Davis has explosive whip and bat speed that allow him to hit for power to all fields from the left side. There are swing-and-miss refinements needed during development, but the power is too much to ignore, and he'll land in the first round with ease because of it. Davis has fine actions in the outfield and a strong and accurate arm that will play well in right field. For the comparison crowd, Carlos Gonzalez is a common comp when it comes to Davis.
RIGHT-HANDED PITCHERS:
Chase Dollander, RHP, Tennessee: Dollander entered the spring as a potential 1-1 candidate due to his bat-missing arsenal and front of the rotation upside, but his stuff and command took a step back leading to inconsistent performances and now has him ranging from the top ten to teen picks. Dollander has a full arsenal of bat missers starting with a power fastball that sits in the mid-to-upper 90's with significant carry. Dollander's power slider in the mid-to-upper 80's has velocity and sweeping action that give him two potential plus to plus-plus offerings. Dollander has enough feel for a loopy curve and changeup with fade to round out a four-pitch arsenal with all showing average-or-better potential. Dollander works around the zone and has shown solid fastball command in the past with athletic and delivery markers of getting back to his plus control/command and return to his front of the rotation projection with plenty of mid-rotation and power relief fallback upside.
Ty Floyd, RHP, LSU: Taking a backseat to Paul Skenes in the Tigers rotation, Floyd took a massive step forward in the college pitching market following incredible back-to-back performances in the College World Series where he struck out 27 of 51 batters faced against Wake Forest and Florida. Floyd lets his plus slider play well off a high-spin low/mid 90's fastball that he's shown better ability to command over the spring. Despite being more of a control-over-command arm there's starter upside in Floyd's profile. It may be a bit rich to see Floyd taken with the 11th pick of even in the teens but with a bridge between the top college pitchers to the second or third tier he's is steadily moving up draft boards and may be a surprise bat-missing upside arm.
Rhett Lowder, RHP, Wake Forest: The headline of a loaded Wake Forest pitching staff, Lowder separated himself from the rest of the college pitching crowd over the spring and highlighted it with one of the most hyped pitching matchups in recent history where he went seven scoreless innings against Paul Skenes and LSU in the College World Series. Lowder doesn't have the bat-missing arsenal you see from most top-tier arms but has the pitchability and high floor rotation confidence team’s desire. Lowder works in the low-to-mid 90's with a power sinker that helps induce a high amount of groundballs. His sinker sets up a pair of off-speed offerings that both flash plus or better in a slider with depth that has bat-missing potential and a plus-plus power changeup with fade that he'll work in any count. Lowder has the current strike-throwing and arsenal to be a quick-mover and potential first player from this class to reach the Majors with confidence in a rotation floor and mid-rotation upside.
Noble Meyer, RHP, Jesuit HS (OR): The consensus top prep arm in the class by a fair margin, Meyer has the rare velocity and physicality you like to see in the risky demographic. Meyer sits in the mid-to-upper 90’s, touching 100, with significant running action to his arm side, and as he continues filling out his large frame you could see that be more consistent in the upper 90’s. Meyer will flash plus with both of his off-speed offerings in a power sweeping slider that tunnels well with his fastball, and a fading changeup which he sells well for a prep arm. Meyer works around the zone with advanced command which will only continue to come closer to average-or-better in time with his athleticism and easy delivery. It will take a big bonus to keep him from going two hours south for college in Eugene, but his high starter upside and draft status should keep him from campus.
Hurston Waldrep, RHP, Florida: One of the bigger upside college arms in the class, Waldrep is a step behind Dollander and Lowder but is the clear "next in line" arm and teams looking to take advantage of the market inefficiency have Waldrep's name floating into the teens. Waldrep operates in the mid-to-upper 90's with his fastball but his command of the pitch *** -- or lack of --- *** has led to inconsistencies in performance and had it hit more often than the usual power fastball. Waldrep has a tight power slider that he gets regular swing-and-misses on to his glove side. Waldrep's primary out pitch is a splitter with late deadening and elite swing-and-miss rates. There are command concerns with Waldrep but he's around the zone often enough to let his power arsenal play in the bullpen if needed and a lengthy development focus on getting him to throw better strikes even if the command is only moderate. With a full swing-and-miss arsenal and immense upside, a team who covet power arms have Waldrep's name landing anywhere from the early teens to 20's.
LEFT-HANDED PITCHERS:
Thomas White, LHP, Phillips Academy (MA): It's not secret the weak point of the 2023 draft class is left-handed pitching to the point where White may be the only one to see the first round, though fellow southpaws Joe Whitman (Kent State) and Cam Johnson (IMG Academy (FL)) are moving up boards due to the market inefficiency, as has White, who is mentioned in the teens and upwards of the top ten. White leaves teams dreaming on his future with velocity, size, and projectability. White comes at hitters with a lively mid 90's fastball and backs it up with a signature lefty high spin sweepy curve that misses bats at a high clip. White has shown enough feel and arm action to dream on his changeup more than just a usable third offering. There is some fastball command refinements needed for White to tap into his full upside but he has the current strike-throwing ability and feel to locate to dream on being a mid-rotation arm or better when all is said and done. White will go in the first round whether it be in the top ten or in the 20’s and will come with a hefty bonus to keep him from Vanderbilt despite the high draft range.
TWO-WAY PLAYERS:
Bryce Eldridge, 1B/RHP, Madison HS (VA): Ever since the emergence of Shohei Ohtani as a two-way player, the question has been, "Who's next?" Teams have attempted to draft and develop players as two-ways in the likes of Brendan McKay by Tampa in 2017, but players tend to only have one turn into a Major League skillset while just being more talented than their counterparts in the other category. Eldridge may be the next one to actually have a skillset on both sides of the ball and carry it to the Major League level, though not to the ability Ohtani has (we may never see that/this again). As a pitcher, Eldridge has good body control for 6'7 prep with some ability to command his arsenal. He has a lively mid 90's fastball, power curve with depth, and advanced feel for his changeup. As a hitter, Eldridge uses his big frame to swing with strength and intent and drive the ball with authority regularly tapping into his plus raw power. He has a compact swing and enough bat-to-ball skills to hit enough to get to his power, though his long levers do come with some swing-and-miss which isn't overly alarming. He's athletic enough with the obvious arm for right field but his size and dirt actions may be better suited for first base where he could be a very good defender. It takes an off-the-charts athlete to succeed as a two-way player, and Eldridge has some potential to do both with incredible makeup to understand the struggles that could come with it. His general tools on both sides of the ball could carry him to two-way Major League potential, but if he were to focus on one or the other he could be a middle of the lineup power threat or mid-rotation starter, but the likelihood of both is challenging to project without a track record of success beyond Ohtani. His range is all over the first round with most teams believing they can develop him both ways and keep him away from an Alabama commitment.

By David Saltzer, AngelsWin.com Senior Writer
I love the MLB draft. It’s unlike just about every other major league sport’s draft in that the results of the draft won’t be known for 3-5 years, or more.
A good example of this is Mickey Moniak who was drafted 1-1 (1st round, 1st overall pick in the round) in 2016. He is just now starting to reach his potential in the Major Leagues, 7 years after he was drafted out of high school by the Phillies.
Because of the long timeline for a draft to be deemed either a success or failure, every team’s general manager and scouts will always say that they will take the Best Player Available (BPA). The only problem with this response is that the word “best” is a highly subjective word. Is a player who can reach the majors and posts slightly lower numbers “better” or “worse” than a player who may take 6 years to reach the Majors and posts slightly higher numbers? Or, what if drafting one player prevents you from drafting other players who can also make the Major Leagues in later rounds? Should the Angels only focus on the individual player or drafting the best players who make the whole organization better?
With so much emphasis on the word “best”, and 30 Major League teams all trying to find the next Mike Trout or Clayton Kershaw, trying to predict who a team will pick is nearly impossible, especially the deeper one goes into the draft. Additionally, with the pool system for money to sign players there are many interesting strategies for teams to employ to get the most talent using the limited funds that they are allowed to use in the draft.
Two notes: First, our own Taylor Blake Ward wrote a great article on the potential 1st round picks that the Angels may be able to draft. Please read it here, as I will refer to some of the players when talking about how to find the BPA. Second, any draft that develops just 1 player who has at least a 5-year career as a regular is considered a success. Anything beyond that is gravy, so, that creates a further set of strategies for teams to employ to find the BPA.
One of the biggest challenges for a team to find the BPA is where in the draft they select. The Pirates, who have the 1st overall pick have the most money to spend in the draft. While the Angels pick 11th in the 1st round, they lost their 2nd round pick when they signed Tyler Anderson in the offseason and the money associated with the pick.
Invariably, prior to a draft, a general consensus will form around who the top picks are. Most of them are fairly sure bets to make the Major Leagues, even if it takes years for them to get there like Moniak. As Taylor Blake Ward notes, there is a general consensus on 5 players this year who are expected to be drafted before the Angels get to pick, so, the Angels will have to dig deeper to find their BPA.
Players taken out of high school will take longer to develop than those taken out of college and are far more likely to never make the Major Leagues, so the player’s timeline can affect whether a team will see him as the BPA or not. Teams do want to layer their talent so that they will have waves of talent in development to provide fresh talent to the Major League team and create more financial and trade opportunities for them. So, a team that’s top heavy (with lots of talent in the upper Minor Leagues) may be more focused on high school players than a team that’s bottom heavy (with most of its talent in the lower Minor Leagues).
Where a team is relative to its competition can also affect who it sees as the BPA. For example, a team just starting to rebuild is more likely (but not necessarily guaranteed) to draft a younger high school player than a college player. Teams that are in a win-now mode are generally more likely to take a “sure” college player (high floor/low risk player) over a high school player with a greater potential but is less likely of making the Major Leagues (high risk/high reward type).
While every GM and scout will say that they will draft the BPA, meaning the “best” player regardless of position, that’s not exactly true. Prospects are tradable, and pitchers and players who play more defensively challenging positions are more likely to be drafted before those who play less challenging positions. That’s because in terms of future impact in the Major Leagues or for trades, those elite positions carry more value than players at other positions.
Looking at this year’s draft, Nolan Schanuel posted some of the best offensive numbers in all of college baseball. However, scouts have generally ranked him lower than many other players expected to be taken in the 1st round because he is defensively limited to 1st base or a corner outfield at best. Far more shortstops, pitchers, catchers, and centerfielders are likely to be taken ahead of him because they are considered more “valuable” for their defensive skills.
Risk and risk tolerance also affects who is the BPA. As noted earlier, some players are high risk/high reward and others are high floor/low risk types. Some teams are more risk averse and others are not. Teams that are more risk averse are far less likely to take a high school player than a college player. While there is some evidence that drafting an elite high school player is more likely to result in finding the next Mike Trout (who was drafted out of high school), it’s far more likely that a high school player, even one who is generally considered to be one of the elite players in the draft, will never make an impact in the Major Leagues.
Money can affect who is the BPA. While draftees can’t have “agents” they can have an “advisor”. Players may not want to play for a certain team for a variety of reasons. A high school player may really want to go to college. A player may not want to play in a certain location or may believe that other teams may develop their talents better.
Since every team is essentially capped by the slotting system in the draft, how much money a player will want to sign becomes a big factor as money spent on one player reduces the money available for every other player that the team drafts. High school players have plenty of leverage because they can always go to college and go through the draft again if their financial demands aren’t met.
Already we are hearing grumblings about this with the Pirates and Dylan Crews. While Crews is a college player, rumors are that he does not want to play for the Pirates unless they pay him an amount over what he is slotted to get in the draft. Consequently, the Pirates may move past him and may draft Paul Skenes or Wyatt Langford even though scouts see Crews as the top talent this year simply over money.
While baseball teams generally do not draft for “need” like in basketball and football (such as drafting a forward or a wide receiver), teams do look at their overall system to see how they can best layer talent out over time. For example, a team with a lot of pitching talent and little catching talent may want to draft a catcher to pair with the pitchers and develop them all together as a wave of talent. Or, a team loaded with outfield talent may look for other positions so as to not block players in the Minors. 
Again, looking at the Pirates, they drafted Henry Davis, a catcher, last year, and he just reached the Major Leagues. It may make more sense for them to draft Skenes, the top pitcher this year, to pair him with Davis. That would give them an incredible pair for 4 or 5 years. That may make Skenes the BPA in their eyes even if almost every analyst sees Crews as the greater talent with less risk than a pitcher.
Finally, organizations know what they are better at developing in terms of talent than other organizations. Hurston Waldrep has an electric arm, but somehow lost his control this year. He is a good example of a high risk/high reward type player from college (as compared to Rhett Lowder who is still a great pitcher, but still seen as more of a high floor/low risk type pitcher). A team that is more confident in its ability to help Waldrep rediscover his form may view him as the BPA when they pick while other teams may move onto hitters in the draft because they do not see a clear path to fixing his command and control.
Finally, the program where the player developed and success with wooden bats (as opposed to the metal bats used in college) also affects how a team will view him. Looking at the Angels, our GM appears to place a lot of emphasis on success in the Cape Cod League, which uses wooden bats. While the Cape Cod League is just a summer league, with fewer games, the use of wooden bats replicates more of what can be expected from the player in the future, especially when trying to project future success.
With all of these factors, trying to figure out who is the BPA is very difficult. Scouts will study every aspect of a player, from mental fortitude to physical skills and work ethic. As a former teacher, I know how deep scouts can go, as I’ve had several scouts ask me very specifically about former students that they were deeply considering in the draft.  They specifically asked about the player’s mental and academic abilities, resilience, mental fortitude, maturity, etc. And, of course, teams will try to get a sense of how much it will take to sign a player (asking about how seriously the student wanted to go to college). With the slotting system essentially creating a cap on how much a team can spend, and with a much shorter draft than in the past, money is a huge factor for teams to consider.
So, at this point, I will fully admit that I do not know what the Angels will do in the 2023 draft. No one really knows, even the Angels to a certain extent, as 10 teams will get to pick ahead of them, and that will affect who is available when they pick. Plus, the Angels  they won’t pick again until the 3rd round, which means that they will be watching to see who may fall to them on Monday.
But I do have some thoughts on what they can do to find their BPA.
With the 11th overall pick, I think that the Angels should focus on the college arms and bats. Whether Ohtani resigns with the Angels or not, there is a window for the Angels to challenge for the American League West and/or a Wild Card spot over the next few years. Drafting a high school player with our top pick does not make as much sense given our overall window with Trout and to keep the fanbase happy.
This year’s draft is considered rather deep in talent. There are more than enough really good college players, especially when we pick, that we don’t have to take on more risk with a high school player to get the same level of impact. If we were drafting much lower in the draft, like when we took Trout, it would be different because most of the top college talent would have already been picked by other teams. But with the 11th overall pick, we should focus on more certainty with our top pick. Later in the draft, in subsequent rounds, we can take more risky players. Plus, seeing how Perry Minasian likes to challenge players in our Minor Leagues and isn’t afraid to move them up levels quickly (the Angels had the first player from the 2021 and 2022 drafts reach the Majors), a college player seems more likely.
Pitching is ALWAYS in demand and premium. Just look at this season when we traded some of our pitchers for Escobar and Moustakas. By drafting all pitchers two years ago, we had the prospect capital to make trades (which is something that we haven’t had for a while). And, thanks to our 2021 draft, we’ve had arms to bring up to bolster our bullpen as it floundered. If two players are ranked equally by scouts in terms of their impact in the Majors, and one is a pitcher, I would take the pitcher over the hitter, especially in early rounds, as he will always be more in demand and have more prospect capital for trades. 
If Dollander or Lowder are available, I would absolutely hope the Angels pounce on either of them. Either could move through our system quickly and could become fixtures in our rotation. I haven’t seen enough of Waldrep’s video from last year to see what changed this year, but his high walk rate is a concern. If scouts believe that it is an easy fix (which there are mixed beliefs), I would consider him, especially if he would take a below slot deal to free up more money to use later in the draft. If not, I would move onto one of the college bats.
When it comes to bats, there are many intriguing options. Again, though, I do not want to risk our pick on a high school bat such as Arjun Nimmala because I am a bit more risk averse. And I want a player who is more likely to impact our window and get us back to the playoffs in the next few years rather than waiting 4-5 years for one of the high school players to develop, even if the high school players could become a slightly better talent down the road.
Knowing that Matt Shaw was the Cape Cod MVP last summer, I think that makes him a likely target for the Angels. While I don’t see him as a future shortstop in the Major Leagues, he could become a very good double-play partner with Zach Neto at second base. Having a strong defensive middle infield, that could work in tandem, would give the Angels a big boost both offensively and defensively.
Another player who started off slowly and then finished strong was Brayden Taylor. We have had nothing but problems at 3rd base and very little in our system to fill the hole. Taylor could be another fast mover would allow us to move Rendon to 1st base long-term. Seeing how that could improve the parent club a lot more overall, that may make him the BPA over other players in the draft who play other positions.
Strategically, there is an interesting option for the Angels to explore: Nolan Schanuel. As noted before, he isn’t ranked as highly as players who did not hit as well as him because he is most likely a 1st baseman or a corner outfielder. Assuming that Adell finally has figured things out (the homerun robbing catch that he did against the Dodgers was a big improvement compared to his 4-base error years ago) Schanuel would most likely stick at 1st base.
While 1st base has been an unfortunate challenge to fill this year (I truly hope that Walsh bounces and rediscovers his talents), drafting Schanuel is not drafting for need at the position. Instead, we would draft him for his insane plate discipline (71 BBs vs. 14 Ks) and power potential (19 HRs this year) and for the potential to get him at a below slot deal.
Some analysts have knocked Schanuel for not playing in the most elite D1 program. However, Minassian has shown with Neto that he isn’t afraid to take a player from a perceived weaker system if the skills are there, especially elite plate discipline skills. Schanuel has an unorthodox swing, much like Neto, but if works for him, we could sure use an elite Middle of the Order (MOTO) lefthanded bat in our lineup. Schanuel could start in AA this year and could be ready by the middle of next year giving the Angels a quick return on their investment.
What makes Schanuel especially appealing is that because he is perceived as a lower defensive talent, he might be a player who is more likely to take a lower financial deal, coming in under slot, which would allow us to spend more money later in the draft.
Every year, there are always high school players who will want to be drafted in the 1st round to get the large signing bonus to forego college. Not all of them will be taken. Freeing up money to lure a high talent high school player who fell in the draft would create more opportunities for the Angels to layer talent for the future as well as the present. This may make Schanuel the BPA for us, even if other players may have more defensive talent or potentially more offensive upside.
Last year, Minasian employed this exact strategy to spread our limited draft pool money around and get a lot more talent into our organization. Not only did the Angels get Neto, who was not expected to be available when the Angels picked him, they got him at a below slot deal because he came from a lesser program and his unorthodox swing was a concern for other teams.
By freeing up more money with an under slot deal with Neto, the Angels were able to draft Ben Joyce in the 3rd round, Jake Madden in the 4th round, and Caden Dana in the 11th round all for over slot deals (with Dana setting a record signing bonus for the 11th round pick in the draft pool era). All of them are making an impact in our system and likely to produce at the Major League level. So, not only was Neto the BPA when we picked him because he made it to the Majors quickly and provided excellent defense at shortstop, he also allowed us to spread our resources and get far more talent than we could have if we had spent all of our 1st round money on someone else.
This wouldn’t be the first time that Minasian employed a similar strategy. In 2021, we had several under slot deals to free up money to sign Chase Silseth Mason Albright for over slot deals (with Albright setting a record bonus that was then broken by Dana in 2022). It’s pretty clear that Minassian takes a holistic approach to the draft and is willing to employ strategies and financial concerns to determine who is the BPA. So, if Schanuel, Shaw, or Taylor will take below slot deals, that may make one of them the “BPA” even if other players may individually be ranked higher by many analysts.
Using a holistic approach to the draft, the BPA should make the overall organization the best it can be. That’s why the Angels fans shouldn’t get too caught up in where commentators rank players in terms of the draft. Instead, we should see how each player fits into our overall system and makes the organization stronger. A lower ranked player by analysts may still be the BPA for us if we can draft him and several other premium talents who fell due to signability issues in later rounds. Unlike Major League organizations, analysts can look at players in isolation without considering any of the other factors that GMs must consider. While the Angels should pass on a premium talent, especially a pitcher, when comparing almost identical talents, we absolutely should consider other factors when making our 1st pick.
No matter who the Angels pick over the next few days, I will absolutely root for their success. I’m not going to get too caught up in the rankings to say one player is the BPA compared to another. Instead, I’m looking forward to seeing how it all works out overall and hope that whomever we choose will get us back to playoffs ASAP!

Interview conducted by David Saltzer and Geoff Stoddart
April 25, 2023
Geoff Stoddart and I recently sat down with Angels Play-By-Play Announcer Wayne Randazzo to find out more about him, his background, and how he came to be with the Angels. Along the way, we learned quite a bit about him, and how he came to be an Angels announcer.
Wayne grew up near Chicago and attended St. Charles East High School. He loved watching the Chicago teams and modeled his broadcasting after many of the great Chicago announcers. From a young age, Wayne decided to be an announcer, and as he said, “being a bit stubborn”, that’s what he pursued. He said he possibly could have played baseball in a D3 school, but he chose to focus on his broadcasting career instead.
As parents, Geoff and I wanted to know how hard it was for him to have that conversation with his parents (imagining our own children telling us that they wanted to be play-by-play announcers and realizing how hard a career that would be). Wayne said it wasn’t that hard for him to have that conversation because he had a college degree from North Central College (yes, we had to look it up, it’s in Naperville, Illinois) and that he could always fall back on that.
For those who don’t know, Wayne’s cousin is Tony Randazzo, a Major League umpire. Wayne has in fact called games in which his cousin was the umpire when he was with the Mets. Wayne said that he didn’t hide the fact during the broadcast that his cousin was the umpire (even saying that during the broadcast he referred to the umpire as “his cousin Tony”), and the Mets fans at times let him know on social media about some of the calls that Tony made (especially if it affected any player’s stats).
We asked if that led to some awkward conversations around the dinner table or during the holidays, and Wayne laughed and said “not yet”. Wayne was very proud of his cousin, telling us about all the important games that Tony had called, including being a part of the 2016 World Series umpiring crew and officiating two All-Star Games (2001 and 2012). Wayne said that he looked forward to calling more games when his cousin is the umpire, and, as with the Mets fans, won’t hide his connection with his cousin when he’s calling games for the Angels.
Speaking of social media, Wayne does enjoy hearing what the fans like to say and to get out sentiments. You can find and follow him on Twitter at @WayneRandazzo. He said that he’s still getting to know Angels fans, and what we are like, and enjoys hearing from them online.
One of the things that really stood out for us was when we asked him about how he felt as an announcer to be calling and narrating history at times. For example, Wayne called Albert Pujols’ 700th homerun when he was an announcer for the Apple TV. We asked him specifically about what it’s like as an announcer to tell the story and what it’s like to be forever tied to a specific moment and event. Wayne focused heavily on the “responsibility” of telling the story and getting out of the way of the event and letting it happen. That really impressed us because as fans, we want to both watch and revel in the moment without it being overly narrated.
When it came to Pujols’ 700th homerun call, he told us that he didn’t know if it would happen, and actually wasn’t sure it would happen when the Cardinals came to town for the series against the Dodgers. He recalled that Aaron Judge had been stuck at 61 homeruns for a long time, and Pujols hadn’t been getting that many at-bats at the time going into the series. Wayne thought that maybe he might get a chance at 699, but again, wasn’t sure if it would happen.
Early in the game, Albert quickly took care of business hitting number 699. That still didn’t mean he would get to 700. But, later in the game, he did, and again, Wayne said he just let the moment happen and then let the fans celebrate the moment. You can watch his calls for 699 and 700 by clicking here. It’s a great call, and a great moment for Pujols and Randazzo.
Listening to Wayne talk about the Pujols milestones, Geoff and I imagined what it would be like to have Wayne calling major milestones for Trout and Ohtani. Wayne said “if [he] is lucky enough to call Trout’s 500th homerun, [he] would take that responsibility seriously and do a similar job [on the calls].” And, of course, Wayne would love to call an Ohtani no-hitter.
We asked Wayne what it was like to see Trout and Ohtani up close and in person as opposed to watching them from afar with the Mets. He talked a lot about watching how much work Trout puts in (and that the fans don’t see) to do the things that he does (going to so far as to call Trout “probably the best hitter in all of baseball” and “one of the hardest workers in baseball”). He talked about all of Trout’s work on running, exploding out of the box and hustling down the line, taking corners, and keeping up his speed, especially at his age. He really focused on the little things that truly separates Trout as such an elite player.
Regarding Ohtani, he raved about his pitching saying that he is probably a slightly better pitcher than hitter right now (and he said “to put that in perspective, we’re talking about a guy who hits .270+, 30+ HRs, and 100+ RBIs” and then added “how many guys do that in a season?”. He told us that he had only 2 chances to see the Angels while with the Mets (recalling one series in NY and one series here, and that in 2020 we lost a series against the Mets due to the Covid-shortened season), and that he didn’t get to see Ohtani pitch. However, he said that now that he’s seen him pitch in person that Ohtani “is one of the best, if not the best pitcher in baseball”. And of course, he talked about how Ohtani is doing things that no one else has done or is doing in all of baseball, being both a hitter and pitcher.
As far as coming into the Angels broadcast booth, we asked what Wayne did to prepare for all the 1970s and 1980s references from Gubi. He laughed quite a bit and said that luckily he worked with Howie Rose with the Mets who has a “similar set of cultural references and time frame as [Gubi], so it wasn’t that hard of a transition” for him and that he was well versed in that time period. Wayne enjoys working with Gubi and the two are developing their relationship for the broadcast booth (Wayne said that it’s still “early in the season” and that they’ve only called about 25 official games together and that developing a deep and good relationship in the booth can take a season or more). He said that over the years, that Gubi has learned to work with a lot of different announcers, especially over the last few years, and that Gubi does an incredible job working with him and all the other play-by-play announcers as well as making it easy for them all to step right into the broadcast booth.
When talking about his experiences in the broadcasting booth, we of course had to ask about the possum at the Oakland A’s stadium. He laughed and recalled the “pungent smell” and the “funk” that was in the booth, even making note of it during the broadcast! On top of that, he said there was a “toxic smell” from chemicals used to clean up the scat left by the possum in the booth. Wayne let his friends with the Mets broadcasting team know about it (they came in over a week later (after the A’s played Cleveland and then had a road trip), who talked about it on air as well. You can hear their take on the possum droppings here.
One area that Wayne talked about with a lot of pride and humor is his Italian heritage and culture. George Randazzo, the father of Tony the umpire, founded the National Italian American Sports Hall of Fame in Chicago to cover the many great contributions to American sports throughout the years. You can find out more about the NIASHOF by clicking here.
Away from the ballpark, Wayne loves spending time with his two daughters. A perfect day for him when he’s not broadcasting would be spending time with them doing anything, such as going to a park or doing anything that they want. As he said “I’m on the road so much, any chance I have to spend with them is a good day.”
We concluded with a lightning round of questions, and here are his responses:
Coke or Pepsi: Whatever the Angels have in their stadium is what I like best (very diplomatic answer).
In ‘n Out or Shake Shack: Shake Shack, but will have to eat more In ‘n Out (we will give him some time to do that before asking him about the fries).
A book or an audio book: I haven’t listened to many audio books, so I will have to try them more. A book for now.
Do the laundry or the dishes: I put the dishes in the dishwasher, so that’s a lot easier than doing the laundry.
Live in 1969 or 2069: Can I be my age at either time? (yes we said) Then 1969.   
Rachel or Monica: Laughs. All around, I’m a Rachel guy. (we then translated that for Gubi as Mary Ann or Ginger which got lots of laughs from Wayne).
High-five or fist bump: Thinks about it. I prefer the high-five.
Bon Jovi or Def Leopard: Bon Jovi. He’s Italian and I’ll always go for the Italians.
Overall, we learned quite a bit about our new play-by-play announcer, and we have been enjoying his game calling. The time flew by quickly, and we had many more questions for him than we had time for (one in particular we didn’t get to is how the new pitch clock is affecting announcing the game). He is truly a genuine, relaxed, and fun person with whom to talk, and Geoff and I really appreciated our time with him.
Before leaving the interview, Wayne agreed to come back again later in the season to give us his take on the team. We can hardly wait for that and look forward to hearing him continue to do a great job in the booth!

By Taylor Blake Ward, AngelsWin.com Senior Writer
Spring Training is done, and the real thing all starts now – or technically, earlier before the weekend. Taking a look back at the spring though, we focused on more than a handful of Angels prospects and how different perspectives can come out of spring from a performance standpoint and the trained eye of experts. We asked three different people from three different fields about their opinions of specific players during the spring.
We asked our experts – who consist of an Angels Front Office Executive, a former player who was in Angels camp regularly, and a prospect analyst – about their opinions on some of the Angels top prospects through the spring, as well as some non-Major League standouts from the World Baseball Classic and Angels camp in general.
Our experts were asked to give their opinions anonymously for two reasons. One is that their opinion and work is for their primary employers, and not for this affiliate, and discretion is asked of their employers. Secondly, we do not want their opinions to dictate the opinion of the reader based on who they are and their merit.
With that, let’s jump into this.
 
LOGAN O'HOPPE:
Executive: “Excited for what he brings to the table on both sides of the ball. The aptitude is advanced for his age. He’s gonna turn 23 this year and obviously bringing in a rookie catcher when you’re plans are absolutely to contend, you know, it’s not the easiest thing in the world this day in age but we think he has the capability and aptitude and all the ingredients on the mental side to handle it. We’re excited for the future with him and excited to see what he can do.”
Former Player: “Wow. For me, ‘leader’ would be the one word you can already describe him as. There’s a presence about him. Just the way he walks around the field and his communication and relationship with his pitching staff is amazing for a kid. Also, I love how quiet he is behind the plate. His hands are great. Sets targets. Judging from his swing I think there’s a lot of upside in his offense too. I’m always defense first as far as catcher and as far as you handle your staff and I know for a fact Shohei Ohtani loves throwing to him and for me that’s good enough. When you hear that, that’s good.”
Prospect Analyst: "Impressive behind the dish. Impressive leadership skills as well. All around looked really, really good."
 
JO ADELL AND MICKEY MONIAK:
Executive: “Jo worked really hard this off-season. He spent a lot of time in Tempe over the winter and honing his game defensively. We saw market improvement this spring. I think offensively – progress – maybe not quite to the extent we saw defensively but certainly progress and obviously the tools are obvious. Mickey, same thing. In terms of the at bat quality, he improved in Spring Training. A few subtle things swing-wise that he was working on seemed to translate into games. I think just sending him down to get regular at bats, and obviously we had a full outfield when we’re healthy and really happy with where we’re at at the big league level. Just sending him down to get the opportunity for everyday at bats and continue to develop and I think there’s still more left in the tank there.”
Former Player: “Mickey – we’ll start with him first. First of all, great kid. He wants to learn and I finally saw a confident hitter there and the ball was jumping off his bat. Better coverage of the plate. Exceptional speed I think and good defender too so he could be a really, really good player. I saw him in a high school game when he played against one of my kids (I was coaching) and they were both first round picks. I was impressed then and I am even more now than I was last year. I like what I saw last year, but even more now because I think he’s figured it out with getting his hands through the baseball. Now Jo – I’ve been pulling for Jo since day one. And the power, I mean his body right now is unreal. Strong as can be. I just feel that he needs to just get on a roll where he doesn’t have to answer questions about ‘why is this? Why is that?’ And there were some signs he’s gotten way better defensively and we know all the other skillsets he has, but just letting his hands get through the baseball and not trying to overthink things at the plate. Because he’s got incredible athleticism and he’s got good baseball instincts that I think he still has a chance. I’m not giving up on him because I think he’s still there. He’s still young but I think it’s there where he could be a star.”
Prospect Analyst: "Adell is learning. Ability is there. He needs to keep his emotions in check though. Moniak – Give him a chance at the Major League level at some point and see what he can do. Super impressive this spring but something he's done in the past."
 
JORDYN ADAMS:
Executive: “Jordyn obviously ended Spring Training with the Major League team. Went to Los Angeles to partake in the Freeway Series and that should probably speak for itself in terms of the trend for him. For him, came in physically certainly more developed. I think the mental side of things too. I know our group was pleased with the development there as well. Had a nice camp. Had nice at bats on the Major League side and felt like – obviously brought him to LA, not necessarily a reward but to some extent showed us that maybe he’s not that far away. I’ll be excited to see what he can do, and he’ll be in Triple-A. Brief stint in Double-A last year, but he’ll start in Triple-A and you’re only one step away there.”
Former Player: “Love him. When I talked to Torii Hunter the first thing I said was, ‘Dude, I like this kid.’ I like the way he’s at the plate right now. His hands. They can pitch him inside and he’s able to go inside out on it. He also has tremendous power too. From the kid I saw last year to this year, man, you’re talking about gigantic strides, I mean, gigantic. That I went from, ‘I hope he turns into a pretty good player’ to thinking, ‘alright, this kid could turn into a really, really, really good player.’ I can see it in his eyes. I can see it in his demeanor. He believes in himself now, which is tough in this game. I’ve seen a lot of great players, even when I was in the game, that you could have all the skills in the world but if you don’t have the confidence you’re not going to be around this game long. But now I’m seeing a kid that has some high upside.”
Prospect Analyst: "Very impressive. Took big steps forward this spring on all sides of the game. He's quick, played well defensively at all three outfield spots. I think you're seeing the bat come around and you'll see an uptick in power, especially in Salt Lake."
 
JEREMIAH JACKSON:
Executive: “J.J., kind of like Mickey. I don’t know if it’s noticeable to the untrained eye but knowing the player as well there was some subtle adjustments this year to last year. Offensively, similar in terms of thought there were better at bats. Played some outfield, played some infield in Major League camp. Certainly someone that has all the physical tools. I think his momentum is like Jordyn, similar in the second half last year. Just excited to see continued development. That was something certainly we saw from Jeremiah in 2021, and Jordyn as well. Both those guys, I think the arrow is up.”
Former Player: “Again, watching the game last night and watching a number of Spring Training games down there with him – the smile I see on my face when I see the player he is now from where he was last year and the year before – yeah. The glove plays. The baserunning skills play. He hit a home run to right-center field way out. Granted, the baseball does carry for the most part in Arizona, but when he hit that it was cold and the baseball wasn’t carrying. To hit a home run the opposite way like that – granted, it’s a walkoff in a Spring Training game so I guess it doesn’t matter to most people, but for me when you see a young person do that – because that Spring Training game is a regular season game for these kids because they’re trying to prove something. He’s got a chance of helping us out for a number of years.”
Prospect Analyst: "Another one that was really impressive. He got a lot of opportunities this spring. I don't know where he plays, and I think the Angels are still trying to figure that out too. I think he ends up being a 20-home run, 30 percent strikeout guy."
 
KYREN PARIS:
Executive: “Really, really good Major League camp. Slowed the game down. Thought it was really impressive for a kid his age. His at bats – he’s always controlled the strike zone but showed a good eye at the plate, so that wasn’t all that surprising I guess. Just defensively, made several nice plays on balls in the air, several nice plays on balls on the ground. Having the range either direction. I thought that was the most impressive thing from him this spring was the ability to slow the game down. Sometimes with a lot of young players who get into that environment and the game kind of speeds up on them, and that was the exact opposite for Kyren. He was wired the right way. Physically, he’s developing really well. The ball is coming off hot. I think it’s sneaky power for when you look at him, maybe not the most imposing guy, but certainly there are tools there, no question. Just very young. Another guy who went to Double-A and had some success, so arrow up for him as well. I think what he showed – the slow heartbeat in Spring Training was impressive.”
Former Player: “Again, Glove is outstanding. He hit the ball hard every at bat. At one point he was leading the team in RBI and everything else down there in Spring Training. I was trying to pick out guys who really could help this team, especially in the infield where we do have depth at the Major League level, but guys who are playing in-and-out of their normal playing position per se, and I wouldn’t be surprised to see him in the not-too-distant future because I think he does everything really well. Barrels up the baseball exceptionally well at the plate. I know I’m sounding like I’m loving all these kids but I really am. I haven’t been able to say that in years, but these kids are all legit. I think Paris has a chance to be really special.”
Prospect Analyst: "Sky is the limit at the moment with him. It's a beautiful swing. Defensively very good. He has the makings of being a very good second baseman in the future. That's probably the only negative is that he's probably a second baseman."
 
ZACH NETO:
Executive: “(Laughs) His Major League camp was – came in late to games, got some starts towards the end, he was kind of as advertised in terms of at bat quality. Certainly, made good decisions. Showed the ability to drive the ball to all fields. Showed some athleticism on the bases. He came in stronger, especially in the lower half, and I think it showed in his batted ball quality as well. The impact he’s displaying in games, and showed the same thing on the backfields. When he was sent down I saw him in a couple backfield games and it was impressive how he was able to get to velocity (with power). Defensively too, instinctually made a couple of really nice plays. Showed arm strength from deep in the hole. Showed the arm for short certainly. Really excited for his potential and think we got a good one there.”
Former Player: “Okay, that’s my top dog right there (laughs). Exit velocity over 100 miles per hour every at bat. Unbelievable arm at shortstop. Great range. The one thing I love about him and just talking to him – he feels he already belongs, which doesn’t happen often. It’s not just a fake bravado. This kid believes he belongs here right now, and I believe he’s almost there right now that quickly. I know the whole thing about wanting to see kids get – especially hitters – get at bats in the minors, and a number of at bats per se, but he’s knocking on stardom right now. Real close. Real, real close. Love his arm, love his attitude, love his confidence. And boy, he makes the approach at the plate where he has that high leg kick, put him against two strikes and it’s a different swing and different path and still the ball is jumping off the bat so well. He’s legit. He’s totally legit.”
Prospect Analyst: "Neto was impressive. He's gonna stick at shortstop defensively. He's gonna hit well. I like the two-strike approach as well, which is nice to see. The only thing that might lack is power in my opinion but if everything else pans out and he's a 10-home run guy it's not a horrible thing."
 
CHASE SILSETH:
Executive: “I think the biggest thing with Chase is the development of his slider. He calls it a cutter. It’s arguably his best pitch in my mind. Was a consistent plus pitch, swing-and-miss offering. It acts more like a slider with sharp tilt in the upper 80’s. He calls it a cutter. I remember C.C. Sabathia would call his sweeper a cutter so it just kind of how guys do that as a cue for themselves to make sure they’re throwing it the right way but that was the most encouraging thing with him. Something consistent that’s harder versus his two-plane curveball and the split where at times the command can waver. So that was, to me, the most encouraging thing for him. He’ll go to Triple-A. There was some debate about that but I think a new environment for him. He spent the year last year at Double-A when he wasn’t in the big leagues so certainly still high on him.”
Former Player: “I always say, I call him a miniature version of Alek Manoah from the Jays. I know that’s pretty tough to make any comparison because I know that guy is already one of the best pitchers in the game and still a young kid himself, but Chase has that stuff. Great attitude, fearless, tough as nails. I went through the same process myself – he’ll have a lot of games where he’ll go seven innings and no runs and then other games where it gets by him too quick. Once he figures out how to slow down the process when you give up a couple hits or a couple flares or something goes against you, he’s a top of the rotation guy. He throws that hard. The splitter, the sweeper-slider is gonna work and play. Same thing with his curveball. His upside is right there, and I think he’s gonna be a help this year.”
Prospect Analyst: "He needs to work on command which I'm assuming he'll do in Salt Lake this year. He probably shouldn't be up this year but if he is he's not a bad option for the Angels. He needs a fourth pitch – something that is hard and isn't straight. Just a better fastball."
 
BEN JOYCE:
Executive: “As good an arm as there is maybe in the world. He’s now throwing a sweeper and harder slider, almost like a cutter. Just refining those secondary pitches. We saw in Major League games too the fastball command can get away from him a little bit. But man, when he’s right, it’s obviously closer stuff. A guy who has thrown strikes adequately enough in the past. Just refining the secondary stuff, I think – even one of those two pitches, whenever that happens, I think you could certainly see him the big leagues soon after.”
Former Player: “(Laughs) Oh man. He’s one of those kids you can’t help but just go ‘wow.’ When you’re throwing 104, he’s wild enough where no one is going to be comfortable in the batter’s box and I don’t think that’s a bad thing. It reminds me of (Andre Munoz) in Seattle, that kind of stuff. His slider and his cutter – or sweeper and his cutter, that’s the terminology now – he can throw those for strikes and there’s enough movement. If I’m a right-handed batter, I don’t think I’ll ever get close to being comfortable in the batter’s box. He’s got that kind of movement and when you throw that hard with movement like that – and his body, and I kind of joked around and told some people he kind of reminds me of just a little smaller version of Noah Syndergaard. His body has a chance to be strong for a long period of time and that role he would be in. I would not be surprised if he’s pitching in some big moments this year that quickly even though he has very limited professional innings, but with an arm like that you ride him because he’s that good. He can dominate out of the bullpen.”
Prospect Analyst: "They'll see him up this year at some point. Took huge steps forward, especially from where he was at Rocket City last year. The hard slider/cutter – whatever you want to call that – is really good. When he's on, it's unhittable. When he's slightly off, it's unhittable. When he's bad, he's bad."
 
RANDOM WBC PROSPECT/PLAYER WHO STOOD OUT:
Executive: “Roki Sasaki (laughs). I mean, the arm, the age. Kind of what he did last year – it’s top of the rotation stuff. I know he’s several years away but certainly one to monitor.”
Former Player: “The one kid I really liked was Joey Meseses. Munetaka Murakami from Japan, not that he’s hidden because everyone knows all about him after he broke Sadaharo Oh’s single-season home run record. Especially when you saw him struggle, I mean, he struggled, and he had that big game-winning double that scored Ohtani and other runner to win that game against Mexico. Then he homered against Team USA. That kid, I can’t wait for him to come over to the states as some point, so he’d be my guy right now but it’s not like he’s a hidden jewel. I think a lot of people know enough about him and I’m pretty impressed. Same thing with the pitcher, Roki Sasaki. Pitching against Team USA bringing it, touching 100 with that splitter too.”
Prospect Analyst: "I think the easy answer is Roki Sasaki. That's unbelievable. I want to see him at the Major League level really soon. Beside him, any name from Team Japan. That is a fun team. Also, it was the first time I got to see him play live is Tetsuto Yamada. I think he's really impressive."
 
ANGELS PROSPECT WHO STOOD OUT:
Executive: “I don’t know if Sam Bachman is too easy but kind of just where he ended last year and where he is now. Upper 90’s with two plus secondary pitches. For him he’s right where we want him to be. Coming off last year and seeing the stuff back to where we saw in college, that’s as much as any that stuck out in terms of bouncing back so to speak. Edgar Quero’s bat is for real. He’s gonna get pushed to Double-A. (Our staff) wants to challenge guys and we certainly feel he’s up for it. 20-years-old in that league is not easy so we’ll see there. I think we had several guys who had shown more velocity – Landon Marceaux has shown more velocity. Coleman Crow, same thing. Just improvements there. Intrigued to see what those guys do.”
Former Player: “Two guys. Sam Bachman, I finally got a chance to see him. Again, we know a lot about him but finally seeing him pitch. I’d heard we might see him last year but obviously some injuries slowed him down. He’s a hidden jewel that we might see coming at some point. But Osmy Gregorio, the kid, my God, he can fly. His throw across the diamond with the broken bat, he didn’t even flinch. The barrel of the broken bat went flying by him and he threw the ball to first like 83 miles per hour. Off balance throw. And the way he runs and good enough approach at the plate. I like that kid a lot – I mean, a ton. Watching him run, I haven’t seen – especially with the game now where you might see the stolen base become a legit threat – that kid, I like a lot, a ton. Just seeing him walking around the field at Angel Stadium the last couple of days, I’m like, ‘Yeah, he’s not overwhelmed.’ You could tell he likes his big moments so Gregorio would be my guy out of nowhere. Even seeing him in Spring Training and then seeing him on the big stage going against the Dodgers. I know it’s a Spring Training game but still, that speed plays. He went from first-to-third in 7.4 seconds. That’s unreal. Also, Victor Mederos is going to be a beast on the mound. He’s going to be real good. Watched his bullpens. He has some serious upside.”
Prospect Analyst: "Mickey Moniak was a standout for sure. Very impressive but again, he's done it in the past. Osmy Gregorio, actually. I've seen him in the minors before. Someone to keep an eye on. All the tools are there. Interested as to why he hasn't gotten an opportunity in other places before. Just someone I'll keep an eye on."

By David Saltzer, AngelsWin.com Senior Writer
I haven’t been writing much, but that doesn’t mean that I haven’t been watching Angels baseball. I’m a diehard Angels fan. Win or lose, I follow my team. And, when you are really not feeling well, there’s no better medicine than a good Angels game.
As I reflected on the Angels Spring Training so far, I came away very impressed! We had a very good spring. And, I’m not just talking about our Win-Loss Record (which at 18-11 led the Cactus League).
There was something more about our spring training that got me excited. Reflecting back on all the games, at bats, innings pitched, etc., we had a very good spring training.
Thinking over our Top-30 Prospects, we saw a lot of them take a moderate or large step forward in their game. Players came in a lot more hungry and were performing at in-season levels. More players in our organization took steps forward, and that made the games far more exciting to watch.
Looking over each game, it was easy to see how impressive many of the players were. While I won’t name all the players who made big impressions, Joyce and Neto are two examples of guys who really came into camp far more advanced than advertised. They opened some eyes, along with many others.
And then, it dawned on me: Maybe this is finally a true Perry Minassian team. We never got a full answer to that question, but it seems that the writing is clear as to what he wants: a mix of stars and depth.
All during the offseason, the narrative has been that the Angels were going to raise their “floor” by signing lots of depth pieces. The problem with the Angels in the past has been our over reliance on our stars to carry us through the season. If any of them got hurt, we were essentially eliminated.
So, rather than signing a star shortstop, such as Trea Turner (assuming that he would sign with us),  we traded for and signed players like Urshela, Renfroe, Drury, etc.
The whole offseason narrative came down to a focus on raising our floor for wins and to fill in depth rather than raise our high end performance. It was as if raising the floor came at the expense of raising the ceiling. That’s a false dichotomy. Raising the floor can and does raise the ceiling for the team.
When it comes to potential, there are at least two components to it. First, how high is one’s potential. Second, how likely is that person to hit his/her potential.
This offseason, Perry brought in many players, all of whom have playoff experience. We all know that the Angels, including Trout, haven’t been to the postseason since 2014. We have a young team, so bringing in some veteran leadership will go a long way towards helping our younger players succeed more on the field.
At the same time, all of the players that Perry brought in can play multiple positions. Flexibility is key to this team.
This is going to help us a lot with the balanced schedule. In the past, the Angels would use games up until June to see what was working and what wasn’t working. With a balanced schedule, and fewer games against divisional rivals to take matters into our own hands, every game counts—and counts a lot more than early games did in the past.
It also allows us to rest more players throughout the season to keep them fresh. Rather than pushing through minor injuries, our players can take a day or two off.
This means we need players to play with urgency to maintain their playing time. And that’s exactly what we saw this spring. With all of our Swiss Army knife players, we can mix and match whomever is hot or has the best record against an opponent. If a player is struggling, he will quickly lose playing time. Unlike last year, playing time is not guaranteed for many players. Performance will dictate their time.
And this is where the big step forward with our farm comes into play. Having more depth in the upper minors (unlike in the lower minors for so many years), we can quickly replace an arm or fielder. We don’t have to put up with sub-replacement level play. We can make a trade for a playoff drive.
So maybe this is the future of Angels baseball under Perry Minassian: a team with a lot of flexibility, good pitching, and a strong farm. Sadly, the person most likely to appreciate this team the most is Mike Scioscia—with all this flexibility, he could finally have a season with 162 different lineups!
The Angels team that I saw in Tempe this year reminded me of the teams I saw in 2004-2009—some of the best teams in franchise history. If that’s the case, I’m very excited for Angels baseball in 2023.

The Only Numbers that Truly Matter?
I love numbers.
The numbering system has provided a strong foundation for human knowledge dating back thousands of years. The Mesopotamians used it. The Egyptians used it. The Greeks used it. Indian and Arabic cultures used and improved it. And so on and so on and so forth.
Numbers, calculations, theories, and formulas have contributed to many advancements in a truly diverse set of fields from farming and irrigation, construction, the automobile and airline industries, medicine, the electronics industry, and spaceflight. All of these fields, and many more, were developed, advanced, and improved upon, by the foundation of the mathematical system. Numbers are the underlying framework of fact-based, proven theories across virtually every aspect of human existence.
This also includes baseball, which aggressively uses numbers. This is probably, in part, why I love both numbers and baseball.

Cartoon Excerpt from BaseballSavant.MLB.com
The basic science of hitting a baseball is one of the fundamental principles of rocket science (trajectory analysis). The vertical drop a baseball experiences once it leaves the pitcher's hand (Newton’s Laws), and the spin imparted by the tips of their fingers (rotational energy and airflow resistance and friction) also have their place in dynamics analysis across many scientific fields of study.
Baseball is numbers. Baseball is science. Baseball is grounded in facts. Baseball is both predictable and, strangely at times, unpredictable (especially when Joe West is the home plate umpire).
In fact, this is probably a love that I share with Los Angeles Angels owner Arte Moreno. In advertising, numbers are constantly used, whether it is the number of impressions a particular ad generates or how much revenue an advertising campaign makes, for example. Moreno understands numbers not only in advertising, but also in relation to the finances of baseball.
And, as we will discuss, Arte will be faced with a critical decision that will potentially impact the franchise’s future numbers, across the board, for years to come and will reveal whether the Angels are a pretender or the true and rightful kings to the Los Angeles throne.
So, welcome to the 2022 Angelswin.com Primer Series, where we will use the numbers of baseball, in particular the numbers of the Los Angeles Angels, to understand where the Halos have been and where they will go in preparation for the 2022 campaign.
Angelswin.com will look at the facts, examine publicly-made statements and other valid sources of data, infer information, make reasoned speculations, and attempt to expand our knowledge of what the 2022 Angels team will look like and what steps they need to take to turn their fortunes around.
Everyone strap in.