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Chuck

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  1. Chuck

    The Power of Shohei Ohtani

    By Chuck,


    Blog
    By AngelsWin.com's Chuck Richter, David Saltzer
    When the Angels signed Shohei Ohtani in December, 2017, they knew that they were getting a special player. How special, though, remained to be seen. They knew he had a power arm and a power bat, but no one in a century had combined both in a full season of baseball. 
    This year, Ohtani is having an unprecedented year. Fans are literally seeing history made every night, whether it’s through his hitting or his pitching. Sometimes it’s with both.
    But the power of Ohtani extends far beyond the field. Not only does he have a massive American following, he has the power to draw fans from all over the world.
    One of those fans is gal from Japan that we had the privilege of talking to. She goes by the handle Pikichin on Twitter. She was traveling throughout Africa at the time when she decided to come to see Ohtani play in the states.
    When she first came to see Ohtani, she had heard about his successes, but “I was just rooting for him and didn't have the passion to call myself a fan.”
    All that changed on July 26, the first time she saw Ohtani play. “I was waiting for him to appear at the front of the bullpen, so the first time I saw him was about 3 meters away. I knew he was a great player, so I left it at that. I was amazed at his height, style, small face, and long legs. I was also surprised to see the cheers from the local fans when he appeared in the bullpen.”
    During the game, Ohtani pitched 7 strong innings, striking out 5, and only allowing 5 hits and one earned run. More importantly, he went 1 for 4 at the plate, hitting a homerun. And that got Pikichin hooked! “I was able to see him hit a home run, and I became more and more of a fan when I saw him being cheered on by not only the Angels fans, but also by the fans of the opposing team.”
    So she stayed for another game. And another. Ultimately staying for 19 games, including a doubleheader.
    Throughout her time watching Ohtani, Pikichin brought a sign to every game. It’s been featured during broadcasts and on the Jumbotrons in multiple stadiums and fans have asked her what it means. Since the Olympics were held in Japan, and Ohtani wasn’t on the Japanese National Team, her sign reads “Ohtani san, I'll give you a gold medal.” She wrote that because she said “he had done much better than winning a gold medal at the Olympics in MLB.”
    The response from the fans to her signs has been tremendous. Fans will tell her "Cool! I love it!!” And, because she was often on the Jumbotron everyday, she was often greeted by fans saying “I know you!”
    Her instant celebrity status led to her meeting many people and becoming friends with many more. She ended up going to games with fans that she met, staying in hotels with them, and visiting other tourist destinations in the various cities she visited.
    While Ohtani can dominate on the mound, Pikichin loves watching him hit. “The home run, which is easy for anyone to understand, attracts not only me but also many Japanese who are not so familiar with baseball.”
    Her highlights include seeing Ohtani hit four home runs, numbers 36-39. “Hitting a home run is of course a difficult thing to do, but in Ohtani san's case, he hit the ball as if it was a normal hit, and it became a home run, which was impressive.” Pikichin believes that Ohtani will end up with 48 homeruns for the season.
    There are many small things that Ohtani does that Pikichin loves. For example, she loves how he hands his batting gloves to the ball boy rather than drop them on the ground like other players. She enjoys seeing him being respectful and talking with other players when on base.
    What Pikichin loves most is how Ohtani has been cheered and celebrated by fans across America. When he’s warming up in the bullpen, fans cheer. And, when Ohtani hits a home run, “the whole stadium cheers in unison, friend or foe, and it makes me very happy and excited to see that one Japanese person has excited many Americans.”
    Pikichin believes that Ohtani has one more power that is needed now more than anything. She believes that Ohtani provides hope for the world during Covid. “In Japan, people are wondering, ‘How many people are infected today?’ ‘It's increasing again...’ However, since Ohtani san’s success, we have been hearing things like, "He hit his 40th home run today!! ‘How many more can he hit!?’ The more Ohtani san plays, the more people smile under their face masks.”
    Because of her time following the Angels and Ohtani, Pikichin became familiar with other Angels greats, such as Mike Trout. As she put it, “Japanese baseball fans know very little about players on teams that don't have Japanese players, so thanks to Ohtani san, Trout became known to them. After that, Japanese fans who learned about Trout's success. And said, "If Trout had been here, Angels might have won..." at games where the Angels lost!”
    What Pikichin would like to see most with Ohtani is a showdown with Yu Darvish—a classic battle of two Japanese stars.
    For the season, Pikichin wishes that Ohtani wins the MVP Award. And “I want him to stay injury free and continue to be active in the MLB, and continue to give hope to Japan, a country that has so much dark news.”
    If there is any baseball player who can provide hope to Japan and the world, it’s Ohtani, “the pride of Japan.”
    For our full interview with Pikichin conducted by our own founder & executive editor, please read below.
    AngelsWin.com: When did you become a baseball fan, and a fan of Shohei Ohtani? Was it in Japan or after he signed with the Angels and you watched him play in the states?
    Pikichin: It was when I saw him play in the US. I had heard about his successes, but I was just rooting for him and didn't have the passion to call myself a fan.
    AngelsWin.com: Was it a particular game or play that stood out for you by Ohtani that really made you a big fan of us?
    Pikichin: The first game I watched was on July 26, the day Ohtani san was pitching. I was waiting for him to appear at the front of the bullpen, so the first time I saw him was about 3 meters away. I knew he was a great player, so I left it at that. I was amazed at his height, style, small face, and long legs. I was also surprised to see the cheers from the local fans when he appeared in the bullpen. After that, I was able to see Ohtani san a pitcher and hitter, in person, I was able to see him hit a home run, and I became more and more of a fan when I saw him being cheered on by not only the Angels fans, but also by the fans of the opposing team.
    AngelsWin.com: So, when did you decide it was time to go see Shohei Ohtani in the states? 
    Pikichin: It was June of 2021. I was in Africa at the time, but I saw the news of Ohtani san’s home run on my timeline on SNS every day, and I decided to go to the U.S. because I wanted to see a Japanese person active in the world with my own eyes.
    Due to the time difference, the game was played early in the morning Japan time, so I was impressed by the fact that many people said that their routine was to wake up in the morning and check for Ohtani san’s home run.
    Once I returned to Japan, I would have to go through a two-week self quarantine, and it would be difficult to go overseas again, so I decided to stop by the U.S. before going back to Japan.
    Also, if I was going to go there, I wanted to bring a sign to show my support, so I talked with my friends and followers and decided to bring a sign that said, "Ohtani san, I'll give you a gold medal.”  At the time, the Tokyo Olympics were being held in Japan, and the Japanese baseball team defeated the U.S. to win the gold medal. Although he was not a member of the Japanese national team, I wanted to give him a gold medal because he had done much better than winning a gold medal at the Olympics in MLB.
    AngelsWin.com: How much planning went into the trip?
    Pikichin: I took a one-way ticket from Kenya and planned to return in about two weeks. I bought a flight ticket to go back on August 2nd just after the home game ended, but I couldn't get the format for the PCR inspection required to enter Japan because it was Sunday.
    I was going to stay a few days longer and return home, but a friend in Japan gave me money for a flight ticket to Dallas to support Ohtani san, so I decided to stay longer and go to Dallas. After that, I went back to LA and went to Dodger Stadium, then back to Angel Stadium, and ended up staying there for a month.
    AngelsWin.com: How many games did you attend, and which stadiums did you see Ohtani play in?
    Pikichin: I watched 19 games.
    7/26-8/1 6 games @Angel Stadium
    8/2-8/4 3 games @Globe Life Field
    8/5-8/7 3 games @Doger Stadium
    8/10-15 7 games @Angel Stadium *10th is a double header
    I took a picture in front of the stadium every day. There are pictures in the tree of this tweet.
    AngelsWin.com: What was your favorite city and thing to do outside of watching Ohtani at the baseball park when you were in the states? 
    Pikichin: I did sight-seeing in each city. In Anaheim, I visited Disneyland and Adventure World. In LA, I went to Universal Studios Hollywood, the museum in downtown, Little Tokyo, The Little Bookstore, Huntington Beach, and Santa Monica.
    In Dallas, I dressed up as a cowgirl at the Stockyards and rode the Longhorn Cow.
    I've been to many places, but my favorite is Universal Studios. I went there with a girl who was a fan of Ohtani, whom I met at the ballpark and became friends with. It was much bigger than the Universal Studios in Japan, and there were many attractions that were very powerful, and I couldn't ride all of them, so I would like to go back again.
    AngelsWin.com: What was your most memorable game or moment by Ohtani that you witnessed live during your time in the states?
    Pikichin: I was able to see four home runs, No. 36-39. Hitting a home run is of course a difficult thing to do, but in Ohtani san's case, he hit the ball as if it was a normal hit, and it became a home run, which was impressive.
    When Ohtani-san batted, not only the Angels fans but also the fans of the opposing team cheered loudly, calling him MVP, and the whole stadium cheered for him; he is the pride of the Japanese people.
    AngelsWin.com: Were you able to meet any Angels fans and Ohtani fans from Japan? If so, tell us a little bit about those encounters. 
    Pikichin: When I'm watching the game by myself, fans around me call out to me. What does that sign say? When I explained that it said, "Ohtani san, I'll give you a gold medal.” Many fans complimented me, saying, "Cool! I love it!!” Also, since I was on the big monitors every day, I was often greeted with "I know you!”
    All the fans were kind to me, giving me foul balls and balls that the players threw to me in the inning.
    I was also approached by a woman who was a fan of Ohtani san at the ballpark, and we had dinner together after the game, and she took me to where I was staying, and we became good friends. When we went to Dodger Stadium to watch the game, we stayed in the same hotel room and also went to Universal Studios together.
    I also made friends with other local fans and watched the game with them on different days.
    The staff at the ballpark was also very kind. When I went to the customer center, they asked me about the medal I had around my neck and when I told them I was going to Dallas tomorrow to cheer for the team, they took me to the back room and gave me a giveaway sweatshirt from Ohtani san’s Rookie of the Year campaign!
    AngelsWin.com: What part of Ohtani’s game excites you the most? His hitting, pitching or base running?
    Pikichin: Hitting. The home run, which is easy for anyone to understand, attracts not only me but also many Japanese who are not so familiar with baseball.
    When Ohtani san hits a home run, the whole stadium cheers in unison, friend or foe, and it makes me very happy and excited to see that one Japanese person has excited many Americans.
    AngelsWin.com: Does Ohtani have a big following in Japan from baseball and non-baseball fans alike?
    Pikichin: Every day, there are reports on Japanese TV news that "Ohtani has hit a home run No. XX" and many sports programs feature him. Even Japanese people who are not baseball fans think that Ohtani is an amazing player. In fact, many of my followers were Japanese who were not interested in baseball, but I received replies from them saying, "Thanks to Pikichin, I know he is a great player," "I want to support him," and "I want to actually see him at the stadium.
    AngelsWin.com: What are the fans of his in Japan saying about his 2021 MVP season?
    Pikichin: This is the only "HOPE" for the Covid-19.
    In Japan, people are wondering, "How many people are infected today?" "It's increasing again..." However, since Ohtani san’s success, we have been hearing things like, "He hit his 40th home run today!! "How many more can he hit!?” The more Ohtani san plays, the more people smile under their face masks.
    AngelsWin.com: How many home runs do you think Ohtani will hit this season?
    Pikichin: 48 home runs!
    The Japanese media is featuring  50 of them.
    AngelsWin.com: Your favorite story that you heard of Ohtani from someone in Japan or in the United States that isn’t public knowledge?
    Pikichin: I heard a rumor that Ohtani san wanted to live in a house within walking distance to the stadium, but he gave up because the people around him were very much against it. I thought that's how much he loves baseball.
    I didn't hear any other stories about Ohtani san that hadn't been made public. I think his mysteriousness is one of the reasons for his popularity.
    I'm sure it's public knowledge, but here are some of my favorite episodes of Ohtani san that I saw at the ballpark. Many players drop their bats and elbow guards on the ground after getting a hit, but Ohtani san hands them to the ball boy. Ohtani san is polite enough to hand the bat to the ball boy with the handle facing the ball boy.
    If there is small trash on the ground, he picks it up and puts it in his pocket.
    He was happily chatting with Guerrero Jr. at first base as they battled for MVP.
    The day after the game was off, both Ohtani san and Ippei san had their hair cut, and I think they are really close to each other that they go out and go to the hair salon together even on their days off!
    AngelsWin.com: What do those who you talk to in Japan say about the Angels as a team in general? Do people realize that when Mike Trout is healthy the Angels will essentially have two of the best players in baseball on the same team in the entire world?
    Pikichin: "The Angels have Ohtani, so why are they weak?" they said. In Japanese sports news, after reporting on Ohtani san's success, they report that “Also the Angels lost the game”, so I often hear the word "Nao-e" on SNS. “Also the Angels lost the game." In Japanese, this is “Nao enzerusu ha siai ni yabureta”, the first three letters of which are Nao-e. This word is said to have originated from the phrase "Nao-ma" used to describe Ichiro.
    Japanese baseball fans know very little about players on teams that don't have Japanese players, so thanks to Ohtani san, Trout became known to them. After that, Japanese fans who learned about Trout's success. And said, "If Trout had been here, Angels might have won..." at games where the Angels lost!
    AngelsWin.com: Do you record the games Ohtani plays in while in Japan and watch them at a decent hour when you’re available, or do you watch them all live?
    Pikichin: If I'm awake, I watch the game live on a pay-per-view service that I'm subscribing to. When the game is at about 4:00 in the morning, I am asleep and watch the highlights that the service has put together.
    AngelsWin.com: Between Japanese professional baseball and Major League Baseball in the United States, what are some things that are quite different from your perspective? Both from the players and their talent, game play on the field and the atmosphere in the stands as a spectator?
    Pikichin: What surprised me the most was the number of couples and families in the audience. In Japan, many of the spectators at professional baseball games are men. Many people come after work, so there are a lot of men in suits, but I didn't see any men wearing suits in the MLB. Also, in Japan, the first base side is for the home team and the third base side is for the away team, but in the MLB, there is no such rule, so it was refreshing to see the people sitting next to me cheering for the enemy team.
    The way of cheering is also different. In Japanese professional baseball, people use musical instruments to cheer, so we can't hear the sound of the game, but in MLB, people cheer with their voices and applause, so we can hear the sound of hitting and see the game with a sense of realism.
    Also, the distance between us and the players is much closer in MLB. Angel Stadium, in particular, is very close to the field and there are no steps, so the fan service of the players is wonderful.
    In MLB, I think there are many ways to entertain the audience. There are many ways to entertain the audience, such as having a camera come to our seats and show us the game on a big monitor, singing "Take me to baseball" together, and everyone shouting along to Queen's squirrel.
    At Globe life field in Dallas, there are also events where mysterious three characters race and kids run to get the bases, which is fun and exciting for both kids and adults.
    AngelsWin.com: Tell us a little bit about yourself outside of your interest in Ohtani. What does Pikichin do for work, for fun and in your spare time?
    Pikichin: I was working in Rwanda in Africa last year. I loved Africa so much that I finally realized my dream of working in Africa, but I had to go back to Japan because of COVID-19, and my company decided not to do overseas business, so I resigned at the end of last year and am now unemployed. I had to leave Japan because of COVID-19 and my company decided not to do overseas business. Few months later, I had been traveling around Africa to look for a job because it was boring to stay at home all the time with covid-19 in Japan.
    I was planning to go back to Japan after traveling to Morocco, Egypt, Rwanda, and Kenya, but I decided to go to America to see Ohtani san hit a home run.
    My hobbies are traveling, SNS, and photography. The month I spent cheering for Ohtani was the best time for me to travel and take videos and photos of him and upload them to SNS. Normally, I was an African influencer posting information about Africa, but for the past month, I became an Ohtani san influencer and posted information about the charm of Ohtani san. 
    AngelsWin.com: Any big plans to visit again? What are some MLB stadiums that you hope to see Ohtani play in and states/cities that you hope to visit and go sightseeing in?
    Pikichin: I'd like to come back to the U.S. to manage an Angels Fan and Angels' official Japanese Twitter account, as I'm grateful for the real-time updates on Ohtani san's activities and what's going on at the ballpark. There are many Ohtani fans of all ages and demographics in Japan, and many of them are not good at English, so it would be great if I could make a career out of sending out information about him. 
    In terms of pure game watching, I would like to see a showdown with Darvish, who is as popular as Ohtani san in Japan. I would also like to watch a game at the Field of Dreams corn field stadium. It was covered on a TV show in Japan, and there was an interview with a man who looked for a home run ball that went into a corn field. I would like to find a home run ball in a corn field too. 
    Actually, I haven't traveled much in the U.S., so I would like to visit New York.
    AngelsWin.com: If you could hope for one thing for Shohei Ohtani this season (2021) and beyond this season, what would it be?
    Pikichin: I want him to win the MVP award this season.
    After that, I want him to stay injury free and continue to be active in the MLB, and continue to give hope to Japan, a country that has so much dark news.
  2. Chuck
    First off let's just get right to the point. Mike Trout while he's older and will never be the player he was in his younger 20's and prime years, he is not someone that is in steep decline as some have suggest on social media and our community forum, he's just off at this time.
    Let's take a closer look. 
    As you can see below, Trout has been missing, as his exit velocities have been down the last three weeks, but the underlying data is still really strong.

    People have been saying that Mike Trout can no longer hit the fastball, but here's what you need to look at.

    As you can see his xSLG (expected SLG% of 541 on fastballs is a lot better than his actual SLG, and his exit velocities have been pretty much in line with his career numbers off fastballs --  as is his hard hit% as you will see here.
    Year Pitch Type Team RV/100 Run Value Pitches % PA BA SLG wOBA Whiff% K% PutAway % xBA xSLG xwOBA Hard Hit % 2023 4-Seamer   0.6 2 350 46.1 68 .220 .458 .352 31.2 30.9 20.0 .263 .558 .390 52.6 2023 Sinker   -2.3 -2 108 14.2 27 .227 .227 .296 24.0 22.2 27.3 .246 .323 .330 18.8 2023 Slider   5.7 5 90 11.9 26 .417 .708 .498 35.3 34.6 28.1 .269 .499 .352 46.7 2023 Curveball   2.3 1 51 6.7 9 .167 .667 .456 50.0 22.2 20.0 .239 .661 .479 100.0 2023 Sweeper   -2.8 -1 44 5.8 15 .200 .267 .203 23.8 26.7 25.0 .221 .284 .218 36.4 2023 Cutter   3.5 2 43 5.7 13 .417 1.083 .569 22.2 23.1 37.5 .348 .857 .489 80.0 2023 Changeup   3.8 2 41 5.4 11 .500 .600 .505 19.0 9.1 6.3 .544 .791 .581 55.6 2023 Splitter   -1.6 0 23 3.0 7 .167 .167 .229 30.0 28.6 16.7 .200 .225 .260 25.0 2023 Slurve   -11.1 -1 9 1.2 3 .000 .000 .000 25.0 0.0 0.0 .237 .256 .216 33.3 2022 4-Seamer   1.8 16 903 42.9 190 .265 .560 .396 31.0 32.1 20.4 .237 .545 .375 52.8 2022 Slider   1.9 7 355 16.9 78 .292 .694 .431 36.0 26.9 17.6 .253 .573 .376 43.1 2022 Sinker   2.4 8 337 16.0 97 .311 .600 .445 16.7 19.6 27.5 .315 .576 .405 47.9 2022 Cutter   4.2 6 146 6.9 37 .321 .893 .546 24.6 16.2 15.8 .365 .817 .552 59.1 2022 Changeup   3.1 4 143 6.8 41 .324 .757 .473 33.3 24.4 15.2 .298 .659 .437 51.9 2022 Curveball   -0.6 -1 139 6.6 28 .200 .560 .354 41.0 42.9 33.3 .187 .526 .342 53.8 2022 Sweeper   1.6 1 64 3.0 16 .250 .500 .316 45.2 50.0 38.1 .221 .491 .302 75.0 2022 Splitter   -2.6 0 15 0.7 3 .000 .000 .000 44.4 66.7 22.2 .002 .002 .002 0.0 2022 Slurve   -0.5 0 2 0.1   -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- 2021 4-Seamer   3.3 9 271 44.4 57 .419 .744 .546 21.7 22.8 16.7 .328 .703 .497 50.0 2021 Slider   2.5 3 117 19.2 22 .350 .900 .532 46.9 40.9 28.1 .336 .786 .488 45.5 2021 Sinker   -0.4 0 87 14.3 29 .292 .333 .350 8.6 10.3 15.8 .359 .436 .405 61.9 2021 Cutter   1.6 1 53 8.7 11 .333 .556 .480 23.8 18.2 11.8 .336 .450 .408 57.1 2021 Changeup   6.7 2 34 5.6 9 .333 .889 .500 27.8 55.6 26.3 .190 .542 .305 25.0 2021 Curveball   -2.1 -1 28 4.6 6 .167 .333 .208 60.0 66.7 57.1 .194 .291 .204 100.0 2021 Sweeper   -4.4 -1 13 2.1 4 .000 .000 .175 33.3 50.0 50.0 .026 .030 .194 0.0 2021 Splitter   -6.9 0 5 0.8 3 .000 .000 .000 100.0 100.0 60.0 -- -- .000 -- 2021 Slurve   0.0 0 2 0.3   -- -- -- -- -- 0.0 -- -- -- -- 2020 4-Seamer   1.6 7 424 41.4 89 .292 .542 .424 14.8 20.2 12.7 .296 .594 .439 58.9 2020 Sinker   2.1 4 173 16.9 45 .325 .600 .457 13.2 13.3 14.6 .387 .711 .489 50.0 2020 Slider   0.6 1 165 16.1 43 .211 .579 .350 27.9 32.6 21.9 .174 .389 .289 36.0 2020 Curveball   4.8 5 98 9.6 26 .300 .900 .512 34.6 34.6 27.3 .305 .951 .530 58.3 2020 Cutter   1.0 1 91 8.9 17 .250 .500 .391 12.1 29.4 20.8 .240 .502 .335 72.7 2020 Changeup   1.1 1 48 4.7 14 .273 .727 .471 34.8 21.4 15.0 .353 .721 .498 75.0 2020 Splitter   2.7 0 18 1.8 3 .500 .500 .533 25.0 33.3 9.1 .387 .451 .475 100.0 2020 Sweeper   4.3 0 6 0.6   -- -- -- 100.0 -- 0.0 -- -- -- -- Looking at the data it appears it's been sinkers that have been hurting him and looking at his LD and FB rates overall it may be he's simply topping some pitches as his FB rate is a bit down from where it's been in recent years while his LD rate is the highest it's been since 2019.  Normally a strong LD rate is a good thing but in Mike's case it may be a sign of his being just a tad off and not getting his usual lift.
    Mike Trout through the first 40 games played over his career:
    2012: .354/.412/.565
    2013: .293/.364/.549
    2014: .269/.357/.531
    2015: .288/.386/.555
    2016: .320/.408/.567
    2017: .350/.466/.757
    2018: .315/.450/.650
    2019: .278/.449/.541
    2020: .303/.400/.665
    2021: .333/.466/.624 (36 games)
    2022: .319/.425/.674
    2023: .275/.364/.506 (coming into today's May 18th, 2023 game)
    Basically it's a spotty 40-game stretch and he's done this before, only it's happening at the start of the year instead of 40 games in.
    In conclusion we need about 60-70 games of data to see what's noise and what's an actual development.  People tend to be very reactive to traditional stats but it's the predictive stuff we need to focus on that I highlighted above.  We made these arguments regarding Anthony Rendon before he started mashing, pointing to the same exact data.  
    Mike Trout has too much talent, physical ability and an incredible work ethic in a constant effort to improve his game on a daily basis, but like with the best of them, Hall of Famers of yesteryear, they've all gone through tough stretches.
    The GOAT went yard off a 96 MPH four seamer last night up in the zone. Stop worrying and let the man cook. 
    EDIT: As I was publishing this Blog, Mike Trout just went deep again (May 18th, 2023)
    LET TROUT COOK. 
  3. Chuck
    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!
  4. Chuck
    Photo by: Cristina Byrne-Sternberg/Rocket City Trash Pandas
    By Chuck Richter, AngelsWin.com
    September 20th, 2022
    It didn't take Logan O'Hoppe long to make an impression with his teammates and the entire Southern league after the trade that sent Brandon Marsh to the Phillies in exchange for the Angels newly ranked top prospect. Since joining the Trash Pandas on August 4th Logan O'Hoppe ranked first on the team in Home Runs - (11), Runs Batted In - (33), On-Base Percentage - (.484) Slugging Percentage - (.707) and OPS - (1.191). He didn't stop there as in September O'Hoppe was named the player of the month as he led the way offensively for the Trash Pandas hitting .395 with 4 HR, 15 RBI, and a 1.294 OPS.
    O'Hoppe finished the 2022 season with an impressive .283/.416/.544 (.960 OPS) slash line, a 159 wRC+, 26 HR, 78 RBI, 70 walks in 104 games between the Phillies & Angels minor league affiliates in Double-A.
    After meeting with O'Hoppe in person and seeing him on the field doing pre-game drills; he reminded me a lot of a young Mike Trout. Great kid that puts in the work, that's also an incredible athlete, chiseled with lean muscle throughout. The 22-year old just looks like an MLB star in the making.
    Here's O'Hoppe clubbing his 11th home run in 27 games for the Trash Pandas. 
    When I asked which what part of the game O'Hoppe took the most pride in, it wasn't his power or overall offense output, but being behind the plate and game management. O'Hoppe has managed an incredibly dominant Trash Pandas pitching staff since his first game with the Trash Pandas on August 4th. In the 27 games O'Hoppe has started at catcher, the Angels Double-A affiliate has won 22 games.
    Before our interview with O'Hoppe, Rocket City Trash Pandas manager Andy Schatzley was doing some catch & throw drills with the Angels top prospect. 
    Check out O'Hoppe's in-game pop time earlier this season. 👀
    I asked O'Hoppe which player he modeled himself after growing up and which team he was a fan of. Find out if he's still a fan of that same team and well, here's a hint on which team that was that when as a fan in left field, he caught a home run ball off the bat of Manny Machado and threw it back onto the field.
    In our interview O'Hoppe talked about the responsibility of being ranked as the Los Angeles Angels top prospect and how he's ready for it. He reflects on when he was that skinny kid drafted in the 23rd round by the Phillies out of high school, and how that will always be in his head.
    On the topic of rankings, as of today on Sept 20th, 2022 take a look at MLB Pipeline’s Top 100 Prospects. Logan O’Hoppe has the highest OPS (.960) & wRC+ (159) of all the MLB top 100 prospect catchers based on 80 games or more played at the catching position in the 2022 season.
    Rank 1st - Francisco Alvarez: (20 years old) .250/.360/.504 (.863 OPS) 26 HR, 75 RBI, 62 walks, 105 games, 75 at catcher.
    Rank 7th - Gabriel Moreno: (22 years old) .315/.386/.420 (.806 OPS) 3 HR, 39  RBI, 24 walks, 62 games
    Rank 9th - Diego Cartaya: (21 years old) .254/.389/.503 (.892 OPS) 22 HR, 72 RBI, 63 walks, 95 games, 64 behind the plate.
    Rank 20th - Henry Davis: (22 years old) .265/.380/.472 (.852 OPS) 10 HR, 42 RBI, 21 walks, 59 games, 38 games behind the plate.
    Rank 36th - Shea Langeliers (24 years old) .283/.366/.510 (.876 OPS) 19 HR, 56 RBI, 43 walks, 92 games, 79 behind the plate.
    Rank 40th - Kevin Parada (21 years old) .275/.455/.425 (.880 OPS) 1 HR, 8 RBI, 12 walks, 13 games
    Rank 50th - Tyler Soderstrom (20 years old) .265/ .324/.509 (.833 OPS), 28 HR, 99 RBI, 125 games, 47 games at C, 56 games at 1B.
    Rank 66th - Drew Romo (21 years old) .254/.321/.372 (.693 OPS), 5 HR, 58 RBI, 35 walks, 101 games, 57 behind the plate.
    Rank 67th - Logan O’Hoppe: (22 years old) .283/.416/.544 (.960 OPS) 159 wRC+, 26 HR, 78 RBI, 70 walks, 104 games *Second most games played at catcher with 85 from the top catching prospects.
    Rank 68th - Harry Ford (19 years old) .274/.425/.438 (.863 OPS) 11 HR, 65 RBI, 88 walks, 104 games, 54 behind the plate.
    Rank 78th - Bo Naylor (22 years old) .256/.388/.482 (.870 OPS), 19 HR, 61 RBI, 79 walks, 114 games, 95 games behind the plate
    Rank 86th - Austin Wells (23 years old) .277/.385/.512 (.897 OPS) 20 HR, 65 RBI, 56 walks, 92 games, 65 behind the plate.
    *Unranked - Edgar Quero (19 years old) .312/.435/.530 (.965 OPS) 17 HR, 75 RBI, 73 walks, 111 games, 80 games behind the plate
    *Unranked - Endy Rodriguez (22 years old) .317/.406/.580 (.986 OPS) 24 HR, 87 RBI, 60 walks, 119 games, 72 games behind the plate, 17 at 2B, 13 in LF and 3 games at 1B.
    An impressive list of talented catchers on MLB's top 100 prospects list. You could argue that O'Hoppe should be ranked somewhere between Cartaya & Davis and definitely ahead of Gabriel Moreno in their current rankings. It's also worth noting that Angels prospect catcher Edgar Quero who is not currently ranked as a top 100 prospect by MLB boasts the highest OPS (.965) based on the same games played at catcher criteria. Endy Rodriguez is most likely moving to another position.
    I digress...
    Enough of stats and rankings, check out our interview below with the Los Angeles Angels top prospect Logan O'Hoppe, conducted by AngelsWin.com's own Chuck Richter. 
    Here's the full interview transcript for the hard of hearing. 
    AngelsWin.com: Chuck Richter, AngelsWin.com., here with Logan O’Hoppe. How’re you doing, Logan?
    Logan O’Hoppe: Doing well. How are you?
    AngelsWin.com: Good. First off, how awesome is it to be a part of this culture here, this winning culture here in this playoff run that you guys are on?
    Logan O’Hoppe: Yeah, it’s been great. It’s something that I’ve wanted to be a part of for a while. So, I’m grateful I got signed here and grateful that we’ve got this group of guys here.
    AngelsWin.com: Awesome. What will Angel fans come to learn about you, the player and the person?
    Logan O’Hoppe: Yeah, as far as a player goes, I’m going to give everything I have and take pride in doing the little things the right way and giving everything I got every day. You know, I think it’s stuff I can control, and things I’ll continue to take pride in and work on.
    And, as a person, I mean, it’s really baseball—I don’t know why I work so hard. But, you know, I’m just kidding—but, yeah, I feel like I just, again I want to do things that right way and be the best version of myself I can be. So, that’s what I’m going to continue to focus on.
    AngelsWin.com: What part of the game do you take most pride in?
    Logan O’Hoppe: Definitely, behind the plate and game management. It’s a part of my game I feel like that always needs the most work, and that hasn’t changed in my four-year, three-year career—however long it’s been. But yeah, that’s the part I enjoy the most, and the part that I feel like is the most important.
    AngelsWin.com: Yeah. Are you left to your own devices as far as, like, workout, diet, anything baseball related? Or do the Angels have a plan in place for you?
    Logan O’Hoppe: The Angels have a plan. And, obviously, we have our staff here to walk us through it. In the winter, I’ll do the stuff with my trainer back home; his name is Adam Belding [unintelligible 00:01:29]. Shoot, it’s going to be four years now, I think. So, Adam’s great, and he’s been a game changer in my career so far. So, I’m going to continue to work with him in the offseason, and then, hopefully, keep getting a lot out of it.
    AngelsWin.com: Awesome. Do you see a difference in philosophy from the Phillies and Angels?
    Logan O’Hoppe: I do; I do. Yeah, it’s stuff I had to get used to, and it was a—I don’t want to say culture shock; it wasn’t, because it’s still baseball. But it was definitely different, and yeah, I loved it here so far.
    AngelsWin.com: Okay. Who’s impressed you the most here on the club?
    Logan O’Hoppe: I mean, we got such a mixed bag of guys. You know, everybody is—we cover every box that you could imagine. You know, we got different guys with different stories. So, I’ve been impressed just hearing everybody’s story. I don’t want to say one guy in particular. As far as stuff goes on the mound, Chase Silseth’s been pretty eye-opening. He’s probably impressed me the most. And all these go about their work at a pretty professional way. So, I’ve been impressed with the consistency from everybody.
    AngelsWin.com: Yeah. Who do you, kind of, model your game after, big leaguer?
    Logan O’Hoppe: Yeah. I always liked Derek Jeter growing up. So, I still watch him and was all over his documentary when it came out. So, I try to pay attention to things he does. And then—I don’t want to say, ”Be like him.” I want to take things from him that I like to do and, kind of, make it my own. And then take it with me going forward. So, that’s it.
    AngelsWin.com: Do you have a favorite team growing up?
    Logan O’Hoppe: I rooted for the Yankees. But I played against them too much and got beat them too much in the past four years. So, I’m not a fan of them anymore.
    AngelsWin.com: [laugh] Good. So, you mentioned Jeter. Who was your favorite team growing up?
    Logan O’Hoppe: It was the Yankees growing up—
    AngelsWin.com: Was the Yankees.
    Logan O’Hoppe: —yeah, that was it. So, yeah. Then a huge Ranger fan—
    AngelsWin.com: Ranger, okay.
    Logan O’Hoppe: —hockey guy, too. So, those are—I mean, those were my two teams. Still a Ranger fan now, though.
    AngelsWin.com: Okay. Tell us a little bit about your charity work with Alex’s Lemonade Stand.
    Logan O’Hoppe: Yeah, it started in the beginning of the year. I talked with people in my agency over at Aces, and they were a game changer with helping me get that going. And yeah, today’s the last day. So, I wanted to make a difference as far as cancer as a whole, but specifically, childhood cancer; it’s super close to home. And I’m happy that we got a good thing going, and, I guess, today’s the last day. It’s, kind of, crazy and overwhelming to see the support, and yeah, the support from a bunch of people. I mean, we raised over 25 thousand dollars, so I know that’s not a small number. So, I’m super proud of that, and then just so grateful to have that many people helping and rally around it.
    AngelsWin.com: That’s great. What do you feel like you need to work on to make it to the big leagues?
    Logan O’Hoppe: Again, my game management, like I said before and all aspects behind the plate. I feel like I’ve got to really fine tune those. And at the plate, really, I’m not going to sit here and say, like, I got anything in the game figured out. I know I’ll never have it figured out. But just continue to work, overall, and try to fine tune and polish some things. And I feel like, I guess, I’ll never figure it out, so I’ll just keep working with that. And it will always be a work in progress.
    AngelsWin.com: What’s been your most memorable game to date in your professional career?
    Logan O’Hoppe: That is a tough one. Honestly, it was probably the other night when we clinched, because I know that felt like a playoff game the other night. So, I’m probably a little biased, because it’s so new in my head. And then I love this team here. But yeah, that’s probably the most memorable of the top of my head.
    AngelsWin.com: Great. Okay, quick. Lightning round. Favorite movie?
    Logan O’Hoppe: Bull Durham.
    AngelsWin.com: Bull Durham, good. Favorite song or artist?
    Logan O’Hoppe: Favorite song, I got so many, man. I don’t even have a set answer. I’d say Morgan Wallen, I love—
    AngelsWin.com: I hear that a lot.
    Logan O’Hoppe: —and [crosstalk 00:04:50] is another one. Yeah, Morgan [unintelligible 00:04:52].
    AngelsWin.com: Favorite video game?
    Logan O’Hoppe: I don’t play video games. Everyone’s an X-Box’er, PlayStation in my life.
    AngelsWin.com: [laugh] I don’t either. What’s a perfect day look like for you away from baseball?
    Logan O’Hoppe: Good question. I wake up; I try to get up pretty early. Then I go get breakfast with the family or girlfriend and hang out with them and sit by the pool. I did that on off-days a lot when I was in Pennsylvania. So, hung out by the pool with them and go get a nice dinner. I like to eat a lot, and I like to eat well. So, I’d say that and get to bed at a pretty early hour. I feel like I’m getting old quick. So, yeah, a lot of rest and a lot of food is my ideal day.
    AngelsWin.com: [laugh] Okay, great. When you’re done playing baseball, have you thought about what your next career would look like?
    Logan O’Hoppe: You know what? I haven’t. And I’m a little embarrassed to say I haven’t yet; I need to start thinking about that. I’ve been putting all my eggs in one basket here with this. So, hopefully, it works out because I haven’t thought about anything else, yet. But It’ll come; I’ll find something for sure.
    AngelsWin.com: Just a last question. Circling back to baseball, what does it mean to you to be ranked as the number-one-rated prospect for the Angels?
    Logan O’Hoppe: Yeah, I still don’t believe it, to be honest with you, because, like, like I said before, I think I got drafted in the 23rd round out of high school. And that will always be in my head, and I’ll always feel like that skinny kid coming in to the locker room, you know? So, it really hasn’t hit me yet; I haven’t felt much about it. But I do know that it comes with a lot of responsibility, and I’m ready for it and excited to deal with that. So, yeah, to answer your question, it really hasn’t really hit me yet, but I’m super honored.
    AngelsWin.com: Awesome. Thank you for your time today, Logan. 
  5. Chuck
    By Taylor Blake Ward, AngelsWin.com Columnist
    Tapping into their depth again, the Angels called up Kevin Padlo to fill a corner infield spot with both Anthony Rendon and Gio Urshela going to the injured list, with that depth becoming a key focus for the Angels success in 2023, both over the previous winter and with the upcoming trade deadline.
    Padlo becomes the 20th player of 48 the Angels have used in 2023 that was not originally on the Opening Day roster, which isn't uncommon, but was another sign of the depth built by Perry Minasian and his staff over the winter, both internally and externally.
    "We're definitely being tested, right?" Minasian said on Tuesday. "If you look out there at what we had Opening Day and what we have out there today -- it's a lot different. We'll be tested the whole year and that's for every team. Not just us."
    Depth was a vital focus for the Angels over the winter, as well as prior with the amateur draft and trade deadline in 2021 and 2022. Of the 20 non-Opening Day roster players who have received a callup to the Angels this season, 13 entered the organization via free agency, the draft, or in a trade over the past 24 months, with nine joining the club in the last calendar year.
    "We've really dug into the depth quite a bit early in the season," Minasian said. "There's going to be more needs along the way. That's why it takes everybody in the organization to put a club on the field. It's not just about the 26, not just about the 40. You need your player development staff to understand how important it is getting guys ready to play. Your amateur staff to understand how important every pick is and the non-drafted free agents after the draft. You need your international staff to understand how important it is -- I know the players seem far away but they're not that far away in today's game. You definitely need players in quality."
    Holding true to his comments, there has been aggression within the organization when it comes to calling up young players, with a newly revamped bullpen filled with four arms who began the season with the Angels Double-A affiliate, Rocket City Trash Pandas, which doesn't include their primary shortstop, Zach Neto, who is now on the injured list with an oblique injury.
    "It's not how we scripted it early in the year, but again, you have certain plans and things happen. I commend a lot of the guys that have come up and performed and the work our staff has done to identify those players and develop those players."
    The collective group of "Double-A arms" that consist of Sam Bachman, Ben Joyce, Kolton Ingram, and Jose Soriano have seen a combined 3.42 ERA in 23 2/3 innings which includes a blowout debut from Ingram (0.1 IP, 3 ER). That internal depth and production was not present in season's prior.
    "They've pitched well," Minasian noted. "There's going to be ups and downs. We saw it this last road trip. Big time ups for some of the young guys and maybe a couple blips in the radar which is going to happen for any young player. Even veteran players. It's how they respond is what I look at and what's important to me. Being in this room and being with this group -- our bullpen especially -- it's a pretty tight group and (Carlos Estevez) leads that. Whether it's (Chris) Devenski, (Jacob) Webb, or Aaron Loup, they're all very, very important for the younger guys and they've been there and done that and they understand there's not always going to be great days but how you bounce back. That's really, really important from a leadership standpoint.
    Of note, both Joyce and Neto have been placed on the injured list within the past few weeks, with no timetable set for their return. Minasian noted that this could be a vital time for them as teammates, however, who can learn from the experience.
    "I'd love to have them back tomorrow," said Minasian. "Just because they're not on the field doesn't mean they're not a part of the team. They're not going to be there flicking sunflower seeds. I'll tell you that much."
    With Neto, Rendon, and Urshela currently on the injured list, with Urshela being out for a "significant" time according to both Minasian and Phil Nevin, the Angels infield depth has been a focus despite coming into the year looking strong on paper. That depth has seen a flurry of hosts fill injured positions between Jake Lamb, Andrew Velazquez, Michael Stefanic, and now Kevin Padlo. That group, which doesn't include 12-year MLB veteran, Daniel Murphy, has a combined 1,509 Major League games worth of experience under their belt, another item that wasn't seen in season's prior.
    "(Padlo) has swung the bat really well," Minasian commented when asked about why Padlo received the callup over other candidates, particularly: David Fletcher. "When you look at it, we're facing some left-handed pitching here soon. One today in particular. We feel like he's earned it. He played well early, got hurt, came back, played well.
    "(David) Fletcher has played well and I do believe at some point he'll help us. He was out for a significant time with a personal thing where he didn't play for five-six days, but Fletcher is playing well, and I believe he'll definitely help us this year."
    Adding to the depth of their infield, the Angels signed veteran Daniel Murphy to a minor league deal out of Independent Ball in hopes of not only bolstering their depth but also adding leadership to their Triple-A core.
    "(Murphy) played well in Independent Ball and he's a great guy," Minasian said when asked about the signing. "Somebody that had his career -- for me at least -- and still has the passion to play and goes and plays where he plays and performed well. I think he deserved the opportunity to see what he can do in Triple-A. He's been on winning teams before. He's had some pretty big hits in the past. We'll see what happens. Depth. Anywhere we can find depth again."
    While tapping deep into their depth, the Angels have been playing moderately good baseball for the last month while winning 11 of their last 15 games and hovering around a playoff spot, currently holding a wildcard spot on Wednesday morning, five-and-a-half games out of the division lead. Much of that can be credited to the young bullpen arms and depth filling the back end of their lineup while improving the defense.
    "It's the same old adage over the last hundred-plus years, right?" Minasian noted. "You pitch, you play defense, you have a chance. I think our defense has significantly improved in a lot of areas. We're not making the same mistakes we made early in the year, which obviously is beneficial to try and win games and we got some big hits. There's been certain players that have performed at different times and carried us at different times. It's a team, right? That's a good sign of a team which is what we try to build here.
    "The thing I appreciate and respect and like is the consistency the group goes about it. From the manager to the coaches, nobody gets too emotional. Nobody gets too high; nobody gets too low. It's a pretty tight knit group where when somebody is struggling to a certain extent -- like everybody will over the course of a season -- guys are looking forward to the opportunity to pick that player up, or that coach, or that manager. Everybody has bad days in general so that's good to see."
    With their current position in the standings, a focus for the Angels is the trade deadline. Coming with the territory of the trade deadline this season, and some prior, is the looming factor of Shohei Ohtani's impending free agency. Minasian made a direct comment in an indirect style about any potential trade of Ohtani up-to-and-before August 1.
    "Watch us play and where we're at in the standings. I've said it before, I'll say it again. We like him. We hope he's here a long time. I think it's pretty self-explanatory with where we're at."
    So, what exactly are the Angels looking for at the deadline?
    "Everything," Minasian said with a smile. "It's more about us and how do we become the most complete team we can and how to win games in different ways. There's times where you're swinging the bat really well and times you're not. Those are the times you really need to play defense and move runners and do small things. Not necessarily comparing ourselves to anybody else. It's hard because things change by the day. What you have today might not be what you have tomorrow. As much as you plan -- guess what? Plans change. So, you have to be able to adjust and understand the landscape. For me it's any way to get better. If there's an opportunity to improve -- again, I know it's a general answer but I'm being honest whether it's offense, whether it's bullpen, whether it's defense, whether it's pitching rotation wise, whether it's improving the bench, whether it's improving our Triple-A and Double-A depth, we'll look at all suitors."
    Minasian jokingly noted during his press conference how tight games have added to the grey hair he's accumulated over the year. However, with the Angels in a position to capitalize on their current standings status as we enter the halfway mark of the season, with an impending postseason berth, Minasian gave attention to the depth of the organization and those that helped create and identify that depth, giving praise to Derek Watson (Pro Scouting Director), Tim McIlvaine (Amateur Scouting Director), Joey Prebinski (Farm Director), and Brian Parker (International Scouting Director).
    "As a group there's obviously a lot of work done behind the scenes that people aren't privy to see. Decisions made and certain things that change careers or change organizations. These jobs are 24/7/365. Anybody that's in these jobs that are so competitive and there's so many intelligent people that have a passion for the game. You have to be somewhat of a lunatic to be honest with you. I fit that profile pretty good."
    In the middle of a pivotal season for the Angels franchise, the hopes can only lean to that "somewhat of a lunatic" passion for the game can add to the depth and building of the Major League roster and a potential postseason appearance.
  6. Chuck

    Manfreded, Again

    By Chuck,


    Blog
    By David Saltzer, AngelsWin.com Senior Writer
    Dear Rob,
    We don’t know each other, but we should meet. You are the Commissioner of Baseball, and I’m a lifelong baseball fan and diehard Angels fan. I’d love to invite you to my Angels seats, and we can discuss the state of the game over a beer or two. 
    Sometimes it seems like we live in similar worlds. I get that baseball, like all things, evolves over time. The game played today is not the same as it was when I was a kid. New analytics have changed how teams are constructed and how players are used. For example, we probably won’t see another 300-game winner because of how teams use of bullpens these days,
    Over the past few years, you’ve made a lot of changes to the game I love. Several of these changes, I can get behind, as a fan because they restore balance to the game. Case in point: banning the shift. Modern day analytics had so changed the game, that it was affecting the enjoyability of the game. Too many outs were made due to the shift and the inability or unwillingness by teams and players to overcome it. Something had to be done, and banning the shift was a good idea. 
    Other times, though, it seems like you and I are living in entirely different worlds. There is probably no bigger area where we are not in alignment than with the ghost runner in extra innings. You say you like the rule, but did you honestly survey the fans, particularly the hard-core fans, the ones who make up most of your season ticket holders, merchandise buyers, etc.? Because if you did, I would love to meet the fans who like this rule since I can’t find anyone who really supports it. No one in my section with season seats likes the rule; in fact, I can say with certainty that everyone hates it. And it is easy to understand why it is so hated. 
    The ghost runner rule is bad for baseball. It violates two of baseball central tenants, and as such, is antithetical to the game. 
    First, the ghost runner rule violates the drama and story of baseball to the point that it alters the game in an unfair way. Take today’s Easter Sunday game between the Angels and Blue Jays. The Angels took an early 6-0 lead, only to fall behind 10-6. 
    Going into the bottom of the 9th inning, the Angels were still losing 10-7. However, in the bottom of the 9th, the Angels came back to tie the game up at 10-10. The momentum had once again shifted. Like an Easter miracle, the Angels offense came back to life to score 3 in the bottom of the 9th. The fans were on their feet, cheering their team on—the excitement and momentum were with the Angels, and if you were in the ballpark, you would have felt it. 
    In most cases, the Angels should have gone on to win. However, the top of the 10th rolled around, and a runner for the Blue Jays ran out to second base. Why? He hadn’t gotten a hit. He hadn’t gotten a walk. He wasn’t even hit by a pitch. So, what’s he doing on second base?
    Suddenly, the Blue Jays, who were seemingly on their way to losing, suddenly got new life. They didn’t earn it; they were given it by a rule—your rule. With all due respect, why are your rules affecting the outcome of my team’s games?
    When the 10th inning began, fans in the stadium knew that the Angels were in trouble because of the ghost runner. While just moments before they were up on their feet in the bottom of the 9th, they were suddenly chilled seeing the Blue Jays with a runner on second base. No true baseball fan can support a rule that has that much of an effect on the momentum and energy of a game.
    The second central tenant of baseball that the ghost runner violates is that when baseball does lean towards one team in the rules, it invariably leans towards the home team. The ghost runner rule, unfortunately, completely turns that around and favors the visiting team. That’s bad for business. 
    As the Commissioner of Baseball, you know that we, the fans, are the extra player on the team. You know the importance of homefield advantage. According to this article, the homefield advantage has held steady in baseball at about 53%. Since the homefield advantage is clearly a part of the sport, rules that alter this advantage are antithetical to the game. 
    Worse yet, the ghost runner—your rule—completely alters how the visitors and home team must play the game to win. According to this article, a team with a runner on second and no outs should expect to score over a run per inning. That gives the advantage to the visitors as they should expect to take the lead and the home team should expect to have to come from behind again just to tie the game! That’s a distinct disadvantage for the home team and goes completely against one of the central tenants of baseball! 
    The evidence seems to bear this out. According to this article, through 2021, home teams went from having the expected 53% winning percentage at home to over a 53% losing percentage in extra inning games! 
    How can this be good for business? Don’t you and the other owners overall want the fans in the stands to walk away happy from the ballpark? Isn’t that why the homefield advantage is encouraged? Isn’t that why you had the homefield advantage for the World Series depend on which league won the All-Star Game for so many years?
    Please don’t listen to the echo chamber in the media. Reporters speak to the fans, but invariably, they don’t speak for the fans. They have a different take on the ballgame than fans do. Ending a game early let’s them meet their deadlines and get home earlier. They’ve had a long day, and with editors trying to get papers out, the pressure to get something written is tremendous. We like free baseball. 
    And I understand why players and managers are comfortable with the rule. They’ve had long days, and don’t want to have to juggle rosters and manage workloads during a rare multi-inning extra inning game. With the ever-changing CBA, it becomes more challenging for teams to manage all of this. 
    But, again, that’s something that we fans would understand. All the rules in the CBA may prevent a minor leaguer from coming up. Or it may lead to a difficult decision on the 40-man roster. While that may have real world implications for players, and make life challenging for coaches and managers, that is part of their line of work. We deal with that in our jobs everyday too. 
    More importantly fans understand how a long extra inning game can affect a team through a series and over a week or two. But that’s part of the drama and story of a season. We accept that. If anything, we like challenges like that (if we are being honest with ourselves) because it’s more for us to discuss during a playoff stretch. 
    With an expanded playoff format, we, the fans, will tune into rival team games just to follow how this minutia will affect our team’s chances of making the playoffs. We will track the waiver wire to see who’s available and heavily debate who might get cut from the 40-man roster. We will call into postgame shows to discuss this, just for our team. And, if it happens to a postseason rival, we will double our interest!
    Generating that much interest in the game should be the goal of baseball, the business. You and I both know that baseball is a business first and foremost. So, why are you continuing a rule that goes against your best business interests? Fans like seeing their team win. If you want to attract more fans to the ballpark, don’t make rules that put the home team at a distinct disadvantage!
    Now that we are playing with the pitch clock, the games are markedly shorter. It has a much crisper feel. Fans who want to leave games early, will leave at a set time or inning, regardless. Don’t worry about them. But, for true devotees of the game, an extra inning game that’s shorter in time is way more enjoyable than a 9-inning game that takes longer to play.
    During Covid, fans understood that some things had to change while we dealt with the disease. Covid is over. It’s time to get baseball back to where it was before Covid. We both know that this isn’t real baseball because you didn’t make the rule part of the postseason. If it’s not a good rule when baseball really counts, then it’s not a good rule during the season while we get there.  
    End the ghost runner rule before another home team gets Manfreded again.
     
  7. Chuck
    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.
  8. Chuck
    Interview conducted by Taylor Blake Ward, AngelsWin.com
    The Angels switch-hitting catching prospect from Cuba had a breakout season in Low-A hitting .312/.435/.530 with 17 home runs and 73 walks in 111 games. His advanced approach at the plate is what the Angels are most excited about, as he rarely swings at pitches out of the zone and barrels up mistake pitches. There's not much to dislike in Quero's game at the plate as he showed a good contact rate, power and an excellent eye which ascended him to the top in the California League in OPS at .965. 
    Here's a side shot of Edgar Quero taking BP before last night's contest. 

    Quero also has good speed for a catcher as he stole 14 stolen bases in 20 attempts this season for the IE 66ers. 
    On the defensive side of things Quero possesses a strong arm, he threw out 25% of would be base-stealers (116) this season. From the Angels folks I've talked to he's received praise on handling the pitching staff, giving him a shot at becoming a solid all-around player on both sides of the ball. 
    Look at Quero's emotions after the 66ers got a crucial strikeout in last night's game one of the Cal League Playoffs. 
    You can expect Edgar Quero to shoot up into the 3-5 range in most Los Angeles Angels prospects publications this fall/winter. Baseball America has already recognized the Cuban catcher as the Angels 2022 Minor League Player of the Year. 
    Here's Quero's 17th home run of the 2022 minor league season.
    Without further ado, check out our interview with Baseball America's Angels Minor League Player of the Year, Edgar Quero, conducted by Taylor Blake Ward.

    Here is the full interview transcript below. 
    AngelsWin.com: Edgar Quero, Angels prospect. Thanks to Jeremy Arocho for translating for us. Edgar, just looking at this year, did you expect to do what you did performance-wise this season?
    Jeremy Arocho: [Translating English to Spanish for Edgar Quero] -- Edgar Quero: [Answers interview question in Spanish]
    Jeremy Arocho: [Speaking English for Edgar Quero] His mentality was always working hard in the offseason. He worked hard, and he was just expecting a year like that. And he got it. Pretty good; worked hard.
    AngelsWin.com: And looking at you as a catcher developmental-wise, how do you feel this season went defensively?
    Jeremy Arocho: [Speaking English for Edgar Quero] He’s said that he’s a good catcher. But this year he thinks that he could’ve done a little better behind the plate, and he’s going to work hard for the next season in the offseason, to get ready for the next season.
    AngelsWin.com: Are there any specific changes you made offensively at the plate in your swing?
    Jeremy Arocho: [Speaking English for Edgar Quero] He got the chance to play here last year, like, tight games. And he knew it was a little different, yet I was throwing out the swing a little bit. He was too big, So, this year, he got a chance to come here again, and he’s shoring up his swing. And that’s the big thing that he did hitting-wise.
    AngelsWin.com: Being a part of a winning culture here, you guys being in the playoffs and everything, it’s been a big change for the Angel’s organization to have affiliates winning. What do you think it’s done for you as a player and also for the team, and the guys that are in this organization?
    Jeremy Arocho: [Speaking English for Edgar Quero] He said as a player, to have two teams in the organization be in the playoffs—and everybody’s been working hard on this team since Day One. So, that’s what got us to the playoffs, pitch-by-pitch, and everybody’s just working hard.
    AngelsWin.com: But I know that, you know, when this video comes out, you guys would’ve already known whether you’re still in the playoffs, won a championship, anything like this, but plans for the winter for you?
    Jeremy Arocho: In the offseason in the winter, he’s just going to, after this season, he’s got to go in Instructional League and start getting ready for next year. And after that, he’s flying to Miami, and he’s going to keep working hard there, just working on his game.
    AngelsWin.com: Okay. Graciąs, muchos graciąs.
    Edgar Quero: Thank you.
     
    Editors note:  It didn't make it through the translation, but both times he was asked about his off-season and future plans he basically said "after we get our rings this season"...  Basically he was speaking very positively about the 66ers postseason hopes.  Its pretty cool to see a guy speak with that sort of confidence.  He was also very clear that while he considers himself a good catcher, he's no where near satisfied with where he is defensively and stated he knows the areas he needs to work on.  
    Kid comes across like a hard worker/straight shooter.... There wasn't any real effort to say the right things, he was very straightforward, very concise. 
    From zero catching prospects to two .... Not too bad.
  9. Chuck
    By @Inside Pitch, AngelsWin.com Senior Analyst
    Most people here will likely want to skip this, it's stat nerd heavy, but if you are interested in stuff like that you'd be well served to read this excellent article at FG...
    https://library.fangraphs.com/pitching/stuff-location-and-pitching-primer/
    This post leans heavily on the information in this article but for anyone not wanting to read the long form or that doesn't want to have to look at a bunch of graphs you can basically focus on these three excerpts/summaries on the three major pitch modeling components.
    Stuff+
    Stuff+ looks only at the physical characteristics of a pitch. Important features include, but are not limited to, release point, velocity, vertical and horizontal movement, and spin rate. A pitcher’s secondary pitches are defined based on their primary fastball — with “primary” defined by usage in an outing — and so are judged by velocity and movement differentials along with raw velocity and movement numbers. The model also includes “axis differential,” a statistic that attempts to describe the difference between the movement expected by spin alone and the observed movement affected by the phenomenon described as seam-shifted wake.
    Stuff+ was trained against run values, so even if the research community is divided about how much a pitcher can control weak contact, the model includes an inherent nod to the possibility that they do possess some of that ability.
    Location+
    Location+ is a count- and pitch type-adjusted judge of a pitcher’s ability to put pitches in the right place. No velocity, movement, or any other physical characteristics are included in the statistic. A breaking ball should go to different parts of the strike zone in 2-0 and 1-2 counts, and Location+ captures that phenomenon. Stringer-based command statistics that attempt to judge what a pitcher was intending to do with each pitch do not add predictive value to those models, so Location+ only looks at actual locations and implicitly assumes the intent is generally the same across the league in certain counts with certain pitches.
    Pitching+
    The overall model, Pitching+, is not just a weighted average of Stuff+ and Location+ across a pitcher’s arsenal. Rather, it is a third model that uses the physical characteristics, location, and count of each pitch to try to judge the overall quality of the pitcher’s process. Batter handedness is also included in Pitching+, capturing platoon splits on pitch movements and locations.
    So the short version of all the above..  The point of it all is to measure movement/pitch type, location/pitch type, and how well a pitcher does at doing both
    If you have ever wondered why a guy that throws so hard gets lit up so much -- pitch modeling data is where you want to look.  If you wondered how guys can be coasting and all of a sudden a single baserunner can wreck it all -- again, pitch modeling is where you want to look.
    Years ago I waxed poetic about Zach Wheeler despite what the ERA was because WATCHING him pitch it was obvious he was better than his numbers.  For a couple years I mentioned trading either Adell or Marsh in exchange for George Kirby, again because watching him throw.  Now thanks to pitch modeling it's easier to argue that Pitcher A, should be better or will do well in the future.,
    Wheeler ranks number 2 in MLB in Pitcher+, Kirby 3rd among MLB qualifiers.
    So what does this have to do with Lorenzen?
    Last we saw him, he was getting lit up the second half of 2023 -- he ended the season with an ERA over 5.50 after joining Philly and was dropped from the rotation -- awful except maybe it was just fluke results, fatigue, or simply bad pitch selection after swapping teams.
    Stuff + is again the weighted results of every pitch thrown by every pitcher.  
    Stuff+ Averages/Standard Deviations Pitch Type Average Standard Deviation Four-Seam Fastball 99.2 18.3 Changeup 87.2 16.4 Curveball 105.5 16.8 Cutter 102.1 14 Knuckle Curve 110.3 16.4 Sinker 92.5 13.6 Slider 110.8 15.6 Split-Finger 109.6 30.2 Lorenzen pitches graded out like this:
    All FB types 98 (above average), Sinker 82 (below average), cutter 91 (below average) Slider 116 (above average), Curve 104 (above average)*, Change 95 (above average).  There seems to be a disconnect between what the stringers are calling a cutter and what Baseball Savant sees as a cutter because they only show him throwing 22 of them and that's not adding up.  it's likely that his sinker is being mistaken for a cutter and it's driving that grade down.
    The interesting thing about the info above is that if you look at his location+ data you'll see he's been doing an even better job of locating his pitches.. Location is the same for everyone and so -- 100 is league average regardless of the pitcher.  All FB types 100, Sinker 108, Cutter 66, Slider 102, Curve 111, Change 101.  This is where you can start to pick up how good the pitch has been for him.
    Pitching+ Averages/Standard Deviations Pitch Type Average Standard Deviation Four-Seam Fastball 98.1 8.2 Changeup 98.7 8.4 Curveball 103.9 7.2 Cutter 98.6 6.2 Knuckle Curve 104.5 7.2 Sinker 95.4 6.7 Slider 106 6.9 Split-Finger 107.6 10.3 This is probably the most important category -- what he's been able to do when you look at the quality of his stuff and how he's located it...
    All FBs 98, Sinker 100, Cutter 62, Slider 106, Curve 110, Change 102 -- don't look now but that sinker/cutter isn't helping him -- but is it even the sinker???
    Basically Lorenzen has four quality pitches Four Seamer, Slider, Curve, Change but there is some question what that fourth quality pitch may be.
    These are the averages allowed for the individual pitch types at Baseball-Savant.
    Pitch type -- wOBA (number of pitches)
    Four Seamer - .289m (794) 
    Slider - .282, (525)
    Change up - .270, (489)
    Sinker - .338, (277)
    Sweeper - .427 (142)
    Curveball - .962 (28)
    Cutter - .742 (22)
    When you compare his averages allowed from 2022 to last year it seems likely that there there is a large disconnect between what human stringers are charting .vs what statcast is charting.  It seems likely that the stringers are getting the sinker wrong as the averages allowed on it have actually been extremely consistent while the sweeper has seen pretty big swings year to year.

    Whatever.  The point is Lorenzen's actually pitched better than it may seem and most of the predictive data likes him.  Last year was his first time throwing more than 97 inning since 2015, he may have just been gassed.  If it's a tunneling issue that can be fixed, if it was fatigue then one can hope another year of added innings means he can keep pitching well longer.  But he's a relatively fresh arm career wise and he's got quality stuff.
    Plus if the Angels did sign him -- we'd see a lot less spam from our friend, Fredo AKA @Angels 1961.
  10. Chuck
    By Tres Hefter, AngelsWin.com Columnist
    1. There's plenty of offense still. 
    Previously, any time the Angels lost Trout for an extended period of time, it hurt. He was practically the sole above average contributor on a team which also more often than not had several offensive holes.
    In 2017, Trout missed 48 games and Andrelton Simmons was the next best hitter on the team, with a .752 OPS/102 OPS+. The Angels were 15th out of 15 AL teams in OPS with .712...including Trout. In 2018, Mike missed 'only' 22 games, but Ohtani (151 OPS+) and Upton (121 OPS+) helped shoulder the load. Simmons was also above-average at 102. In 2019, Mike missed 28 games, Ohtani again provided with a 119 OPS+, followed by Goodwin with 106, Calhoun 105, and a half-season from La Stella's 116 OPS+. So far in 2021, Ohtani, playing more often than ever, is at 156, Walsh is at 166, and Rendon, hopefully due for a resurgence, is at 101. The offense has never been better suited to absorb the loss of Mike's offensive production. If guys like Upton (93), Fletcher (57 now, 117 in '20), Iglesias (85), and Ward (94 in '20) can maintain/return to league average OPS+, they'll be fine, especially if Upton can find a patented hot streak like he did last year. Simply put, this Angels team has sufficient firepower and a very capable offensive floor that has underperformed to weather the loss. Which leads us to...
    2. The Angels should be playing better.
    Plenty of metrics indicate the Angels haven't been very good. Plenty of metrics indicate the Angels also indicate they've been pretty unlucky. Obviously, the offense hasn't been the problem this season - it's been the pitching. The Angels defense has suffered all season long due to Pujols, an unusually error-prone Jose Iglesias, a first baseman playing RF, and Anthony Rendon missing half the season. All of this has contributed to the Angels AL-worst ERA (5.22 entering today) being nearly a full run over their FIP of 4.29. 
    The starting rotation has maintained extremely strong strikeout numbers, Jose Quintana is starting to show some signs of at least tolerable production, Alex Cobb might be back, and Dylan Bundy shouldn't be this bad. Andrew Heaney is Andrew Heaney, and Griffin Canning has started to turn things around after a slow start.
    Chris Rodriguez should be back in the near future. Shohei Ohtani is starting to make frequent, lengthy contributions on the mound. The bullpen is a work-in-progress, but at least efforts continue to be made to reinforce and stabilize by additions such as Strickland and promotions such as Sandoval, Barria, and Quijada offering some signs of improvement and stability.
    3. The schedule breathes a little easier.
    This is particularly true of late - the Angels have had a very tough schedule to open the year. The Angels have played games 29 games against teams that are currently above .500 and only 13 against teams worse than .500. 
    The next eight weeks will see the Angels play 24 games against teams over .500 (including ten against Oakland) and 27 games against teams below .500 (and they're about to win the first of those). Especially important are the games against Oakland and Seattle, each of whom they'll play ten times. A prime opportunity to gain on the division and push the should-be cellar dwellers like Seattle and Texas further to the bottom. Speaking of...
    4. The AL West is still up for grabs. 
    Oakland pulled off a thirteen game winning streak, yet they're only a half-game in first. The Angels do enter today 7 GB, but with ten games coming up versus Oakland, they can bring this division much closer. Houston and Oakland are formidable, but neither are nowhere near the powerhouse teams that have led the division in prior years. 
    The season is still early, the team should have trade currency to work with as they enter July - or to add from within - so simply staying close in the division over the next six to eight weeks should be the goal. 
    5. Don't count out Jo Adell - or Brandon Marsh. Or Mike Trout!?
    Adell might have plenty of holes in his game still, and Marsh only has a handful of AAA appearances, but Maddon has not shied away from pushing young talent early in the year, given how he's handled Ohtani, played Walsh to the point it led to a Pujols DFA, and led to Chris Rodriguez and Jose Rojas making the big league roster. If either talent continues to play well in SLC, either could be in Anaheim in short order, and both bring Top 100 talent and energy to the field. Talent of this kind has increasingly stepped into the MLB spotlight in recent years and flourished, especially under pressure. Opportunity knocks, will either Adell or Marsh take it? This might be exactly the kick in the pants these players, or the whole team, could use to step up and fill in the gaps while Trout is out. 
    ...also worth considering is that Mike Trout is Mike Trout. He's superhuman. He's returned from injury quickly before, and 6-8 weeks could be a worst-case scenario. So sit back, enjoy Angels baseball, and let's see what happens.
  11. Chuck
    Interview conducted by David Saltzer and Tres Hefter 
    Who doesn’t like a blue-collar player? A scrapper. A grinder. The kind of player who leaves it all out there on the field and doesn’t get cheated in an at bat.
    Players like that quickly become fan favorites. They make the team better than their individual stats suggest. Fans connect with them because in many cases, that’s the kind of player they wish that they could be.
    In David Fletcher, the Angels have one of the best blue-collar players in the game right now. He is one of the toughest outs at the plate. He plays great defense at multiple positions. He leads off the game and sets the table for the heart of the order. He doesn’t strikeout often and gives his all on every play. He makes the Angels a better team whenever he is in the lineup.
    We recently had the opportunity to sit down with David Fletcher to talk to him about the 2021 season, his thoughts on baseball in general, and life off of the field. We asked questions from fans that we received on our website, www.angelswin.com, Facebook, Twitter, and from our panel of writers. Along the way we talked about his 26-game hit streak (2nd longest in Angels history and the longest in MLB this season), what it’s like to play for his hometown team, watching Ohtani’s spectacular season, who the best Angels poker players are, and what he’s seeing in the younger players that are making the team.
    David Saltzer: This is David Saltzer and Tres Hefter from AngelsWin.com speaking today with Angels’ infielder, David Fletcher. David, how are you doing today?
    David Fletcher: Doing great. How about you?
    David Saltzer: Doing great. Thank you for taking the time to talk to us. We’d like to talk a little bit about your season, about baseball in general, and then a little bit of life outside of the stadium.
     David Fletcher:  Perfect.
    David Saltzer: I’ll start with some questions about the season. Can you tell us a little bit about the season, how is went from your perspective?
    David Fletcher: Definitely, some ups and downs for us. You know, we had a lot of injuries, obviously. And yeah, I mean, so far, it’s been a little rough up and down, but we’re just going to finish strong and keep showing up to the field ready to win games.
    David Saltzer: In terms of your season this year, you started off a little slowly, and then you went on this amazing hit streak. What really changed for you , and what really clicked so that you were able to really go on that hit streak?
    David Fletcher: I think just, kind of, a natural ups and downs of the game, and just having my timing get a little better, kind of just being more—just being more right at the plate.
    David Saltzer: You know, at the time, your manager, Joe Maddon, was juggling you a little bit in the lineup. How does that affect you as a player to have that adjustment, and what are you trying to do in different spots in the lineup?
    David Fletcher: It doesn’t really affect me much. Pretty much take the same approach whether I’m leading off, hitting second, ninth, wherever. So, I mean, more than anything, just the situation of the game dictates my approach, not really where I’m hitting in the lineup; more so, where the runners are, the score of the game, who’s pitching, things like that.
    David Saltzer: When you were on the hit streak, how aware of it were you that, you know, every day, and what were you thinking as you were going through the hit streak?
    David Fletcher: Yeah, definitely aware of it, and it was exciting. And yeah, I definitely wanted to keep it going as long as I could. So, hopefully, I can start another one soon.
    David Saltzer: You know, you work the count really well; you have a good two-strike approach, stuff like that. Where did you really learn how to do that, and, you know, at the plate, what are you thinking when you’re battling like that?
    David Fletcher:  Yeah. I mean, I’ve always wanted to be a tough out at the plate. And ever since I was little, you know, don’t want to strike out, and wanted to put the ball in play and make it a tough at-bat for the pitcher. So yeah, I’m just up there. You know, when I get two strikes, battling and looking for a pitch I can hit hard and put in play. And that’s about it.
    David Saltzer: Who would you say are the toughest pitchers? And who would you say that you’ve faced, and, you know, what are some of the tricks that you had to try and battle with them?
    David Fletcher: Yeah, there’s a lot of good pitchers in the league. I mean, Gerrit Cole, the guy we recently faced, really good stuff, doesn’t make many mistakes, so you’ve got to, kind of, be ready to put the first pitch you get to hit in play. With him, like I said, just get a good pitch to hit and put it in play and hope for the best.
    David Saltzer: You know, this season, we’re watching something spectacular with the Angels with Shohei Ohtani. What are all the other players in the clubhouse thinking as they’re watching this? And what are you thinking watching what he’s accomplishing?
    David Fletcher: Yeah, I mean, he’s always had the ability to do this. It’s not anything new to any of us that have seen him play the last couple of years. It’s just, kind of, all come together a little bit this year for him on the mound and at the plate. And it’s pretty incredible to watch on a daily basis.
    David Saltzer: You know, lots of fans have, like, bets or things like as to what he can accomplish this season. I have a bet with my cousin that he’ll hit a certain number of home runs and so forth. Do you guys ever make bets or things about, like, what he can accomplish this season?
    David Fletcher: No. No bets and stuff like that. But, I mean, it’s pretty cool to see him pass some of these milestones and most home runs by a pitcher and most, you know, strikeouts and all these things. So, it’s just cool to be out there and watch it.
    David Saltzer: What’s the mood like in the clubhouse? And, like, when you get Trout—and, you know, we’ve seen Villar come back and stuff—what’s it like seeing some of these guys? And what does it do to the clubhouse when you get some of them back in the clubhouse to be there with you guys?
    David Fletcher: Yeah, it’s nice have them in there. It’ll be nice when we get a couple more of those guys healthy and back on the field. So, I’m just looking forward to that.
    David Saltzer: You know, now that you are one of the more seasoned players, what advice are you offering Marsh and Adell and players like that—some of the younger guys? And what are you seeing also in them and then also, some of the younger pitchers that are coming up?
    David Fletcher: Yeah, those guys have a ton of talent. I think for them it’s about, you know, taking good approaches and slowing the game down in big spots and, kind of, just the daily grind of the ups and downs and staying even keel.
    David Saltzer: Tres, do you want to take over?
    Tres Hefter: Yeah, absolutely. Hey, David. Thanks again for taking some time to talk with us. Good luck tonight at the game. My first question: you bounced around the field a little bit with the Angels. You’ve even seen some time in the outfield, and settled in pretty nicely at second base. Do you have a preference where you play or which position or which position you feel more comfortable at?
    David Fletcher: Honestly, I feel pretty comfortable, I mean, this year just playing second and short. But feel comfortable at both. I played short most of my life growing up through high school, college, minor leagues. So, always—always comfortable there, and obviously, played a ton of second base last couple of years. So yeah, I’m feeling good at second and also short.
    Tres Hefter: Great. Is there anywhere it’s been particularly challenging to play, especially, kind of, getting thrown right into the outfield?
    David Fletcher: I wouldn’t say the outfield was challenging, especially coming from the infield. It’s, kind of, a little easier to play out there but definitely different and took a little adjustment on the reading the balls off the bat. But I had fun playing out there in 2019.
    Tres Hefter: You know if you’re still the emergency catcher?
    David Fletcher: I don’t think I am; hopefully I’m not. But [laugh] I have to, I’ll go back there.
    Tres Hefter: Follow on that note, do you feel defensive shifting has taken away some of the reliance on instinct a little bit? Do you feel like shifting might be best limited or banned in the future?
    David Fletcher: That’s a tough question. I don’t think it should be banned or limited. I think it’s a good opportunity for hitters to take advantage of it if they choose to. I don’t think hitters take advantage of it enough. But yeah, I don’t think it’s a bad thing for the game. I don’t think it takes away from many instincts in the field. There’s still a lot of stuff that goes into it. So, I don’t think it should be banned.
    Tres Hefter: Thank you. You’ve now had three different managers in your time with the Angels. How has Joe Maddon impacted the clubhouse most? What’s been the most difference between the three?
    David Fletcher: Yeah, he was the same guy every day when he walks in. Always a positive attitude and a good relationship with all the players and good communicator. So, it’s nice to have him, kind of, be the same guy every day and lead us in that way.
    Tres Hefter: Great to hear. At what point in your career did it, kind of, dawn on you, like, “Holy Cow, I think I might actually make it to the majors.”? Did you ever have moments where you did things like look at your own baseball card or look at yourself in video games or check you baseball reference page and stuff like that?
    David Fletcher: What was the question? When it dawned on me that…?
    Tres Hefter: At what point, as you were coming up, that it, kind of, start to dawn on you that— “My God, I might actually make it.”?
    David Fletcher: I never put too much thought into it. Maybe A ball or maybe double A, started, kind of, climbing the ladder of the minor league and getting closer to the big leagues, so… But I always, kind of, was focused on where I was and just didn’t really put too much thought into the future. And obviously, wanted to play in the big leagues, and that was my ultimate goal. But it never really was showing up at the field every day thinking that.
    Tres Hefter: Right. I remember probably spring training around 2015 or 2016, you had a really great spring. I think that was the moment I, kind of, thought, “Man, this guy is going to make it,” and did.
    Tres Hefter: You proved me right, so thank you for that. [laugh] Feel good about that. How exactly have you been able to maintain such a contact-first approach in a game that’s become so centralized around these three true outcome-type players? Is that something that you’ve stuck with since you were little, and its just carried you this way? Or have you had to, kind of, fight to stay that way?
    David Fletcher: Yeah. It’s pretty natural for me. I, kind of, know what kind of player I am, and what I can bring. And then when the game starts, it’s just up there looking to win games and do what I can to help the team. So, it really doesn’t cross my mind very much at all.
    Tres Hefter: So, it’s comes naturally. But we had the opportunity to interview Rod Carew a couple months back, and he specifically called you out as far as what your skill set was and what it brought to the team and how much it vibed with the kind of baseball that he grew up playing, too. So, I just thought I’d pass that along. So, nice from a Hall of Famer.
    David Fletcher: For sure.
    Tres Hefter: Southern California brings a lot of baseball talent into this world, and you’re one of the luck ones that have been able to play for your home-town team. Are there any other guys that you grew up playing against or playing with that you’d like to face some day?
    David Fletcher: There’s a lot of guys in the big leagues right now that I grew up playing against or with. Ryan McMahon, Rio Ruiz, Ty France, JP Crawford, Thomas Eshelman, there’s a bunch of guys across the league that I grew up playing with or played against. A lot more than that, but those are just guys I can think about off the top of my head. But pretty cool to see southern California guys. And it’s, kind of, a small circle when end up looking at—you, kind of know everybody in some way or another. So, it is pretty cool to see.
    Tres Hefter: Did you know Jose Rojas at all when you all were coming up? Did you all play together when you were all young?
    David Fletcher: He’s the one guy that I didn’t play with or against. But obviously now, I get to talk to him a lot, and we know a lot of the same people, too.
    Tres Hefter:  Speaking of a little bit, how much do you keep in touch with your brother, Dominic? We saw him a few weeks ago at a minor league game here in Texas. I wonder if you all have ever had dreams of playing together, too?   
    David Fletcher: Oh, yeah; for sure. I talk to him all the time and check in with him, how his season’s going, and check on how he does every night. And yeah, it’s cool to see him doing well, and yeah, hopefully he can get up to the big leagues soon.
    Tres Hefter: Great. Wishing him the best, too. There was a cool moment a few days back where both Andrew and Austin Romine had a chance to play together in a game. And that, kind of, brings me back to another question about positional versatility. I think Andrew, a few years back, played every single position in a game. You ever have any dreams of doing that someday in your career?
    David Fletcher: Now that you bring it up, maybe. But not really [laugh]. Yeah, that’s a pretty cool thing that I’ve seen some people do.
    Tres Hefter: No problem. One last question before I turn it back over to Dave for his next round, Do you have any causes or charities that you particularly care about or support?
    David Fletcher: Yeah. We did some work with the Food Harvest in Orange County over the offseason getting some meals out to people in need, especially with Covid going on and affecting a lot of people. So, we’re working on some more things that’ll raise money for them in the offseason.
    Tres Hefter: Very cool. I’ve worked a few of those myself. Good to hear. Dave, I’m turning it back over to you. Thanks again, David.
    David Saltzer: Thanks, Tres. You know, Tres touched on it a little bit, you know, as a southern California player growing up with a team you’re rooting for, got to go and see and everything. What’s it like being that hometown success story?
    David Fletcher: Yeah, I didn’t realize it when I got drafted how lucky I was to actually get drafted by the Angels, the hometown team. But once I got to the big leagues, it was pretty special for me. And the other thing is getting to live at home year-round and, kind of, being in the same area and see all the fans. It’s definitely something I don’t take for granted.
    David Saltzer: What are some of your favorite go-to places in OC?
    David Fletcher: Oh, man—
    David Saltzer: Not, you know, like, not the people who are going to be, like, hanging out there for you, but I mean—
    David Fletcher: No, [laugh] huh. No—
    David Saltzer: —you like to see more, what were some of the places you grew up going to?
    David Fletcher: We go to the Irvine Spectrum every once in a while to eat and/or watch a movie. Yeah, not many one spots, but, kind of, hang out everywhere.
    David Saltzer: What would be a perfect day in the offseason for you, like, away from baseball, no baseball activity?
    David Fletcher: Oh. I’m not very exciting in the offseason; just, kind of, hang out with my wife and my dogs at home and maybe, go to the beach, something simple like that.
    David Saltzer: All right. Best burger in Orange County? What would you say?
    David Fletcher: In-N-Out burger.
    David Saltzer: Okay. So, if you bring out up In-N-Out, the Angel debate, are you a fan of the In-N-Out fries or not a fan of the In-N-Out fries?
    David Fletcher: Yes.
    David Saltzer: Let’s see. How aware are you of just how incredibly popular you are on social media? I mean, when we look at Twitter, and we look at all the Facebook posts, you know, fans just completely gravitate toward you because you’re such a, you know, scrappy, blue-collar, hard-working player. How aware are you of this, and what are some of the things that interactions you may have had that you find positive?
    David Fletcher: Yeah, it’s definitely cool for me to see all the fan support and kind of appreciation for the way I play the game, it’s really cool for me to see. And I’m really appreciative of that. And then there’s also some funny pictures and stuff that I’ve seen out there, definitely entertaining stuff.
    David Saltzer: So, you enjoy seeing some of that stuff?
    David Fletcher: Yeah, I’ve seen some funny ones [laugh].
    David Saltzer: Awesome. I heard you’re quite the poker player? Any poker tips you’ve got?
    David Fletcher: Oh, man. Yeah, I’ve been playing for a few years now, and I’ve a couple good friends that play professionally and got a chance to learn from them. So, it takes a lot of patience and studying and hard work. Definitely fun for me to do in the offseason, too.
    David Saltzer: You guys have a poker group in the Angels’ clubhouse?
    David Fletcher: Yeah, we play on the road every once in a while after games.
    David Saltzer: Who would you say is the toughest poker player on the team, and who bluffs the best?
    David Fletcher: Eww.  Ippei is a good poker player. Who bluffs the best? [pause] Not many good bluffers on our team. I have to go with myself on that one. [laugh] 
    David Saltzer: [laugh] Oh, we’ll tell the other guys on the team that. I’m sure every hand you had; you got the cards you need to win. We’ll tell them that, anyway. You know, a lot of players—you know, when you’re done with your baseball career, what would be a second career that you would’ve like to have done, other than, say, a baseball player?
    David Fletcher: Yeah, when I’m done playing, I definitely want to go into coaching, not sure what level, maybe college. But yeah, that’s something I definitely want to do when I’m done playing.
    David Saltzer: Well, speaking of coaching, what was it like in Cape Cod League, and would that be something you’d want to do?
    David Fletcher: Yeah, that was a great experience for me. Met a lot of people out there and definitely good for my baseball career getting to face that kind of pitching before getting drafted. Yeah, I played with a lot of good players out there and got some good coaching.
    David Saltzer: You’re my sons’ favorite player, so they wanted to know, you know, when you were younger, you know, what was your thought as yourself as a player and hitter. Like, where you trying to be more of a power hitter and then switched more towards contact. Or did you always want to see yourself as more of a use-the-whole-field type player?
    David Fletcher: I’ve always been the same player since I was six-years-old, probably. At the plate, I just want to get hits and get on base and make things happen. So, I’ve always, kind of, had the same approach.
    David Saltzer: Who did you emulate yourself most after, and who were favorite players growing up?
    David Fletcher: Yeah, when I was real young, it was David Eckstein. The way he played and hustled and got the most out of his abilities is definitely inspiring to me and modeled my game after him. And then Dustin Pedroia was another one, as I got a little older, that I loved to watch play a lot.
    David Saltzer: You know, fans always draw that comparison with you and Eckstein. The team just seems to play better with you in the lineup and you on the field. They seem to win more. Do the other players seem to notice that, and are you aware of that?
    David Fletcher: Of comparisons to—
    David Saltzer: That—you know, that you just—you know, some players have a greater contribution than just—it’s greater than the sum of the parts. That you may uplift the whole team in many ways in terms of the play, kind of, like, David Eckstein.
    David Fletcher: Yeah, I like to think that I, kind of, do a lot of little things well to win games. And I take a lot of pride in doing those things.
    David Saltzer: Last two questions. Number one: you’re just an all-around great and approachable, wonderful kind of person. And you doing interviews like this and so forth, you know, how have things changed from your perspective now that you’re, you know, more of an established player and, you know, more famous, new site, you’re going to be for years, has that changed your perspective on what you would like to do with Orange County and with the Angels?
    David Fletcher: Not really. I mean, I’ve always, since I came up, I, kind of, knew I wanted to play here for a long time. And definitely one of my goals is to play here the rest of my career. And that’s something that’s not easy to do, and I’ve a lot of work left to do to make that happen. But yeah, I definitely am happy to be here and excited that I’m going to be here for, definitely, a few more years.
    David Saltzer: Last question. What is one thing that you can share with fans about yourself that we may not really know? You know, something that you haven’t really gotten out there, you know, about you, your personality, or something like that, so that fans can have a better feel and understanding for you?
    David Fletcher: That’s a tough question. Probably I don’t like to talk too much about myself and pretty quiet person. Yeah, that’s probably something…
    David Saltzer: But you know, we really appreciate you taking the time. And, you know, as I said, fans really just absolutely adore everything that you do on the field, off the field. Really, thank you so much for your time. Tres?
    Tres Hefter: I was going to echo the same thoughts there, David. Thank you for everything. It’s been a joy being able to talk today, and thank you for all your contributions on the field; past, present, and future.
    David Fletcher: Thank you.
    Tres Hefter: Wishing you the best of luck.
    David Fletcher: Thanks, I appreciate it.
    David Saltzer: On behalf of Angels’ fans everywhere and AngelsWin.com, thank you so much for taking the time. We really appreciate it. We wish you the best of luck this season and going forward into the future.
    David Fletcher: No problem; thank you, guys.
  12. Chuck
    By Taylor Blake Ward, AngelsWin.com Contributor
    Cactus League has finished. Freeway Series has finished. Up next is the Major League season followed by the start of the Minor League season. Looking back on this spring, we put an emphasis on a handful of Angels prospects and how different perspectives came about this spring from the trained eye. We asked three different people from three differing fields about their opinions on specific players in Angels camp over Spring Training.
    In a repeat article from the year prior, we asked experts in the field -- who consist of an Angels Front Office Executive, a former player who spent regular time at Angels camp, and a prospect analyst -- for their opinions on a specific group of Angels prospects and young core players.
    *EDITOR'S NOTE*: Our sources were granted anonymity to express their opinions freely and/or they are not permitted by their primary employer to speak publicly on the matters discussed. Each will be noted via their working positions (i.e., "Executive", "Former Player", "Analyst"). The interviews took place on three separate days between the dates of March 25-27, which may alter some of the timelines included in the comments regarding players being on the Opening Day roster, or otherwise.
     
    LOGAN O’HOPPE AND ZACH NETO:

    Former Player: Neto, I'll tell you what even watching the game last night, that ball was 110 off his bat and that was the hardest ball he's hit, period. He looked unreal in Spring Training. He's gained a lot of confidence. I think (Ron Washington) and (Ryan Goins) have made him a better fielder already. I think he was pretty decent on the backhand -- forehand, it seemed like his footwork was not right, but his footwork looks good defensively now. I really think he's going to hit. Adjustments will be made depending on how he progresses in his career. That high leg kick and all that, we'll see how all that goes. I know he makes the adjustment with two strikes but I'm more-and-more impressed. I was high on him last year and I'm more so this year. I step back, and he was hurt a few times and I know the team's record when he played was significantly better than when he didn't. Sometimes that's one of those made-up stuff, when one guy plays and when he doesn't, but he's really impressed me a lot right now. I think he's got a chance to be pretty darn good. O'Hoppe, just his leadership skills alone being in camp and watching him -- the way he walks around the field and the dugout and clubhouse. The sound off his bat -- I joked around with him last winter about the sound off his bat was almost like a Mike Piazza sound off the bat when he's consistent with it. He's special and he's working with Jerry Narron and I think you could make an argument that his defensive skills were okay last year -- granted he missed a lot of games so it's hard to put a finger on some things -- but he had stuff to work on and he's worked a lot. Jerry Narron is going to be huge for the whole catching system. O'Hoppe, he reminds me of Mike Sweeney because he used to be a catcher, but he wasn't much of a catcher and moved to first right away. It's a similar body and I think he can end up being a hitter somewhat like Sweeney although it's more difficult to hit as consistently that way when you're a catcher because you get beat up but defensively he's made some huge strides. Just the constant work he's put in with Jerry Narron has helped him out a lot.
    Analyst: I think it was an approach thing from the beginning of spring and they had a better approach at the plate. Also, anytime you bring in a guy like Ron Washington you know they're going to be a little better defensively, too. On both sides, I think you saw a lot of big differences. More attacking the ball, rather than sitting back -- with Neto in particular. You saw it reflect in the statistical performance this spring. And with O'Hoppe, the dude is a leader. Leader behind the dish, leader in the clubhouse, and you expect him to be that way throughout the year.
    Executive: I think with Logan, we ask -- everyone does -- but we ask a lot of our catching group and I think progress on both sides of the ball is difficult at that position. All you have to do and know the entire staff and a large chunk of our bullpen is brand new so learning the staff was a big part of Spring Training for him. But obviously we saw what he was capable of offensively. I still feel strongly that he is going to be a really, really good player. It takes time to be what ultimately what we think he's going to be in all the areas as a player, but you see progress and growth in all areas. Around the facility too he's started to take a leadership role in his own way. We have leaders on the team but he's showing that he's capable of doing that too. With Zach -- robbed of at bats last year but I thought the quality of the at bat was really good prior to his injury. Really showed what he is capable of offensively and did so in camp again this year. The ability to hit with power to all fields, not being afraid to hit with two strikes and still drive the ball. I don't know where he hits in the order. I think he hit last the last couple of games here versus the Dodgers but if that's our nine-hole hitter I'm really excited about our lineup. First full season for those guys but getting their feet wet last year I think will only serve them well and I'm excited for what they both can do on both sides of the ball.
     
    JO ADELL:

    Former Player: His swing is definitely a little quicker through the ball. Defensively he's way better than he's ever been. I'm so up-and-down with him. I want to go full bore with him because I like him a lot and we have a pretty good relationship but there's still some chase in there on pitches way out of the zone. I think there's a little more patience and a little bit better idea of the strike zone and if he can ever hone that in at all, he's got a chance. He's still only 24 and just being around Johnny Washington he says the same things too and I see it -- it's there but you just have to be able to tap it. Sometimes you never get that. Some people that you think should be a star just never become that. I think he's going to be given every opportunity and I think with the current staff they have, especially with (Ron Washington), it ain't gonna be no babying anymore. It's either he does it or he doesn't do it. I think that's what he needs instead of always hearing, 'We know you have talent.' Even that bugs him when people say, 'You have a lot of talent, when are you going to do this or that?' I think he'll surprise some people and get a lot more at bats than anticipated because they don't really have a designated hitter, so he'll rotate in there and I think the more at bats he gets the better he's gonna be.
    Analyst: I think we've all said it every single year; it feels like it's just a different approach every spring. It's good to not see him attacking off-speed away quite as much, but at the same time still attacking the fastball. Defensively, again, when you bring in a guy like Ron Washington you expect things to be a little bit different and I think the mindset in the outfield is just a little bit different too. That's the biggest thing.
    Executive: He's kind of tinkered with his swing a few times the last few years. You saw a little bit of that this spring, but again, he always seems to put together a really good spring and I think at times showed us the same flashes. Arizona is a really tough place to play the outfield and I think the most improvement -- I think we talked about this last year -- I thought defensively he really took a step forward. What he can do off the bench, if that is going to be his role at least at the outset, is play defense and change the game with one swing. Still feel he can do that. We brought in Jake Marisnick and Jake did absolutely everything you asked him to do and showed he's still capable of being a good Major League outfielder and swung the bat well in Spring Training. I think he made a strong push to be on the team, but we feel the strides that Jo has made, and Mickey (Moniak) last year and what Aaron (Hicks) showed in camp make a pretty good group. I think Jo (being out of options) brings a different dynamic from a power standpoint that earned him a spot.
     
    NOLAN SCHANUEL:

    Former Player: Again, another guy with footwork at first base -- and granted he was in college about two-and-a-half seconds ago last year -- the footwork is way better. I always look defensively first because I think the hit will always come with these guys, but he's improved significantly. I still think first base defensively is a way underrated asset. If you’re good at first base your entire infield is good. If you’re adequate, it's pretty good. If it's not good at all it reflects on all your infielders, so he's got a lot better there. I still compare him a lot to Garret Anderson in all the people asking, 'Why does a guy that big and strong not hit for power?' I think it's there. He's not a 35-home run guy but I think he's a 15-20 home run guy. You can't teach an eye like he has at the plate. His patience. His ability to spray the baseball all over the field. If he was playing any other position other than first base people would be in love with him but because he's a first baseman you expect power which is unfortunate. I think power will be there enough and I think he's -- he works his butt off too man, I'll tell you. I don't see that often with young kids because usually everything is given to you, but he works his butt off, and I think he's going to develop enough power that everything else is going to play pretty good for him.
    Analyst: I'm intrigued. My report will remain the same with Nolan. The biggest question is: is he going to hit for power? The biggest change there is attacking the ball. The biggest thing there is attacking the ball with more authority at the plate and swinging like he means it instead of swinging like he's behind in the count 0-2 consistently. If he can take that approach into the season it wouldn't surprise me if he had 20-25 home runs and 20-30 doubles this year. I'm excited to see what he brings to the plate, and he could strike out a little bit more which might end up being a good thing, in the sense of translating to more hard-hit balls.
    Executive: Especially here lately his approach at the plate is top notch. Put on some good weight in the off-season with the idea of adding some strength. The thing for me is people talk about the power and exit velocity -- you watch him take batting practice and he shows you. He can hit them pull side with the majority of our group in a big-league BP setting. It's in there. Obviously, what little he had last year getting to the big-league level -- a lot of times you're just trying to survive when you get up there and I expect him to take the next step. He's such a smart hitter. Same case with Zach and Logan, take the next step, both as a young player and continuing to grow at the Major League level and the confidence I think too stood out. It's a good group of players and they exude that. They exude confidence and that's part of the reason we were attracted to all those guys -- their makeup and what they were all about. Really young but advanced for his age and we're excited about the potential on all those guys.
     
    JOSE SORIANO:

    Former Player: Oh yeah, unreal arm. Unreal arm. I kid you not, I asked (Ron Washington) about the same thing because I've been in love with him since they said he'd start. We joke around every day because his shoulders are gigantic, and he has an incredible build and he's got starter stuff because he's got four pitches he can throw and his curveball the other day was as good as anybody I've ever seen. (Ron Washington) said it was the best game anybody threw period in the Cactus League or Grapefruit League. You worry about his health but even when I was talking to Barry Enright, I think he has a better chance at staying healthy as a starter than he does as a bullpen arm. As intriguing as he is in the bullpen, because he can pitch and he can start -- workout, bullpen session, workout, do his light stuff in between, and then start and I think he has a better chance of staying healthy. He's as good of an arm as I've seen in a while. Everyone is going to ask, 'Can he stay healthy? Can he throw enough strikes?' I think he realizes his stuff is that good now and he doesn't have to go out and throw as hard as he can like he does out of the bullpen, and he can utilize all his pitches. He's got a pretty darn good idea. I think he's got some serious, serious, serious upside.
    Analyst: I'm intrigued to see what he does starting pitching wise. Watching him from his early development, there was always a chance he could start. It came down to having a third pitch and if he can command whatever third pitch is for a strike, then why not give him a chance to start? Especially if he can remain 94-96 into the fifth, sixth, seventh inning. Without a doubt he should be able to start. Now, do you want to take out arguably your best reliever to give him a chance to start? I think the Angels are in a spot to do it, but that is a tough decision to make.
    Executive: From a pure stuff standpoint I don't know how many guys are better in the league than him. I think he showed that. We stretched him out and its pure power stuff. He throws a splinker -- that kind of split-sinker type pitch that Jhoan Duran has kind of made popular and I think some other guys are throwing it now -- but it is an absolutely devastating offer that just adds to his pretty prodigious repertoire. We talk about sitting upper 90's with four-seam and two-seam fastball, power hammer curveball with a slider in the low 90's alongside of it. He's got all the weapons. I think he showed the ability to execute those weapons with consistency, certainly at times, and more often than not. Obviously hasn't started since the lower levels (of development) so you're not quite sure what it's going to look like as a starter. We had discussed it and felt the upside was certainly worth giving it another look. It's a different delivery and pitch mix from when he was starting in the lower levels, and he has a chance in whatever role we ask him to do -- I think he's going to be an impactful arm for us.
     
    CHASE SILSETH:

    Former Player: A lot more confident. Big thing is they're not going to try and take away his bulldog mentality, but you have to hone it in just a little bit. Not just try to throw too much and burn yourself out. Stuff is there. He's got a rangy fastball that can be 92-97. Obviously, his split is dang good but his slider for me is a difference maker. I don't think he throws his cutter as much and I don't know if he needs to. The occasional curve but it's hard to teach somebody to have that kind of aggressive nature and those guys are hard to come by. Something about him and even talking to the Braves hitters and Kevin Seitzer last year, he thought he was one of the toughest/nastiest dudes they faced all last year and the Braves for me are still the best team in all of baseball and they didn't want any part of him. He's that guy. He's got some upside himself and I think he can settle in easy in a number two or three spot in this rotation.
    Analyst: The sky is the limit. The pure stuff -- that slider and splitter combination -- reminds me of a younger Shohei Ohtani purely from a stuff standpoint. Chase has a different body and fastball obviously, but with his off-speed, he could have a similar production season to what Shohei has done in the past as long as the mentality stays where it is and he's able to throw strikes. He had a very good Spring Training. I'm excited to see this rotation in general. The mentality from the staff was very different from in the past, which was interesting, and I hope they carry that into the regular season.
    Executive: Another good young arm. With him, kind of simplifying some things pitch mix wise. Going into camp he showed confidence in what he was doing and really was able to consistently execute his pitches and his game plan. He really worked hard on his curveball. Kind of differentiating that pitch from the other two-plane breaking ball he has. Both are really effective for him. He's a powerful guy. He demonstrated the ability to sustain the velocity he shows early in games into the later parts of his outings. The splitter is a wipeout pitch and I think that was more consistent like all of his offerings. I think he's on track for a really good year. He's really wired the right way like all the players we have. It's just an important component for how we want to build our team.
     
    NELSON RADA:

    Former Player: By the way, for the Angels not to have anybody in the top 100 is the most ridiculous thing I've ever seen too. Rada, if he wasn't 18, I'd almost say he's almost ready. I think you won't push him that early just because he's 18 and basically 17 doing what he did last year but an eye like his and great idea of the strike zone and unbelievable range in the outfield. They put him in right field one of the days I was there after playing center and he made an unreal play like it was nothing. He's not the fastest guy in the world but he appears to be the fastest guy in the world. Great baserunner. I think he'll develop power and he has that it factor where I think he knows he's damn good and he's going to be unbelievably good. It wouldn't surprise me at the very least to see him in the big leagues by 20 (years old) if he keeps developing at this level. I hate to put something on him that quickly like that but he's one of those guys that I think has a chance of being special. There's a lot of people that say he needs 1,000 or 2,000 at bats, whatever number people decide they want to put on him, but when you're good for me you're a big leaguer and he's a big leaguer. You look at that body and you're thinking if he's six-foot-three or six-foot-four doing what he's doing, he's like a top five prospect. I think that kid is -- even just the way he walks around the complex. When you walk 70 some times as a 17-year-old, that's insane to have an idea like that. When you're a kid, you think you're only moving up when you hit the ball out of the ballpark or I'm not getting hits when I'm walking. Even in camp, he wasn't overwhelmed ever. The home run he hit was a bomb too. Again, he's barely 18 and not even 19 until August, so you still wait on him but he's going to be ridiculous.
    Analyst: He is a really good player. The fact that he is 18 years old and doing what he did this spring is outstanding. For me, the best thing he does is not necessarily what he does at the plate but his leadership in center field. This goes back to what he did in the regular season in 2023 at Inland Empire. He was taking charge of the scary triangle balls and little Texas Leaguers that a lot of people -- you know, 'you go, I go, ball, ball, ball' type of thing. He's taking control of those flyballs like he's a veteran that has played out there his entire career, and now he's doing it with veteran ballplayers and not A-ball kids. He's a good player at the plate too, but I think he's even more special defensively.
    Executive: 18 years old in big league camp. Was there for a while and had really good at bats. Showed instincts on the bases. It's a really quick first step and he gets to top speed quickly. Instinctually in the outfield too -- same thing, good jumps. It's impressive how advanced he is for his age in all areas really. Just excited about his future. He was one of the two youngest players in full season baseball last year -- he and Ethan Salas with the San Diego Padres. He really impressed our coaching staff and myself.
     
    CADEN DANA:

     
    Former Player: I got to work with him on one of his bullpen sessions and even in the middle of it I stopped him and go, "Give me a 2-1 slider,” and I didn't even have to tell him what that meant and he threw a perfect 2-1 slider right on the outside corner of the strike zone. Like, damn. Then I let him throw some more and say, “I need a 1-2 punchout breaking ball with a man on third,” and he was like whoof, and I was like, oh, shit. The size, the intangibles of he knows what he's doing. That's the thing. He's only 20-years-old himself but he knows what he's doing on the mound, and he usually doesn't overthrow ever. He's always mechanically pretty sound for being as big and strong as he is. There's some serious, serious, serious upside with him too. That's another guy that I wouldn't be shocked, especially depending on how the season goes, if he wasn't in the big leagues this year. It wouldn't shock me. We know he's starting in Double-A, and we know how that goes (laughs). You're in Double-A, it's like a straight line to the big leagues here for the Angels so we'll see.
    Analyst: Caden Dana has a chance to be really, really good. I think we saw it in the Spring Breakout game. I think we saw it all spring. When you start getting questions about when a 20-year-old who hasn't pitched above A-ball will crack a Major League rotation, you know it's a good arm. Biggest thing is going to be the command. If he can command the ball down in the zone and get guys out that way, I think he has a very promising career ahead of him. I'm excited to see what he does in Rocket City, and we might end up seeing him at the Major League level this year with how the Angels promote players.
    Executive: If you got a chance to see him the physical development is impressive. He really worked on his body. He looks great. Ball is coming out really easily while sitting in the mid 90's. Two breaking pitches. Showed a plus changeup in big league camp in games. Again, the presence he has on the mound. He has a chance to be the total package. He had a really good showing in the Spring Breakout game, starting that. Really excited for what he brings to the table and again, big league camp he put himself well. We're really happy with where he's at.
     
    VICTOR MEDEROS:

    Former Player: He's another guy that I talk a lot with. I don't understand why some people don't think he has upside. He's a little bit bigger version of Silseth. Very, very tough competitor. Outstanding stuff. Nasty fastball and he's got an edge to him that -- we were joking around because he read the book on Mariano Rivera about basically simplifying things and I told him the same thing but I told him, “Every guy I faced I absolutely hated their guts,” and he goes, “I'm glad to hear that because I hate every single human being that wears a different color uniform than I do,” and I said, “That's what you gotta do everyday.” His stuff is electric. That's the thing that's crazy is the Angels have so many young starters on the Major League staff and these kids are knocking at the door very quickly. He could be a two or three maybe at worst right away with them. I think when he came up last year he was out of control, throwing too hard and very aggressive, but I think Barry (Enright) and (Steve Karsay) -- the whole philosophy of attacking the strike zone is better than swing-and-miss. When you're an ultra-competitor like Silseth and Mederos and the team philosophy is swing-and-miss, that means you're throwing as hard as you can like you're at a carnival trying to knock over milk bottles instead of throwing strikes. So that's helped him out a lot. Same thing with Silseth, but Mederos -- legit dude. Legit dude.
    Analyst: Oh, this is the wildcard for me. This is where Chase Silseth was, I'd say last year. Do you think he has higher upside as a starter or as a reliever and do you think he can keep his command and control consistent late into games? And also stay out of his head as well. If you think he can keep his command consistently late into games, then he has a chance to be a good starter. But, if you think the command might not stick around for five, six, seven innings -- then you put him in the bullpen and I think he has the bulldog mentality to be one of those guys who comes in late in games with Ben Joyce and Sam Bachman, maybe, and build a backend bullpen internally quickly into the future.
    Executive: Victor was in big league camp for a while. His fastball is starting to have a little more cut to it, and he still throws in the mid 90's with two breaking balls and will show a changeup. He's going to continue to develop as a starter and I thought he left a positive impression in camp in that role. He's just another guy from the mental side of things checks all the boxes. He's really competitive and smart. We're excited about his future whatever role that is. He's on the (40-man roster) and has gotten his feet wet in the Majors. He's going to start, and we'll see where it goes from there.
     
    BEN JOYCE:

    Former Player: I'm actually shocked he's not up to start the year. I know there's some stuff where... I'm still in shock when he's throwing 102 and 103 and guys are making good contact with it because it's downstairs. I know that during my career when your fastballs are down, doesn't matter how hard you throw, you'll make contact with it. Now generally, it's on the ground for the most part. It's hard to believe but I don't think he trusts his stuff which doesn't make any sense when you throw that hard and your breaking ball is pretty solid too. I think he gets caught in between that slower slider-cutter combo where one's harder and one's softer. I think he's getting there though. They did some drills with him though to kind of clear his mind to not allow distractions to get in there as far as when stuff happens during the game and a guy is stealing or whatever. I love his arm. I love his body and he's got a great work ethic. I still want him in the big leagues right now, but I think he could easily be a dominant bullpen arm if he stays healthy. With him, I don't know how healthy he's going to stay just because of the full max he throws but that's why I don't waste those bullets. I'd have him up in the big leagues as soon as he's able to throw consistent strikes, because he could even walk guys and get away with it because the stuff is that good, but I still think he needs to at some point elevate his fastball. If he ever gets that feel, you know, away from the fastball at the knees, if he throws that fastball letter high and above the belt he'll get a lot more strikeouts. It's almost like Dustin May of the Dodgers. He doesn't strike anybody out either because his fastball is down, even as hard as it is. Ben Joyce has got to figure out a way that when he releases that four-seamer that he can ride it and keep it up in the zone on occasion. If he does that he'll dominate.
    Analyst: Peak ceiling. The only reason I think he didn't make the Opening Day roster is, well one, he needs to command it a little better; and two, there's so many relievers you have to give an opportunity to. I do think he needs to command it better and command that secondary a lot better than what we've seen.
    Executive: Stuff wise (laughs). It's an incredible arm. Early in camp we saw the control and command kind of rear its head a little bit. Some of those issues. But I thought he had a really good last handful of outings and when he's around the strike zone it's just such a good arm and he can be unhittable. The slider -- he's basically gone to one breaking ball -- it has a chance to be an out pitch for him. It was really consistent in a couple of outings and bailed him out when he was in some jams. I think then in subsequent outings he had confidence in (the slider) and allowed the fastball to play as good as it can be. Honestly, I didn't feel like his misses were that big even when he was missing. So, I did see some growth there and again, the expectation for that kind of arm is that he helps us sooner rather than later. So much potential and it's in there. You can see it.
     
    COLE FONTENELLE

    Former Player: Like him. He's Corey Koskie like. Good body too, man. Switch-hitter with great hands. Good idea of the strike zone. Footwork is getting better because he's a big body. Obviously, he's not a middle infielder and he's a third baseman anyhow but he's not far off either. He's not far at all actually. I don't think he's far at all from being here because I think he can hit. I think he's going to get better with more work fielding wise, at least get his footwork down, but I'm a big fan of his. Almost has a body -- not a Scott Rolen, as big as he is -- but he's a pretty good-sized kid. Good shoulders. Came from TCU so you know he faced good competition so he's going to be a really good player. Big fan of his plus he's a great kid and he listens and wants to learn. That's one of those tools we always talk about with people being toolsy. That's a tool that I think is underrated is a guy that works and listens and learns, and I think he has all those intangibles.
    Analyst: He reminds me of guys who probably played a little before your time, a throwback type. I don't know what he is at the Major League level, but I think that he's opened a lot of eyes, especially being a seventh-round pick last year. But I think he maybe has an opportunity to be a nice fifth infielder. Somebody that can come off the bench and play some solid defense at third base and be a decent bat too. We'll see how he develops in the minors this year.
    Executive: Seventh rounder last year and one of the last send outs in camp. That probably speaks to how he is viewed internally. Again, just watching batting practice, him getting with our big-league team, he fits right in. Left-handed or right-handed, the ball comes off well. It's a simple and clean swing. He gives you a good at bat and consistently solid at bats through camp. Another guy who instinctually stands out. The more you watch him the more you really appreciate him. Whether it's on the bases and reading pitching situations to steal bases, curveball reads, judging outfielders and taking the extra base. He was really good on bases and might have been better defensively. Just so steady. Good first step, reads the hops well, knows where to go with the ball. Just smart and skilled player and the physical ability is pretty good too. Got a lot of run and I think if you watched the games, you probably got to see why we like him a lot.
     
    WALBERT URENA:

    Former Player: He's another guy I got to work with too. He might be the best of all the arms. It's raw. It's not as refined as guys like Dana, but it's crazy good. Even better than Mederos too, I think. Like I said, it's raw so there's still some work to be done. I think he's a little bit further away than those guys but once he figures it out and once he arrives, he's a dominant arm. That's like I was saying with all these kids I got to see and how good they are. I'm always going to be a fairly positive human being but the guys I've seen over the last prior 15 years or so, I'm like, 'God almighty, how are we going to get people out? We're going to have to sign guys from other organizations' It's very similar to early in my career because we were a factory that started when we were all drafted with (arm-after-arm) and they just destroyed people for years. I think this new group of young arms are great and I think Urena has the chance to be the best of them all. Although I hear way more about Barrett Kent, I didn't get a chance to see him unfortunately. I was kind of bummed. I was trying to find a way to go and see him, but I didn't, but everyone I talked to said he's the best of the crop which must say a lot for him to be better than or as good as Urena and these guys.
    Analyst: I'm a big velocity guy so you have to like the big arm. Walbert Urena -- he's kind of in that same category for me as a Victor Mederos. If you believe the command is going to be there (deep into starts), then absolutely continue to push him as a starter, but if it isn't there he still has two or arguably three good out pitches he can get guys out with late in games. You saw it this spring. But it comes down to the command and the command late into games if you believe in it.
    Executive: Pure power arm. Electric. The changeup can be a weapon. The breaking ball will flash at times. He had two innings in the Spring Breakout game and was really good in one of those innings and I think showed the potential of what he is capable of. Basically, mid-season last year he added a sinker and it kind of changed his year. I think with a couple of our guys you could look at that and if you split it up into two parts and know where the change has happened, I think you'll see why we're really high on some of those guys that were just different pitchers from that time forward. Walber is one of them just from a strike-throwing standpoint. The stuff has a chance to be really good. What role it is -- I don't know. I think the step forward he took last year -- obviously really high on a teenager that throws 100 with feel for a changeup and breaking ball at times too -- I just feel even better about him. Seeing him in big league camp and showing the moment wasn't too big for him and then the Spring Breakout game and what we saw in the second half of last year. It's a lot of momentum for him. I don't know -- if people don't know his name, I feel like they're going to find out about him really quickly.
     
    KYREN PARIS AND JORDYN ADAMS

    Former Player: I'm shocked at how much improvement they made from 2022 to 2023. I was thinking, 'These are first rounders?' But Jordyn is really close now. He's got sneaky power. Paris, same thing. I think the work they're making all the kids do, especially with Paris in the infield there is going to make him better. I think sometimes you can skate on talent but now I can see why they were drafted as high as they were. At the very least these guys are pieces that you move to get that final piece to get you to the postseason, or you ride these kids and let them develop and see if they can be as good as I think they can be. Are they superstars? No, but I think they're really good Major League players though.
    Analyst: I'll start with Kyren. The report remains kind of the same. He needs to get the bat on the ball more because when he makes contact, he hits the ball hard. He's a good defender. He can play up-the-middle for you, he can probably play some third base, and probably sneak him into the outfield. I think he's played there before in the minors. I like Kyren a lot, but I don't know if he's going to have an opportunity to do his thing because of how the Angels look this year in the infield. Jordyn, same thing. The Angels have outfield depth. On some teams he might be a fourth or fifth outfielder, but he may not get the opportunity to play, which gives him time to grow and develop. Both are good players that I'd like to see get an opportunity like they did last year.
    Executive: We talked about Jordyn last year. Kind of continuing and we pushed him to Triple-A and there was momentum there after spending part of the season in Double-A and how he came into camp. The maturity and he showed he was ready for that next step, and I still think we see a lot of positive from him. His swing I thought looked cleaner this year. More fluid and felt like consistently more on time than it has been. All the physical gifts, when you watch him leg out a triple and he's there in an instant, you know, the potential is still there. He'll be in that mix of guys we're going to call up if we have a need. Kyren got a chance to play some shortstop and second base. I thought, just piggybacking to the second half of last year was really good once the stickyball went away. Still a really good and young player, just 22 years old. The ability he has to drive the ball to the opposite field and know what he's swinging at is pretty neat for his age. Another really high character kid and we think highly of him internally. Other teams certainly inquired about his availability and all that. He's going to play a lot of shortstop in the minor leagues this year, whether that's Double-A or Triple-A, we'll see. In the end the upside is pretty high for a power hitting shortstop who can get on base, and if that's ultimately what he is that's a pretty desirable player. I think those two guys -- obviously, there's growth to be made -- but still feel the same about their abilities and the people they are.
     
    STANDOUT YOUNG PLAYER OR PROSPECT(S) FROM CAMP:
    Former Player: Juan Flores. He's only 18 himself, the catcher. He caught Soriano in a B-game at 10 o'clock against the Diamondbacks on one of their back fields, which is always hard to play those games. That's why Soriano throwing 97-98 was insane, but the way he caught the ball, and he blocks effortlessly -- two strike sliders in the dirt like it was nothing. His hands are great. Immediately after that I went up to Jerry Narron and Ron Washington and a couple of other guys because I heard the comparison with Pudge Rodriguez and stuff like that, and we don't ever want to do that to anybody because that's not fair, but I said, 'I played against that son-of-a-bitch for many years. This kid is pretty dang close, as far as early stages Pudge.' So, I think he's really, really good. That's a name everyone should keep an eye on, big time. I also liked this Cam Minacci kid. I was shocked at the way he threw. He threw the ball well. Another guy, Jack Kochanowicz. He's another kid with a really firm arm. I knew from some of the people from the Front Office to keep an eye on Dana, Urena, Kent, but to have my own unfiltered eyes those guys jumped out at me too.
    Analyst: I mean, the two big names are going to be Caden Dana and Nelson Rada. Dana looks like he's going to be a very good pitcher down the road for the Angels. Possibly a mid-rotation arm. And, again, Rada -- the leadership in the outfield plus the bat is coming along nicely. I think those two have a chance to be a part of the Angels organization for a long time. Juan Flores as well. He's in the realm of being a very good catcher for the Angels long term. If the bat plays, I don't see why he couldn't be an everyday guy, but at the very least you have one of the best defensive receivers in the minors. I'm not afraid to say that he's one of the best, especially for his age and I think he's only going to get better. It depends on if the bat comes around. You don't compare any players to Hall of Fame players, but the Pudge Rodriguez comparisons defensively at least have some merit with how good Flores is at this age.
    Executive: Can I say Soriano? You typically expect guys going from a relief role to a starting role to see their stuff tick back, or maybe they can't maintain through an outing, or maybe when you extend one's repertoire, they don't have feel for a pitch because it's something they're starting to throw more. I mean, it's five pitches and he has a feel for all of them and you can argue they're all plus-plus. Those guys just don't grow on trees. They're really tough to find. I thought just seeing him stretched out and seeing what he looks like was really exciting. When you're sitting in the scout's section and it seemed like every time he pitched the first inning, guys were like, 'Who is this guy?' I think guys know him now. He missed a couple of years with Tommy John and came in the bullpen and didn't pitch the full year, or didn't break camp with the team last year, but people are really finding out about him and how good of an arm it really is. The buzz was so loud on him it's tough to pick someone else. Juan Flores too. We were certainly excited about the potential there. Big league camp as a teenager. You can probably read between the lines there. I don't know where he's going to go from an assignment standpoint but what he showed -- another guy, he takes batting practice with a lot of the guys from big league camp and really impressive for a kid that age. And his defensive prowess. We saw him throw a guy out in a Spring Training game and the "wow factor" is certainly applicable. BP setting and you see it in a game. The kind of tools he possesses behind the plate. Not a lot of guys look like that at that age. Excited there. I know a lot of people are high on him.
  13. Chuck
    Torii Hunter may be one of the most beloved former Angels in the history of their franchise so we wanted to pull some of our greatest hits from our old Blog into one column to reminisce a true fan favorite. 
    Let's start off with David Saltzer's piece, titled - Torii Hunter, my favorite Angel followed by Coral Marshall's Torii Hunter: A True All-Star. David Saltzer catches up with Torii Hunter in an interview (video) while he was promoting the Pepsi Max Field of Dreams and finally Brian Waller wraps it up in his All Good Things Must Come to an End article on Hunter. 
    Enjoy some of our finest through the years on one of our favorite all-time Angels. 
    Torii Hunter, My Favorite Angel

    By David Saltzer - AngelsWin.com Senior Writer
    August 4th, 2010
    Years from now, Angels fans might look back on August 3rd, 2010 as the day the Peter Bourjos era began. He is a speedy, dynamic, defensively gifted outfielder who may become an integral part of the Angels’ future. But for me, I’ll remember the day as the day Torii Hunter became my favorite Angel player on the team.
    No one likes getting older. When I close my eyes, I don’t picture myself as the person I am standing in front of the mirror. I picture myself as the person I was in my prime, about 10 years ago—the guy with the full head of hair, who could bench a lot more, and who weighed a bit less.
    I’m just a few years older than Torii, so it’s not too hard for me to relate to the aging process. While my prime may have been a lot better than I am today, it never will come close to the athleticism that Torii had in his prime. Heck, my prime couldn’t touch his worst. So, it must be much harder for Torii to witness the inevitable toll that time takes on us all.
    When Torii Hunter, a nine-time Gold Glove winner in centerfield to agreed to move to right field so that Peter Bourjos could take over center, it took a lot of humility on his part. Torii said "I didn't sleep for three, four days. I prayed about it, thought about it . . . I think we need to do something different.”
    I’m sure that this decision didn’t come over easy for Torii. He’s a highly skilled, highly paid, and highly liked player. He’s vocal about what he thinks the team needs in order to win. He is the team’s de facto captain. He didn’t need to make this move. And yet, he did it. Rather than fighting it, he embraced it. In an era of mega-egos, Torii, the face of the franchise, owned the decision to take a back seat to the kid. "This is my decision. This isn't their decision." By stepping aside, he made the team better and gave the team its best shot to win.
    As an Angels fan, I want to see the best players on the field playing their hardest every day. I want to see the players playing with passion—running out every play as if it were their only chance to win a spot on the field. I want the players playing selflessly, not selfishly. But more importantly, I want to see the Angels win. I want to see the players doing whatever it takes to win it all—even if it comes at the expense of their individual goals.
    "I could say I want to go for that 10th Gold Glove . . . But sometimes you've got to slap pride in the face and all that individual stuff – the Gold Glove stuff – you can let that go . . . All I care about is winning, I need a ring. I've been to the playoffs seven times and haven't won anything. I haven't been to the World Series yet, not even to lose . . . If this makes the team better, I'm going to do it."
    With those words and with his actions on the field, Torii showed me that his passion to win is as great as my passion to see the Angels win. He wants to win a ring as badly as I want to see them win another championship. He willingly put aside his personal goals to see the team win some bigger goals. As a fan, I couldn’t be more grateful to have him as a player.
    Baseball teaches a lot of life lessons. Sometimes it says in order to win you have to swing for the fence and hit a home run—the ultimate individual achievement. But other times, it also says, in order to be a winner, you sometimes have to lay down a sacrifice. Over the years, I’ve seen Torii hit a lot of homers but I can’t recall ever seeing him lay down a bunt—until today. By moving aside for Bourjos, Torii laid down a perfect sacrifice for the team.
    Ever since Tim Salmon retired, I’ve been asked by many people “who is my current favorite player on the team?” And, while there are plenty of good players to like, I haven’t had a clear favorite until now. Today I’m proud to say that Torii Hunter is my favorite current Angels player. He is the ultimate and rare champion—one who plays with a selfless passion to win.
    Torri Hunter: A True All-Star

    By Coral Marshall - Angelswin.com Columnist
    May 18th, 2009
    For someone who has won the Gold Glove for eight consecutive seasons, Torii Hunter is a guy who doesn't get much credit when it comes to the All-Star Game. Sure, a career .273 batting average with about 25 home runs a year are not the numbers one expects from an All-Star outfielder (think Joe DiMaggio, Mickey Mantle or Ted Williams). Instead, Hunter's overall numbers are more akin to former Angel Fred Lynn, an All-Star who didn't make it to the game for the last seven seasons of his career. (He too averaged 25 homers a year and a .283 batting average, only .010 higher than Torii's.)
    But the All-Star Game isn't about comparing the past with the present; it is about electing who is most deserving in the early months of a season to a game that not only celebrates the players who have done the best so far, but also determines which league gets home field advantage in the World Series. This should not be about fans only electing big name players, or players from their favorite team, yet it inevitably comes down to that; evidenced by the fact that fans are not allowed to vote for pitchers, perhaps even more telling is the election of David Ortiz to play first base when games are in National League parks and designated hitters are not used. But fans of the game of baseball should instead vote for the players who will give them the best game possible, especially since each team is required to have at least one player represented on the roster.
    If the Angels are to have only one player on this roster, Torii Hunter is most deserving this season. This isn't to say that Mike Napoli and others have not stepped up to the plate metaphorically, but rather that Hunter has exceeded all expectations in Vladimir Guerrero's absence. While Napoli, Gary Matthews Jr., Bobby Abreu, Juan Rivera and the rest of the team have really come through in the trying times the Angels have faced with this season's injuries, Hunter has displayed the fielding and batting expertise necessary to hold the team together, which does not even include his clubhouse presence — which one can deduce from player interviews keeps everyone in good spirits.
    Instead of making the All-Star Game a who's who of baseball, fans should work to honor those who have made a difference on the field and carried their team to this point in the season. Torri Hunter has become a prime example of this. His defense is unmatched, as shown by the aforementioned Gold Gloves, and not to mention his almost nightly appearance on baseball highlight reels. And to be honest, the numbers don't lie — Hunter has a perfect fielding percentage so far this year; that means no errors.
    His offense has been impressive so far this season, too. Before Sunday's game, the Angels had a total of 27 home runs this season, of which Hunter had hit 9; that's one-third of the total for the team. (Is anyone else reminded of Babe Ruth in the 1920s by that kind of percentage?) His total ranks him No. 10 in the AL. His at-bats-per-homer ratio is an impressive No. 10 in the league, as well. With 14-plus position players in a game like the All-Star Game, where players are likely to only get one or two at bats for the entire game, this is a highly important statistic. The fewer at bats, on average, it takes for a player to hit a home run the more likely in any game (let alone a game that they will more than likely not bat the minimum three times) they are to do so, increasing the odds of scoring at one time rather than having to put together a rally. While his batting average may not have him on any leader boards before Sunday's game, he was batting .317 this season (an entire .029 points higher than his highest single season average), and more importantly his .611 Slugging Percentage ranks him ninth in the American League, while his 1.012 On-Base Plus Slugging percentage puts him at eighth.
    Hunter has not only stood out amongst the Halos this year, but amongst the entire league. Who knows, with these numbers, maybe by the end of the season this will become a petition for an MVP instead of an All-Star Game bid.
    Promoting the Pepsi Max Field of Dreams, AngelsWin.com got a chance to interview 9-time Gold Glove winner Torii Hunter.
    August 2nd, 2011
    All Good Things Must Come to an End

    By Brian Waller - AngelsWin.com Columnist
    Nov 6th, 2012
    All good things must come to an end, and it appears as though fan favorite Torii Hunter’s days in a Halo’s uniform have come to an end; with the door only slightly cracked for the mayor of “Toriitown” to return. After signing a 5 year $90-million deal with the Angels on November 22, 2007 Hunter seemed like the perfect fit for the team. Sure his contract was a little on the pricey side and sure he didn’t appear on paper as the “impact” player the team had been seeking the previous season or so but none the less the marriage seemed perfect; it was consummated at a Del Taco after all.

    From afar, I think we all could agree that Hunter was and is the type of player that any fan would love to have on their team. The former 1st round pick of the 1993 amateur draft spent 9 full seasons in Minnesota where he made two All-Star appearances and compiled 192 home runs, 711 rbi’s, swiped 126 bases all while hitting .271 with a .793 OPS. Perhaps Hunter’s most impressive attribute on the field was not his offense, but what he did defensively. In those same 9 seasons with the Twins, Hunter racked up 7 Gold Glove awards and proved himself to be one of the best defenders in Major League Baseball.
    As an Angel fan I can honestly say I was pleased with the signing at the time and figured he would be a great addition to the team both offensively and defensively. What I didn’t take into consideration however was the impact Hunter would have on the Angels’ clubhouse as well as the Southern California community. Through the years Hunter has contributed to many charities including his own, the “Torii Hunter Project Education” Initiative, which provides college scholarships to students in California, Arkansas, Nevada and Minnesota. Hunter is also very involved in a partnership with Major League Baseball to help maintain and improve baseball diamonds in inner cities as well as the Prostate Cancer Foundation and the “Big Brother” program. In 2009 Hunter was acknowledged for his hard work in the community and charitable services when he was presented with the Branch Rickey Award; an honor bestowed upon those in the MLB that go above in beyond in the community and who show excellence in charity work.
    Hunter became something the Angels hadn’t had since Tim Salmon retired; a face of the franchise. Hunter became the voice of the clubhouse, someone who from afar, seemed to put the team on his shoulders when needed and handled the media when things got rough. He was the cheerleader in the off season reaching out to players to sign with the Angels; players like Carl Crawford, C.J. Wilson, etc. As a fan it was both enjoyable and refreshing to see a player so passionate about his team he would take to Twitter and other media outlets to entice free agents to done Angels red; even though it didn’t always work out.  Hunter’s leadership qualities really became apparent when he voluntarily moved from center field to right field in 2011 to make room for a speedy Peter Bourjos and eventually Mike Trout. Rather than show bitterness and shun the up and coming players, Hunter took his years of knowledge and helped teach the youngsters because he knew it was best for the team. When you really take a step back and realize that a player who had won nine consecutive gold gloves in center field during his career made such an unselfish move you really appreciate just what type of player and person Hunter is.
    Hunter would go on to become a solid contributor to the Halos on the field. He won his 8th and 9th Gold Glove awards while with the Angels and also won the only Silver Slugger award of his career in 2009 (thus far). Hunter made the All-Star team twice; most notably in 2010 when the All-Star game was hosted at the “Big A”. Although injury prevented Hunter from participating in the All-Star game it still gave the fans a tremendous sense of pride having one of their own and the face of the franchise voted in to the annual summer classic. Hunter would go on to hit 105 hr, 432 rbi’s, steal 60 bases and hit .286 with an .814 OPS during his 5 year stint in Anaheim; numbers that are not necessarily “eye popping” but again, his value cannot be measured in mere stats.
    Watching a fan favorite change teams is never easy, it’s all most like a break up of sorts with the Angels telling Torii “it’s not you….it’s me”. Although both sides may appear to part ways amicably there always will be lingering feelings due to just how intermingled the two were due to Hunter being the face of the franchise. We all have our favorite “Torii moments” and although it is easy to get wrapped up and attached to players we do need to realize it is a business. Hunter has intangibles that can’t be given a stat and won’t show up on the back of a baseball card; how important those intangibles are remains to be seen. The Halos will most likely find out in 2013 what life is like without Hunter and hopefully the dollars saved are worth his absence and will be put to good use.
  14. Chuck
    By Taylor Blake Ward, AngelsWin.com Columnist
    Fontenelle took a roundabout way to Fort Worth after stops at Washington and McClennan CC before turning into a big-moment bat for the Horned Frogs in 2023. A switch-hitter, Fontenelle stays simple is his load with some drift in his hands. He has strength in his hands to manipulate the barrel and cover the entire zone from the left side where the physical strength in his six-foot-three, 205-pound frame lets him produce some bat speed and near above-average power. There's a bit more slap tendency and flat plane when swinging from the right side that seems more focused on making hard contact, though it can get groundball dominant. Though it's not alarming, there are some chase concerns with Fontenelle's approach, while strength-based refinements to his hand load should cut down some in-zone swing-and-miss. He's an average runner with aggressive/instinctual baserunning making him an honest base stealing threat who could possibly snag double-digits bags. More out of necessity with Brayden Taylor (Rays first-round pick) and Tre Richardson (Cardinals 15th-round pick) manning the left side of the TCU infield, Fontenelle spent the majority of his time this spring at first base. The Angels selected him as a third baseman where he could profile with good athleticism for someone his size and a fair arm and footwork, with a chance of gaining some versatility in left field where he's spent some time in the past. There are tools to like in the package, and with some swing and decision refinements, there's offensive ceiling to tap into, with some high-energy leadership traits to carry his tools and teammates.
    Cole Fontenelle 2023 NCAA Division-1 statistics: 294 PA, .352/.473/.640, 66 R, 14 HR, 58 RBI, 20 SB, 15.3 BB%, 17.0 K%
    Angels seventh-round pick, Cole Fontenelle, sits down with Taylor Blake Ward to chat about how Ichiro Suzuki and Raul Ibanez turned him into a switch-hitter when he was five-years-old and about positional versatility he learned at TCU.
     
     
  15. Chuck
    By Taylor Blake Ward, AngelsWin.com Staff Writer
     
    1st Round, 11th Overall: Nolan Schanuel, 1B, Florida Atlantic
    Schanuel was the best performer across Division-1 baseball in 2023, barely missing out on the slash line Triple Crown, leading the nation in on-base percentage, falling just .002 short of the batting title, and .047 short of the slugging title which went to a player at the high-elevation Brigham Young. Regardless of falling short of a fun title, Schanuel put up video game numbers slashing .447/.615/.868 with 71 walks to 14 strikeouts and 19 home runs to boot, leading to plenty of first-round chatter and the eventual 11th overall selection by the Angels. Schanuel's offensive operation begins with an unorthodox setup with a high hand load and exaggerated leg kick (though not to point of Zach Neto, Josh Donaldson, Bo Bichette, etc.). It's a load you'd likely see more overseas in Asia, but Schanuel does a fine job of keeping his body and swing in sync throughout the process putting him in a good hitting position at separation. As he comes out of his load, Schanuel has a balanced uphill swing from the left side with some explosion to the ball. He has shown good barrel control with above-average bat speed, giving him an above-average or plus future hit tool and with the present physical maturation to his six-foot-four, 220-pound frame with natural strength average-or-better power projection. Schanuel is a highly disciplined hitter who has an excellent eye for the zone, who rarely chases out of the zone and can punish pitches in the zone, with an approach that helped carry him into first-round status. There were questions about Schanuel's actual hit tool -- particularly with a wood bat -- after hitting just .200 in 125 at bats in the Cape Cod League in 2022 and coming from a mid-major conference with limited velocity. However, Schanuel had a realization that something was off and had an eye doctor appointment that led to an Astigmatism diagnosis and a corrective contact placed in his right eye in January of 2023. Schanuel noted his vision went to four-dimensional status from that point and he felt like a new hitter which should give more confidence in his long-term ability to hit. He also has a short track record against some major programs, albeit coming from midweek games and lesser on-mound prospects. An average runner, Schanuel has enough speed to keep catchers honest but likely will never be a double-digit base stealer. The Angels will hold Schanuel to first base at least until instructional league where he could see time in the corner outfield. Schanuel is a good defender at the bag and has some athleticism that could lead to corner versatility, with personal comments about hoping to be a utility man at the next level with time at third and second base, though the Angels did not express those similar feelings initially. With so much promise on the bat, Schanuel is a high-floor type collegiate with outstanding performances under his belt and hopes that everything will translate to become a middle-of-the-order hitter in the future. For the comparison crowd, it's challenging to tab Schanuel down to a modern-day player but there was a sound comparison made by Joe Doyle of FSS Plus in a Nathaniel Lowe profile (see comp below).
    Nate Lowe/Nolan Schanuel comparison

    Munetaka Murakami/Nolan Schanuel comparison

    Tim McIlvaine on Nolan Schanuel: "Nolan did a lot of things that we really liked and that we sought out to look for. He's got power. He can hit. He knows the zone. He's very patient. He doesn't get himself out. He rarely ever strikes out. Took a lot of walks this year, had a lot of extra-base hits, and can hit the ball over the wall. He's a good player. He's a really good baseball mind when you sit down and talk to him. He understands hitting. He understands his swing. He understands what he's trying to do at the plate and what makes him successful. There's a lot of pieces that go into it but first and foremost we liked his bat. We think he's going to be a pretty good hitter for us... This guy is wired right. I think he's a really good competitor. He really wants to win. He's made himself better and he's going to make us better. He really makes you like him."
    Nolan Schanuel 2023 NCAA Division-1 statistics: 289 PA, .447/.615/.868, 70 R, 19 HR, 64 RBI, 14 SB, 24.6 BB%, 4.8 K%
    Note: Carlos Collazo of Baseball America has reported that Schanuel has signed with Angels for slot value, $5,253,000, which is a new record bonus for any Angels draftee by $583,000 (Reid Detmers, 2020).
     
    3rd Round, 79th Overall: Alberto Rios, 3B, Stanford
    Rios spent his first two years at Stanford as a bullpen catcher who received eight total plate appearances as a pinch-hitter, reaching base once. His junior season, the Cardinal put him in their starting lineup and all he did was hit, and hit, and hit, to a point of outperforming his first-round teammate Tommy Troy and earn him Pac-12 Player of the Year honors. Rios sets up with a rhythmic hand load and great balance as he turns and extends. He has a compact cut from the right side with some quick explosion and a great ability to find the barrel letting his natural strength drive the ball to all fields. He has solid zone coverage and pitch recognition, which aids to his hitability where he rarely chases and has shown the ability to hit higher velocity and adjust to off-speed. With his solid pitch recognition, Rios is a disciplined hitter with zone awareness and should be able to keep his swing-and-miss in check consistently aiding to his hit tool which projects above-average. There is some thud in his compact six-foot, 203-pound frame and his natural strength with average-or-above bat speed has allowed him to frequently tap into his power which plays to all fields and easy projection to see 15-20 home runs annually. There is plenty of faith in Rios' ability to hit, but that same faith is not shared in the other facets of his game. Rios is a below-average runner who is more of a grinding baserunner and though he has some active feet in the outfield, his limited speed and fringy arm make him a below-average fielder in left field where he spent the majority of his time with Stanford in 2023. The Angels opted to take him away from the outfield and selected him as a third baseman -- where he played as a prep -- where his feet may play a bit better but still with a below-average projection (the Angels worked him out at second base during a private workout). Rios has spent some time catching and has some raw receiving skills that make him a fascinating development project behind the dish, though the Angels will hold out until at least Instructional League before putting him there, if they do. Rios has shown a strong arm in glimpses, but it is mostly graded as fringy or below while his throwing mechanics would need attention to stick at catcher with the modern game leaning to more base stealing. If Rios can catch, his profile could have a meteoric rise as an above-average hitting catcher, but the likelihood is that the Angels will need to focus one defensive home whether it be third base, second base, left field, or catching (likely in that order) to capitalize on a special bat that could play as an everyday regular.
    Tim McIlvaine on Alberto Rios: “It’s a neat story with him. He was recruited by (Stanford). Got there and just really couldn’t get into the lineup. For him – he kept working hard, kept working at it. Something seemed to click for him in the fall and he really started swinging it well. Once they put him in there this spring, they couldn’t get him out of the lineup, and he ended up being Pac-12 Player of the Year. We followed him pretty closely. We have a guy that lives in Northern California, Scott Richardson, he’s around there a lot. He started calling me a little early on in the spring and was like, ‘Hey this guy, he didn’t really play, but he’s really good. He’s really swinging it well.' So, we kind of kept tabs on it and he didn’t stop and just got better seemingly every game this spring, so we ended up watching him a lot."
    Alberto Rios 2023 NCAA Division-1 statistics: 293 PA, .384/.485/.707, 69 R, 18 HR, 73 RBI, 5 SB, 13.0 BB%, 14.3 K%
     
    4th Round, 111th Overall: Joe Redfield, OF, Sam Houston
    Redfield is a toolsy outfielder from Sam Houston who had an impressive Western Athletic Conference performance and carried that into the Cape Cod League with a brief, but moderate performance. Staying low and compact throughout his operation, Redfield has short levers that keep him inside the ball with a quick and compact left-handed swing. There's strength in his six-foot-two, 200-pound frame and present bat speed that lets him tap into some fringe-average power when he catches the ball out front. Redfield controls the strike zone well, particularly the inner half, and has shown the ability to make contact on higher velocity in the zone without expanding on off-speed. He's an above-average runner who can cover enough ground in the outfield to man all three positions with some ease and be a modest base stealer. His profile fits a fourth outfield type with some hitting upside. On a fun note, Redfield's father (Joe) played one game for the Angels on June 4, 1988 (0-for-2) and was drafted by the Mets in the ninth-round of the 1982 MLB Draft with the Mets amateur scouting director being Joe McIlvaine, the father of current Angels amateur scouting director, Tim McIlvaine.
    Tim McIlvaine on Joe Redfield: “He’s a well-rounded player. Center fielder. Above-average runner. Hit over .400 this year with 15 homers, 15 stolen bases. He had 100 hits I think and was probably top ten in all of collegiate baseball in hits. He’s a guy that has tools and can touch a lot of different tools. He’s a well-rounded player that can go out and not do anything different. He goes out and just plays his game. He’s gonna get his hits, gonna hit some doubles, gonna hit a few homers, gonna steal some bases, gonna play center field. We’re excited about the athleticism and the excited about the kid too.”
    Joe Redfield 2023 NCAA Division-1 statistics: 300 PA, .402/.485/.683, 81 R, 15 HR, 56 RBI, 15 SB, 11.3 BB%, 11.3 K%
     
    5th Round, 147th Overall: Chris Clark, RHP, Harvard
    Clark joined the Crimson rotation this spring after spending time in relief with spot starts and missed bats at a premium. Clark operates in the low-to-mid 90's touching 97 with some life to his glove side and firmness in the upper velo echelons. His fastball command and shape allowed it to be hit more often than his velocity and general opponent lesser talent would suggest, with refinements needed to get the most of its plus potential. He throws an average low 80's slider with some depth-and-sweep to his glove side when executed properly and could grade out higher with some added power. There was some touch-and-feel addition to the slider in the form of a harder cutter this spring that could play off or scrap his slider entirely as a power breaking fastball-breaker. Clark has a firm changeup in the bag, but it's a below-average offering in its' current state. Clark is a solid on-mound athlete with plenty of arm and physical strength in his six-foot-four, 195-pound frame, with the athletic markers to see improved command through development, though there's some whip in his delivery that will need to be refined. His general two-pitch arsenal and high-compete level would lean to a power relief outlook where his fastball and breaker could tick up and play, but the Angels will send him out as a starter in development with belief he can stick in the rotation with a backend future.
    Tim McIlvaine on Chris Clark: “Our scout Drew Dominguez has been talking about (Chris) for years as a guy we need to get. We gotta get this guy in the system. He's wired right. He's a starter. He's smart. Last year it just didn't work out -- he was eligible last year. Drew stayed on him and was still jumping up and down about him today. We walked out in the hallway after calling (Chris) and Drew was jumping up and down so excited that we got him. It’s great. It’s fun to see that kind of passion. It’s way easier for us to take a guy when our scouts have that sort of conviction with players.”
    Chris Clark 2023 NCAA Division-1 statistics: 65.2 IP, 4-4, 4.93 ERA, 0 SV, 8.4 H/9, 4.4 BB/9, 12.7 K/9
     
    6th Round, 174th Overall: Camden Minacci, RHP, Wake Forest
    Minacci was a two-year closer at Wake Forest, who were the top-ranked program in the nation throughout the spring up until their elimination by LSU in the College World Series. Minacci was frequent on the national stage and was one of the most renowned big-moment relief pitchers in the draft class. He comes right at hitters with a lively mid 90's fastball that has been tapped at 99, with significant ride and some run to his arm side. He pairs his fastball with a mid-to-upper 80's power slider with depth that he works away from right-handed hitters and in on the hands of lefties. There's power and tunnel to the slider making it a highly effective swing-and-miss offering with consistent plus grades attached. Everything comes from a highly active delivery with effort, and though Minacci has been able to harness the command of his fastball and slider, he is a relief only prospect. Minacci has a big-moment mentality and serious aggression on the mound, which was present in big-conference and postseason play with the aptitude and arsenal for high-leverage relief. In general, Minacci is what you see is what you get when it comes to development and projection with minimal physical development to his six-foot-three, 215-pound frame, with enough current feel to his arsenal to move him quickly through the minors and let his fiery attitude and ability dictate his future relief role. Note: Carlos Collazo of Baseball America has reported that Camden Minacci has signed with Angels for $328,500.
    Tim McIlvaine on Camden Minacci: “He brings a different kind of energy and fire and excitement to him that other guys just feed off of. He comes at guys with a big fastball. He's got a good slider. He’s not afraid of anybody and he just comes right at guys. It’s a good fire that a lot of those backend relievers seem to have. I love his intensity. I love his competitiveness. I love the way he comes at guys. I don't see that changing at all with his approach once he gets into pro ball."
    Camden Minacci 2023 NCAA Division-1 statistics: 32.1 IP, 0-1, 2.78 ERA, 13 SV, 7.2 H/9, 2.8 BB/9, 12.8 K/9
     
    7th Round, 204th Overall: Cole Fontenelle, 3B, TCU
    Fontenelle took a roundabout way to Fort Worth after stops at Washington and McClennan CC before turning into a big-moment bat for the Horned Frogs in 2023. A switch-hitter, Fontenelle stays simple is his load with some drift in his hands. He has strength in his hands to manipulate the barrel and cover the entire zone from the left side where the physical strength in his six-foot-three, 205-pound frame lets him produce some bat speed and near above-average power. There's a bit more slap tendency and flat plane when swinging from the right side that seems more focused on making hard contact, though it can get groundball dominant. Though it's not alarming, there are some chase concerns with Fontenelle's approach, while strength-based refinements to his hand load should cut down some in-zone swing-and-miss. He's an average runner with aggressive/instinctual baserunning making him an honest base stealing threat who could possibly snag double-digits bags. More out of necessity with Brayden Taylor (Rays first-round pick) and Tre Richardson (Cardinals 15th-round pick) manning the left side of the TCU infield, Fontenelle spent the majority of his time this spring at first base. The Angels selected him as a third baseman where he could profile with good athleticism for someone his size and a fair arm and footwork, with a chance of gaining some versatility in left field where he's spent some time in the past. There are tools to like in the package, and with some swing and decision refinements, there's offensive ceiling to tap into, with some high-energy leadership traits to carry his tools and teammates.
    Cole Fontenelle 2023 NCAA Division-1 statistics: 294 PA, .352/.473/.640, 66 R, 14 HR, 58 RBI, 20 SB, 15.3 BB%, 17.0 K%
     
    8th Round, 234th Overall: Barrett Kent, RHP, Pottsboro HS (TX)
    Usually more suited for the third-round or over slot early teen picks, Kent is the prototypical prep arm with a projectable frame and current feel for pitching that teams are constantly enticed by. Tall and strong at six-foot-four, 215-pounds, Kent has shown a pro-ready four-pitch arsenal and ability to land each for strikes, with plenty of refinements to tap into his big on-mound upside. Kent will work in the low-to-mid 90's, upwards of 97, with some ease early in outings but hasn't been able to hold premier velocity beyond a few innings. At its peak, there is liveliness to the fastball with good angle to the plate coming from a high three-quarter slot and some life to his arm side. With physical maturity and development, there should be some ticks added to his fastball with more frequency in maintaining that velocity. He has a promising slider with a fastball plane and late depth away from right-handers, regularly flashing above average with command of the breaker. He also has a curveball in the bag with a more high-arching break that shows potential but doesn't have enough current feel to label above fringe-average. Like most prep pitchers, Kent hasn't had to incorporate his changeup often, but he's shown fair feel for the pitch with arm speed and some fade to his arm side. Most of Kent's arsenal plays well fading to his arm side while he'd be better equipped to find the left half of the zone to make his full arsenal more well-rounded. Kent is an easy operator with a clean arm stroke and athleticism in the delivery, which aids his ability to locate pitches and throws strikes at a high clip. There's plenty of development focused on the physical side and ability to work all quadrants of the zone which may take time but could be vital to tapping into his groundball-focused rotation upside. Kent is committed to Arkansas and will take the bulk of the Angels remaining bonus pool beyond Schanuel and Rios.
    Tim McIlvaine on Barrett Kent: "He's really good. He's a guy we talked about a little bit earlier in the day and things didn't really go his way, so we were able to grab him. High school kid from Texas. Right-handed pitcher. Big kid. Six-four. Long, loose. Four pitches. We think he's a starter. We're really excited to have him. We did a lot of work on him this year. He kind of stumbled out of the gates and found his footing about halfway through and finished up really strong. He came to a workout we had in Dallas and threw for us there. We really got to spend a lot of time with him and figure out what he was like as a kid. We couldn't be more excited to have him."
    Barrett Kent 2023 high school statistics via MaxPreps: N/A
     
    9th Round, 264th Overall: Chase Gockel, RHP, Quincy University
    Gockel was a grad student at Quincy this spring after spending scattered time with Charleston Southern and Illinois State. Praised for his off-season strength-and-conditioning, Gockel saw a velocity spike over the fall and winter that carried into the spring. His fastball now sits in the mid 90's, up to 98, with some heaviness down in the zone and some lively cut up in the zone with more of a "let it ride" control-over-command feel for the pitch. The fastball dominated Division-2 hitters and he was near untouchable because of it. He'll incorporate a mid-70's slider that adds some shape and life when he throws it in a higher velocity range, but it has a fair amount of inconsistencies that make it a fringier offering that could be a development focus. There's some violence in Gockel's near over-the-top delivery and command will have to improve for him to be more than a power thrower.
    Tim McIlvaine on Chase Gockel: “Big arm from Quincy. He came to our workout in Dallas and threw really well there. He's been up to 98 in the past and was 93-95 for us at the workout. It’s a good arm and he’s had some struggles before that but seemed to kind of figure it out a little bit. He got a little bit stronger this past year and he threw the ball really well for us.”
    Chase Gockel 2023 NCAA Divison-2 statistics: 32.0 IP, 3-0, 2.25 ERA, 4 SV, 3.4 H/9, 5.6 BB/9, 16.0 K/9
     
    10th Round, 294th Overall: Chris Barraza, RHP, Arizona
    Barraza is a fifth-year senior with a fastball dominant arsenal. Everything with Barraza starts and ends with his fastball which is thrown in the low-to-mid 90's with significant carry and was near unhittable this spring. It's a dominant pitch with carrying traits that he has shown the ability to command, particularly up in the zone, and get chases above the eye level. He has a power slider with a soft and short break making it hittable and predictable if not tunneled well off his fastball. Undersized at six-foot with a two-pitch (maybe one-pitch) arsenal and aggression with the fastball, Barraza has some quick-moving relief-only traits but will have to reshape his breaking ball and find better command of it as well. Arizona has seen a flourish of pitchers hit pro ball and see the shape of their pitches -- whether it be the fastball or breaking pitch -- be altered which has helped them find more success with professional development, most notably with the Angels: Chase Silseth. The same could be said of Rays 2023 sixth-round selection, T.J. Nichols.
    Chris Barraza 2023 NCAA Division-1 statistics: 29.0 IP, 5-2, 6.52 ERA, 1 SV, 11.5 H/9, 5.0 BB/9, 12.1 K/9
     
    11th Round, 324th Overall: John Wimmer, SS, Rick Hill HS (SC)
    Wimmer is an athletic South Carolina prep shortstop with some offensive spark plug upside. He has a whippy swing from the right side that is more compact in batting practice and loosens up in game where he's a bit more level-plane barrel focused, giving him more all fields contact. He can get pull-happy with his quick hip turn and swing over top of pitches when getting more intentful, which is fairly typical from a prep hitter, and that steadily improved over this spring as he fared well against some more challenging prep arms. Wimmer has some present average-or-better bat speed and ability to hit the ball with authority. There's plenty of room to fill into his six-foot-one, 170-pound frame giving some power projection though it may be more hard-contact to the gaps rather than over-the-fence prowess with some fringe overall power projection which plays more to his gap-to-gap approach. Wimmer is an average-or-better runner with athleticism, standard actions, and footwork to stick at shortstop through development, and see how he adjusts to the game getting quicker with a potential move to second base where his arm would play well. There are a lot of rudimentary aspects to Wimmer's overall game that come standard with most preps, but there are some upside tools to see a big league regular at a premium position as he fills out physically. Wimmer, one of two prep selections by the Angels, is committed to The Citadel.
    Tim McIlvaine on John Wimmer: "Really athletic high school shortstop. A guy we kind of targeted and knew fell a little bit because of the price tag and we had an opportunity to make this marriage work, and we did that. He's a great kid. He can really play defense. The bat is coming along well. There's good life in the body. He came to our workout in Atlanta, and we met him there and watched him against everybody else and sized up against everybody else. We're really excited to get him. We think there's a lot of ceiling left with him."
    John Wimmer 2023 high school statistics via MaxPreps: N/A
     
    12th Round, 354th Overall: Sam Brown, 1B, Washington State
    Brown transferred to Washington State for his junior year after two decent years at Portland. He has an active load that creates rhythm in his uphill left-handed swing. The bat plane and natural strength packed into his six-foot-two, 218-pound frame give him some moderate power projection while his ability to find the barrel allow him to tap into his power, but also take away from some intent making him more of a balanced average-and-power guy. Brown shows a balanced approach with some minimal swing-and-miss and chase. Brown is a good defender at first base with some athleticism to test him in the corner outfield, but his final destination will be first. He was named to the All-Pac-12 team in 2023 after hitting .374 with a 1.155 OPS and 11 home runs, with above-average offensive career numbers. Steady performers like Brown tend to be good bets through development, and the offensive tools could give some first base platoon upside.
    Tim McIlvaine on Sam Brown: "Strong left-handed hitter from Washington State. It's a good-looking swing with some pop. That's what we're hoping he just continues doing is hitting. That's why we took him. We're hoping he just continues to hit."
    Sam Brown 2023 NCAA Division-1 statistics: 241 PA, .374/.481/.674, 38 R, 11 HR, 58 RBI, 5 SB, 11.2 BB%, 13.7 K%
     
    13th Round, 384th Overall: Riley Bauman, RHP, Abilene Christian
    Bauman transferred to Abilene Christian after a lackluster freshman campaign at Navarro College and made four appearances with the Wildcats before requiring Tommy John surgery, which made him miss the entirety of the 2023 season. The Angels are banking on on-mound athleticism and a power arsenal shown post-surgery. Bauman, a six-foot right-handed pitcher, was working 94-97 with his fastball as recently as June, featuring notable run to his glove side and carry up in the zone. He was up to 98 in a private workout with the Angels. Bauman shows some feel for two off-speed pitches in a fringy short two-plane slider and a curveball he's added power and shape to from previous years, with both breakers sitting in the low 80's. The command of his off-speed will need to improve at the next level. Bauman has a loose arm and showed decent command in recent workouts though his track record indicates he'll need to seriously refine his command and control with some problematic walks and pitches in the zone being hammered, but he has the athletic markers to see this improve. There are a lot of questions about Bauman's overall package with a limited track record and a healthy return should answer some of those questions quickly, though his command may waver initially as he gets back to some body and motion memory. The Angels plan on using Bauman as a starter due to his athleticism and three (or four) pitches, but with his limited size and a power arsenal with limited track record of strikes, he looks more like a reliever in projection.
    Tim McIlvaine on Riley Bauman: "Athletic right-handed pitcher. He's coming off of Tommy John but our guy, K.J. Hendricks, had known him from the past before that and kind of caught up with him while he's been in the rehabbing process. It was coming out of his hand really good. He's got three or four pitches. We think he's going to be able to start. He's athletic and been up to 98 recently in a workout for us. We think there's a lot to tap into here."
    Riley Bauman 2023 NCAA Divison-1 statistics: N/A (Did not pitch due to Tommy John surgery)
     
    14th Round, 414th Overall: Zach Joyce, RHP, Tennessee
    One of the best feel-good stories of the entirety of the 2023 Draft, Zach Joyce is an easy to cheer for reliever, particularly, for Angels brass. The twin-brother of Angels hurler, Ben, was a pitching prospect during his time at Walters State in 2019 and 2020 and transferred to Tennessee with his brother but not before going down with Tommy John surgery. During the COVID-19 pandemic, Joyce was diagnosed with clinical depression and anxiety and walked away from baseball to address his mental health. Missing the entirety of the 2021 and 2022 seasons due to Tommy John recovery and his diagnosis, Joyce was open about his depression and anxiety and found assistance through therapy, leading to a return to the mound in 2023 with Tennessee. Joyce came out of the gate throwing 95 and touched as high as 98 over the spring with some life to his fastball, paired with a mid-80's slider/cutter. Subtracting the unicorn-like velocity, the younger Joyce brother has similar collegiate traits to Ben with a two-pitch arsenal based more on velocity and separation while working around the zone, with size in his six-foot-four, 225-pound frame to continue holding velocity. There's untapped upside in the college reliever with a small track record, with hopes of having a pair of power relief brothers near the middle-to-backend of the bullpen.
    Tim McIlvaine on Zach Joyce: "The first time I saw both (Zach and Ben) they were both at Walters State. I want to say it was 2019, maybe. I was at a tournament at Lipscomb University and there was a junior college tournament going on there and I saw both of them that day and I thought both of them were really talented. Ben kind of took off a little quicker and then Zach had Tommy John and had to recover from that, then took the year off. I saw him this year at Tennessee and he looked great. He was throwing the ball really well. Spinning the ball really well. Then the velocity started climbing back up. He was up to 95, 96, 97, 98 even. He's back. It's great to see after taking a little bit of time but he's got the injuries behind him. He has the (depression and anxiety) behind him. It's all full throttle ahead for him now. We are really excited to have him. The story of it being with Ben and being his brother is great but that was a guy that regardless of any connections to the Angels, I was targeting him as a guy that could help us for sure. The story now with Ben could be awesome at some point as well but he's a really talented kid. We're excited to get him -- lucky to get him."
    Zach Joyce 2023 NCAA Division-1 statistics: 10.1 IP, 1-0, 4.35 ERA, 7.8 H/9, 1.7 BB/9, 14.8 K/9
     
    15th Round, 444th Overall: Caleb Ketchup, SS, Lipscomb
    Ketchup is an undersized do-it-all athlete with an up-the-middle future. Ketchup has a simple stroke from the right side that stays compact through contact. Listed at five-foot-eleven and 160-pounds, there is a lot of physical development remaining though he has some wiry strength while his size may limit him to fringy or below-average power and be more of a gap-to-gap hitter limiting his offensive impact. With an approach more oriented to contact, there are no glaring issues in his walk or strikeout rates with some natural mid-major collegiate balance. Ketchup is a gifted defensive shortstop with excellent range, with feet that operate like a one-cut halfback (which he played in high school as well as defensive back). He can throw from multiple angles with some mustard... (shoutout Jeff Johnson for this awesome joke) giving confidence to his long-term ability at the premium position. He is a plus runner who has more gusto once underway and is aggressive on the base paths making him a constant stolen base threat. Pending the growth of his offensive impact there are some carrying tools here between his defense and speed with table setting traits through development and some bench and versatility upside.
    Tim McIlvaine on Caleb Ketchup: "Athletic kid. Younger body still but room for some strength. Hit 17 homers this year and stole over 30 bases. Can play shortstop. It's a guy we're pretty excited about. He can do a lot of different things. Once he puts a little more strength on the body, I think we'll see a little bit more from him."
    Caleb Ketchup 2023 NCAA Division-1 statistics: 306 PA, .255/.375/.534, 68 R, 17 HR, 45 RBI, 31 SB, 14.4 BB%, 17.6 K%
     
    16th Round, 474th Overall: Rio Foster, OF, Florence-Darlington Tech (SC)
    Foster is a high-ceiling junior college corner with strong athleticism and physicality. He hits from the right side with an active setup and a loose-and-whippy cut. There are some moving parts to his swing which should be a development focus to tap into his power projection aided by present strength and bat speed and should only improve as he fills his athletic six-foot-four, 205-pound frame. Foster is an above-average runner with aggression on the base paths and will steal his fair share of bags. He's an athletic fielder who should be able to cover ground in the outfield and has played on the dirt in the past. The hit tool will have to improve for Foster to reach any ceiling but power and speed profiles like this tend to balance out during development as they focus on other traits of their game. Scouts praise Foster's work ethic and the athleticism is evident giving some confidence to tapping into some upside.
    Tim McIlvaine on Rio Foster: "He's kind of a power and speed type with some ceiling to him. Still gotta get to where the hit tool is going to play, and I think it will because he's a smart kid. He's a hard worker. He's got some ceiling. There's room to put some really good weight on him and get him stronger."
    Rio Foster 2023 NJCAA statistics: 212 PA, .386/.481/.665, 60 R, 10 HR, 53 RBI, 39 SB, 11.8 BB%, 13.2 K%
     
    17th Round, 504th Overall: Logan Britt, RHP, Abilene Christian
    Britt has been around prospect circles for some time after showing big power projection as a Texas prep. He's spent his entire collegiate career as an outfielder for three years at Texas A&M and this last spring with Abilene Christian, but the Angels are planning on sending him out as a pitcher after throwing at a private workout. It's an immensely short track record of Britt's pitching as he only faced three batters on the mound while in college, walking two and allowing a hit to the other. Britt has a strong arm with accuracy from the outfield, but little is known about him on the mound. In high school, Britt touched 90 as a pitcher and threw over 98 from the outfield (via Perfect Game, 2019).
    Tim McIlvaine on Logan Britt: "He's a guy who's been a position player for most of his career and pitched a little bit in the past. For us he's going to pitch. We worked him out in a workout before the draft and really liked the way he looked. He was probably going to be drafted as a position player if we didn't take him as a pitcher but we're going to put him on the mound and turn him loose."
    Logan Britt 2023 NCAA Division-1 statistics: 0.0 IP, 3 BF, 2 BB, 1 H, 1 ER
     
    18th Round, 534th Overall: Dalton Kendrick, LHP, Memphis
    Kendrick was a four-year reliever for Memphis and served as their closer his junior and senior seasons. He's a deceptive hard-throwing southpaw with a lively low-to-mid 90's fastball and snappy curveball. He has a track record of throwing strikes and could be a quick mover through development. His 12 saves ranked ninth across Division-1 baseball in 2023 and earned First Team All-ACC honors.
    Tim McIlvaine on Dalton Kendrick: "He was a closer for Memphis. Struck out 55 in 45 innings this year. I think he was leading the country in saves for a little while. I don't know if he ended up with the lead, but he comes in and just gets outs which is what we like."
    Dalton Kendrick 2023 NCAA Division-1 statistics: 45.1 IP, 2-3, 3.38 ERA, 12 SV, 5.6 H/9, 2.6 BB/9, 10.9 K/9
     
    19th Round, 564th Overall: Raudi Rodriguez, OF, Georgia Premier Academy (GA)
    Rodriguez is a Dominican-born outfielder who performed well at prep showcases and against some premier Georgia prep arms. He swings with intent from the right side with a loose swing and level bat path and strength to manipulate the barrel. There is present strength in the six-foot, 190-pound profile and plenty of power projection with his mold and cut, though he is currently a gap hitter with loud metrics. His timing isn't always consistent, and his long swing may lead to a questionable hit tool and serious refinement to tap into his offensive upside. He has an aggressive approach. Rodriguez is a plus-plus runner who utilizes that speed in the outfield field and backs it up with a plus arm that would profile well in right field though there's a non-zero chance of him staying a center fielder due to his athleticism. There are plenty of tools to dream on, especially pending how he physically matures, with the hit tool being the focus and a speedy bench outfielder profile. Rodriguez is committed to South Carolina and would be a draft-eligible freshman in next year’s draft.
    Raudi Rodriguez 2023 HS statistics via MaxPreps: 129 PA, .352/.473/.485, 25 R, 1 HR, 14 RBI, 9 SB, 16.3 BB%, 19.4 K%
     
    20th Round, 594th Overall: Mac McCroskey, SS, Oral Roberts
    McCroskey is a redshirt-senior who bounced around the JUCO ranks from Crowley CC (TX) and Eastern Oklahoma State before landing at Oral Roberts for two years with his high school middle infield counterpart, Blaze Brothers, and helped lead the Golden Eagles to their second trip in program history to the College World Series. McCroskey has a flat-plane swing from the right side and is focused on making hard contact while altering his path to get uphill and drive the ball over the fence on occasion. He's a sound middle infielder with athleticism and a good internal clock giving some faith to sticking at the premium position. Late day three seniors don't always have the sexiest profiles and blend through development but there's enough to like in the general tools to see some bench upside in McCroskey. McCroskey's leadership qualities have been praised by his college coaches and teammates and was a drawing off-the-field tool for the Angels.
    Tim McIlvaine on Mac McCroskey: "Shortstop from Oral Roberts who was in the College World Series. He's a really good leader with an infectious approach, personality. He can play shortstop and has some ability with the bat as well."
    Mac McCroskey 2023 NCAA Divison-1 statistics: 318 PA, .314/.392/.520, 67 R, 14 H, 64 RBI, 17 SB, 10.7 BB%, 14.5 K%
     
    UNDRAFTED FREE AGENTS
    To the point of finalizing this this recap, the Angels have signed nine non-drafted free agents to minor league contracts. I wrote over 900 mini-reports on players with the majority of unselected being high school players, but three of the Angels NDFA's did appear in my pre-draft notebook. Landon Wallace, an outfielder from West Virginia, was a steady three-year performer between WVU and Nevada who is an above-average runner with a rhythmic right-handed swing and good feel for the barrel with some fringe power projection and versatile outfield defense. Will Christopherson, a right-handed pitcher for Iowa, is a physical reliever with a low 90's fastball with cut and a sweeping slider that could be a plus swing-and-miss weapon. Caleb Bartolero, a catcher from Troy, is a fifth-year senior with right-handed power upside and a strong arm behind the plate but lacks the actions for long term confidence and a 1B/LF outlook where the bat will have more focus. Andy Blake, a shortstop from Columbia, was the Ivy League Player of the Year in 2023. The current Angels undrafted free agents look as such:
    - RHP Will Christopherson, Iowa
    - RHP Ben Thompson, Troy
    - LHP Cameron Tullar, Western Kentucky
    - C Caleb Bartolero, Troy
    - C Peter Burns, Boston College
    - C Caleb Pendleton, Florida Atlantic
    - IF Will McGillis, South Carolina
    - SS Andy Blake, Columbia
    - OF Landon Wallace, West Virginia
    Tim McIlvaine on undrafted free agents: "It's tough when (the draft) is only 20 rounds. There's plenty of talented kids that can certainly be drafted and can go out into pro ball and endless stories of Major Leaguers that have made it after the 20th round. In preparing for the second half of (the third day), rounds 16-20, we had it all kind of lined up. All the names of guys we maybe would have drafted, we still consider signing them after the draft. We've already made contact with a lot of guys trying to get that process going and I think we'll sign a handful of guys after the draft as well. You have to have it ready to go because there's 29 other teams that have seen these guys too. We have targets that we've liked. We have a few guys that I think we've already reached out to and talked pretty far down the road with already. As soon as that 20th round is over you have to be on your toes and ready for it because a lot of these kids are going to get calls from everybody. With it being 20 rounds there are certainly guys that are deserving of being drafted and for us it's just figuring who is the best fit for us."
  16. Chuck
    In his sixth Major League season with the Angels, the 29-year-old has compiled a 10-5 record with a 3.14 ERA (132 IP – 46 ER) and 167 strikeouts in 23 pitching starts, while holding opponents to a .184 average (85/463). As a hitter, he had 102 runs scored, 26 doubles, eight triples, 44 home runs, 95 RBI, 91 walks, 20 stolen bases and a 1.066 OPS.
    Below are some additional accomplishments this season:
    THE HITTER
    Ranks in Top Four in the American League in home runs (44; 1st), total bases (325; 1st), extra-base hits (78; 1st), slugging (.654; 1st), OBP (.412; 1st), OPS (1.066; 1st), intentional walks (21; 2nd), triples (8; 3rd), runs (102; T-3rd), walks (91; T-4th), and batting average (.304; 4th). Recorded second career 40+ HR season (hit 46 HR in 2021) and was the first player in the Majors to reach the 40 HR mark in 2023. Third player in Angels history with multiple 40+ HR seasons, joining Troy Glaus (2000 & 2001) and Mike Trout (2015, 2019 & 2022). Third player all-time to record an extra-base hit, walk and run scored in six straight games (June 12-17)...The only other players to do so are Babe Ruth (7 straight games in 1921) and Barry Bonds (6 straight games in 1997). Only player in the Majors to tally 6+ triples and 34+ HR this season (third consecutive year as the only player to do so). THE PITCHER
    Leads the A.L. (min. 130 IP) with a .184 (85/463) opponent batting average. Finished year with an active streak of 20.2 consecutive innings pitched without allowing an earned run. Allowed one-or-fewer earned runs in 13 of 23 starts. Pitched first career complete game and first shutout on July 27 at Detroit in Game 1 of a doubleheader…Held Tigers to one hit and three walks with eight strikeouts. In addition to leading the league in opponent batting average, ranked among American League leaders at the time of his final start in strikeouts per 9.0 innings (11.39; 2nd), whiff rate (30.9%; 2nd), ERA (3.14; 3rd), WHIP (1.06; 4th), strikeouts (167; 5th), winning percentage (.667; T5th) and wins (10; T8th). TWO-WAY
    Recorded 10+ pitching wins and 30+ HR for a second consecutive season. Babe Ruth (1918) is the only other player with 10+ wins and 10+ HR. In 23 games as the Angels starting pitcher, batted .372 (29/78) with three doubles, two triples, seven home runs and 15 RBI. Seven HR in games pitched tied for the second-most in a season all-time (Wes Ferrell – 9 HR in games pitched for Cleveland in 1931). Made nine pitching starts while also leading the Majors in home runs as a batter. Finished one hit shy of hitting for the cycle in three different pitching starts. Served as the Angels starting designated hitter in all of his pitching starts. ALL-STAR
    Selected to the All-Star Game as both a pitcher and position player for a third consecutive season. Only player in MLB history to be selected as an All-Star as both a position player and a pitcher. Was the American League’s leading vote-getter in Phase 1 of fan voting and joined Rod Carew (1979) and Trout (2019) as Angels players to lead the A.L. in fan voting. Joined Hall of Famer David Ortiz (2011-13) as the only players to receive three straight fan elections at designated hitter. AWARDS AND HONORS
    2023 Angels MVP Award (third straight year voted by teammates as Angels MVP). Two-time American League Player of the Month (June & July). Three-time American League Player of the Week (June 12-18, June 26-July 2 & July 24-30). SHO OFF
    Would join Troy Glaus (2000) as the only Angels players to finish a season as the American League home run leader Finished the season with the most popular player jersey in MLB based on sales from MLBShop.com On June 27 vs. White Sox, became the first A.L. player to hit multiple home runs and have 10+ pitching strikeouts in the same game since Cleveland’s Pedro Ramos on July 31, 1963 (Game 2) vs. Angels First player in MLB history with 15+ SB & 40+ HR through his team’s first 114 games On July 27 at Detroit, became first player ever to pitch a complete game shutout in one game of a doubleheader and hit a home run in the other (hit two homers in the nightcap after tossing a shutout in Game 1) Leads the Major Leagues with a 10.1 bWAR this season (the next highest A.L. total belongs to Gerrit Cole – 7.4) From June 12-15 at Texas, became the third player since 1901 with 4+ home runs and 7+ walks in a four-game series, joining Detroit’s Hank Greenberg (Sept. 18-19, 1940 vs. Philadelphia A’s) and Pittsburgh’s Ralph Kiner (Aug. 3-5, 1951 vs. Phillies)  
    **Research provided by Elias Sports Bureau, STATS, ESPN Stats & Info, Baseball Reference, Sportradar, Fangraphs and MLB**
  17. Chuck
    By David Saltzer, AngelsWin.com Senior Writer 
    First and foremost, since we are opening the season in Baltimore, if you are reading this article, please take a moment to think upon all those who died on the Francis Scott Key Bridge. Thank you.
    Tuesday, before the Angels-Dodgers last game of Spring Training, Angels GM Perry Minasian met with season ticketholders for his annual “Chalk-Talk”. The event was moderated by Trent Rush, who did a great job, and asked most of the questions, although some fan questions were allowed. Perry spoke for about 45 minutes to the crowd and addressed the offseason and Spring Training.
    My cousin Ken and I attended and sat behind my good friend John and his friend Steve. Throughout and after the event, food was served, so, the 4 of us spent some time after the talk discussing what we had heard and any observations that we had. 
    When listening to a GM speak, one has to learn to read a bit between the lines to allow the narrative to unfold. It’s like trying to translate what a really skilled politician is saying: There is a definite art to it, which is part of what makes a GM’s job challenging and a reporter’s job even more challenging.
    Here are my 5 Take-Aways from the 2024 Chalk Talk.
     
    Take-Away #1: The Baseball People are Back In Charge
     For Angels fans who remember the Bill Stoneman years, you will be happy to know that Perry is following the same basic plan—except he identified it as the “Braves plan”. Really, it is the smartest and best use of team funds long-term. It isn’t “Money-Ball”. It’s about drafting well, developing waves of talent to provide depth, bringing in key parts that you may need, and finding success together. That’s what the best run organizations do, and that means the baseball people are back in charge. 
    If this is the plan, and the baseball people are back in charge, then that is good news for Angels fans, as long as we stick with it for 3-5 years. Don’t read this wrong: sticking with it does not mean that we won’t be contenders in less than 3-5 years. I will repeat: sticking with it [the plan] does not mean that we won’t be contenders in less than 3-5 years.  
    Instead, if we stick with the plan for 3-5 years, we will find tremendous success from it, just as the Angels did from 2002-2014 and the Braves and other teams have done since.
    Drafting and scouting well, and significantly improving our international presence, especially in Latin America, is a lot more effective and affordable way to develop a winning team than constantly chasing Free Agents. The same production from a 2nd or 3rd year player costs a fraction of what the same production from a Free Agent would cost.
    This was great news in my opinion, as previously, some of my main concerns about the organization have been about the lack of presence internationally, the lack of player scouting, and the lack of player development. We have needed to boost all of that to get back to where we were 20 years ago.
    Unfortunately, this immediately led to Take-Way #2. 
     
    Take-Away #2: 2024 Is a Transitional Year
    As many fans have realized, 2024 is a year for overhauling the team on the fly.
    But, that does NOT mean that we won’t be competitive. Let me repeat: That does NOT mean that we won’t be competitive. And it is NOT a bad thing. But, I cannot deny that it is a transitional year.
    Instead, what that means is that 2024 is a year to take stock of what we have in the organization, develop our future nucleus, and to see what holes we need to fill and how we can fill them. With the baseball people back in charge, they need to know answers about players and need to do a deep organizational analysis in order to transition into a championship team.
    Think of the “Big Board” in the War Room. Every organization has one, with the depth chart and the future timetable of development at each position. Players like Rada and Dana are quickly pushing their way up the timetables to join the current wave in the Majors. 
    All spring long we heard about Cole Fontenelle, a 3B, and how he impressed. Look at Perry’s and Washington’s actions, giving him at bats late in Spring Training, long after other players at higher levels in the Minors had been reassigned. That showed us that the Angels were really assessing him to see if he could be and when he could be in our future, and how best to develop him. If he can make it in the next 2 years, we will have essentially flipped the entire roster, except for 2nd base, where at worst, we have Rengifo. 
    This spring, Perry’s and Washington’s actions spoke so loudly, that we fans didn’t need to hear what they were saying (adapting one of Perry’s favorite quotes that he mentioned). At some point, the Angels had to do this, and this year is the year.
    While many fans wanted to sign Bellinger or Snell, signing either would have taken play time and development from our future. We won’t know how our young core really can do until we see it. Rada and Dana are doing things at 18 and 20 that almost no high school senior or juco player could do. Both could be ready by 2025.
    Would anyone really want to stunt our future’s development, while losing draft picks, all so that we could “win the offseason” and hurt our future?
    If Rada, Dana, Fontenelle, and others produce like many expect them to, we will get Bellinger’s and Snell’s production at a fraction of their cost. Those cost savings could allow us to get that final Free Agent who can take us deep into the postseason.
    As Jeff Fletcher has pointed out many times on AngelsWin.com, the best run teams only sign key free agents when they are one or two pieces away. This year, we aren’t that close, but we will still be competitive as we assess what we have. But we won’t know what is possible unless we let the kids play and take inventory. We have to transition. 
    That leads to Take-Away #3. 
     
    Take-Away #3: Ron Washington Should Be the Right Manager For Us
    This is yet another good thing for Angels fans. I do believe that Ron Washington may be the right manager in the right place for the right organization in need.
    Over the years, one of my other main concerns about the Angels, especially with all of the managerial and front office changes, has been the lack of a team identity. What is Angels baseball? Who is our clubhouse leader? Who is on field leader?
    In the past, all those questions were easy to answer, lately, they have not. If I were on the interviewing panel for the manager or GM, I would ask each candidate those questions along with many more.
    Under Scioscia, Angels baseball had a brand and style. From the time a player was drafted until the time he made it in the Major Leagues, the expectations for what the team wanted and developed were clear. As fans, we could identify it. And then, it changed. And it got lost. And forgotten. At the same time, so did winning.
    Some of that can be pegged to changes in the game, especially in analytics and training/coaching. More can be blamed on the several GMs that we hired and their different styles. And finally, yes, some of that, and ultimately all of that, is on the owner.
    But, that’s the past, and I’m looking forward to the future, both now and long-term.
    So far, it appears that Washington has earned the players’ respect, through his efforts on the field to how he teaches. I know I would respect a manager at his age hitting ground balls to me early in the morning.
    But what really separates him as the right coach for THIS team, a young team, is that he allows the players to make mistakes, then teaches him how to do it correctly the next time, and then holds them accountable for doing so. That is true teaching and providing real support. For a young team, that is how we can mold the players into champions. 
    Most people do better when supported in such a way as Washington has been doing so far. We saw it throughout Spring Training: Players were allowed to run the bases more freely, even if thrown out, to see if that would be an option for them during the season. Aggressive baserunning and stealing bases has been rediscovered, but it also led to some teachable moments.
    It will be interesting to see how he continues now that the season is starting and how he holds players accountable for playing his style of baseball.
    That leads to Take-Away #4. 
     
    Take-Away #4: Player Development Will Be Emphasized in 2024
    If the baseball people are back in charge, then playing time will change. Players will be allowed to make mistakes, but they need to learn from them. Younger players will not have to worry about carrying a team, like McPherson, or rushed to the Majors, like Adell. And when they get there, they won’t feel the pressure to hit for the moon every time, or strike out every batter, without considering it a failure. While failure won’t be encouraged, it will be used as a teachable event and won’t always be punished.  
    I do believe Washington has a brand and style of what Angels baseball should be and will be. That brand and style will be uniform throughout our entire organization, which is why he had all the Minor League coaches out in Spring Training. 
    Washington’s style will be different than Scioscia’s. As fans, it will take us time to truly identify Washington’ brand of Angels Baseball  (mostly because the majority of this team was put together by others, he will have to implement his identity with the players he has). But, the younger players will learn it quickly. Head out to one of our Minor League affiliates, like Inland Empire, and you will see much more of it. Next year and the year after, the team should be better at it.
    With our developing core of Adell, Moniak, Neto, O’Hoppe, and Schanuel, Washington’s emphasis on the fundamentals will help go a long way to molding our future. If they learn the fundamentals, and can execute them throughout an entire season, then they can do it on the next level in the Majors—the postseason.
    Over the course of the year, the younger players should earn more of the playing time over the veterans. We should see better fundamental defense and a stronger offense. As the defense improves and plays more fundamental baseball, we should see the pitching improve and trust the defense to make outs. We will win more games. Think about how the 2014 Royals developed and went on a run. Or the Braves. Or the Angels in the early 2000s.
    Perry talked about teaching the players to win each pitch, each count, and each at bat. For example, pitching efficiently, and using the defense, rather than pitching deep counts by going for strikeouts, using the whole team to get outs and trusting the defense to make the plays. Doing that allows the starters to go deeper into games and helps prevent overuse of the bullpen. Over the past few years, we had gotten away from that, and as fans, saw the results.
    In the past, when we had waves of talent in development, when we had an injury, we had a player in line that we could tap into who was better than replacement level. We didn’t suffer tremendous drops in production with an injury between  2004-2014, typically, because we had those waves of talent. 
    Because the baseball people were back in charge, we developed more internal depth. That allowed us to spend money more efficiently on Free Agents to fill in the holes that we needed with plenty of depth rather than trying to fill holes around what we had and leaving a lot of depth needed.
    This is why we are seeing Bachman, Soriano, and Wantz getting stretched out into starters. We know that they can get Major League outs for an inning or two.  We believe that they have the stuff to do so for more innings in games, so having them as starters ready to come up makes them far more valuable to us. No rotation will make it entirely through a season unscathed these days.
    That leads me to my final Take-Away. 
     
    Take-Away #5: Angels Baseball in 2024 Will Be Better and More Exciting
    Fundamental baseball is fun baseball. Runs should score more often, and not always on solo homeruns. Great defense is always worth the price of admission. Solid pitching that keeps games close means we will be watching into the latter innings, and partially explains the emphasis on building up the bullpen. As Perry talked about, and many of us noted last year, we were great in the first half of the games when we scored a lot of runs, and lost most a lot in the second half when we were shut down and gave up a lot of runs. .
    Look, like most, I was disappointed in this offseason. Not because of who we did or didn’t sign, but because of the mixed messages that we got as fans from the team.
    Early on, we were told that Perry could spend to build a contender (within reason). This was the same message as told to fans for the past several years. And it looked like were going to do more as he built up the bullpen. It seemed like the team could replace Ohtani’s production with Free Agents. 
    And then we were told that the plan all along was to cut the budget this year. That didn’t make sense if we were planning to spend on Ohtani, who alone would cost more. And, if we were going to spend on Ohtani, then why wouldn’t we spend on other available free agents to replace the loss of pitching and hitting?
    As a fan. I will admit: Losing Ohtani hurt. But, even I would never agree to the contract that Ohtani signed. That could be a franchising killing contract for all but a very few owners. The risk was too great. I wish him well with the Dodgers (even against the Angels as long as we win the game) but there is absolutely NO WAY that Arte should have matched that deal. 
    Personally, I think that the national media is a bit biased against the Angels for a variety of reasons (whether for lack of knowledge about the organization or for  other reasons). This team has been underrated, mostly because of losing Ohtani, and people forgetting how injured we’ve been over the past few years.
    This team can be and should be over 500 if the team stays healthy. And we have more depth than we’ve had in the past, at most positions, so we should be better than advertised. I’m not being optimistic, I’m being realistic. I’m excited and hopeful, and very interested to see how this year plays out. If done correctly, we’re not that far off from Washington leading us on extended postseason runs.
    In the past, we had to have everything go right in order to have a shot at the postseason. And, we did so without much depth in a challenging division. We haven’t had the entire tear down teams to beat up like teams in other divisions had, and we’ve had to contend with many championship teams. 
    That’s why it’s so important for us to get back to developing waves of talent, as we did in the mid-2000s, so that we can win more games than expected.
    Our future infield and outfield is mostly set outside of 2nd and 3rd base—with Fontenelle being one possible answer at 3B (let’s hope he does well this year). As for our pitching, we have one of youngest rotations (subtracting Anderson removes several years off the average of our starters).
    In terms of depth, I will admit, we are a bit weak on the middle infield and 3rd base. But, for other parts of the team, we have a potential surplus of outfielders and are developing pitching depth, especially for starters. Joyce and others will soon be in the bullpen, so we have parts to trade, and make better long-term decisions as we see how the kids develop.
    While our organization has been ranked as one of the worst overall in baseball, that hasn’t stopped us in the past from making some very shrewd trades, such as for O’Hoppe and Moniak. And, at the deadline, I believe that we will be active. But, the emphasis will be more on long-term acquisitions, rather than short term panic moves. Believe it or not, Arte does want to win. Unlike in the past, though, when we’ve been in win-now modes, the baseball people are back in charge and will make better decisions for long-term moves.
    I expect a lot of games this season that are much closer in score this year and fewer shutouts than we’ve seen over the past few years. That should lead to fewer multi-game losing streaks. And that is a lot more fun for a whole season!
    Think about the Angels-Dodgers game we saw after the Chalk Talk. Objectively, as a baseball fan, which would you rather see your team do: Have good pitching, play fundamental baseball, score 4 runs without in a variety of ways, or see your team have good pitching, play sloppy defense, score 3 runs on solo shots, and lose the game?
    I know which kind of game I’d rather see my team play. And I will see you at the ballpark or posting on AngelsWin.com this season.
    Play Ball!
  18. Chuck
    By Jonathan Northrop, AngelsWin.com Senior Writer
    With the upcoming Winter Meetings, there's lots of speculation as to what Minasian and the Angels might do, and with it a great deal of uncertainty. For one, Minasian has already plugged significant roster performance leakage with the acquisitions of Tyler Anderson (starting depth), Gio Urshela (bench depth), and Hunter Renfroe (starting outfielder). But holes remain, or at least questions: the bullpen lacks firepower, the starting middle infielders, and the sixth starter.
    Those questions have in-house answers: The Angels have David Fletcher and Luis Rengifo, both of whom have strengths and weaknesses. Fletcher is a Gold Glove caliber second baseman and a plus shortstop, but with a weak bat. Rengifo seemed to have a legit breakthrough with the bat last year, but is probably average plus at second base and average minus at shortstop, so doubles with Fletcher as a guy who is best utilized at second base. Gio Urshela is stretched at either position, but could fill in in a pinch, and is more likely to rotate as a super utility player who provides insurance for Rendon and Walsh, and ends up accruing regular playing time at multiple positions (or so Minasian says). Livan Soto and Andrew Velazquez will duke it out for the final bench spot, though one or both will likely end up in AAA to start the season. But the point being, the Angels have adequate coverage of the middle infield, but have room for improvement - especially with a starting shortstop, which would move Rengifo and Fletcher into a 2B/UT platoon.
    The Angels have a ton of starting pitchers in the high minors who should become major leaguers of some kind: Chase Silseth, Ky Bush, Davis Daniel, Coleman Crow, Mason Erla, eventually Sam Bachman, etc. Plus they have Griffin Canning and Chris Rodriguez set to return. They also have some relief pitchers in Ben Joyce, Eric Torres, and Luke Murphy who--along with some of the starters--could bolster the bullpen at some point. Meaning, as with the middle infield, they should have adequate coverage of the back-end of the rotation and bullpen, but could still improve - especially the bullpen.
    Two other minor questions exist: Who will back-up or platoon with Max Stassi, and who will be the fourth outfielder? Right now the answer to the former is probably Matt Thaiss, but Logan O'Hoppe could also sneak into a platoon role with a strong spring, though the Angels might want to give him regular playing time in Salt Lake until either Stassi flops or gets hurt. As for the latter, right now Mickey Moniak seems the likely option, though the Angels might want to send him to AAA with Jo Adell and sign a veteran outfielder. At the least, we're likely to see some kind of minor league veteran signed as insurance, in case Moniak can't hit and Adell continues to struggle with his various issues.
    All that said, what are the possible paths forward? No one seems to have a good handle on whether--or to what degree--the impending sale influences Minasian's offseason plans. He says it doesn't, but...how can that be the case? Presumably he's mostly correct: the Angels have already built up their 2023 payroll to close to 2022's levels. But what is unclear is whether they think improving the teams odds of competing in 2023 by, say, signing one of the big shortstop free agents will hurt or help the Angels organization's sale appeal. Would a new owner rather have a better team that has a payroll above the luxury tax, or a worse team that has a lower payroll? And would such a signing impact their ability to offer Shohei Ohtani a competitive contract?
    Anyhow, I see three basic paths forward for the remainder of the offseason, all with two factors in mind: The impending sale (which, again, we don't know how it impacts the offseason except to say, "probably to some degree, but not hugely so") and Minasian's rebuilding of the farm, which implies that he won't empty it out in trades.
    Bolster the roster, but don't break the bank (or trade away the farm). This is pretty much what we've seen so far this offseason. It would mean that there will be no further major moves beyond possible trades, but likely no huge trades due to prospect cost. The modus operandi--as illustrated by his three acquisitions--is: raise the floor of the major league team's performance without either spending a mint or trading away top prospects. Plug the wholes, and trust the talent on the team to be competitive in 2023. Go all in on the Ohtani-Rendon-Trout Window. Rendon is signed for four more years, Trout isn't getting younger and hasn't played in 150 games since Trump's first year in office, and Ohtani may be gone after this year. This could mean going after one of the big shortstops or possibly more significant trades (and thus prospect cost), and trying to win in 2023. Thread the needle. This is a hybrid of the above two: Don't break the bank or trade top prospects, but bolster with a few more minor to moderate signings and be aggressive on the trade market, with a willingness to spend some prospect value. This may end up looking like #1 above if Perry can't pull off any trades, but with at least the attempt to make something happen. This also might see him try to package one of, say, Rengifo or Jose Suarez with prospects to upgrade the rotation, bullpen, or middle infield. Which path will Perry take? Well again, signs point towards the first or possibly third - but the Winter Meetings haven't happened yet, so we don't know if Perry won't get "big splashy" (2) or try to be ultra-savvy (3). My guess is that his intention is #3, but wouldn't be totally surprised to see #2, with #1 as the default in case #3 doesn't work out or he doesn't want to (or can't) spend on a big free agent.
  19. Chuck
    Photo by: Javier Sanchez/Rocket City Trash Pandas
    By Chuck Richter, AngelsWin.com
    November 24th, 2022
    Kolton Ingram pitched in 50 games for the Double-A Rocket City Trash Pandas in 2022 and went 6-2 with a 2.67 ERA, 0.92 WHIP while striking out 73 batters.  He led all of Double-A qualified relief pitchers in holds with 13. The former Detroit Tigers 37th-round pick in the 2019 MLB Draft turned 26-years-old in October and after his solid season in Double-A the Angels rewarded him by protecting Ingram from the rule-5 draft, adding the southpaw to their 40-man roster. 
    Ingram throws a 92-95 MPH fastball with a slider that gives left-handed batters fits where they batted just .141 against him, fanning 34 in 19IP against lefties. Ingram also has a changeup but he primarily throws that against right-handed batters. 
    In the spring of 2018 at Columbus State University working as the starter against Lander, Kolton Ingram pitched 8 scoreless innings, giving up just 1 hit, two walks and struck out 15. 

    Check out our interview with LHP relief pitching prospect Kolton Ingram below. 
    Here is the complete interview transcript for the deaf, hard of hearing and quotes.
    AngelsWin.com: Chuck Richter, from AngelsWin.com. We’ve got Kolton Ingram. Kolton, how’re you doing?
    Kolton Ingram: Pretty good.
    AngelsWin.com: Real quick, for starters, what has it been like to be a part of this Trash Panda team this year and the playoff run that you guys are on?
    Kolton Ingram: It’s been unbelieve. Just getting to play here in the atmosphere every day, and then the group of guys that we’re with, it’s been really special.
    AngelsWin.com: That’s awesome. So, last checked, I think you lead the league in holds and games appeared in. That’s pretty special; that’s awesome. And I also noticed that lefthanded hitters are batting really low, in the 100’s, off you, too. What do you attack hitters with? What’s your repertoire?
    Kolton Ingram: Just fastball, slider, changeup. I don’t really throw the changeup to lefties as much; slider heavy with the lefties. And then just really focusing on getting ahead. Once I’m ahead, you know, there’s a good chance of soft contact or striking somebody out.
    AngelsWin.com: What’s your fastball velo?
    Kolton Ingram: Anywhere from 92 to 95.
    AngelsWin.com: Okay, awesome. Okay, what will Angel fans come to learn about you, the player and the person?
    Kolton Ingram: I would say my work ethic. I, kind of, strive for perfection—
    AngelsWin.com: There you go.
    Kolton Ingram: —and it, kind of, eats at me sometimes. But—just I come out here every day with a routine, and making sure that I get my work done, so that when I am pitching in the game, that, you know, I’m trying to get them all out.
    AngelsWin.com: On the routine end, are you left to your own devices in terms of routine, workout, diet? Or does the organization put something together for you?
    Kolton Ingram: Well, they have people put in place to help you along that road. I feel like, at this level, you, kind of, have your own routine of what you do in the off-season. Everybody’s, kind of, different on nutrition. And, as far as stretching and mobility and strength training and all that, everybody usually has a pretty good idea for themselves. Like I said, there’s people here that, if you have questions and, you know, need some help sometimes, they’re there for you.
    AngelsWin.com: Who’s impressed you the most as a teammate and toughest out as an opponent?
    Kolton Ingram: I would say either Aaron Hernandez or Jack Dashwood. Both of them were starters in previous years. And then, for them to, you know, kind of, go back into a relieving role and long relieving roles—like, as a starter from college turned reliever in pro ball, that’s hard to do. It’s hard to change that mentality. So, what they’ve done this year, has been, you know, incredible. And sometimes they’ve may even spot starts. So, just to flip back into that starting role, when asked, it has been really huge for this team.
    Hardest outs? I would say have been probably Elly De La Cruz for the Lookouts—
    AngelsWin.com: I hear that name quite a bit, yeah. [laugh]
    Kolton Ingram: —Yeah, he’s a pretty tough out, intimidating for sure—
    AngelsWin.com: [laugh] Yeah, I was going to say. What is he, 6’6” or something and—yeah.
    Kolton Ingram: Yeah, he’s a pretty big guy.
    AngelsWin.com: And he runs like the wind, too. It’s crazy. [laugh]
    Kolton Ingram: Yeah. And then I would say I hate facing that entire Smokey’s lineup. So, take your pick out of that lineup. But they’re really good; they’re a really good hitting team; they’re tough to strike out. So…
    AngelsWin.com: It’s going to be a battle in that first round, huh?
    Kolton Ingram: Oh, yeah. It’s going to be fun—
    AngelsWin.com: Yeah, that’ll be awesome.
    Kolton Ingram: —I’m excited.
    AngelsWin.com: What do you think you need to work on to reach your full potential to make it to the big leagues someday?
    Kolton Ingram: I would honestly say, getting my slider in the zone at little bit more often. And then really attacking that upper third with my fastball, and just making sure I’m commanding that. Because what I’ve found that I’ve run into trouble, is when that fastball starts to leak down a little bit, and that’s, kind of, where I get hit. So, if I can stay up in that upper-[unintelligible 00:03:44] quadrant, I’ll be fine.
    AngelsWin.com: Good. When did you actually first commit to playing baseball?
    Kolton Ingram: When I was about four, five years old. And then I think I realized that that’s what I wanted to do, sometime around my senior year of high school. I played other sports, so, kind of, found my sport.
    AngelsWin.com: Yeah. Favorite team growing up? Player?
    Kolton Ingram: The Braves.
    AngelsWin.com: The Braves, okay.
    Kolton Ingram: So, I was a big John Smoltz guy, and I grew up a huge—I was probably 25 minutes south of Turner Field. So, I was always going to games. And John Smoltz—I wore 29 growing up—that’s my idol. So…
    AngelsWin.com: That’s great; awesome. Who’s the one major league hitter that you would like to face and strike out?
    Kolton Ingram: As a Brave’s fan, I’d love to face Freddie Freeman—
    AngelsWin.com: [laugh] There you go. Okay.
    Kolton Ingram: —and now that he’s with the Dodgers—
    AngelsWin.com: Especially. [laugh]
    Kolton Ingram: Yeah. Now, he’s with the Dodgers, and I’m with the Angels, I think that’d be really cool.
    AngelsWin.com: That would be cool.
    Kolton Ingram: That’d be a ball I’d put up in my thing for sure.
    AngelsWin.com: That’s awesome. Okay, Lightning Round real quick. Favorite movie?
    Kolton Ingram: Favorite movie…
    AngelsWin.com: Or baseball movie?
    Kolton Ingram: [The] Sandlot, for sure, my baseball movies. I’m not really sure. I’d probably say something in the Marvel Universe. So, like, Avengers. Or I’m a big Marvel nerd, so…
    AngelsWin.com: Okay. Favorite song or artist?
    Kolton Ingram: I’m a big J. Cole fan. So, I love J. Cole. I love Future; my walk-out song is Solo by Future. So, that’s one of my favorite songs.
    AngelsWin.com: Nice. Okay. Favorite video game?
    Kolton Ingram: Probably Zelda. Zelda.
    AngelsWin.com: That’s an old-school game, yeah.
    Kolton Ingram: I’m a big Zelda guy.
    AngelsWin.com: What’s a perfect day look like for you away from baseball?
    Kolton Ingram: Go on a hike; I love being outdoors. Whenever I’m away from baseball, it’s, kind of, just, “How can I get outside today without playing baseball.” So…
    AngelsWin.com: Awesome. Well, Kolton, thank you so much for your time today.
    Kolton Ingram: Yeah, man; for sure.
    AngelsWin.com: Appreciate you.
  20. Chuck
    Interview conducted by Taylor Blake Ward, AngelsWin.com
    Werner Blakely grew up in Detroit and was Michigan's top high school player in the 2020 draft class. Due to the coronavirus pandemic he did not get a chance to play his senior season, but the Angels still drafted him in the fifth round and gave him an above-slot bonus ($900,000) to pass up an Auburn commitment. Blakely has what scouts drool over with a long, lean, projectable frame with above average athleticism. He has a good eye and patient approach and has really improved his contact at the plate from his rookie season after the Angels tweaked his uppercut swing. Blakely should add some home run power as he packs more muscle onto his frame and with his athletic body and above average speed he should be able to continue be a threat on the bases as he continues to fill out. While he played shortstop in High School, the Angels want to see him continue to grow at the hot corner where he made strides defensively as the season progressed. He's got a great arm, range and quick actions on the infield. 
    Blakely across 55 games this season in Low-A slashed .295/.447/.470 with five home runs and 40 RBI in 2022. He also drew 45 walks in 235 plate appearances which is above average, as was his speed on the bases. The 20-year old stole 24 bases in 26 attempts this season. The Angels sent Blakley to the Arizona Fall League where he went on to slash .271/.397/.396 with no home runs and eight RBI across 13 games. He's also swiped three bases in four attempts.
    Here's a couple highlights of his play in the AFL this past fall.
    Blakely's play this past fall was good enough to be named to the Arizona Fall League All-Star Roster.
    Taylor Blake Ward gives us his quick scouting report and update on Werner Blakely.
    Check out our own Taylor Blake Ward's interview with Werner Blakely ahead of the Inland Empire 66er's playoff series this past September.
    Here is the complete interview transcript for the deaf, hard of hearing and quotes.
    AngelsWin.com: All right. Werner Blakely, Angels prospect. So, Werner, looking at the season as a whole, maybe not exactly what you wanted on the health perspective, but performance wise, how do you feel it went this year?
    Werner Blakely: I felt really good. You know, I’m a very hard worker, and I’m going to continue to work hard. And this year was just like a little taste of what I believe I can do. I have so much more potential, and I’m just going to keep working and keep working hard; I’m trying to reach that potential but, you know, it hurts. You know, getting hurt, it’s the stuff you can’t control, so that you don’t want. But coming out with these guys and this coaching staff and every day I’m making sure I’m getting my hands useful; I’m making sure I know what I’m doing. And the big shots and the coaching staff are just getting me engaged, and I’m, obviously, stay focused. So, it was a good time.
    AngelsWin.com: Kind of fluky injuries, too. I know the one was a hit by a pitch that, kind of, busted you up.
    Werner Blakely: Yeah, I got hit by a pitch, and then running to first base—the bases are bigger now—so the bottom of my feet skimmed the top of the bag. So, just injuries you can’t really control. But, you know, just got to continue to, you know, play the game, and in the game it happens. So, you just got to be able to bounce back from that.
    AngelsWin.com: What was the biggest developmental focus for you this year?
    Werner Blakely: Probably just getting reps, man. Like, you know, coming from the city, be trade, not playing much baseball, the biggest thing for me was just getting reps. And, unfortunately, the health reasons prevented that. But I do believe, like, when I got in there, I was able to showcase, like, what I was able to do. And, you know, I still got so much more work to go.
    AngelsWin.com: I want to come back to the Detroit thing, but defensively, do you feel that you have a home at third base?
    Werner Blakely: Yeah. I, kind of, feel like I probably should be there. And, you know, I’m bought in at third, and I’m going to try to be something special there. So, I’m bought in.
    AngelsWin.com: Now, being a part of this winning culture, a lot of you guys haven’t really had any postseason experience. And even though it’s limited this year with two sets of three games each, what do you think that having the winning culture here with the 66ers and the Angels organization, kind of, done for you as a player?
    Werner Blakely: You know what? I think, since our new GM came in here, a lot of guys bought in, like me—including me—but we all bought in to a process, man. We come here every day, and we bust our butt. And we don’t like that old stigma of the Angels not being able to win. And Perry coming in and changing that culture, that winning culture, everybody wants it. Everybody wants to win it. And I’m enforcing it here in Inland and everywhere. So, we’re trying to win here, man, and we’re trying to turn the system around. So, we’re just excited to get after it.
    AngelsWin.com: So, I want to know, how are you enforcing it?
    Werner Blakely: Ah, I just make—nobody’s bs’ing; nobody’s going to be lagging; nobody’s going to be taking days off; everybody’s getting their work in. And even when I was injured, I was still making sure I’m running sprints; I’m making sure I’m getting everything in to, you know, when I come back, to be able to help my team. And now, I’m back, and now, I’m able to help my team. So, all that work that I did when I was hurt, now it’s time to pay it off.
    AngelsWin.com: Looking at your swing from when you were in Detroit to, kind of, where it is now, not a ton of differences to the eye, to the appearance. But what do you think the biggest changes have been, kind of, overall, when you think about your swing?
    Werner Blakely: Yeah. I just—I’m really way more body aware. Like, I’m still growing into my frame right now, but I know the positions I have to get my body into to pertain that to the ball, or to field a ground ball. And, honestly, like I said, just getting reps and getting consistent, and getting those reps and staying consistent as possible. So…
    AngelsWin.com: I want to go back to Detroit. You and Cameron Maybin—now, I’m not exactly sure what it is, but it’s charity work in the inner city. Are you still doing that with Cameron?
    Werner Blakely: I am. So, that was a part of Players Alliance. And we did a fund raiser in Detroit, and a lot of people came out—or not fundraiser, but a giveaway—and we gave out a lot of bats, gloves, computers, back-to-school programs. And I’m actually starting my own nonprofit back at home in Detroit. And I’m going to start a camp when I get back in the offseason to give back to Detroit. And a lot of those guys just don’t have the opportunity, you know, to get where I’m at, to get seen, because we’re from up north. But being able to, like, get up there and get those guys exposure, that’s what we need to do.
    AngelsWin.com: You’re really proud of your city, yeah. But thanks, man.
  21. Chuck
    Photo by: Cristina Byrne-Sternberg/Rocket City Trash Pandas
    By Chuck Richter, AngelsWin.com
    October 26th, 2022
    The Angels 2019 second round 2B/SS was coming off a promising 2021 season in Low-A ball where he hit .267/.388/.459, with 4 HR and swiped 22 bases across 47 games. The plate discipline which led to a .388 OBP combined with speed on the bases excited the Angels and their fans with the hope of solidifying a void at the leadoff spot with the big league club. The showing skyrocketed Paris to the Angels top-5 prospects range heading into the 2022 season. 
    While Paris figured things out and went on an incredible run to end the season demonstrating 5-tools over the final 8-weeks of the season, it didn't start off well for the talented middle infielder. Paris hit .182 in April, .175 in May and .193 in June. Something changed in July as Paris showed the same type of output he demonstrated in a shortened 2021 campaign and then went on fire in August, slashing .345/.472/.672 with 12 RBI in 16 games. 
    Kyren Paris finished off the season in fine fashion, slashing .354/.475/.677 with six homers and seven steals over the final 30 days of the season. 
    In our interview Paris (below) we talked about his season, the type of player he is, who he models his game after and what were some of his finest memories in his professional career... among many other questions, both baseball and non-baseball related.
    Before we get to the interview here's a look back at draft day and some of Paris' finest moments in his professional career. 
    The once all-star Angels broadcasting crew of @VictorRojas & Mark Gubicza had Kyren Paris in the booth following signing with the Angels in 2019. Here's that interaction! Have we mentioned we miss Victor Rojas yet? 
    As you can tell, Paris shows a ton of humility and reminds me a lot of a young Garret Anderson in how he carries himself. 
    When Paris was promoted to Double-A to be a part of the Trash Pandas playoff stretch he started off with a bang. In his first game he went 2-3 with a walk, three RBI and stolen base. He also made a nice play ranging to his right to steal a would be hit. Paris did it all with the Trash Pandas offensively and defensively. He slashed .359/.510/.641 with 3 HR and stole 5 bases over 14 games in Double-A.
    So with all of that out of the way, without further ado here is our interview with Kyren Paris. We believe he's going to force his way onto MLB's top 100 prospects list at some point in 2023. If the Angels let him cook in the minors until he's ready, he's going to have a bright future in the big leagues. 
    Interview Transcript
    AngelsWin.com: It’s Chuck Richter, with AngelsWin.com. I'm here with Kyren Paris. Kyren, how’re you doing?
    Kyren Paris: I’m doing great. How about yourself?
    AngelsWin.com: Good. Real quick. What’s it been like to get promoted late in the season to this Trash Panda team that’s now going to the playoffs?
    Kyren Paris: Oh, man. It was a true blessing just to be here around the guys. Like, the chemistry here and the coaches, to the fans, to the players, it’s been unreal.
    AngelsWin.com: That’s awesome. Has anybody, kind of, taken you under their wing since you’re, kind of, the new guy on the team? Or…
    Kyren Paris: I’ve known a lot of the guys throughout the years. So, Jeremiah Jackson, Adams, Maitan, Soto, I've played with a lot of these guys, and then, yeah. So, just coming in; we already have that chemistry; I know a lot of the guys, and we just gel together really well.
    AngelsWin.com: Yeah. What will Angel fans come to know about you, the player and the person?
    Kyren Paris: Just a hard worker, humble, just love to have fun, lots of fun.
    AngelsWin.com: Awesome. Hey, so, I noticed, like, the first three months of the season for you in Tri-Cities were a little rough. But something clicked in July, and you’ve just been on fire ever since. What changed, or what happened?
    Kyren Paris: Really just sticking to my process and sticking to my plan every day. I want to give a huge thanks to Jack Howell, our manager. He talked about just going out every day, and despite how well you do or how bad you do, just show up the next day and keep going. And really, that’s what I did, and eventually, started having success and never looked back.
    AngelsWin.com: That’s great. What do you take most pride in your game: hitting, defense, baserunning?
    Kyren Paris: I feel like to win, it takes all-around. So, if one aspect of your game is lacking—I mean, I try to work on it every day just to make sure everything’s up to par. Because, as a collective group, you’ve got to be there every day on both sides of the ball.
    AngelsWin.com: Yeah. Are you left to, like, your own devices in terms of workout, diet, things you need to work on offensively, defensively? Or does the organization, kind of, have a plan for you?
    Kyren Paris: The organization definitely has a plan. They focus a lot on the process, and they talk to us a lot. And wherever we go, we need to improve; we’re not here for ourself. And it helps a lot.
    AngelsWin.com: Who’s impressed the most so far, either a teammate here, in High-A, with Tri-Cities, just in your journey here this season?
    Kyren Paris: Man—
    AngelsWin.com: And it could be a teammate or an opposing player?
    Kyren Paris: That’s a tough question.
    AngelsWin.com: You got a loaded clubhouse—
    Kyren Paris: Yeah, we have a—
    AngelsWin.com: —so that’s a tough question. [laugh] 
    Kyren Paris: —we have loaded clubhouse, man. But, I mean, I just look around and see these guys, the way they go about it. I can’t specifically say one person; just the whole team. The way everyone is professional and goes about it is truly unbelievable.
    AngelsWin.com: Yeah. What do you think your best game was to date? And you can go back to high school, professional ball, to this point.
    Kyren Paris: I would probably say the one I had the most fun was my debut here. Being able to hit the three-run homerun and tie the game, and we came back and won. That was something special, and I’ll truly remember that for a long time.
    AngelsWin.com: That’s great. Who were some of your favorite players growing up, and what was your favorite team?
    Kyren Paris: I would say my favorite team was the Oakland A’s. I grew up in the Bay Area, upper Bay Area, so grew up watching the Oakland A’s. But my favorite players—I want to say—Rickey Henderson—definitely one of my favorites; I love stealing bases. Jeter, just all-around, just—he’s the captain. So, I would say those are my top two.
    AngelsWin.com: Speaking of stealing bases, you and Jordyn Adams—who I spoke with last time—you guys are tied for the most stolen bases [laugh] on the team—
    Kyren Paris: Yes, we are. We are.
    AngelsWin.com: —33. That’s awesome. You guys talking to each either, like, “Hey, I’m going to finish this season with more stolen bases than you.”? 
    Kyren Paris: Not really. We actually team up together—
    AngelsWin.com: [laugh] There you go.
    Kyren Paris: —We have a few double steals this season. So—
    AngelsWin.com: That’s awesome.
    Kyren Paris: —whenever we’re both on base, we’re looking at taking extra bases for sure.
    AngelsWin.com: There you go. Rickey Henderson was my favorite player growing up, too. Let me ask you this: when you make it to the big leagues, what’s going to be your walk-up music?
    Kyren Paris: I’ve been using Gunna, who’s a rapper that I like. I’ve been using him the whole season. So—
    AngelsWin.com: There you go; stick with it.
    Kyren Paris: —it’s been going well, so I’m going to stick with that.
    AngelsWin.com: There you go; there you go. Okay, I know you’ve got to get. Lighter side, favorite movie?
    Kyren Paris: Favorite movie. Rookie of the Year.
    AngelsWin.com: Rookie of the Year, awesome. Favorite song or artist?
    Kyren Paris: Favorite song or artist. I’ll say, Travis Scott.
    AngelsWin.com: Okay. Okay. Favorite video game?
    Kyren Paris: Video game, Fortnite, for sure.
    AngelsWin.com: Okay. [laugh] What’s a perfect day look like for you away from baseball?
    Kyren Paris: I would say just relaxing; maybe, going to the beach. Being from California, I love the beach. So, a beach day, you can never go wrong with that.
    AngelsWin.com: You’re going to be in southern California; make the big leagues; that’s nice.
    Kyren Paris: That’ll be nice for sure.
    AngelsWin.com: I don’t know if you’ve thought this far ahead, but when you’re done playing baseball, what do you envision as your next career?
    Kyren Paris: Maybe being on MLB Network—
    AngelsWin.com: There you go.
    Kyren Paris: —I like looking at those guys and being an analyst, maybe. I like talking in front of the camera and just analyzing and learning more about the game. So, that might be a new adventure for me after baseball.
    AngelsWin.com: Awesome. Kyren, thank you so much for your time today—
    Kyren Paris: No problem.
    AngelsWin.com: —Best of luck this year.
  22. Chuck
    Photo by: Cristina Byrne-Sternberg/Rocket City Trash Pandas
    By Chuck Richter, AngelsWin.com
    When it comes to knowing Jordyn Adams, there are a lot of numbers to know. The most important number to know, though, is the number 22.
    Why that number? It's not the number of times Jordyn has stolen a base for the Trash Pandas without getting caught. That number is 15. 
    It's also not the total number of bases that Jordyn has stolen on the season. That number is 33, and he's only been caught 3 times this whole year.
    The number 22 is not the rating for his ability to run. That number is a pure 80 on the 20-80 grade scale--more than elite. 
    So why the number 22? That's because that's how old Jordyn is. And, if you slide the decimal point over one to the right, you have 2.2. or the difference between Jordyn's age and the average age of the players in the league. At 22, Jordyn is on average 2.2 years younger than everyone else in his AA league.
    It may seem like an eternity since the Angels selected Jordyn as a toolsy and raw outfielder in the 1st round of the 2018 draft (17th overall) with the insane vertical leap.
    When the Angels drafted him, though, they knew he would require a lot of time and effort to get the most out of him. And the results of that work are starting to payoff. Adams has game altering speed on the basepaths and in the outfield where he can play all three positions. And, he has plenty of raw power to tap into as he develops. 
    Chuck Richter, our Founder and Executive Director, recently caught up with Jordyn Adams to find out more about his time with the Angels and as a person. Please click below to watch our interview with Angels Outfield prospect Jordyn Adams. 

  23. Chuck
    By Taylor Blake Ward, AngelsWin.com
    When taking a look at performances from the Dominican Summer League and Arizona Complex League, there is an obvious caveat about the variance in play. Pending the league, the ages can vary from 16-years-old to 21-year-olds in the Dominican and 18-years-olds fresh out of high school or out of country to 24-years-olds who have spent the last four or five years at some of the premier college programs in the nation. Most kids haven't grown into their bodies so power could be at a minimum. Some pitchers throw in the high 90's with explosive breaking pitches, while others hardly top the mid 80's with hardly any sign of a secondary offering. Hardly any pitcher has a strong feel for the strike zone, so on-base percentages are highly inflated due to the high number of walks. Performance numbers can be fun, but only when taken with a serious grain of salt.
    Quickly hitting on some performance indicators, we already talked about the inflation of walks and high on-base percentages. Offensively, you should be looking at contact rate and low strikeout-percentages for future indicators of offensive success from a solely performance-based merit. For pitchers, you're looking at strike-throwing ability (i.e., BB%, BB/9) as even with low walk numbers will come the raw package of hindered command. Control is a fine thing to see on paper and is usually something you will see prior to command in and out of the zone once coming stateside.
    With that out of the way, let's dive into some of the Angels minor leaguers who put together strong seasons in northeast Boca Chica or southwest Tempe, whether performance based or by scouting merit.
    Tapping into the record books, the Angels Dominican Summer League affiliate has been in existence since 1992, with three years as a shared affiliate and one year without play. Records only permit us to date statistics back to 2006, but five different players for the Angels this year broke into the top-10 of affiliate records with one appearing seven times while tying a record. Luis Torres saw one of the greatest seasons for the DSL Angels with his 156 wRC+ being only second to Alexi Amarista's 158 wRC+ in 2007. Among DSL Angels single-season records, Torres scored the ninth most runs (48), had the ninth most hits (68; most since Johan Sala hit 76 in 2016) had the fifth most runs batted in (40), had the fifth most total bases (113; the most since Eduardo Soto had 117 in 2008), hit the third most home runs (8; trailing only Luis Jimenez (11 - 2007) and Raddy Sierra (9 - 2007))
    Let's walk away from the statistical confusion and admire Torres the player who signed for $10,000 in February 2022. Already well developed physically at six-foot-three and 210 pounds with his arms filled out well, there is some present strength and power from the right side in Torres' offensive profile. He has a free and loose swing that will open up to allow him to get to his power on pitches away. He did a fine job of controlling the zone and sparsely chasing which led to low strikeout totals. There is the natural tendency of young players to over swing which leads to hitting the top of the ball and high groundball totals, which was a very natural defect to Torres' game and is one of the first focuses of development once stateside. There's feel for hitting and his ability to get to his power is a positive trait where he turned on the ball well and put together some regular triple-digit exit velocities. Defensively, there's a lot of unknown as Torres was an outfielder as an amateur but immediately moved to first base with very limited playing time in the corner outfield.
    The big international splash over the winter, Nelson Rada showed exactly why he signed for such a high dollar ($1.85 million) in January. Spending the entire season as a 16-year-old, Rada was one week shy of being the youngest player in professional baseball this year, with 10 others being born between August 24-31, 2005 (yikes, we are getting old). Going back to the record books, Rada posted a 148 wRC+, which was fourth best in DSL Angels history; he scored the sixth most runs (48) in a single-season (the most since Pedro Toribio scored 50 runs in 2011), and stole the third-most bases at 27, tied with Raul Linares and trailing only Ayendy Perez (41 - 2013) and Pedro Toribio (32 - 2011). Rada reached base in 44 of 50 games he played, all in center field. It's clear the Angels see Rada playing a premium position in center field where he is a plus defender who is quick and direct to the ball and comes equipped with an above-average arm and outstanding athleticism. More instinctual than an actual burner, Rada clearly knew what he was doing on the basepaths and has double-digit steal potential with only average to better speed. At the plate, Rada keeps things fairly simple from the left side looking for pitches in his zone to drive to the gaps. There is some over-the-fence power that could turn into average power when he fills into his compact frame. Despite his youth, Rada has already shown good control of the zone and has a strong idea of what he’s doing at the plate with a focus on getting on base with a balanced approach that leans more to aggression.
    The other big bonus baby over the spring came in Randy de Jesus, an outfielder who signed for $1.2 million. More physically driven than Rada, de Jesus put up his expected power numbers while lessening the concern of how much swing-and-miss would be included in his offensive profile. His 13 doubles were tied for the ninth most in a single-season for the affiliate, while his seven home runs were fourth most as well as his 43 runs batted in being fourth most in a single-season and the most since Samir Mendez hit 44 in 2011. More intangible based, de Jesus is a smart player who is a fair athlete and makes smart plays in the field and base paths. Not always getting to his separation and finding some grooves in his timing, de Jesus was still able to tap into his big-bodied natural strength and will have to work on getting to the ball quicker once coming stateside to tap into his above-average potential. Going 2-for-2 with a three-run home run, de Jesus was named the MVP of the Dominican Summer League All-Star game.
    On the pitching side, DSL Angels rotation was headlined by Sadiel Baro, a lean 17-year-old left-hander who signed for $125,000 out of Cuba. Baro worked his fastball up to 92 over the summer while flashing a swing-and-miss curve and changeup that allowed him to work against hitters on both sides of the plate. Baro was a workhorse, having the most innings pitched (53.0) since Jose Soriano (57.0) in 2016, with the third most strikeouts (60) since 2014. Manuel Cazorla, a 17-year-old left-hander from Venezuela, showed good feel for locating his fastball in the bottom part of the zone while flashing an average curveball and the ability to pitch inside. Nixon Encarnacion was the big-arm splash for the Angels over the winter due to his strong arm from the right side. Encarnacion works 91-95 with positive signs towards his secondary offerings, while his athleticism gives hope of above-average command down the road.
    Other notables: Outfielder Ramon Ramirez posted a 142 wRC+ while hitting the seventh most doubles (14) and eighth most runs batted in (37) in the affiliate’s history. Capri Ortiz is a 17-year-old defense-first shortstop who saw a tail of two seasons at the plate, having a .542 OPS with five extra-base hits in his first 26 games, while having a .793 OPS with nine extra-base hits in his final 26 games. Dario Laverde and Jonathan Linares, both 17-year-old catchers, matched each other in basic offensive and defensive statistics despite differing profiles, both posting a 124 wRC+ while throwing out 41% of runners. Laverde is an athletic backstop with a better chance at sticking behind the plate while Linares is a switch-hitter with more offensive upside to his game. Marco Vega is a soft-tossing right-hander from Panama who will work in the mid-to-high 80’s but has a great feel for the zone and a better feel for his changeup than most at his age.
    After focusing on much of Boca Chica, let’s take a trip north to Tempe where the Angels Arizona Complex League club fell two run short of a wildcard berth in their final game of the season with the tying run at the plate.
    Perhaps one of the biggest risers on prospect charts in the Angels system this year was Jorge Marcheco, a 20-year-old (turned 20 on August 6) Cuban right-hander who signed last September for $350,000. After throwing a statistical no-hitter and near perfect game in three games with the DSL affiliate in 2021 (retired 27 of 28 batters with 20 strikeouts, only one to reach base was via a hit by pitch), Marcheco didn’t see the same dominance in Arizona (though who would expect that?) but still put together a solid showing for the year while encroaching on some affiliate records. In his 50.2 innings, Marcheco struck out 76 batters, the sixth most in affiliate history and most since 2009. Marcheco works mostly 89-93 with his fastball while incorporating a swing-and-miss curve and changeup/splitter that he can manipulate. There’s a limited ceiling to his game but he has backend of the rotation kind of stuff with present command indicators he could reach that ceiling.
    No one made as loud a presence at the start of the Angels development season as Walbert Urena, an 18-year-old Dominican right-hander. Hitting 100 in his stateside debut, Urena was a surprising unknown in prospect circles who despite being a six-figure signing in March 2021 ($140K). The triple digits didn’t come as common over the full season but there was plenty of arm strength and velo to dream on as he worked mostly off of his fastball that ranged 95-97. His secondaries have some progressive signs though are identifiable out of the arm, with his changeup being the better of the pair and his slider being inconsistent and rarely flashing more than average. He struggled to find the strike zone and lagged in fastball command but a solid athlete there are hopes he can work around the zone with that heat. Undersized at six-foot, it’s likely he will be a premium velo reliever type.
    Caden Dana received the highest bonus ever among players taken after the 10th round in the bonus pool era at $1.4975M and the initial returns show that record bonus was well earned. Though he got limited time after the draft, the New Jersey prep arm had back-to-back scoreless outings – both two innings each – to kick off his pro career and ended his summer in a do-or-die game where he allowed one run over two and two/third innings. It’s too small a sample to really rely on any of his performance numbers, but the reports indicate he was able to hold what he showed during his prep season and showcase summer going into his senior year. Working mostly with a two-pitch mix, Dana will work in the low 90’s mostly but has been upwards of 95-96. The fastball is his primary weapon currently as he shows enough command of it to play with it around the zone and elevate in late counts, though it is hittable due to its minimal movement. Dana also has a high-spin curveball that he has struggled to locate but the pitch at raw is an above-average offering and will only improve with command. A project in every sense, Dana is a big-bodied kid at six-foot-four with athleticism and physicality whose strength and arm speed should be able to keep him as a starter through development. There’s a high ceiling to be tapped into but it won’t be an overnight miracle and he could be set for a lengthy development.
    It's rare for a 19-year-old rookie ball reliever to garner much attention, but Sandi Charle’s on mound improvement have made him an intriguing arm in the lower tiers of the Angels system. Tall and lean like an NBA shooting guard, Charle has long limbs and comes at you with size and aggression but has shown much better body control which aided to his strike-throwing improvements. His breaking ball has good velo and shape and can be a swing-and-miss pitch as it plays off of his low 90’s fastball with deception. He’s a relief only type but one to monitor.
    After three years at Texas-Rio Grande Valley and a brief stint in Indy Ball, Christian Sepulveda signed with the Angels in April. Splitting time between Arizona and High-A Tri-City, Sepulveda was an elder statesman who performed well in Arizona posting a 146 wRC+ with five home runs, among the most total over the last half decade. Spending most of his time at shortstop as an amateur, Sepulveda played the corner infield for the year. He’s organization depth but put together a notable performance in 2022.
    Signing the same day as his island counterpart Marcheco, Anthony Scull came to the Angels for $235,000 in September of 2021 and has turned a few heads in the process. The son of former Cuban baseball star and Olympian, Antonio, Scull has a swing reminiscent of his father with a closed stance, short load, and good bat speed. His season was limited to 13 games after initially starting the year in Boca Chica, and when in Arizona he displayed his offensive prowess hitting .306 with an .807 OPS. Focus will fall on the bat as he’s not as strong an athlete as other outfielders in the system, but a corner platoon bat could be in his ceiling. At just 18-years-old, the Angels have plenty of time with Scull.
    The top international signee from 2021 who came to the Angels for $2 million, Denzer Guzman kept his head above water through the course of the Arizona Complex season while his performance was moderately better than league average, but age relevancy and physical based numbers indicate it was better than the on-paper product. Guzman, 18, was able to hit for a 109 wRC+ with 11 doubles and three home runs in 192 plate appearances which is fine for a blossoming prospect younger than the core of the league. He’s still growing into his frame and more power can be expected though it is likely he’ll have below-average power. His feel for hitting and finding the barrel though will keep interest in seeing him as a potential everyday player, and in particular, his defensive traits. Playing at the premium position of shortstop where he played solely in the CPX, Guzman makes smart decisions in the field and had the quick feet to make regular and challenging plays at the position, supported by a strong arm. Prior to the Angels drafting Zach Neto, Guzman was the prospect seen as the most likely to stay at shortstop long term. Following the complex league season, he earned a promotion to Low-A Inland Empire where he’s expected to begin in 2023.
    After spending his debut pro season as a leadoff man in the Dominican, Jorge Ruiz picked up where he left off as the consistent leadoff man in Arizona where he outperformed himself upon coming stateside with a 122 wRC+ while making smarter decisions at the plate. A contact-focused hitter from the left-side, the 18-year-old outfielder was more aggressive at the plate which allowed him to stay in hitter’s counts and cut down his strikeout rate and SwSt% (14.1%) while adding some more intent to his swing despite still being an upper-body heavy and armsy swinger who has slap tendencies. There is limited to minimal over-the-fence power projection and he’s more set for the gaps and being a 20/30-grade power guy with instinctual baserunning due to his fringe-average speed. A solid athlete, Ruiz is a capable defender in center field and has some depth hopes.
    Other Notables: Originally assigned to Low-A Inland Empire, Jenrry Gonzalez was sent back to Arizona where he shined allowing two runs in 20.1 innings with five walks and 32 strikeouts. He’s a low velocity southpaw (87-89) with a decent breaking ball who is finesse-over-stuff. Not dissimilar to Gonzalez is Luis Viloria who is a strike-throwing machine but lacks a true secondary and operates in the mid 80’s. Similar to Gonzalez and Viloria but from the right side is Luis Nunez who has a high 80’s to low 90’s fastball with natural cutting action and a sweepy slider that allows him to work away from right-handers. Nunez allowed three runs in 27.1 innings. Though rehab is usually not notable, it is in the case of Jose Soriano who was once one of the Angels top prospects. Soriano, who was taken by Pittsburgh first overall in the Rule-5 Draft and returned over the winter, has struggled with health his entire career, but when healthy offers an explosive two-pitch mix from an athletic delivery. It was no different in his rehab appearances in Arizona where he sat 96-99 early in outings but fell to 93-96 after an inning. Soriano also has a 2700 RPM slider that has been a swing-and-miss weapon for him throughout his career. One last note on the pitching was Kenyon Yovan transitioning from the plate to the mound (again). A former draft prospect as a pitcher, the Angels signed Yovan (cousin of Keynan Middleton) as a first baseman who hadn’t pitched during his senior year at Oregon. Upon his return to the mound, Yovan has worked 93-96 with a workable breaking ball, and he has dominated since returning to the mound. Matt Coutney, the Angels 10th round selection in 2022, got his post-draft work done in Arizona where his pro debut which included a home run kept the intrigue while the following eight games were lackluster but too small a sample to lean on anything. Coutney is a power bat who is set for first base and maybe some short corner outfield time. Johan Macias had a loud offensive season, batting .322 with an .833 OPS that included 11 extra-base hits in 49 games. The top undrafted player for Arizona was Mason Holt from UL-Monroe who had just 16 games by the end of the season but justice in those games with a .296/.377/.389 slash and six stolen bases, while playing some solid defense in the outfield.
  24. Chuck
    By @taylorblakeward, AngelsWin.com Staff Writer
    With just under a month before the first name is called in the 2022 Major League Baseball amateur Draft, we take a look at some of the potential candidates for the Angels first selection at pick No. 13, as well as some personal favorites who may be options with their second pick, which comes in the third round at No. 89.
    With a prep and bat-heavy class at the top, it is safe to rule out some names no matter how unorthodox the draft may pan out over the first 12 picks. At the top, prepsters Druw Jones (Wesleyan - GA), Termarr Johnson (Mays - GA), Jackson Holliday (Stillwater, OK), and Elijah Green (IMG Academy - FL) are safe bets to be off the board. Brooks Lee (Cal Poly), Kevin Parada (Georgia Tech), and Cam Collier (Chipola JC) are also viewed heavily as top 10 selections who are unlikely to reach the Angels. As you'll note, all of these players are position players which will come at an unprecedented number early due to the lack of high-scale pitching and injuries to the top arms in the class.
    Since entering into executive powers, clubs Perry Minasian has been affiliated with -- albeit roles altered some (or most) of his decision-making powers -- have taken pitchers with a first-round pick 18-of-26 times. It's enough of a sample and a school of training (i.e. Alex Anthopolous) to see a potential early common thread of Minasian's view to the draft and building from the ground up: Pitching. It is no anomaly that the majority of names attached to the Angels early in the draft are all mound dwellers.
    There is an outside chance the Angels are the first team to take a pitcher in this class, and if they aren't the first, they could be one of the first which permits them a bit of favoritism towards the arms in this class.
    Looking at the college arms, who are seen as a general weakness at the top of the draft, the Angels have been attached to RHP Gabriel Hughes of Gonzaga, LHP Cooper Hjerpe of Oregon State, and RHP Justin Campbell of Oklahoma State.
    Gabriel Hughes, who has been seen in person by Minasian, is an easy operator with size and athleticism on the mound. Standing tall and broad at six-foot-four and 220 pounds, Hughes does offer the ideal frame for a starting pitcher mold. Blending a new-school arsenal with a throwback east-to-west approach with an up-tempo pace, Hughes throws a high amount of strikes, starting with his mid 90's fastball that can track up to 96-97. His slider is his best out pitch and he's shown a knack for working it into any count. Though he shows feel for his changeup, it is a distant third pitch to his primary pairing. Hughes won't turn 21 until late August which will bode well for draft models.
    Cooper Hjerpe doesn't have the power arsenal that you see most commonly suited for first-round picks, but his consistent attack of hitters, ability to attain outs, and advanced pitch data have been a calling card for him this season. Another tall and lean-framed on-mound athlete, Hjerpe comes at hitters from a shoulder-height low three-quarter release that makes him challenging against hitters on both sides of the plate. His fastball will sit in the low 90's, touching 95, while his secondaries have improved his stock towards first-round chatter. Hjerpe's ability to manipulate his breaking ball has made both his curve and slider a weapon as he'll alter speed and angle giving them different looks from a similar plane. His changeup has worked fine against right-handers, particularly when away. He is a low variance arm who should see the Majors quickly but offers back-end rotation upside at his peak.
    Justin Campbell is a near blend of Hughes and Hjerpe, though with a more pro-ready arsenal. Already tall at six-foot-seven and athletic like his counterparts (former two-way player like Hughes), Campbell has a loose and easy-to-repeat high-slot delivery which has helped him throw high-quality strikes throughout his college career. He'll work in the low 90's mostly with some mids hovering in the bag, but the high spin and run in the lower quadrants of the zone make him a potential high groundout pitcher. Equipped with one of the best changeups in the draft, Campbell sells it well and allows its late downward break to be swung over. He has confidence in throwing his curveball at any time with some downer action. His upside will be as a mid-rotation starter with some low variance towards being a back-end rotation member.
    Though with their window to compete coming in the next few years with Mike Trout and Shohei Ohtani right at their prime, don't rule the Angels out on taking a prep arm early, such as RHP Brock Porter (Orchard St. Mary's - MI), LHP Brandon Barriera (American Heritage - FL), and LHP Robby Snelling (McQueen - NV).
    Following the arm injury to Dylan Lesko (Buford HS - GA), RHP Brock Porter (Orchard St. Mary's - MI) is now seen as the best pitcher in the class and has a strong chance of not making it to the Angels pick at 13. With the best fastball and arguably best changeup in the class, Porter has a chance at two 70-grade pitches, not dissimilar to Sam Bachman of yesteryear. Porter has all the makings of a mass-upside arm who could be a front-line starter with some distance to his Major League potential. An easy operator on the mound, Porter's fastball will sit in the mid-to-high 90's and can touch triple digits, showing run to his arm side. His changeup, thrown with the same vengeance and intent as his fastball, has some 15-20 miles per hour of separation and works well to both sides of the plate with similar traits to his fastball making it even more deceptive. Porter's breaking pitches do show upside but lag behind his fastball-changeup combo. He'll incorporate both a downer curve and hard slider with the slide-piece being the better of the two, though he struggles to sell it well in his delivery making it predictable for more advanced hitters. Porter's frame, arsenal, and delivery make him a project to dream on with enough present to feel comfort in knowing he'll become an asset down the road -- as whichever team that takes him will look to improve his in-zone command as opposed to just letting him throw strikes which has yet to be a problem.
    Coming from the Florida prep powerhouse of American Heritage, Brandon Barriera is one of the more electric arms in the class. With one of the quickest arms in the class, Barriera works primarily in the low 90's with some mid and sneaky uppers in short stints. His low 80's two-plane slider is a real swing-and-miss weapon, as he whips it through and out of the zone with ease. There's much to like about Barriera's changeup, as he sells it well with the same quick arm as his fastball but also comes in firm in the mid 80's. Barriera is an outstanding athlete who will have to show he can work deep into games to remain a starter as he comes in undersized and has quick-tempo aggression on the mound, coming direct at hitters with a ton of strikes, already giving him some relief vibes. Barriera did shut down his season in early April as a precaution to the draft.
    A two-sport talent, Robby Snelling is a big and physical kid, built like a Division-1 quarterback, even though his gridiron calling card is as a hard-hitting outside linebacker. On the diamond, Snelling is a strong and athletic pitcher who has a solid two-pitch mix that is making him one of the more desired arms in the class. Snelling will work mostly 91-94 with his fastball that has touched 97, giving him plenty of velocity to dream on from the left side. His curveball is the calling card and it's a sweeping breaker that alters in speed with late break. Snelling's ability to locate his curveball gives it regular plus grades. A changeup is there for Snelling, but will be the focal point of development. There is a lot of upside to Snelling as he shows all the traits of a mid-rotation arm, and it may take a high bonus to keep him away from Louisiana State where he's expected to play both baseball and football.
    The aforementioned pitchers have all been attached to the Angels in some way or another over the last two months which is the time to begin taking notice of who is where and why they are there. It doesn't rule out some other arms at the top of the class though as we'll breeze through some quick hits on other potential picks.
    RHP Dylan Lesko (Buford - HS) was seen as the best pitcher in the class until he required Tommy John surgery in April, which altered his draft stock with plenty of questions as to where he will go. Advanced beyond his years, Lesko is a pro-ready arm when healthy with three plus pitches in a mid 90's sinker, high-spinning curve, and 70-grade changeup with all kinds of break, all of which come with ease and are commanded well.
    Not long after Elijah Green's name is called, LHP Jackson Ferris (IMG Academy - FL) will follow suit likely in the first round. Ferris is an ideal project arm with three pitches that flash plus starting with a data-driven mid 90's fastball, and a swing-and-miss 12-to-6 curve and changeup. Ferris will have to clean up his mechanics as he has all kinds of moving parts from a funky herky-jerky catapult motion but his upside is enough to see him go early.
    One of the more polished prep arms in the class comes in RHP Andrew Dutkanych IV (Brebeuf Jesuit - IN). Tall and lean on the mound with an easy delivery, Dutkanych has been seen this spring by some of the higher-ups in the Angels Front Office. His fastball sits 93-94 and comes from a high three-quarter slot giving it a good angle to the plate working north-to-south, and is his primary attack pitch. Dutkanych's power slider has swing-and-miss potential giving him two true out pitches. His curveball has progressed and there's enough feel for a changeup to believe in some mid-rotation projection.
    The crop of top college arms took a big hit over the calendar year with most of the best arms going down with elbow injuries that required Tommy John surgery, with others receiving a suspension for performance-enhancing drugs, and another who did not sign the year prior.
    Of those that had Tommy John surgery in the last year, LHP Connor Prielipp (Alabama), Landon Sims (Mississippi State), and Peyton Pallette (Arkansas) all have reasonable questions about their draft stock this July. Prielipp and Sims were both seen as potential top-10 picks around a year ago due to two potential 70-grade pitches, with Prielipp leading the way a bit more as a potential first-overall candidate. Prielipp, who had Tommy John in May of 2021, threw a showcase a year after his surgery where his two-pitch mix was prevalent and have him moving up boards quickly. Sims had arguably the best two-pitch mix not in amateur baseball but across all of baseball, though with questions about command and the ability to maintain his stuff deep into outings gave him relief questions. Prior to blowing out his elbow in March, Sims showed the ability to work deep in games with improved command and progressive signs of a third pitch. Pallette has electric stuff on the mound highlighted by a mid 90's fastball and high-spin plus curve, but missed the end of 2021 and had Tommy John before this spring.
    After being suspended for testing positive for a performance-enhancing drug, RHP Carson Whisenhunt (East Carolina) missed the spring until playing in the Cape Cod League just over the last two weeks. Whisenhunt's changeup alone will make him an enticing bet in the first round as it makes him a safe bet for the back end of a rotation, and his fastball has enough velocity to set it up and play at the upper levels. Some teams who have looked into the suspension believe Whisenhunt's note of purchasing a non-PED over-the-counter drug.
    One of the biggest questions in this draft comes with some of the biggest questions from the last draft. RHP Kumar Rocker was seen as one of the top prospects in the 2021 Draft and landed himself as the 10th pick with an agreed-upon $6 million bonus before post-draft physicals turned the agreement sour on the Mets end, and he ended up unsigned. Instead of returning to Vanderbilt, Rocker instead opted to go to Indy Ball and is pitching for the Tri-City ValleyCats of the Frontier League. He has been sitting in the mid 90's this spring with Tri-City with his signature mid 80's power slider in full effect and missing bats and a cleaner delivery though still with effort. Teams are still leaning on some 2021 data which knocked Rocker's draft stock down a bit when inconsistent fastball velocity and movement, where his fastball ranged from the low 90's up to 99 sporadically. The big and physical right-hander has frontline starter upside, though whichever team takes him is likely to get him to the Majors in a hurry to mix him into their playoff chase (potentially September).
    After gandering at the potential first pick, here's a trio of pitchers that are among my personal favorites for the 89th overall selection:
    Trystan Vrieling is a rotation mate with Gabriel Hughes at Gonzaga and offers similarities to his counterpart. Though his secondary command is well below-average, the raw repertoire and projectable frame of the right-hander leave some excitement. He can locate his fastball which is one of my primary drawing cards and he can work it in the low-to-mid 90's. Arm strength-based, his curve and changeup flash above-average and could make him a dually effective reliever.
    I'd be remiss if I didn't include a local kid as a personal favorite and despite a down year in Southern California, Kassius Thomas was a standout. Sierra Canyon (CA) has the best draft-eligible duo at the top of their rotation in the region with Thomas and Jaden Noot but I couldn't stop coming back to Thomas here. He's a solid athlete on the mound with three pitches that will work at the next level, giving him some starter upside. Working with 16-year MLB veteran, Dave Stewart, over the lockdown, experienced coaching from a premier prep program give me confidence in him taking the next step. He's also committed to Duke, and I like smart kids. He has all the tools on and off the mound to be a successful pro.
    There's being remissed and there's being flat-out stupid, which is what I would be if I didn't mention Ben Joyce. There have been less than 100 players in the Statcast era who have touched 101 with their fastball, and probably less than a handful who have spent an extended period of time averaging that velocity. Joyce has an average fastball velocity of 101 miles-per-hour -- yes, one, zero, one. He also hit 104 on the radar gun multiple times this spring which has only been done multiple times in the Statcast era by some dudes names Aroldis Chapman and Jordan Hicks. You can't just randomly fall upon velocity like this. His slider is fine and will work, but his command (or lack of) leaves him as a one-pitch reliever who is seen by scouts to go in the third round or so, but you know someone will take a flyer on him earlier than that just on velocity alone. Everyone wants this kid and it's obvious why.
    Stepping away from the pitchers, there is a glaring hole in the Angels minor league depth and the pitchers are staring right at it. Edgar Quero is an exciting prospect in the Angels organization, but beyond him, there is little depth at the catching position despite an influx of new backstops from last year's undrafted free agent crop.
    In the draft, you never draft for need at the Major League level and rarely do so for the minor league level as well, but as we saw last year with 20 pitchers in 20 picks, Perry Minasian and staff aren't afraid to fill gaps from the amateur ranks. The amateur catching crop this year has some talent, particularly with two at the very top, but there's a chance to address some depth needs in the draft.
    Kevin Parada of Georgia Tech would be an ideal scenario for the Angels as they need impact bats and catchers, but the likelihood of him lasting to the 13th pick doesn't seem realistic at this point. Following Parada in the ranks is Daniel Susac of Arizona. A former quarterback, Susac is a solid athlete behind the plate who has good side-to-side movement and a strong arm supported by 1.8 pop times. His receiving needs work and he's not the best framer but we don't know how long that will matter once MLB goes to automated balls and strikes. Of note, he was the primary catcher for USA Baseball's Collegiate club which showed his ability to catch some upper-tier arms. At the plate, Susac trusts in making hard contact and allows his natural strength to produce over-the-fence power. He has a fine idea of what's doing at the plate, which gives him above-average offensive potential and makes him a potential two-way catcher ala Travis d'Arnaud.
    Not dissimilar to Shea Langeliers, drafted in the first round by Minasian's Braves in 2019, Logan Tanner (Mississippi State) is a defense-first catcher who should be able to hit enough and with power to stay a daily catcher at the highest level, a specific item that is hard to come by in MLB. Tanner's ability to control a game from behind the dish is special as his arm (potentially 80-grade) and ability to throw from difficult angles will keep runners quiet and his game-calling with some of the best amateur arms in the nation already make him an advanced asset. Tanner is a prototypical offensive backstop with power and discipline with little menace on the basepaths, though his ability to hit for average will consistently be questioned. Starting a bit slow offensively, Tanner's draft stock did fall a bit which may make him a stretch at No. 13, but as mentioned, he is not dissimilar to Langeliers who went ninth overall.
    Along with catching depth, one lost item in the Angels depth charts is impact bats who could profile as middle-of-the-order sluggers.
    Bishop Gorman High School in Las Vegas has produced its fair share of Major Leaguers, and Justin Crawford could be one of the next in line. Son of former Major Leaguer, Carl, Crawford is one of the best athletes in this class and is currently heavily attached to the New York Mets who have the pick ahead of the Angels at No. 12 (Billy Eppler loves athletes). The player present is not the player projected, as Crawford is currently a barrel control hitter at the moment with modest strength to all fields. As he fills into his lean six-foot-three frame, there is average power projection expected. Crawford's top-of-the-charts speed make him a threat both offensively and defensively as he is quick to the ball in center field and can cause havoc on the base paths.
    Jordan Beck and Drew Gilbert shared outfield duties for one of the best regular-season teams in recent memory at Tennessee, a regular stop for decision-making scouts and executives due to the surplus of talent. Similar beyond the plate, Beck, who played in right field, and Gilbert, who manned center, are both gifted defenders at their positions and will be capable at the next level to play all three outfield spots, backed with strong and accurate arms. There is more upside to Beck offensively due to his power potential as he has good bat speed and strength. Gilbert also has solid bat speed but is more contact-oriented where his strength should play easily to produce power. Both are aggressive hitters at the plate with Gilbert being an ambush hitter and Beck struggling at times with pitch recognition, though steadily improved. If either or both Beck and Gilbert can limit themselves to expanding the zone and prove they can handle a wood bat, they have middle-of-the-order upside.
    Leaning back to some personal favorites for the 89th selection, two Vanderbilt hitters stood out to me not only during the season but particularly, during the Draft Combine. Spencer Jones is a familiar name as he's a local product and was already selected by the Angels in past draft (31st round, 2019). Jones has missed time with arm injuries (was a two-way player in high school and drafted as such), but he came into his own offensively this year with Vandy, posting an OPS above 1.1. There are questions about his pitch recognition but the size and power upside is too much to ignore. He could be a high strikeout and high ISO kind of hitter, but his defensive traits at first base and upside give me little pause to his potential. Dominic Keegan caught for Vandy this year and at the draft combine he showed regular 100+ mile-per-hour exit velocities with a very simple and low-effort swing that produces hard-contact to the gaps and up-the-middle with clear home run projection. His catching is still a work in progress but I'm dreaming more on the bat and backup catcher/versatile corner man down the road.
    Anyone who has spoken to me over the last year knows I'm kind of obsessed with Jacob Reimer, an infielder from Yucaipa High School (CA). The balance at the plate and ability to drive the ball with ease made him alluring to me and I think he'll hit plenty in pro ball with power even as physically capped as he is. He won't be a shortstop in pro ball long, though he was better this year at the position, and is athletic enough to handle third base.
    I love shortstops almost as much as I love catchers (I was a catcher, err, glutton for punishment, and still do so in my "old pals games"). I'm sticking local here with Jordan Sprinkle of UC Santa Barbara who has the tools to make an impact at the Major League level. He has range to both sides at shortstop with light feet that make him quick to the ball and has the ability to throw from multiple angles with plenty of arm strength to make tough plays. His quick feet work on the base paths and he'll be a base-stealing threat. The bat is light and will be a hindrance in him getting to the upper levels but with the right development, I think there's a reliable bench option in Sprinkle.
    The 2022 Major League Baseball Draft will take place in Los Angeles on July 17-19, beginning at 4 pm PT. The Angels first selection will come approximately between 5:45 to 6:15 pm PT.
  25. Chuck
    By Jonathan Northrop, AngelsWin.com Senior Writer
    The emergence of Taylor Ward as an elite hitter--as well as the slow development of Adell--has put a bit of a crimp in the Angels outfield outlook. Before the year, it was reasonable to assume that the Angels would platoon Ward, Marsh, and Adell in the corner spots, and let them hack it out for playing time all year long. Even last year, I presented various configurations on how the Angels could platoon Marsh and Adell with Upton, assuming Ward would be a bench guy. But Ward wasn't having any of it, and Adell is now in AAA.
    But here's another "problem": Adell is absolutely crushing AAA pitching. He just hit an HR in his first AB tonight and is hitting .500 with 3 HR in four games. Oh yeah, he walked 4 times yesterday.
    So the Angels have a "problem" - both in the near and long-term future: How to get Adell back in the lineup, when he's ready? Be that in a month or next year, it is going to happen. 
    Ward is already 28, but is under club control through 2026 - that's 4.8 seasons of cheap offensive firepower, even if he chills out and becomes a more garden variety borderline star hitter in the 130-140 wRC+ range (and at this point, he could be a true 150+ wRC star).
    Marsh (24) is under club-control through 2027, and Adell (23) through 2026. Meaning, basically all the same.
    I know this question is unanswerable, but how do you see this playing out? Will the Angels trade one in July for another pitcher or a middle infielder? Or do they stash Adell in AAA all year until someone gets injured and/or go back to a platoon with Marsh? 
    One other factor to consider is that Walsh is under club control through 2025, and had significant trade value so could also be traded and Ward moved to 1B. But that seems less likely.
    It is a good problem to have, but hard to get my mind around - as far as what the Angels are likely to do.
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