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Chuck

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  1. Chuck
    Taylor Blake Ward made a trip out to San Bernardino to visit the Inland Empire 66er's and caught up with Los Angeles Angels prospects RHP's Riley Bauman, Justin Britt and Barrett Kent, and outfielder Joe Redfield. 
    Check out the interviews below. 
    Barrett Kent has seen an immense rise in his prospect status after a strong post-draft showing in 2023. Continuing to show his rotation prowess during the spring, he has carried that into a strong start to the 2024 season. Barrett talks us through his winter and spring and what will make him successful over his first full season.
    Logan Britt never pitched in high school and only faced three hitters in college. Now he's pitching professionally in a rotation. Logan takes us into his arsenal and how pitching became part of his baseball future.
    After suffering two Tommy John surgeries, Riley Bauman stayed on the radar of Angels scout, K.J. Hendricks, which led to a 13th round selection in the 2023 MLB Draft. Bauman shined during instructional league play, showcasing new velocity and promising secondaries. Riley takes us through his journey to pro ball and talks about the early stages of his professional career.
    Joe Redfield was near the top of most offensive categories across Division-1 baseball his junior season that led to a fourth round selection by the Angels in 2023. Joe talks to us about his junior season, early professional career, personal goals for the season, and how his swing plane and speed can carry him into a Major League future.
  2. Chuck
    By Scott Allen, AngelsWin.com Columnist
    My family and I are blessed to live in an area with the ideal climate, extremely fertile soil, and plentiful clean, fresh water.  And we can be divided into two distinct groups, the men and their orchard, and the women and their garden.  For us men, the best time to plant is a tree is ten years ago.  The second best time is today.  These trees require a great deal of time and nurturing, but the end result is that after a few years, we have a plentiful, sustainable yield.  But I do envy my wife and daughter.  They plant seeds, some of which sprout in only a few days.  And the crop their work yields is diverse, abundant and more immediate.  And at the end of the growing season, they harvest the seeds in preparation for next year.
    Most major league teams operate like an orchard.  Invest now, and yield large, sustainable dividends later.  It makes sense.  All the best players in the world were brought up in this system.  The best teams with the best players have been "orcharding" for years.  And then there's Perry Minasian and the Angels.  They're gardening. They don't plant an apple seed expecting the tree to mature and bear fruit any time soon.  Perry and the Angels are sprouting corn and beans and seeing the fruits of their labor immediately while the rest of the baseball world sits and waits for their trees to mature. 
    Chase Silseth, Zach Neto, Ben Joyce, Sam Bachman, Nolan Schanuel, Kelvin Cacares, Victor Mederos. Corn and beans.  Most of the players these guys were drafted alongside, are still toiling in A Ball.  Yet here they are, in Anaheim, looking to carve out their space and be part of a winner. Most didn't appear in any top prospect lists, but that's by design.  A tomato plant doesn't appear in any lists of the greatest looking apple trees.  
    So when assessing the relative strength or weakness of the Angels farm system, we should stop viewing these prospects by industry standards, and instead look at that which could immediately produce a crop.  The Top 10 prospects in the system for the most part are in a position to impact the Angels in 2024, or shortly thereafter.  Here are some names to look out for in late 2024 or 2025, that you won't find among the Angels top prospects. 
    Joe Redfield - A tall, athletic, left handed outfielder from Sam Houston that comes with plate discipline and a quiet, sturdy foundation to which he hits from.  He has a whole field approach, but has the requisite tools to turn on pitches and post some decent exit velocities.  Yes, he'll need to quiet his hands and strengthen his legs, but there's a platform for something more here. 
    Camden Minacci - Likely the best closer in college baseball last season, coming out of Wake Forest, which is the premier collegiate pitching factory for the last five or so years.  He's a standard rock and fire reliever who sits in the mid-90's and get's his breaking ball over for strikes.  He needs to add either more tunneling or movement to his fastball in order to make it more effective at the highest levels, but all the pieces are there for a major league reliever.  He's a small adjustment away from the show. 
    Now, let's dig into this year's crop of top-10 prospects the way we at AngelsWin.com see them ranked as of today. We'll provide an update article by mid-season where you may see guys like Juan Flores, Cam Minacci, Victor Mederos, Walbert Urena, Randy DeJesus, Joel Hurtado, Logan Britt, Anthony Scull and perhaps Joe Redfield leapfrog others currently in our top-10 should they have productive 2024 campaigns down on the farm. 
    1. Nelson Rada – OF – AA Rocket City - Age 18 Season
    Height/Weight: 5'8″, 160 | Bat/Throw: L/L | International Signing | ETA: 2025


    Nelson Rada would carry significantly more hype as a prospect if he weren’t part of the Angels minor league system, and that’s simply the truth of the matter.  The Angels are known for being extremely aggressive in their prospect placement and that minimizes the wow factor of Rada’s quick progression.  However, it is up to the prospect himself to perform at the aggressive placement level, and Rada did just that last season.  As a 17 year old (for those keeping score at home, a high school junior), Nelson was one of the top performers in A Ball, combining an advanced approach at the plate, enough pop to keep outfielders honest, easily plus speed on the base paths and fringe plus defense in centerfield.  
    The Angels have decided to move him to AA Rocket City for his age 18 season, but I wouldn’t necessarily read too much into this.  The organization will typically have their top offensive prospects skip a Tri-City (Advanced A Ball) assignment because of the cold weather and unfavorable hitting conditions.  Still, the bottom line is the Angels have this high school senior playing in AA that already outperformed the competition in the lower levels, and he isn’t garnering much national attention at all.  That’s unfortunate because baseball is missing out on getting excited over a kid that has a unique set of skills.  Generally speaking, the prospects/young players that are in his class are Esteury Ruiz, Victor Scott II, and Enrique Bradfield Jr., all generally top 100 prospects in their own right, all expected to compete for a stolen base crown at the top level and provide elite level defense. 
    If Nelson reaches his potential, the Angels could have a generational leadoff hitter like Kenny Loftin on their hands.  If he never progresses further, the Angels still likely have a major leaguer on their hands, just more of a fourth outfielder type.  That’s a huge range of outcomes.  The most likely result is a light hitting outfielder that gets on base and runs enough to hold onto a starting role, and that could manifest by Rada’s 20th birthday.  Even if Rada “merely” develops into a Chone Figgins type of spark plug, that’s still a three-win player on average, which may not make him an all-star, but could make him valuable to a major league organization for a very long time. 
     
    2. Caden Dana – RHP – AA Rocket City - Age 20 Season
     Height/Weight: 6’5″, 220 | Bat/Throw: L/R | 11th Round (2022)| ETA: 2025


    Don’t let the late round selection fool you, Caden Dana was one of the best prep pitchers in the nation following his senior year.  Bosco Prep, where Dana is from, in New Jersey is the East Coast equivalent of a Harvard Westlake or Bishop Gorman out West.  It’s a private school where players are recruited from a very young age and typically go on to play after high school. Dana had a strong college commitment to Kentucky and wasn’t expected to sign unless he was selected in the first couple rounds.  As day three of the draft came around and Dana was undrafted, the Angels came calling, offering him a record setting deal outside of the first ten rounds of the draft, which was on par with an early second round selection.  Not only that, the Angels mentioned that they’d like to draft his older brother Casey as well, which seemed to seal the deal for the Dana family. 
    Since being drafted, Caden has continued to open eyes in and out of the organization and is beginning to garner some fringe Top 100 consideration.  
    Already solidly built for an 18 year old, since signing his contract Dana’s frame has continued to fill out in muscle.  With that physique and his long blonde flowing locks, Dana is getting lazy comps to Noah Syndergaard.  Dana’s fastball, which comfortably sat 92 mph in high school has steadily climbed and is now frequently 94-95.  The slider, which was fringe average before now flashes solidly fringe plus.  While his change piece and curve lack consistency in command, he’s usually able to keep them in the strike zone, though I’m skeptical either pitch will ever be more than average.  Still, having three average or better offerings is the starter kit for a successful major league starting pitcher.  As much as anything else, it seems to be Dana’s delivery and disposition that have helped set him apart.  His motion was clean looking two or three years ago and has remained so as a professional.  And Caden’s demeanor runs in pretty stark contrast to many young pitchers, or even current starters on the Angels pitching staff.  By watching his mannerisms, you’d be hard-pressed to find the difference between him throwing a perfect game or getting shelled. 
    Dana cruised comfortably through the lower levels in his first full season as a professional and now finds himself in AA.  While Dana may flash his potential, there seems to be little reason for the Angels to challenge him beyond that level this season, but stranger things have occurred.  If Dana reaches his ceiling, he could be one of the best starters in baseball, not only offering clean mechanics and great extension toward the plate, but a solid arsenal and plus command.  At minimum, Dana appears to have two offerings that could grade out as plus if he assumed a relief role.  While I understand that’s a pretty wide range of outcomes, the likely outcome here is that of a solid mid or backend starting pitcher.  It’s likely that his fastball and slider will both be good pitches with good command of both.  It’s also likely that Dana lacks an effective third pitch which limits his ceiling.  However, he should be able to compensate for this by working deeper into games and logging high inning totals. 
     
    3. Sam Bachman – RHP – LA Angels - Age 24 Season
     Height/Weight: 6’1″, 235 | Bat/Throw: R/R | 1st Round (2021)| ETA: 2023


    There was a lot of uncertainty heading into the 2021 MLB Draft. For starters, there wasn’t a lot to go off of, as there was no 2020 collegiate season and the 2021 collegiate season had been heavily limited by the COVID scare.  Teams drafted players based off of information that was nearly two years dated.  It’s understandable the Angels chose not to go that route, instead drafting Sam Bachman from Miami of Ohio.  Bachman lacked a track record due to injuries and COVID, but the information the Angels did have was more recent than anything else on the board.  It was known that despite playing in a weak conference and having an unconventional short-armed delivery, Bachman had high velocity readings, elite movement on all his pitches and two pitches that were graded “plus” if not “plus-plus.”  
    Was there risk involved?  Absolutely.  Many experts believed Bachman would not remain a starter as a professional, and he’d had a variety of knee problems which can derail a pitcher’s career. Still there were several details that pointed toward a potential career as a starter.  To begin, Bachman had low mileage, and had never experienced a serious arm injury, which is the most common among pitchers.  Second, despite the short-armed delivery, he seemed to only tire in the sixth frame or later in games.  And third, once receiving professional instruction, Bachman quickly developed a changeup that was fringing on “plus.”  
    So in summation, the Angels had drafted a collegiate starter with three “plus” pitches with the ninth overall pick of the draft.  Not bad.  Unfortunately for the Angels and Bachman, that’s about as rosy as the outlook would get.  Sam would suffer a variety of ailments across the next two seasons, and when he was healthy, Bachman’s once triple digit velocity seemed to fluctuate between outings where he’d top out at 93 mph or in better appearances 97.  Still, he eventually made his way to the Angels last season, and in relief, one could plainly see the potential, mixed in between lots of walks. 
    The plan going forward is for Bachman to return to a starting role, but he’ll need to get healthy first, and even then, there’s a great deal of skepticism he could remain healthy and cover many innings on a yearly basis.  Still, we’re living in an era where tons of relievers are making a successful transition into a starting role.  While the success of Jose Soriano, Andrew Wantz, Garrett Crochet, Reynaldo Lopez and others remains to be seen, you can comfortably place Sam Bachman into that class of pitchers based on stuff. 
    If Bachman reaches his ceiling, you’re looking at a low innings, but highly effective starting pitcher.  At minimum, you’re looking at an oft-injured reliever.  The most likely outcome here is that Bachman finds a routine and lifestyle that keeps him on the field more often that has previously been the case, but he likely isn’t going to be a starting pitcher.  
     
    4. Kyren Paris – IF – AA Rocket City - Age 22 Season
    Height/Weight: 6’0″, 180 | Bat/Throw: R/R | 2nd Round (2019) | ETA: 2023

     
    Kyren Paris is a high probability major leaguer (technically, he already made his debut), with the chance to become an impact player.  But his path to get there will be an uphill one given some deficits within his skill set.  First, the positives.  Paris was an ultra-young and athletic second round selection by the Angels in 2019.  Most of the players in his draft class are a year older, and the COVID shutdown caused most of those prep prospects to lose a year and not log a single competitive at bat until age 20 or 21.  Paris however, is still only now entering his age 22 season.  So he’s got time on his side.  Kyren also does three things particularly well that make him an asset.  He gets on base, as evidenced by his career .379 OBP in the minors.  He’s fast, he stole 44 bags last season and was only caught five times.  And third, Paris is a strong defender at second base and profiles solidly at both shortstop and even third base if necessary.  He’s even logged a few innings in centerfield. 
    Given all that, it’s pretty much a guarantee that Kyren Paris will be a major leaguer in some capacity. But ultimately it will be Paris’ bat which will dictate his career path.  When he was first developed, there was physical maturing that needed to take place.  Coming back from the COVID shutdown, we saw a more athletic, muscular Kyren Paris emerge, but still, he only hit .267 in the low minors. In his first taste of AA as a 20 year old, Paris hit .359 in a 14 game stint.  Small sample size, but enough to offer a potential glimpse into a high average future.  This last season was really the first time we’d be able to get a long sustained look at Kyren Paris versus advanced pitching.  And the results were mixed.  .255 batting average, and a decent amount of pop with 23 doubles and 14 home runs.  What really stood out was the OBP, which was .393. All of this was enough for the Angels to protect him from the Rule 5 Draft and give him a September cup of coffee with the big league squad, where he hit .100 over sporadic at bats, but flashed excellent speed and defense. 
    So now the question becomes, is Paris a finished product and this is who he will be going forward?  Or will his bat continue to progress further to the point where he can become an impact bat?
    Rather than sending him to the hitters paradise in AAA Salt Lake, the Angels have opted for a repeat in the Southern League (AA) for Paris, and this seems justifiable on the surface.  For starters, last year the Southern League was experimenting with pre-tacked balls, which caused offensive numbers in the league to nose-dive amidst greater velocity, break and command of all pitches.  The pre-tacked balls were used in April, May and June of last season before switching back over to standard balls used in the major leagues.  Kyren Paris’ stateline in each of those months?  In April, he hit .222/.357.  May, he hit .244/.375 and in June he hit .227/.330.  For July and August, when facing normal balls?  Paris hit .306/.446 in July and .284/.432 in August.
    While his power showed more in the first half versus the sticky baseball, it was evident that Paris, like the rest of the league, struggled offensively.  Against normal balls, Kyren Paris was one of the best hitters in the league.
    All of this seems to point toward a future where Kyren Paris isn’t yet a finished product and could still very much be a force at the plate.  At minimum, we’re looking at a utility infielder that can be used as a pinch runner and defensive replacement.  If he and the Angels hit the lottery, we could be looking at a perennial all-star that could be a gold glover at the keystone and hit for average and power.  It seems evident based on his post tacky-baseball performance last seasons that Paris is likely going to hit for a high enough batting average and enough pop that he could emerge as a major league regular.  With health and consistent playing time, it seems possible that Paris should develop into an infielder that gets on base 35% of the time and could hit double digit home runs and swipe 20+ bases.
     
    5. Dario Laverde – C – (A) Inland Empire - Age 19 Season
    Height/Weight: 5’10″, 160 | Bat/Throw: L/R | International Signing | ETA: 2026

     
    There’s still a lot that’s unknown about Dario Laverde, but from what we do know, everything seems to be pointing in the “up” direction.  The Angels signed him for 350k when he was 16, and considering the Angels relative lack of international presence, that’s actually a lot of money to invest in a prospect.  He was originally an athletic outfielder but he’s since taken to catching.  While he’s understandably raw behind the plate, he has the athleticism and tools to someday become a good defensive catcher at the big league level.  While the height and weight reading are likely inaccurate by now, it’s pretty clear that he’s young and needs to add more strength to his frame.  But if and when he does, he could eventually develop average in game power, which for a catcher is pretty solid.  He’s done nothing but hit and get on base at every level so far slashing .306/.419/.455 in the Arizona Complex League with 28 walks to 31 strikeouts stateside, with his first full-season coming this year at Inland Empire. We should get a decent glimpse into Laverde's game this year and could report back with more information. So far he's looked a lot like former Angels farmhand, Edgar Quero. 
    But as of right now, Laverde could develop into a good hitting, good fielding catcher at the major league level.  But it’s a very long road before he gets there, so fans should remain patient.  Consider Dario Laverde one of those names we log away for later, that way when he emerges over the next couple season, we’ll all be able to say we saw this coming. Another catcher to keep an eye on this season is Juan Flores, currently splitting time at C/DH with Laverde with the Inland Empire 66ers.
     
    6. Jack Kochanowicz – RHP – AA Rocket City - Age 23 Season
     Height/Weight: 6’7″, 228 | Bat/Throw: L/R | 3rd Round (2019)| ETA: 2024


    Kochanowicz has one of the more interesting career arcs of any Angels prospect so far, and is likely also the most underrated prospect in the system, and has been for some time.  When the Angels drafted him in the third round in 2019, it wasn’t expected that they would be able to sign him.  He had a strong commitment to collegiate powerhouse Vanderbilt at the time, and was all projection.  Those guys tend to require first round selections in order to forego college.  The Angels offered him significantly above slot and in a surprising turn of events, he actually signed, leaving the Angels with a first round talent at a reduced price.  Before the draft, Kochanowicz had a typical big bodied profile.  Low-90’s fastball, good extension, some inconsistency hitting his spots.  Shortly after the draft at Fall instructs, Kochanowicz’ stock began to rise as he was reportedly hitting 97 on the radar gun and was repeating his delivery with ease.  
    The 2020 minor league season being canceled definitely hurt some prospects more than others and it seems that Kochanowicz was one that was particularly affected by it as it robbed him of a full year of valuable instruction that he needed.  By the time 2021 rolled around, Kochanowicz had to be built back up and there were definitely some bumps in the road.  His previously stellar command had begun to elude him, and his fastball and slider simply weren’t moving enough for him to generate the type of results he was hoping for.  
    So the Angels and Kochanowicz ended up lowering his arm slot in an attempt to fix this issue.  And while it did to an extent, the fastball and slider both improved, it seemed that Jack’s curveball was no longer the same weapon it once was with an over-the-top delivery and there seemed to be no development of a change up.  Jack’s fastball started to develop some late cut or fade depending on the grip and started becoming “heavy” which means it was a pitch that batters had a hard time barrelling.
    In 2022, we saw a return trip back to A Ball and some appearances in the Arizona Fall League in more of a relief capacity, and while the overall numbers weren’t great, he definitely took a step forward in terms of pitch quality and location.  Kochanowicz started shifting more toward the profile of a pitch-to-contact pitcher with strikeout potential and in 2023, it started to come together for him. A five start stint in the pitcher friendly Northwest League yielded an ERA of 1.52, but upon being promoted to AA Rocket City, Kochanowicz had trouble finding success with an ERA over six, despite further reducing his walk rate. 
    So with Jack Kochanowicz, we’ve reached the point in 2024 where something has to give.  On the one hand, here we have a starter that can now reach back and fire 99 mph, with a long frame and great extension toward the plate and fringe plus command of two better than average pitches in his fastball and slider and the potential for two more pitches being fringe average.  Really, all the makings of a potential all-star.  On the other hand, we have results, and they simply haven’t been there for Kochanowicz and at the end of the day, this is a results driven business.  So what gives?
    2024 is going to be the proverbial “show me” season for Kochanowicz.  Either he starts producing the necessary results in AA and makes his way up to the show, or perhaps his career will need to go in a different direction with a possible move to the bullpen in hopes of generating the necessary success he should be having.  He’s another prospect with a tremendously wide range of results, on the one hand being a potential inning eating consistent mid-rotation starter in the big leagues, and on the other hand, the potential being that he’s topped out in AA.  As always, the likeliest result is somewhere in the middle, being that of a swing starter in the major leagues. 
     
    7. Ben Joyce – RHP – AA Rocket City - Age 23 Season
     Height/Weight: 6’5″, 225 | Bat/Throw: R/R | 3rd Round (2022)| ETA: 2023


    Ben Joyce is one of my favorite prospects simply because of the simplicity of him and his success in his big leagues.  The beauty of his career arc is found in its simplicity.  Either he figures out where the ball is going and he succeeds in the majors, or he doesn’t.  It’s that straightforward.  
    Joyce is a big, physical specimen and is the hardest thrower on the planet.  Notice I didn’t say hardest pitcher.  Pitching is a more nuanced game than throwing, it’s chess versus checkers.  Ben Joyce is capable of being a dominant pitcher in the late innings at the major league level.  He has the tools and the mentality to do it.  Now he just needs to get there.
    And I’m not just talking about finding the strike zone, though that’s the most important.  I’m talking about commanding his pitches in the strike zone itself, like painting the corners, elevating or tunneling it knee high, pitch sequencing, etc…  Because if he develops even average command, his 80-grade 102-105 mph fastball and exploding slider will not be touched and he will be a dominant force as long as he’s healthy. 
    And that in and of itself lends to Joyce really not fitting any mold of the other prospects on this list because there is no middle ground.  There’s no world in which he develops command and isn’t successful and there’s no world in which he doesn’t develop as a pitcher and is successful in the majors.  
    And the likelihood of that development and subsequent success is anyone’s guess.  Clearly the Angels think it’s possible.  Despite Joyce reaching the majors last season, he’s back in AA this season for further refinement.  He isn’t in AAA simply because organizationally it’s been determined that Salt Lake isn’t the best developmental environment.  Some experts don’t see it happening unless Joyce sacrifices some of that speed and starts living in the 90’s where he’d be able to spot his pitches better.  Some experts don’t see it happening at all.  Some experts see him being capable of the necessary development while still living that triple digit life. 
    I’m curious, what do you think?
     
    8. Barrett Kent – RHP – AA Rocket City - Age 20 Season
     Height/Weight: 6’4″, 215 | Bat/Throw: R/R | 8th Round (2023)| ETA: 2026


    Sometimes, there are simply prospects that can stump us, no matter how we view them.  Barrett Kent comes across as a bit of an enigma because there are so many different directions he can go and a lack of understanding on my part as to why he was only an 8th round selection in the 2023 draft.  Bid bodied pitcher, clean mechanics, solid arsenal, clean injury history, success on the showcase circuit, coming from a big-time baseball state (TX), far better than average athleticism (just before the draft there was still discussion about him being a two-way player).  I just don’t get it.  Guys like that are usually off the board before the third round.  It wasn’t as if he was some sort of hidden secret coming into the draft the way Trout was years ago.  So whatever the case is, the Angels managed to draft Kent in the 8th round, and I think we’re all very glad for it.  But that’s not the only source of confusion here. 
    Kent’s fastball sits 93-94 with some arm-side fade to it.  It’s a decent foundational pitch.  And while he’s still young, 19, he appears to have a pretty mature physique, so I’m not entirely certain there is physical projection here.  Maybe he’s done getting stronger and that’s what his fastball is, and if so, that’s fine, he can definitely work with that.  But maybe he’s going to fill out the same way Caden Dana has, or he becomes just a physical freak like Paul Skenes of the Pirates and he starts touching triple digits.  And if that’s the case, is he bound for the pen?  Does his fastball retain it’s shape or does it straighten out?  There’s some uncertainty in who exactly he is as a pitcher.  
    What we do know is that as of right now, Kent has at least three average offerings with potentially plus command of all of them.  If he doesn’t develop any further, that’s the starter kit for a major league starting pitcher, and he’s only 19 years old. So is he someone that simply developed quickly in high school and is pretty much ready to deploy as a professional, or is he still going to develop and all of these average offerings he currently has will eventually be plus offerings?  Because if that’s the case, he’s an ace in waiting. 
    If you aren’t sure what his ceiling is, you aren’t alone.  But we know that his current floor is probably that of a major league swing starter.  So Barrett Kent’s ranking could change a lot in the next year as more information comes in.  For what it’s worth, at the time of writing this, in his first start of the season in A-Ball, Kent went 5 innings with no walks and 8 strikeouts. 
     
    9. Denzer Guzman – SS – (A) Inland Empire - Age 19 Season
    Height/Weight: 5’10″, 160 | Bat/Throw: L/R | International Signing | ETA: 2026

     
    For the most part, fans and critics alike have to admit that the Angels affinity for aggressive promotions hasn’t hampered the organization or prospects at all.  It’s been a net positive, from Zach Neto, to Nolan Schanuel, to Caden Dana. But as with any outside the norm movement or philosophy, there will be drawbacks.  Sometimes, players won't be ready for their aggressive promotion, as has been the case for Denzer Guzman and the Angels. 
    Guzman was the Angels big international signing of the 2021 period, inking for a bonus over 2 million dollars. That’s a lot of money to spend on a 16 year old ballplayer.  But at the time, it was projected that his hit tool and power both had a chance to be plus, and he’d have the ability to stick at shortstop.  That still may be the case, but we haven’t seen that player emerge yet as Guzman floundered in his first full-season at Class A Inland Empire.  Yes, he was one of the younger players in the league at age 19, but not so young that this was an egregious mistake.  Yet Guzman was overmatched, particularly to begin the season.  But if there’s a ray of hope here, it would be that Guzman clearly made the adjustments and was catching up to everyone else in the second half of the season.  
    Coming into his age 20 season, I think there was a clear case for optimism, particularly if they allowed him the opportunity to repeat Inland Empire.  But this is not the Angels MO.  They’ve yet again promoted Guzman, this time to Advanced A Tri-Cities.  It will likely be his first time playing in the cold, and will be a developmental level that’s unlike anything he’s ever seen.  If Guzman makes the adjustments, it would be a huge boon for his stock.  
    At this point, we could say that if Guzman hits the lottery, and maxes out on all the potential he carries, we’re looking at a solid hitting, solid defending shortstop with power.  Those are immensely valuable on the open market, as evidenced by the contracts we’ve seen guys like Carlos Correa get.  The downside to Guzman would be that he never quite makes good on the potential the Angels thought he had at age 16, that he’s periodically flashed, and that Guzman is a depth piece.  The likeliest outcome is that some adjustments are made but Guzman develops into more of a utility player that we see bounce around the upper minors with some cups of coffee in the majors. 
     
    10. Cole Fontenelle – 3B/LF – AA Rocket City - Age 19 Season
    Height/Weight: 6’3″, 205 | Bat/Throw: S/R | 7th Round (2023) | ETA: 2025

     
    If there’s a candidate for “where did this guy come from?” on the Angels farm, it would certainly be Cole Fontenelle.  He may have been more affected by the COVID shutdown than anyone.  Or at the very least, he’s got one heck of a background story. 
    While Fontenelle was highly regarded in high school and almost certainly would’ve been drafted, the shutdown and subsequent shortening of the draft left his name uncalled in 2020 which resulted in him honoring his commitment to nearby University of Washington.  
    While at Washington, Cole got sporadic at best playing time and couldn’t find his rhythm.  During that Summer, he went to the Northwoods League, which is one of a couple collegiate leagues that offer West Coast players an alternative to the Cape Cod League on the East Coast.  Fontenelle flashed all the tools that generated buzz after his junior year of high school.  Rather than return to Washington, where because of COVID rules, he would’ve been buried on the depth chart behind fifth year seniors, Fontenelle went the JC route.  
    The only alternative would’ve been entering the transfer portal and losing a season of eligibility.  While at McLennen Junior College, he must’ve caught the eye of larger program scouts because he only spent a year there before transferring to Texas Christian University. However, before arriving on campus at TCU, Cole made yet another stop in one of the West Coast’s acclaimed Summer Leagues and this time played in Alaska, where he did a little bit of everything, putting up very solid numbers along the way. 
    So here we are at Cole’s junior year of college.  Four years prior, teams were talking about drafting him.  Yet here he was, after two years of college, one year where he rode the bench, and another at a program so small we don’t have any official numbers that reflect his performance.  Things didn’t go according to plan, at least not yet.  Things actually couldn’t have gone any better while playing for the Horned Frogs.  In Fontenelle’s junior season with TCU, he not only made it to the College World Series, he hit .352 with a .473 OBP, with 14 HR and 20 SB while playing the corner infield and outfield spots.  He was one of the best players on one of the best teams in the country.  He would enter the draft portal after his junior year and his name was called in the 7th Round by the Angels. 
    What he did prior to signing made for an interesting story, but it is what he’s done since signing that has opened eyes in the organization.  As it turns out, Fontenelle doesn’t appear to simply be a depth piece.  He’s a legitimately solid hitter who has more power than expected, is faster than expected, shows greater pitch discernment than expected and has the tools to be a better defender than expected.  The major league staff was so impressed by the work Cole showed, that they carried him with the major league team for the entirety of Spring Training so they could get a better look at him.  The Angels feel confident enough in what they saw that Cole was assigned to AA Rocket City, and is expected to potentially impact the big league roster later this season or next year. 
    If everything clicks, Fontanelle could be a Kole Calhoun type of corner infielder and outfielder that doesn’t have one standout tool, but tends to do a little bit of everything right.  Think of a switch-hitting JD Davis.  If not, at the very least the Angels appear to have a pretty solid depth piece to fill out their upper minors roster.  It’ll be interesting to see what comes of this journey. 
    Angels Guide to FV Explanation
    40 - The “AAAA” player, one that spends his career bouncing between the minors and majors.  A Livan Soto or Adam Kolarek type.
    45 - A low-end major league starter or typical backup in the major leagues.  A Jake Marisnick or Jose Suarez type.
    50 - An average major leaguer, either as a starter or reserve.  As of right now, a Luis Rengifo or Luis Gacia type.
    55 - A starter in the major leagues.  A Brandon Drury or Griffin Canning type. 
    60 - A good starter in the majors that should carve out at least a few years at the top level.  A Taylor Ward or Reid Detmers type.  
    65 - A major league all-star that could have a long career and make hundreds of millions.  A George Springer or Logan Webb type. 
    70 - An MVP caliber player.  Potential future Hall of Famer with longevity.  A Christian Yelich or a Corbin Burnes type.  
    75 - An actual MVP and future Hall of Famer.  A Mookie Betts or Gerrit Cole type. 
    80 - GOAT conversation.  Shohei Ohtani and Mike Trout type. 
    Make sure to check out our feature (below) by Taylor Blake Ward on the Angels prospects who have graduated from our past prospect lists, as well as some of the top Angels farmhands from spring camp.. 
     
     
  3. 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.
  4. 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!
  5. Chuck
    By Jonathan Northrop, AngelsWin.com Senior Writer
    Part One: The Cycle of Ages - Angels Baseball version
    After the dead-cat bounce of the post-Golden Era (2014-15), the Angels dipped below .500 in 2016 and have stayed there since, with a .465 Win% from 2016-23, which equates with a 75-87 record. In other words, for the last eight seasons, the Angels have been, on average, a 75-win team.
    Without going back into it again in too much depth, the Angels are long overdue for a rebuild, or at least, a shift in the organizational approach of the last decade plus. One could argue that they should have rebuilt way back in 2010-11 but Arte wouldn't accept that the Golden Age was over. What commenced was a serious of blunders that proved disastrous to the franchise for the last 15 years. They had another window in 2015-2016 and didn't take it, for a variety of reasons: they had a promising core of young starters, all of whom went under the knife. Next, they had the Trout Window, and then the Ohtani Window. 
    So we have, ala the Greek/Indian ages, four distinct periods of 21st Century Angels Baseball:
    2002-09: Golden Age - no comment needed. If you're a Millenial or older, you remember. If you're a Zennial, no, it isn't fake news - the Angels really were one of the half dozen best franchises in baseball for the first decade of the new millenium.
    2010-15: Silver Age - At the time it was frustrating, but they won 85+ games in four out of six seasons, and we saw the arrival of the Promised One. Oh, and We Got Pujols; we'll extend Greinke; Hamilton is just so talented, isn't he? 
    2016-20: Bronze Age - Things started looking grim, but we got a smart GM in Eppler. Right? 
    2020-23: Iron (or Dark) Age - This era, despite the gloriousness of Ohtani, was embodied by Trout's injuries and Rendon's suckitude. It was probably the most dismal three-year span since, I don't know, the early 90s. If you want a Darkest Hour of the Dark Age, it is probably either the losing streak in 2022 or the trade deadline last year and what followed. Or possibly Ohtani signing with the Dodgers. But it's over, right?
    Now the ancients had a few different versions of the cycle of ages. One is that the Dark Age eventually led to a new Golden Age. Yeah, right. Another is that the cycles goes back in reverse, and a new "ascending" Bronze Age follows the Dark Age, and then up to Silver and eventually Golden. Seems more plausible - or at least possible. A third is, well, Ragnarok: the Dark Age ends in cataclysm and the world ends.
    Let's hope that the trade deadline, team collapse, and departure of Ohtani is that Ragnarok and that we'll get to start seeing the ascent again. I mean, how much worse can it get?
    Anyhow, the various factors mentioned above kept the Angels brass from doing what long needed doing: taking stock and pushing the reset button. Of course there wasn't much to take stock of, but at least they could have held off on spending more money on mediocre free agents in a lame attempt to kinda compete each year.
    So now Ohtani's gone and the Angels had one of their quietest offseasons in the last couple decades: No big splashes, no long contracts at all, just a handful of gap-fills and somewhat random free agent signings. It was a bit confusing at first, because Minasian's early offseason emphasis on building a stronger bullpen implied that he was going to go big on free agency. But nothing significant manifested -- no new starting position players or pitchers, just a handful of bench and bullpen guys. 
    Barring a last minute Snellsplash, it looks like the Angels are truly--and finally--taking a beat, taking stock, and maybe eventually replenishing the farm a bit (barring contention come trade deadline). And I say, hallelujah! It is long overdue.
    Consider the above as being a summation of my offseason thoughts, with the disclaimer that I've only paid passing attention the last few months and haven't really followed the Cactus League. On to part two...
    Part Two: 2024 - the Year of Stock-Taking 
    Here's the new part, or at least new to me. "Taking stock" implies seeing how good the young guys are. But I think that is somewhat secondary to the Minasian Plan. We know that in 2025 and beyond, the under-25s of Detmers, Silseth, O'Hoppe, Neto and Schanuel will be around - there isn't really a likely scenario in which they don't form the nucleus of whatever this iteration of the Angels morphs into. But what Minasian will really be looking at, aside from whether (and to what degree) Trout and Rendon can salvage their careers, is how the not-so-young guys will do. Meaning, the 25-30 group that includes Sandoval, Canning, Ward, Rengifo, Adell, and Moniak.
    Really, it is all of the above and more - but I wanted to highlight that middle group, because those are the guys who are "on the clock" in one form or fashion. Sandoval and Canning have shown promise but struggled at various points in their career; Ward is coming off a major injury and it remains to be who the real Taylor Ward is; Rengifo is deciding whether he's going to be a quality regular or a bench guy; and Adell and Moniak are fighting for a starting gig, and at least for Adell, whether or not he's an Angel long-term.
    So in summary, we have several groups that bear watching:
    The young pups (under 25): Detmers, Silseth, O'Hoppe, Neto, Schanuel, also Joyce, Bachman, and Soriano (who is 25, but belongs with this group). 
    The mid guys (age 25-30): Sandoval, Canning, Ward, Rengifo, Adell, Moniak, and Suarez.
    The old guys (over 30s): Trout and Rendon.
    The mercs (possible trade fodder): Anderson, Drury, most of the bullpen, especially Estevez, Moore, and Stephenson.
    The last group, the "mercs," are solid players but are ultimately expendable, and the type of guys you dangle in July if you're out of the playoff hunt. Meaning, they only "stock-taking" is whether any of them have value - either for an unlikely postseason hunt in the second half or, more likely, as trade fodder.
    The young guys are here to stay and are the nucleus for the next half decade plus, along with Old Man Trout. The middle guys are the ones whose place on the Angels are most in question - thus my relating the term "taking stock" most especially to them. Minasian will be looking at who is worth keeping and who joins the trade fodder, in the likelihood that the Angels are sellers in July.
    Not sure what to say about the Decrepit Duo that hasn't already been said. The hope is obviously that both have a renaissance of some kind - that Trout returns at least to 2022 form but with better health, and Rendon is at least a solid on-base hitter. I'm guessing that of the two, he team's hopes is 95% on Trout, and anything Rendon produces is viewed as a pleasant surprise.
    All of the above are under the eye of "taking stock" but, I think, the mid guys most especially. So even if the Angels struggle and don't ever really contend, it should be interesting to see how this year pans out.
  6. Chuck
    On this episode of the AngelsWin Podcast, the guys welcome the television voice of the Angels, Wayne Randazzo!  They discuss Wayne’s first season with the team, what he’s looking forward to in 2024, the differences between the Mets and Angels’ fanbases and much more. 
    Geoff and Chuck wrap up the show with a recap of the AngelsWin 2024 Spring Training Fanfest in Tempe and Chuck’s thoughts about how the team looked.  
    Grab a seat, grab and drink and enjoy Episode 31!  
    If you missed our first interview with Wayne Randazzo last April, you can check that out here: 
     
    Don't miss an episode by following us on YouTube, Spotify, iTunes, iHeart Radio and Amazon Music.
    You can also watch or listen to the audio portion of all of our podcasts on our website here: https://www.angelswin.com/podcast/
  7. Chuck
    By Jonathan Northrop, AngelsWin.com Senior Writer
    As with the hitters, the Angels pitching staff has a good amount of variability, although perhaps a bit less, with almost every starter having a floor of a #4-5 and either #3 or, in one or two cases, #2 upside. I'll look at the bullpen in a third instalment.
    A note on "worst-case scenarios:" For pitchers, even durable ones, there's always the lingering phantom of a blowout and/or Tommy John surgery. Rather than repeat myself for every pitcher, I'll only mention that if there is a significant injury concern beyond the norm. In other words, worst-case scenarios don't include the "absolute worst" of TJS, but are rather more focused on performance only.
    SP REID DETMERS
    Best:  We finally come to a place in which Reid Detmers is not simply the "staff ace" by default (that is, there's no one else), but he's actually a legit #2ish starter. In this scenario, he irons out the kinks of the last few years and puts together a full season like one of his hot-streaks: a sub 3.50 ERA, 180+ IP, and ~4 WAR. 
    Worst: More uneven performance like the last two years, which is still pretty good, but more Heaney-esque than Finley-esque.
    My Prediction: If there's any player that I feel relatively confident flat-out predicting that they hit their best-case scenario--or close to it--in 2024, it is Detmers. I don't think he'll reach his peak level yet, but I do think that he'll be more consistent and have more good starts than bad, so an ERA around 3.50, and more innings (170ish). Meaning, if he doesn't reach his best-case scenario, he'll be close.
    SP PATRICK SANDOVAL
    Best: He defies the warning signs and bounces back to 2022 level, with an ERA around 3.00 and even manages to reduce his pitch count and bit and surpasses 150 IP.
    Worst: The warning signs explode into a total poop-show. Sandoval struggles to throw strikes and his ERA creeps up to the mid-4.00 range.
    My Prediction: I'm worried - not hugely so (yet), but something just seems off. The good news is that while his velocity was down early last year, it trended up all season and his last start was not only the highest of the year, but one of the highest of his career. But in order to even take a step back to his 2022 level (3.7 WAR in 148 IP), he has to curb the walks. last year he walked 4.6 batters per 9 IP - up a full walk from the last two seasons - and his K-rate went down more than a full strikeout. So my prediction is...I don't know. Let's see how he looks after five starts.
    SP TYLER ANDERSON
    Best: Even in the best of possible worlds--or at least those that have a real chance of happening--it is hard to imagine Anderson re-capturing his 2022 performance (2.57 ERA, 4.0 WAR). But if you look at his FIP that year (3.30) and split the difference with his career rare (4.29), then you get around 3.80...which is about the performance level for ERA that I think a best-case Anderson is capable of. 
    Worst: A continuation of last year. 
    My Prediction: Not a lot of variance with Anderson. Split the difference between 2022 and 2023 and you have a decent #4 pitcher with an ERA in the low 4.00s and a solid number of innings. Anderson may even end up under-appreciated for much of the season, but eventually we'll learn to enjoy the fact that he's consistently putting up solid innings. Not sexy, but steady.
    SP GRIFFIN CANNING
    Best: Canning finally makes good on his potential and becomes a good (and consistent) #3 starter, even fringy #2, and embodies the leadership role that Ron Washington envisions for him. 
    Worst: Aside from a revisit to the injuries of the last couple years, the worst-case scenario for Canning is that he doesn't progress further. Last year he produced a 4.32 ERA and 1.8 WAR in 127 IP, which means he's already a 2-3 WAR starter - which is either a good #4 or fringe #3. The FIP was almost exactly the same as his ERA (4.29), so it is possible that this is who he is. In other words, while much has been made of his comeback last year, it was really only to the solid level of 2019-20, which is as a solid #4. So the worst-case scenario is that is who Canning is, which isn't so bad but not what we hoped for.
    My Prediction: I think we'll see a consolidation of 2023's performance, but with slight overall improvement and more innings: an ERA in the 3.70-4.20 range, 150+ IP, 3+ WAR. In other words, he'll establish himself as a bonafide #3.
    SP CHASE SILSETH
    Best: We'll call this the "Angels fan scenario," because it is an outlook that only Angels fans seem to see for young Mr. Silseth. In this scenario, he makes good on the flashes of promise we've seen over the last couple years and becomes a true #2 starter - right there with Detmers (and perhaps a resurgent Sandoval and/or best-case scenario Canning) for best pitcher on the staff. 
    Worst: More erratic performance, and is eventually relegated to a relief role. Or another alternative, it just takes a few years for him to find his best form - but it it won't be 2024.
    My Prediction: Silseth has the widest variance, at least over the pitchers above him. As I implied in the "Best" section, there seems to be a wide gap between Angels fans and analysts as to his upside; I can't think of an outlet that sees the potential that some of us see in him. Whether that is because of fan bias or knowledge is hard to say; probably some of both. Regardless, I think Silseth will become a good starter, but not the ace some envision - but a #2-3 pitcher who has some flashes of brilliance, but isn't consistent enough to be a true ace. In 2024, I think the inconsistency will still be a major factor, but the trajectory will be positive.
    SP ZACH PLESAC
    Best: Plesac picks up where he left off in 2019-20, four years ago, and becomes a solid mid-rotation starter.
    Worst: 2021-23 proves to be his true level; in other words, a back-end starter. There's also the lingering attitude concerns, so he's probably either going to do well or be released.
    My Prediction: Who knows? We probably need to see a few starts, but if he does well enough, I'm guessing he ends up as AAA depth but ends up with 10+ major league starts and/or in the bullpen.
    SP/RP JOSE SUAREZ
    Best: The time off brings things together for Suarez, and we see far more of the better version than the worse. He becomes a solid #3-4 starter or a very good middle reliever.
    Worst: Prone to bad spells, Suarez is relegated to the bullpen and becomes an innings-eating long reliever utilized in low-leverage situations.
    My Prediction:  I personally like the idea of taking the idea of the "worst"--that of a long reliever/swingman--but with the hopes that he pitches well in that capacity, and can be relied upon in a variety of situations. He could be a very useful pitcher if used correctly, but I'm not sure that is as a regular starter. As things stand, he's probably third on the list of potential #5 starters, behind Silseth and Plesac. I imagine he'll pitch in a variety of situations, from spot starts to long relief. By season's end, we could be looking back at him as one of the quiet stalwarts on the pitching staff.
    OTHERS
    Davis Daniel making good on his potential probably means a solid #4 starter, which is more valuable than it sounds, but the not-so-young prospect (27 in June) has had a slow road: a delayed professional debut due to injury, a lost 2020 due to covid, solid development in 2021-22, then most of 2023 lost to injury. At this point, I'm only hoping for a serviceable relief pitcher and/or AAA depth. Kenny Rosenberg is the quintessential minor league "depth starter" - not the worst guy to start in a pinch, but a dime-a-dozen in AAA. Victor Mederos probably has the most upside of likely AAA starters, but needs more seasoning and is less likely to receive a major league gig than some of the others. Brett Kerry and Mason Erla (and several others) look like minor league depth for the foreseeable future. A brief note on Caden Dana. While I think it very unlikely that he factors into the major league rotation this year, he's on the cusp of being a legitimately good pitching prospect and perhaps on the fast-track for the major leagues. His minor league debut was very impressive, but I'd like to see more before getting too excited. 
  8. Chuck
    By Jonathan Northrop, AngelsWin.com Senior Writer
    Perhaps what defines the 2024 Angels, to me at least, is the wide range of variance between best and worst-case scenarios, that is such scenarios that exist within the realm of possibility. Meaning, nearly every player--with only a couple exceptions (e.g. Brandon Drury) has a huge range of reasonably possible outcomes.
    In what follows, I will look at the hitters and suggest what I see as their ceilings and floors, and where I think they'll end up in 2024 and beyond. Please note, this isn't an actual series of projections - it is more a ramble, with a bit of prediction thrown in for each player as to where I think they'll end up. I did a set of stat predictions a couple months ago which I deliberating didn't look back on, but these are more general.
    C LOGAN O'HOPPE
    Best: Becomes a bonafide first tier star catcher - not Adley Rutschman and maybe not Will Smith, but not far behind. In this best-case scenario, an off year is 3 WAR and only due to missing time; a typical year is more like 4-5 WAR, and he has one or two seasons above the 5 WAR mark. He easily becomes the all-time Angels WAR catcher leader, and before reaching free agency.
    Worst: Aside from the injury-bug, the worry would be that he doesn't really iron out his defensive kinks and struggles to make contact. Still, worst-case is the strong side of a platoon, but more of a 2 WAR in 100 games type than a 4 WAR in 120 games type.
    My prediction: The variance for Logan isn't huge, but there's still a range of outcomes, but none of them bad - more "solid to very good." I see more of a second tier catcher being the most likely scenario - a quality regular to borderline star type (3-4 WAR) who is a good captain of the team, sort of like Jason Varitek. Meaning, he won't be confused for Rutschman (let alone Gary Carter), but he'll have some years in the top five WAR for catchers, but mostly more in the #5-10 range.
    1B NOLAN SCHANUEL
    Best: If he makes enough good contact to regularly hit .300, with his plate discipline he could put up gaudy OBPs. And if he develops even average power, he's a "3-4-5" threat and a star hitter. Sort of like Nick Johnson, if he had been able to stay healthy.
    Worst: With that downward swing, there's a chance he never develops any power at all and becomes a Doug Mientkiewicz type - a nice guy to have on your roster, but more of a platoon guy or fringe starter.
    My Prediction: I think he'll probably be more of a .280ish hitter than .300ish, but still have seasons above the .400 OBP mark. I'm more dubious about the power - his downward swing leads to a lot of ground balls, no matter how strong he gets. Still, he's too big and strong not to hit a few out of the park, but I see a peak season being something like .290/.420/.450, which is plenty good enough for me. 
    2B BRANDON DRURY
    Best: More of the same.
    Worst: More of the same, but getting older, and the defense gets shakier. 
    My Prediction: Drury is probably the guy with the least variance of any hitter likely to see substantial playing time: What you see (or what we've seen) is what you get. I think the only questions are how much playing time he gets and where he plays, which depends largely on Rengifo and Rendon. So my prediction is "more of the same," but not sure how much of it. He's a useful guy to have around, but he'd be really useful if he could back-up Rendon (he played 67 games at 3B in 2022).
    SS ZACH NETO
    Best: I like the Dustin Pedroia comp, with a significantly lower batting average but playing Gold Glove defense - so similar overall value. This is pretty optimistic, though, but I could see it happen. 
    Worst: Has trouble getting away from the injury bug, and becomes known as an undisciplined hitter, but still a solid starting shortstop. But rather than the 5 WAR stud of the best-case scenario, he's more of a 2-3 WAR guy.
    My prediction: Zach Neto is a ballplayer - I just love the energy he brings to the team, sort of the anti-Rendon. I do think he'll be prone to occasional injuries and never be quite the hitter Pedroia was, but he'll have some really good seasons, with a good probability of reaching his best-case scenario, at least in his peak. But it might take a few ups and downs to get there. I think 2024 will be a continuation and gradual improvement from 2023, so something like .250/.330/.420. 
    3B ANTHONY RENDON
    Best: He makes baseball a top priority, avoids the injury bug and has a bit of a career renaissance, playing about 350 games over the last three years of his contract and putting up 10+ WAR. Yeah, right.
    Worst: More of the last three years. Arte releases him sometime in 2025.
    My Prediction: I can't imagine how it can possibly continue to be as bad as it has been the last few years, but I would be surprised if Rendon ever plays 130 games again, and maybe not even 120. Part of the problem is that he's a momentum hitter and is never healthy enough to get into a groove. If he manages to play 110-120 games, he'll put up better numbers (maybe .270/.380/.450), but he's never going to be a star again. And that is a pretty big "if." I honestly don't know what to predict, as I could see a continuation of the last few years, or a scenario where the youthful energy of some of the guys above him on this list rubs off and he has a nice next couple years as the Roger Dorn of the Angels. 
    LF TAYLOR WARD
    Best: He's not only back, but he finds the star hitter form that we've seen for parts of the last two years, and is an elite hitter for the next few years, maybe something like .290/.370/.550 with 30 HR. 
    Worst: He's never the same - either neurological, psychological, or just an inability to stay healthy. Ends up as a 4OF/DH type.
    My Prediction: Ward has one of the widest range of possibilities on a team with a lot of players with a wide range of possibilities. For whatever reason, I remain bullish on Ward: I think he's going to have several really good years in the 140 wRC+, 4-5 WAR range, and be the team's second best hitter, at least in 2024. But I've been over-optimistic before. 
    CF MIKE TROUT
    Best: Let's play a game of imagination and time travel to the end of Trout's contract in 2030 and do a career retrospective. It turns out that Trout just had some terribly bad luck for a few years in 2021-23 (they were all different injuries, right?!), but then righted the ship in 2024 and had a career renaissance. Maybe not quite vintage Trout, but he had several years around 7 WAR, with one truly special one in the 8-9 WAR range, winning his 4th MVP award. He started trending down in 2027 or so at age 35, but it was gradual and he finished his career with 127 WAR, just edging Stan Musial out of the top 10. You might say that I'm a dreamer...but I'm not the only one...
    Worst: Ken Griffey III. He'll still hit, but the injury-prone label is real, and the hitting--while flashing towards Ye Olde Days at times--is inconsistent and not what it was. It will be hard to watch for the next seven seasons, as Trout just squeaks above the 100 WAR mark for his career, which would be under 30 WAR in his last eleven seasons after 70 WAR in his first eight.
    My Prediction: I'm going to be bullish again, as I think Trout could do something similar to 2022 (it was just a year ago, afterall); with a bit of better health (130ish games), he could reach the 7 WAR mark. The next few years will be a bit of a comeback for him, just not the Trout of 2012-19. He'll probably miss chunks of time over the rest of his career, but have good spells and just pass Mickey Mantle (112.3) on the fWAR chart.
    OF MICKEY MONIAK
    Best: He learns to take a pitch and builds on 2023, but with more walks. Not a star, but a good overall player who is known for dangerous spells when he's hitting everything.
    Worst: No plate discipline and 2023's good parts turn out to be a fluke. Minor league depth or an erratic 4th outfielder.
    My Prediction: Remember Jeff Francoeur? That's the type of career I think Moniak might have, with minor cosmetic differences. He probably has no place starting for a contender, but will find gigs on various teams over the next decade. I do think he loses a starting job to the next guy on this list, sometime before the ASB and, if Trout, Ward, and Adell are healthy, could be shipped off in July.
    OF JO ADELL
    Best: Basically what we thought his upside would be a couple years ago. Adell kind of reminds me of Dave Winfield, but with more power and significantly less contact ability. Maybe it is the tall, athletic build. But the best-case scenario might be Winfield in 1982 (.280/.331/.560 with 37 HR), but maybe even more HR and a bit lower average. 
    Worst: More of the same and the Angels swap him for a rondon in July to some team thinking they can do better (which, knowing the Angels, they probably will).
    My Prediction: Is it foolish to think that this could finally be the year? He probably won't be the star we hoped for, but he could make enough contact and develop enough discipline to leverage that power. In other words, as much as my mental faculties say that Adell is a bust, my gut still sees a good ball player. I still think he'll hit 40 HR at some point in his career; probably not this year because he's unlikely to get enough plate appearances--and I think needs several years of building success to get there--but I could see something like 110-120 games, .250/.330/.500 with 25+ HR, with even better numbers in 2025.
    IF LUIS RENGIFO
    Best: Take Rengifo's second half numbers last year (.318/.374/.587 in 47 games) and extend them over a full season, but reduce them a bit for likelihood that he's just a slow starter and he's simply unlikely to be that good for a full season. But it foretells the future. In this scenario, everything comes together and Rengifo hits .290/.350/.500 with solid 2B defense. Can we dream?
    Worst:  Basically more of the same - which isn't so bad, but the problem is the defense - which is ok, I guess. But he never quite gets out of the fringe starter/UT role.
    My Prediction: I'm a fan and think he'll find another level in 2024. Maybe not my best-case scenario, but if you imagine that he'll continue his arc of improvement from 2022 to 2023 to 2024, he could hit .270/.340/.450 or better. Now if he could only polish up that defense a bit...
    Pitchers to come...
  9. Chuck
    Sponsored Article
    The history of the Los Angeles Angels is punctuated by moments of brilliance that have defined the team's journey in Major League Baseball. Each landmark achievement, from game-winning home runs to perfect games, contributes to the team's narrative, offering fans a repository of memories that underscore the team's impact on the sport.
    Nolan Ryan's No-Hitters (1972-1979)
    During his tenure with the Angels, Nolan Ryan etched his name into the annals of baseball history by throwing four no-hitters, a feat that underscores his dominance on the mound. Each performance showcased Ryan's exceptional pitching skills, contributing to his legendary status in the sport. These no-hitters remain a towering achievement within the team's lore, reflecting the extraordinary capabilities of one of baseball's greatest pitchers.
    2002 World Series Championship
    The year 2002 stands out as a pinnacle of achievement for the Angels, culminating in the capture of their first and only World Series title. The victory was a testament to the team's resilience, skill, and determination. The "Rally Monkey" emerged as a symbol of this triumph, embodying the spirit and enthusiasm that propelled the Angels to victory. This championship moment is cherished by the team and its supporters, representing a high point in the franchise's history.
    Honoring Nick Adenhart (2009)
    In 2009, the Angels demonstrated profound unity and respect by honoring Nick Adenhart, a promising pitcher whose life was tragically cut short. The team's decision to wear his number throughout the season was a powerful gesture of commemoration and solidarity, illustrating the deep bonds within the baseball community and the respect for Adenhart's talent and potential.
    Mike Trout's MVP Awards

    Mike Trout has solidified his position as a franchise icon through his exceptional play, earning multiple MVP awards. His achievements highlight his unparalleled talent and contribution to the game, making him one of the most impactful players of his generation. Trout's accolades reflect his significance to the Angels and his influential role in the broader context of baseball.
    Vladimir Guerrero's MVP Season (2004)
    In 2004, Vladimir Guerrero's remarkable performance earned him the MVP award, spotlighting his contribution to the Angels' success. Guerrero's talent and dedication were instrumental in his standout season, further establishing his legacy in Major League Baseball and within the Angels' storied history.
    Albert Pujols' 500th & 600th Home Runs (2014), (2017)
    Albert Pujols' achievement of reaching the 500 home run milestone in 2014 is a testament to his enduring excellence and power as a hitter. This milestone not only cemented Pujols' legacy in MLB but also underscored his significant impact during his time with the Angels.
    Jered Weaver's No-Hitter (2012)
    Jered Weaver's no-hitter against the Minnesota Twins in 2012 is a highlight of the pitcher's career and a standout moment for the Angels. This performance exemplifies the high level of pitching talent that has been a part of the team's history, showcasing Weaver's skill and precision on the mound.
    The All-Star Game at Angel Stadium (2010)
    Hosting the MLB All-Star Game in 2010 brought national attention to Angel Stadium and the city of Anaheim. This event was a celebration of the sport, featuring top talent from across Major League Baseball and highlighting the Angels' role as a key player in the baseball community.
    Shohei Ohtani's Historic Season
    Shohei Ohtani's historic performance as both a pitcher and hitter has introduced a new era of versatility to the game, bringing heightened excitement and recognition to the Angels. Ohtani's unique abilities have not only made history but have also redefined what is possible in baseball, underscoring his significant impact on the team and the sport.
    Fan Engagement
    For fans looking to engage further with baseball, beyond the moments on the field, exploring sports betting can add to the involvement. Those interested can always check for reviews of the best sports betting sites, offering insights and information to enhance the baseball experience.
    Conclusion
    This journey through the Los Angeles Angels' most memorable moments reflects the profound impact these achievements have had on the franchise's history. Each milestone, from legendary performances to heartfelt tributes, underscores the legacy and enduring spirit of the Angels, celebrating the players and moments that have defined their journey through baseball history.
    For more, check out AngelsWin.com's full feature Top-50 Greatest Moments in Angels Baseball feature on our blog. 
  10. 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.
  11. Chuck
    ANAHEIM – RHP/DH Shohei Ohtani today was named the 2023 American League Most Valuable Player
    in an announcement made by the Baseball Writers’ Association of America (BBWAA). It marks the second
    A.L. MVP award for Ohtani, who joins Albert Pujols and Miguel Cabrera as the only foreign-born players to
    win multiple MVP Awards. Ohtani was also the 2016 Most Valuable Player in Nippon Professional Baseball’s
    Pacific League.
    Ohtani earned all 30 first place votes for a total of 420 points in the balloting process, 156 points
    ahead of second place finisher Corey Seager of the Texas Rangers (264 points). Ohtani, who also won the
    2021 A.L. MVP Award in unanimous fashion, is the 20th unanimous BBWAA MVP Award winner and the first
    to do so multiple times. The Angels are the first team to have three unanimous MVP Awards (Mike Trout was
    a unanimous winner in 2014).
    As a hitter, Ohtani led the American League in home runs (44), on-base percentage (.412), slugging
    percentage (.654), OPS (1.066), extra-base hits (78) and total bases (325) in 2023. He became the second
    player in Angels history to lead the league in home runs, joining Troy Glaus (led A.L. with 47 HR in 2000), and
    was the only player in the Majors with 5+ triples and 35+ home runs. Ohtani also ranked among A.L. leaders
    in intentional walks (21; 2nd), triples (8; 3rd), batting average (.304; 4th), runs (102; T-4th), and walks (91;
    5th).
    As a pitcher, he led the A.L. (min. 130 IP) with a .184 (85/463) opponent batting average and finished
    the year with a 10-5 record, a 3.14 ERA (132 IP – 46 ER) and 167 strikeouts across 23 starts. Ohtani allowed
    one-or-fewer earned runs in 13 of 23 starts, pitched his first career shutout on July 27 at Detroit and finished
    the year with an active streak of 20.2 consecutive innings pitched without allowing an earned run.
    For a third consecutive season, Ohtani was selected to the All-Star Game as both a pitcher and position
    player and was the American League’s leading vote-getter in Phase 1 of fan voting. He joined David Ortiz
    (2011-13) as the only players to receive three straight All-Star fan elections at designated hitter.
    The 29-year-old captures the Angels seventh MVP award in franchise history, following Don Baylor
    (1979), Vladimir Guerrero (2004), Mike Trout (2014, 2016 & 2019) and Ohtani’s first award in 2021. The
    Angels are the first team to win five MVP awards in a 10-year span since San Francisco won five straight with
    Jeff Kent (2000) and Barry Bonds (2001-04) and the first A.L. team since the Yankees won eight from 1954-
    63 with Yogi Berra (1954-55), Mickey Mantle (1956-57, ’62), Roger Maris (1960-61) and Elston Howard
    (1963).
  12. 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**
  13. Chuck
    Taylor Blake Ward caught up with two young starting pitchers for the Inland Empire 66ers on the eve of game one of the Low-A California League Playoffs. 
    Angels pitching prospect and most recent 2023 eighth-round pick, Barrett Kent, sits down to chat about the draft process and his up-and-down spring that turned into a successful professional debut and then Angels pitching prospect Walbert Urena shares what he believes turned his 2023 season around while utilizing his sinker more effectively and reining in his mechanics, while also sharing a note about touching 102 miles-per-hour.
    Check out our interviews below. Enjoy! 
     
  14. 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.
  15. 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.
  16. 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.
     
     
  17. Chuck
    (Capri Ortiz - Photo by Jerry Espinoza)
    By Taylor Blake Ward, AngelsWin.com Columnist
    Last year, I started this article with a caveat that is necessary when talking about the Dominican Summer League and Arizona Complex League (which will be referred to as DSL and ACL for simplicity throughout the article). The age variance between leagues can alter the performance of any given player significantly, as ages can vary from 16-years-old to 22-years-old in the DSL and 17-years-old to 24-years-old in the ACL. Comparing the performances from a player who may be the age of a high school sophomore or junior to that of one who would be the same age as someone with a four-year college degree and baseball pedigree at a top-notch program leaves plenty of room for error in the on-paper outlook. Most of these kids or young men have yet to grow into their bodies and power may be at minimal production. Some pitchers may have matured into low-to-mid 90's fastballs and explosive breaking balls while others hardly top out in the mid 80's with no current secondary offering to speak of. Control and command for pitchers is sparse and raw, so on-base percentages are inflated due to a high number of walks. It is always fun to look at on paper performance, but each player will come with his own variance where age and experience will play a vital part in how to look at each individual performance and must be taken with a grain of salt.
    If you're going to put emphasis on statistics and performance, there are some isolation performance points you'll need to focus on to see indicators for future success through development and advancement, with one consistent for both hitters and pitchers that tend to carry into development upwards of the mid-minors. For hitters, contact rate and strikeout percentages are large future indicators of ability to hit. While you never want to throw away walk rates, it's already been mentioned those will be inflated because of young pitchers inability to work around the strike zone with consistency. That is where you would want to key in on pitchers is ability to throw strikes as an isolation point of how they'll fare in the future. Strike-throwing ability (i.e., BB%, BB/9) does come as a raw base for being able to do the same at the next level without getting into athletic markers for future command. Control is a fine thing to see on paper and will come prior to command, which is needed for advancement through development into any future Major League role(s).
    Before diving in, there is one last note I want to make as we will touch on the record books. The Dominican Summer League (DSL) has been in existence since 1985, with the Angels having an affiliate since 1992 taking a year away in 1997 with a shared affiliate in 1993 (Dodgers), 1996 (Rays), and 1998 (White Sox). Public statistics and records only date back to 2006, which leaves us with only 17 years of basic statistical data, and 13 seasons without. Up until 2019, the DSL had a 72-game schedule, with 2021 being delayed due to the COVID-19 pandemic and a truncated season. In 2022, a scheduling change took place where the DSL season was shortened to 56 games with clubs getting every Wednesday and Sunday off. The reason I mention this is that within my own personal record book I file away in a tab in my notebook (statistics garnered from Baseball-Reference), you will see some players in this article mentioned as being noted within the single-season records but notably off the top. You can only project so much on performance, but with players in 2022 and 2023 getting 16 less games scheduled, it's noteworthy to say a player tapped into the top 10 single season records with an idea they would have reached further up the list with those extra 16 games. You don't run into the same problem with the Arizona Complex League as a 56-game schedule has been consistent throughout its' existence starting in 1988, with the Angels participating in the league from 1989-1996 and 2001 to present and public records held throughout all of league history.
    With all the caveats and notes out of the way, let's dive into some of the top performers and prospects from the Angels Rookie Ball affiliates, starting with those who spent their summer in Boca Chica with the DSL affiliate:
    After missing most of his pro debut in 2022 with a broken hamate, Kevyn Castillo had arguably the best offensive season in Angels DSL history. The Venezuelan outfielder's slash line of .371/.478/.548 has never been seen before at the affiliate, with his batting average and on-base percentage being the highest among players with over 100 plate appearances, and his slugging percentage trailing only Luis Torres in 2022 (.571) -- and of course, the highest OPS in affiliate history under the same measures. Excluding doubles and home runs, Castillo ranked in the top 10 of nearly every affiliate single-season record, with 44 runs scored (tied-10th), 69 hits (10th), seven triples (tied-fifth), 35 RBI (tied-10th), 23 stolen bases (tied-ninth), 40 walks (ninth), and 102 total bases (tied-sixth). Castillo collected a hit in 42 of the 55 games he played, while reaching base safely in 50, while his 171 wRC+ was fourth across the DSL among qualified hitters. Castillo, signed for $10,000 during the 2022 international signing period, flashes four tools with power being the lesser of the group. He's an above-average runner or better with the ability to handle all three outfield positions with a fine arm for the corners (he had four assists on the season).
    The Angels priority international signee for 2023 was Felix Morrobel, a shortstop from the Dominican Republic who signed for $900,000. In the 17-year-old's pro debut was solid with a .286/.322/.335 slash line with 11 stolen bases and 21 runs scored, which helped earn him a DSL All-Star nod. Despite a highly-aggressive approach, Morrobel limited his swing-and-miss at a near uncanny clip, with four of his 13 strikeouts on the season coming in his first 20 plate appearances and then just nine over his next 150 plate appearances, giving him the third lowest strikeout percentage (7.6%) of the 299 qualified hitters in the DSL in 2023. A switch-hitter, Morrobel's ability to manipulate the barrel was evident over the summer, while his power production (0 HR, .344 SLG, .050 ISO) was notably minimal (0 HR, .344 SLG, .050 ISO) and only seen to the gaps as the Angels await his physical maturation where his power projection remains below-average as a hit-over-power offensive type. Morrobel's primary carrying tool is his defense at shortstop where he is a highly athletic defender with quick feet and good internal clock to slow the pace of the game, with an above-average arm giving more confidence to his future outlook as an eventual Major Leaguer as the bat continues to progress.
    Though it didn't come with the external fanfare of the Morrobel signing, the Angels were internally very excited over the signing of Juan Flores. Signing for $280,000, Flores was renowned as one of the best amateur defensive catchers in Venezuela and in the 2023 international signing class. That defense was on full display during his pro debut this summer as a 17-year-old, both on paper and the eye test, as he threw out 26-of-49 would be base stealers (53%) with just four passed balls in over 300 innings of work behind the plate. Already advanced defensively, Flores showed all the traits of long-term catching prowess with quiet receiving and framing with lateral mobility and a plus (or plus-plus pending evaluator) arm. His hitting is less rudimentary than thought while going into pro ball as he had a fine approach at the plate with some upper body overswing tendencies leading to groundballs, but also some over-the-fence power where his six home runs were fifth all-time for a single-season at the affiliate. Though his on-base percentage was partially inflated by being hit-by-pitches 15 times which ranked second on affiliate history -- trailing only Leonardo Rivas in 2015 (17) -- everything else in his offensive performance stayed in check with a .236/.352/.388 slash line and 102 wRC+. There is no question about Flores' defense while the bat will dictate what his future role would/could be, whether a high-level filler, backup, or even everyday regular at the Major League level. Between Morrobel and Flores, mixed in with Nelson Rada and Capri Ortiz, the Angels have a solid defensive foundation up the middle in the low levels of the minors.
    Oswaldo Patino was a lesser-touted signing in the 2023 international class who put pen to paper for $65,000 as a smaller Venezuelan infielder, but his pro debut carried some excitement, particularly as one of the youngest in the league at 16-years-old. A contact-first hitter, Patino kept his swing-and-miss in check while his discipline and walk rates were off the charts at 25%. Among players in the DSL with 80-or-more plate appearances, his walk rates ranked 14th across the league among 1000+ players, while his on-base percentage (.513) ranked second (You can do the math if you want but it's the 99.9th percentile in both categories). Though I mentioned Kevyn Castillo as having the highest single-season OBP in affiliate history, that was among players with over 200, or 150, or 100 plate appearances -- or in simpler terms: qualified hitters -- but looking at Patino's on-base percentage in a smaller dosage of plate appearances (80 total PA), it is the highest OBP mark in affiliate history outside of two players who shared a combined 13 plate appearances, giving credence to the record books albeit in smaller sample than qualification. There isn't much ceiling to Patino who is a contact-first second base only infielder, but always worth monitoring when video game numbers are put up.
    Receiving the fourth largest bonus from the Angels in the 2023 international class, Edwardo Espinal has his season and pro debut delayed until mid-July after breaking his thumb during extended spring. The 17-year-old signed for around $250,000 out of the Dominican Republic as a toolsy outfielder with upside in the bat. With only 22 games played over the summer, it was his final 11 that were attentive and had the Angels happy about his future as he slashed .290/.372/.368 in the final half of his truncated season.
    One of the biggest risers in the Angels farm system is Adrian Acosta, a right-handed pitcher who signed late in the 2022 signing period for $10,000 out of the Dominican Republic and saw a velocity jump in 2023 that made his sophomore pro season one of the best in affiliate history. In his 10 starts over the summer, he never allowed more than two runs while striking out five-or-more in each outing excluding his first. Acosta was named a starter in the DSL All-Star game where he went two innings and earned the victory. His 1.17 ERA led the entire DSL and was second best for a single-season in affiliate history among those who through over 40 innings (46.1 IP), trailing only Emilker Guzman who had a 1.02 ERA in 2017 (44 IP), while his 64 strikeouts were 19th all-time in a single-season for the affiliate and comes with the caveat that all above him had a 72-game season to work with. The 18-year-old saw a velocity spike over the summer with improved command that raised his prospect status, parking his fastball 92-95 and touching 96 on occasion. He compliments the fastball with a low-to-mid 80's slider that has enough current shape and feel to receive average or better future grades. With the fastball command progressing well and his on-mound athleticism, the Angels will continue giving Acosta the chance to start through the early stages of his pro career, though his changeup is well below-average offering (very firm and rudimentary) and will be a focus of development to keep him from a relief outlook.
    Ubaldo Soto was the Angels top pitching signee from the recent international class, signing for $250,000 out of the Dominican Republic and spending most of the summer as a 16-year-old pitcher in pro ball. Up until the week he turned 17, Soto got four games of extended relief work, going three innings each time out, which included two saves before transitioning to a traditional rotation role in early July. Over the season, Soto performed remarkably well, posting a 1.64 ERA over 44 innings with a 4-1 record. On this next note, I must include that the nature of a complete game and/or shutout in the DSL has some caveats as pitching all innings (or outs) of a shorter scheduled or weather shortened game can be called a "complete game/shutout" in the statistics and does not need to be a complete seven-or-nine inning effort. On that note, Soto threw two (shortened) shutouts over the summer, making him the first to have multiple shutouts or complete games since Daniel Hurtado and Eswarlin Jimenez in 2011 and fifth in affiliate history to have multiple in a season. His two shutouts were the 12th and 13th in affiliate history since record-keeping became public in 2006. Soto, a tall and loose right-hander, has all the projection traits of a starter at the next level with three pitches he mixes well in an upper 80's-to-low 90's fastball that touches 92, and feel for a curveball and changeup with advanced feel for working near the zone.
    Though Soto was initially the top bonus pitcher for the Angels 2023 international class, Francis Texido was signed for the same dollar figure at $250,000 two months later after leaving Cuba in September. Texido -- the leader in ERA (0.69) for Cuba's U-18 club (source: Francys Romero, MLB) -- went from being one of the top amateur arms in Cuba to the workhorse of the Angels DSL affiliate, getting the opening day nod and never looked back posting a 2.31 ERA in 50.2 innings with 61 strikeouts, 12 walks, and 0.947 WHIP. The 18-year-old collected six wins on the season, which was tied for 10th most in a single-season for the affiliate, while his 61 strikeouts were 20th most (as noted with Acosta, all players above Texido had the luxury of a 72-game season). Tall and loose, the left-handed pitcher has a low 90's fastball with significant sink that creates weak groundball contact, while he also incorporates a curve, slider and changeup which show enough current merit and advanced command to believe in a four-pitch starter mix through development.
    Among the youngest pitchers in professional baseball over the season, Davidxon Lara went from a relatively unknown amateur who signed for $50,000 out of Venezuela, to a pitcher of note in the Angels low minors. The undersized right-hander is a good on-mound athlete with advanced command and feel for the zone. Through his first six games, Lara faced 118 batters and walked just one which included a stretch of 101 batters faced without permitting a walk. Though he would walk four of the final 43 batters he faced (*sarcastically gasps*), Lara showed an advanced ability to mix his pitches and work around the zone, spending all but his final three starts over the summer as a 16-year-old. Lara operates mostly in the upper 80's and low 90's and touched 93 over the summer, with decent feel for a mid-70's curveball and mid 80's changeup. His size (5'10/165) may limit his ceiling, but Lara has the current traits of a future starter with plenty of youth to bank on.
    Other DSL Notables:
    Signed on the older side of the international amateur market, right-handed pitcher Anel Cabrera signed with the Angels in April as a 20-year-old and spent the summer in the DSL where his 1.25 ERA was second lowest across the entire league (trailing only Adrian Acosta, 1.17; min. 40 IP). The low ERA mark was third best in affiliate history among those with 40-or-more innings pitched... After spending two seasons as the DSL Yankees closer, Ruben Castillo was released by the pinstripes in May and quickly signed with the Angels three weeks later as a 21-year-old minor league free agent. Castillo served as the DSL Angels closer with a 39.0 K% and nine saves, which is tied for the most in affiliate single-season history with Jorge Tavarez (2016)... The DSL Angels finished their season going 37-18, holding the sixth best record in the 50-team league and earning a wildcard spot in the DSL Playoffs. As a team, they had; the third most stolen bases (121), 10th highest batting average (.257), 2nd lowest ERA (3.25), 3rd lowest H/9 (6.9), 4th lowest WHIP (1.311), 10th highest K/9 (9.7), and 10th highest K/BB (2.00). (*NOTE*: At the release of this article the DSL Angels are in the middle of a best-of-three opening playoff series with the DSL Phillies, splitting the first two games. This note will be updated upon completion of the series and/or DSL playoffs.)
    After spending the first part of this article down in Boca Chica, let's head north for the rest of the article to Tempe and the Arizona Complex League where a pair of players jumped into prospect status while others have started to create a name for themselves in the low minors.
    Signed as a defense-first shortstop from the Dominican Republic for $150,000, Capri Ortiz changed the script this summer in Arizona and has become of the biggest risers in the Angels system. Splitting his pro debut in halves, Ortiz struggled to start in the DSL in 2022, having a .522 OPS in his first 26 games, but turned the corner and posted a .793 OPS in his final 26 games. He carried that late success into instructional league where he became a player of note for the organization and then had a loud presence based on his speed and defense this summer in the ACL. His on-paper performance leaves a bit to be desired in a .273/.374/.345 slash line with a near 30% strikeout rate but the Angels liked his aggression in the box and on the basepaths and ability to adjust to switch-hitting which he started near the midway point of the season, with some promising signs in his ability to hit from both sides. Listed at six-foot and 150-pounds, there is significant weight and strength that needs to be added to the frame to tap into any form of power as Ortiz's game is more suited for slapping the ball through the infield or flaring a ball to the outfield while maintaining his line drive swing. When he puts the ball in play though, he can cause havoc. Posting the occasional sub-4 home-to-first time, Ortiz is more in the 4.0 to 4.1 range which grades above plus but under plus-plus, but his ability to utilize that speed only enhances the tool. Ortiz stole 30 bases over the summer which set a new affiliate record surpassing Aneury Almonte's 28 in 2002, and ranked 16th all-time in league history for a single season while being the most in the league since Monte Harrison stole 32 bases in 2014. Of note, Ortiz's 39 runs scored were the most for a single season at the affiliate since Rolando Gomez (48) and Randal Grichuk (47) in 2009. Along with 18-year-old's speed is the ability to handle a premium defensive position with ease as his quick feet allow him to cover plenty of ground at shortstop, while his internal clock allows him to slow the pace of the game and let his quick release and average arm do the rest. Ortiz may never grow into offensive impact and be more suitable as a bench player by the time he nears the Majors, but his speed and defense give merit to his future role at the upper levels while the bat will dictate whether or not be becomes an everyday player.
    When doing my post-season rounds last October to accumulate information for prospect rankings, one name jumped out as one I had never heard previously mentioned as a "prospect" but a standout performance in the DSL (which was noted in this article last year) and during instructional league left me curious about someone who "could be the next Edgar Quero". Though the results of Quero haven't been matched quite yet, Dario Laverde has put his name on the map for Angels prospects and has put up similar performance markers with similar tools to a young Quero to make sense of the comparison. The left-handed hitting catcher who signed for $350,000 out of Venezuela had a .306/.419/.455 slash line with 28 walks and 31 strikeouts on the year as an 18-year-old, while his 123 wRC+ was in the 74th percentile across the league. Laverde started catching around a year prior to signing as a professional, converting from the outfield, and has plenty of raw traits behind the plate that have to be refined before trusting him as a long-term backstop. His arm can grade out as average or better, but his transfer and footwork may need an overhaul to allow his arm to play. An outstanding athlete, Laverde has solid lateral movement and blocking skills, so there is a foundation and building blocks to keep him behind the plate. For as raw as his defense is, his offensive skillset is far more polished than most in his age range. Laverde is a disciplined hitter with a focus on seeing pitches and driving pitches in his hot zone to the gaps. There isn't much power in his five-foot-10 frame, but enough to believe his contactability will translate into the occasional over-the-fence pop. Though it may be hard to project Laverde into what Quero became (Top-100 prospect who warranted a Lucas Giolito return), Laverde has the tools to dream on a platoon catcher with offensive upside and he will become the Angels top catching prospect upon Logan O'Hoppe's prospect graduation.

    (Dario Laverde - Photo by Jerry Espinoza)
    Signed for $235,000, Anthony Scull was part of a duo from Cuba who signed with the Angels on September 6, 2021, joining Jorge Marcheco. Both got a quick trip to Boca Chica where Scull was able to play 10 games with some lackluster performance and was initially assigned back to the DSL to start 2022, but after one plate appearance was sent back stateside to Arizona where he performed well in a limited 13-game sample. Scull repeated his offensive success in 2023, slashing .300/.377/.453 with seven doubles, five triples, and three home runs. Scull started the season with a 12-game hitting streak and collected a hit in 24 of his first 27 games while batting .363 and having an OPS that hovered around 1.000 throughout. His bat cooled off for the latter half of his season hitting .206 in his final 21 games with a 33.3 K% (13.7 K% in first 27 games). The 19-year-old outfielder is more a sum of all parts kind of player as opposed to having a real standout or carrying tool, not dissimilar to fellow Angels Cuban farmhand Orlando Martinez. The son of former Cuban baseball star and Olympian, Antonio, the younger Scull has a swing reminiscent to his father with a closed stance, short load, and present bat speed that make him a line-to-line hitter with focus on the bat being his ability to utilize the barrel and occasionally tap into some gap power, while his defense may be limited to a corner outfield position as he's only a fringe athlete. There's a lot to like about the overall package Scull provides and players of his caliber sometimes turn into platoon-type players at the upper levels and into the Majors, though his status as a prospect remains limited.
    After turning heads in his pro debut in the Dominican, Luis Torres carried his near unmatched DSL year into video game type numbers to start his sophomore pro season in Arizona, slashing .583/.659/.889 in his first 10 games which included four doubles, two triples, and a home run. He earned a quick promotion to Low-A Inland Empire where he had a three-hit game in his full season debut and three more hits in the two games following but quickly cooled off against elder and more polished talent collecting just five hits in his next 15 games and was sent back to Arizona. Some inconsistencies came in his second stint with the ACL affiliate as he hit .250 with a .719 OPS and 29.1 K% in his final 19 games with Tempe. For the bulk and completion of his season, his 150 wRC+ was seventh best across the league among hitters with 100+ plate appearances. The inconsistencies haven't deterred Torres' status as a low-level follow (as opposed to a solidified prospect), but the 19-year-old Dominican still may have finally seen his free and loose swing be exposed to some holes while he began to chase at more pitches out of the zone with both approach and swing refinements needed. Signed for $10,000 in February 2022, Torres has a large physique that allows him to tap into hard contact and over-the-fence power from the right side. Though he's limited to first base only defensively, Torres has enough feel for hitting and the power production to continue monitoring how he can cut down his chase rates and overswing tendencies to potentially grow into a prospect with a likely trip to full season ball next season.
    Cristian Garcia has spent the last three summers between the DSL and ACL with steady performance based mostly on plate discipline. Garcia, a 19-year-old corner infielder, has progressively walked his way through Rookie Ball (pun intended) with his 2023 campaign seeing 37 free passes, which rank fourth in Angels AZL/ACL affiliate history and the most since 1993. There isn't much in terms of prospect status when it comes to Garcia, as he's a fringy athlete with a below-average hit tool, but players of his caliber tend to make waves for their on-base percentage in the low minors and grow into monitoring status as they progress through development in hopes that more repetition can turn particular offensive tool into a fringe/average skill. On the season, Garcia slashed .266/.418/.413.
    Drafted by the Angels in the fourth-round of the 2019 MLB Draft, Erik Rivera is one of just seven remaining players drafted and signed by the Angels in that class. Rivera was drafted as a two-way player with upside as a power hitting outfielder from the left side and power southpaw on the mound. Following the draft, the Angels sent him out strictly as a designated hitter and it was evident his future would be on the mound which would wait until the following season which would not occur due to the COVID-19 pandemic. In his first pro pitching outing, Rivera tossed over three scoreless with Low-A Inland Empire, allowing a hit and a walk while striking out six, but saw his velocity dip quickly in his final outing. It's been a long road for Rivera since that point as a tear in his UCL required Tommy John surgery followed by some unspecified complications which caused him to miss the rest of the 2021 season, all of the 2022 season, and most of the 2023 season. Rivera returned to the mound on the second day of August this summer for the first time in over two years but showed similar tools to what made him such an alluring pitching prospect prior to surgery. He came out sitting 92-93 while touching 96 over the summer, while still flashing a plus changeup and signs of a breaking ball. Control dogged Rivera through his five brief outings in Arizona, as he walked 13 of the 37 batters, he faced but when he was near the zone, he was unhittable allowing just three hits to those same 37, striking out 11. Though he's an elder statesman for a low-level arm at 22-years-old, Rivera being healthy and green on the mound is a boon for the Angels pitching depth, particularly with so few left-handed pitching prospects. He'll need to show more command and control to return to his prospect status from prior years, but the raw package remains near the same as when he was a highly touted youngster after the draft.
    A standout from extended spring, Keythel Key is a relatively unknown pitching project who has garnered some attention as a low-level arm with tools that could carry him into more than organization filler status. Most of Key's success comes in flashes as opposed to frequency, which was evident in his summer in the ACL where he had performed on par with most of the league average, posting a 4.53 ERA, while walking 32 and striking out 40 over 43.2 innings. Key is a tall and lean 19-year-old with good on-mound athleticism who operates mostly in the low 90's with some mids in the bag, with a slider that flashes average. There's a lot of raw tools -- particularly in fastball command and ability to consistently snap his breaking ball -- but enough to like about Key and his athletic markers and projection to continue monitoring him.
    Of the Angels 19 draft picks in 2023, 13 started their pro career in Tempe. Nolan Schanuel (1st round), Alberto Rios (3rd round), Joe Redfield (4th round), Cole Fontenelle (7th round), Caleb Ketchup (15th round), and Mac McCroskey (20th round) all got less than a handful of games each before shipping out to affiliates, with Schanuel being the clear standout not only as a first-rounder but as a Major Leaguer only 21 games into his pro career. Seven of the 13 found less temporary residence in Arizona and spent the full start of their pro careers in Tempe. John Wimmer (11th round), an athletic shortstop with spark plug offensive upside from Rock Hill High School (SC), struggled against elder pitching in nine games, striking out in half of his plate appearances with a .432 OPS. Rio Foster (16th round), an athletic and physical high-ceiling outfielder from Florence-Darlington Tech (SC), struggled in a brief eight games as his active swing brought swing-and-miss with it, striking out 10 times in 25 plate appearances with a .414 OPS. Opposite his draft mates, Raudi Rodriguez (19th round) hit pro ball in stride over a brief 12 games, slashing .368/.415/.447, despite being viewed as the rawer product and free swinger of the previously mentioned pair. In recent years under Perry Minasian's regime, the Angels have pivoted savings from the second day of the draft to go well over slot with an early teen pick, but altered that course this year (in a way) and had their big bonus player come in the eighth-round in Barrett Kent, a tall and projectable right-handed pitcher from Pottsboro High School (TX) with a low-to-mid 90's fastball and trio of off-speed offerings that could grade out as average. Kent pitched well in his brief pro debut, allowing six baserunners without permitting a run while recording 14 outs over two stints, striking out five. Chase Gockel (9th round), a right-handed pitching grad student from Quincy University with a mid-90's fastball, struggled to find the zone in four brief outings walking 12 of the 23 batters he faced. Riley Bauman (13th round), a right-handed pitcher from Abilene Christian who returned from Tommy John late this spring showing a mid-90's sinker, got a quick taste of post-surgery action in pro ball allowing five runs in four innings of work. 
    The Angels transitioned catcher Straton Podaras, infielder Christian Sepulveda, and outfielder Darwin Moreno to the mound progressively through the summer, with all sitting around 89-91 and topping around 93. This wasn't dissimilar to what they did with Logan Britt and Mario Zabala. Both Britt and Zabala were draft prospects as prep outfielders in 2020 but their star dwindled during their collegiate careers. Britt faced three batters in college (Abilene Christian) before the Angels took him as a pitcher in the 17th-round in 2023. Zabala was a two-year starter at Florida International but was limited to pinch-running duties his junior season with just 15 batters faced on the mound with minimal success, but the Angels consider both as pitchers at this point and will continue their development as such. I have no report on Britt or Zabala as pitchers currently.
    Other ACL Notables: 
    The Angels hit the NDFA/UDFA (whichever/whatever you want to call it) market quick and heavily after the draft signing some of the more notable non-drafted draft prospects with the headliners being catcher Caleb Bartolero (Troy), shortstop Andy Blake (Columbia), and outfielder Landon Wallace (West Virginia). Bartolero and Blake played well, albeit in six game stints each, in Arizona while Wallace went hitless in his first four games, he turned the corner quickly over his final six games going 8-for-14 (.571). Infielder Will McGillis (South Carolina) was not among the notable UDFA's but took advantage of his collegiate experience as a 24-year-old sporting a .378/.525/.644 slash line in 59 plate appearances, collecting hits in 12 of the 15 games he played and reaching base safely in 14. His 191 wRC+ was second highest across the league among hitters with 50-or-more plate appearances...
    For the third consecutive season, Alex Martinez has held court in the Angels ACL bullpen, as his 1.17 ERA in 2023 was third lowest across the league (min. 20 IP). The undersized right-hander who is fastball dominant has now spent the last three summers in Arizona with a combined 0.92 ERA, 14.1 K/9, and 37.2 K%...
    18-year-old outfielder Ramon Ramirez was an offensive staple to the DSL Angels in 2022 and garnered attention as more than just a low-level organization filler though not quite into prospect status. After collecting one hit in his first six games with sparse playing time, the left-handed hitter got back into a hitting groove over his last 12 games hitting .313 with five extra-base hits and a .965 OPS...
    Randy de Jesus was a touted amateur outfielder from the Dominican Republic when the Angels signed him for $1.2 million in 2022, but his first taste of stateside ball left some questions about the consistency his bat will offer. Scouts still like the foundation de Jesus provides but there is a lot of fine tuning before tapping into even part of the finished product which still may be a power-only offensive base with too much swing-and-miss to get to any ceiling. Splitting his seasons into quarters, his final three-quarters showed glimpses of success with a .282/.343/.366 slash line and much lower 23.0 K% compared to the 29.6 K% in his first 12 games... Three players who suffered season-ending leg or knee injuries in 2022 returned to action in 2023 in the likes of infielders Edgar Alfonso and Luis Rodriguez, and outfielder Natanael Santana. Alfonso, 19, is a light-hitting speedster from Cuba who didn't showcase his plus to plus-plus speed on the basepaths frequently during the season but walked a bit and hit .247 over 35 games. Rodriguez, 18, was a big-bonus baby out of Venezuela on the international market (though his actual bonus has differing reports and has not been confirmed to this writer) who showed impressive tools at instructional league in 2022 and got his first taste of pro ball in 2023 in Arizona performing around league average with a .791 OPS and two home runs. Santana, 22, became a name to follow in 2021 after showcasing impressive power and speed tools from an impressive physique but was sidelined in 2022 with a knee injury. The raw offensive product is still in play for Santana as he struck out in nearly 35% of his plate appearances but still showcased the same tools as before. It's unlikely he'll be able to hit enough to hit his immense ceiling, and may be forever stuck in the low minors, but remains an interesting follow.
  18. 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.
  19. Chuck
    By Taylor Blake Ward, AngelsWin.com Columnist
    Angels third-round pick, Alberto Rios, chats with Taylor Blake Ward about what he learned while riding the bench his first two years at Stanford before becoming Pac-12 Player of the Year and a top draft prospect.
    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%
    Check out our interview with Alberto Rios below. 
  20. Chuck
    By Taylor Blake Ward, AngelsWin.com Columnist
    Taylor Blake Ward sits down with 2023 Angels first-round pick, Nolan Schanuel, to chat about his pro debut, first night in front of a large crowd, and how seeing an eye doctor before his junior season aided to not only his performance and draft stock, but also his confidence in carrying his hit tool to wood bats. 
    Schanuel signed with the Angels for slot value, $5,253,000, which is a new record bonus for any Angels draftee by $583,000 (Reid Detmers, 2020).
    Scouting Report
    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.
    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%
    Check out our exclusive interview conducted by Taylor Blake Ward with the Angels first round draft pick Nolan Schanuel. 
  21. 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."
  22. Chuck
    By David Saltzer, AngelsWin.com Senior Writer
    I love the MLB draft. It’s unlike just about every other major league sport’s draft in that the results of the draft won’t be known for 3-5 years, or more.
    A good example of this is Mickey Moniak who was drafted 1-1 (1st round, 1st overall pick in the round) in 2016. He is just now starting to reach his potential in the Major Leagues, 7 years after he was drafted out of high school by the Phillies.
    Because of the long timeline for a draft to be deemed either a success or failure, every team’s general manager and scouts will always say that they will take the Best Player Available (BPA). The only problem with this response is that the word “best” is a highly subjective word. Is a player who can reach the majors and posts slightly lower numbers “better” or “worse” than a player who may take 6 years to reach the Majors and posts slightly higher numbers? Or, what if drafting one player prevents you from drafting other players who can also make the Major Leagues in later rounds? Should the Angels only focus on the individual player or drafting the best players who make the whole organization better?
    With so much emphasis on the word “best”, and 30 Major League teams all trying to find the next Mike Trout or Clayton Kershaw, trying to predict who a team will pick is nearly impossible, especially the deeper one goes into the draft. Additionally, with the pool system for money to sign players there are many interesting strategies for teams to employ to get the most talent using the limited funds that they are allowed to use in the draft.
    Two notes: First, our own Taylor Blake Ward wrote a great article on the potential 1st round picks that the Angels may be able to draft. Please read it here, as I will refer to some of the players when talking about how to find the BPA. Second, any draft that develops just 1 player who has at least a 5-year career as a regular is considered a success. Anything beyond that is gravy, so, that creates a further set of strategies for teams to employ to find the BPA.
    One of the biggest challenges for a team to find the BPA is where in the draft they select. The Pirates, who have the 1st overall pick have the most money to spend in the draft. While the Angels pick 11th in the 1st round, they lost their 2nd round pick when they signed Tyler Anderson in the offseason and the money associated with the pick.
    Invariably, prior to a draft, a general consensus will form around who the top picks are. Most of them are fairly sure bets to make the Major Leagues, even if it takes years for them to get there like Moniak. As Taylor Blake Ward notes, there is a general consensus on 5 players this year who are expected to be drafted before the Angels get to pick, so, the Angels will have to dig deeper to find their BPA.
    Players taken out of high school will take longer to develop than those taken out of college and are far more likely to never make the Major Leagues, so the player’s timeline can affect whether a team will see him as the BPA or not. Teams do want to layer their talent so that they will have waves of talent in development to provide fresh talent to the Major League team and create more financial and trade opportunities for them. So, a team that’s top heavy (with lots of talent in the upper Minor Leagues) may be more focused on high school players than a team that’s bottom heavy (with most of its talent in the lower Minor Leagues).
    Where a team is relative to its competition can also affect who it sees as the BPA. For example, a team just starting to rebuild is more likely (but not necessarily guaranteed) to draft a younger high school player than a college player. Teams that are in a win-now mode are generally more likely to take a “sure” college player (high floor/low risk player) over a high school player with a greater potential but is less likely of making the Major Leagues (high risk/high reward type).
    While every GM and scout will say that they will draft the BPA, meaning the “best” player regardless of position, that’s not exactly true. Prospects are tradable, and pitchers and players who play more defensively challenging positions are more likely to be drafted before those who play less challenging positions. That’s because in terms of future impact in the Major Leagues or for trades, those elite positions carry more value than players at other positions.
    Looking at this year’s draft, Nolan Schanuel posted some of the best offensive numbers in all of college baseball. However, scouts have generally ranked him lower than many other players expected to be taken in the 1st round because he is defensively limited to 1st base or a corner outfield at best. Far more shortstops, pitchers, catchers, and centerfielders are likely to be taken ahead of him because they are considered more “valuable” for their defensive skills.
    Risk and risk tolerance also affects who is the BPA. As noted earlier, some players are high risk/high reward and others are high floor/low risk types. Some teams are more risk averse and others are not. Teams that are more risk averse are far less likely to take a high school player than a college player. While there is some evidence that drafting an elite high school player is more likely to result in finding the next Mike Trout (who was drafted out of high school), it’s far more likely that a high school player, even one who is generally considered to be one of the elite players in the draft, will never make an impact in the Major Leagues.
    Money can affect who is the BPA. While draftees can’t have “agents” they can have an “advisor”. Players may not want to play for a certain team for a variety of reasons. A high school player may really want to go to college. A player may not want to play in a certain location or may believe that other teams may develop their talents better.
    Since every team is essentially capped by the slotting system in the draft, how much money a player will want to sign becomes a big factor as money spent on one player reduces the money available for every other player that the team drafts. High school players have plenty of leverage because they can always go to college and go through the draft again if their financial demands aren’t met.
    Already we are hearing grumblings about this with the Pirates and Dylan Crews. While Crews is a college player, rumors are that he does not want to play for the Pirates unless they pay him an amount over what he is slotted to get in the draft. Consequently, the Pirates may move past him and may draft Paul Skenes or Wyatt Langford even though scouts see Crews as the top talent this year simply over money.
    While baseball teams generally do not draft for “need” like in basketball and football (such as drafting a forward or a wide receiver), teams do look at their overall system to see how they can best layer talent out over time. For example, a team with a lot of pitching talent and little catching talent may want to draft a catcher to pair with the pitchers and develop them all together as a wave of talent. Or, a team loaded with outfield talent may look for other positions so as to not block players in the Minors. 
    Again, looking at the Pirates, they drafted Henry Davis, a catcher, last year, and he just reached the Major Leagues. It may make more sense for them to draft Skenes, the top pitcher this year, to pair him with Davis. That would give them an incredible pair for 4 or 5 years. That may make Skenes the BPA in their eyes even if almost every analyst sees Crews as the greater talent with less risk than a pitcher.
    Finally, organizations know what they are better at developing in terms of talent than other organizations. Hurston Waldrep has an electric arm, but somehow lost his control this year. He is a good example of a high risk/high reward type player from college (as compared to Rhett Lowder who is still a great pitcher, but still seen as more of a high floor/low risk type pitcher). A team that is more confident in its ability to help Waldrep rediscover his form may view him as the BPA when they pick while other teams may move onto hitters in the draft because they do not see a clear path to fixing his command and control.
    Finally, the program where the player developed and success with wooden bats (as opposed to the metal bats used in college) also affects how a team will view him. Looking at the Angels, our GM appears to place a lot of emphasis on success in the Cape Cod League, which uses wooden bats. While the Cape Cod League is just a summer league, with fewer games, the use of wooden bats replicates more of what can be expected from the player in the future, especially when trying to project future success.
    With all of these factors, trying to figure out who is the BPA is very difficult. Scouts will study every aspect of a player, from mental fortitude to physical skills and work ethic. As a former teacher, I know how deep scouts can go, as I’ve had several scouts ask me very specifically about former students that they were deeply considering in the draft.  They specifically asked about the player’s mental and academic abilities, resilience, mental fortitude, maturity, etc. And, of course, teams will try to get a sense of how much it will take to sign a player (asking about how seriously the student wanted to go to college). With the slotting system essentially creating a cap on how much a team can spend, and with a much shorter draft than in the past, money is a huge factor for teams to consider.
    So, at this point, I will fully admit that I do not know what the Angels will do in the 2023 draft. No one really knows, even the Angels to a certain extent, as 10 teams will get to pick ahead of them, and that will affect who is available when they pick. Plus, the Angels  they won’t pick again until the 3rd round, which means that they will be watching to see who may fall to them on Monday.
    But I do have some thoughts on what they can do to find their BPA.
    With the 11th overall pick, I think that the Angels should focus on the college arms and bats. Whether Ohtani resigns with the Angels or not, there is a window for the Angels to challenge for the American League West and/or a Wild Card spot over the next few years. Drafting a high school player with our top pick does not make as much sense given our overall window with Trout and to keep the fanbase happy.
    This year’s draft is considered rather deep in talent. There are more than enough really good college players, especially when we pick, that we don’t have to take on more risk with a high school player to get the same level of impact. If we were drafting much lower in the draft, like when we took Trout, it would be different because most of the top college talent would have already been picked by other teams. But with the 11th overall pick, we should focus on more certainty with our top pick. Later in the draft, in subsequent rounds, we can take more risky players. Plus, seeing how Perry Minasian likes to challenge players in our Minor Leagues and isn’t afraid to move them up levels quickly (the Angels had the first player from the 2021 and 2022 drafts reach the Majors), a college player seems more likely.
    Pitching is ALWAYS in demand and premium. Just look at this season when we traded some of our pitchers for Escobar and Moustakas. By drafting all pitchers two years ago, we had the prospect capital to make trades (which is something that we haven’t had for a while). And, thanks to our 2021 draft, we’ve had arms to bring up to bolster our bullpen as it floundered. If two players are ranked equally by scouts in terms of their impact in the Majors, and one is a pitcher, I would take the pitcher over the hitter, especially in early rounds, as he will always be more in demand and have more prospect capital for trades. 
    If Dollander or Lowder are available, I would absolutely hope the Angels pounce on either of them. Either could move through our system quickly and could become fixtures in our rotation. I haven’t seen enough of Waldrep’s video from last year to see what changed this year, but his high walk rate is a concern. If scouts believe that it is an easy fix (which there are mixed beliefs), I would consider him, especially if he would take a below slot deal to free up more money to use later in the draft. If not, I would move onto one of the college bats.
    When it comes to bats, there are many intriguing options. Again, though, I do not want to risk our pick on a high school bat such as Arjun Nimmala because I am a bit more risk averse. And I want a player who is more likely to impact our window and get us back to the playoffs in the next few years rather than waiting 4-5 years for one of the high school players to develop, even if the high school players could become a slightly better talent down the road.
    Knowing that Matt Shaw was the Cape Cod MVP last summer, I think that makes him a likely target for the Angels. While I don’t see him as a future shortstop in the Major Leagues, he could become a very good double-play partner with Zach Neto at second base. Having a strong defensive middle infield, that could work in tandem, would give the Angels a big boost both offensively and defensively.
    Another player who started off slowly and then finished strong was Brayden Taylor. We have had nothing but problems at 3rd base and very little in our system to fill the hole. Taylor could be another fast mover would allow us to move Rendon to 1st base long-term. Seeing how that could improve the parent club a lot more overall, that may make him the BPA over other players in the draft who play other positions.
    Strategically, there is an interesting option for the Angels to explore: Nolan Schanuel. As noted before, he isn’t ranked as highly as players who did not hit as well as him because he is most likely a 1st baseman or a corner outfielder. Assuming that Adell finally has figured things out (the homerun robbing catch that he did against the Dodgers was a big improvement compared to his 4-base error years ago) Schanuel would most likely stick at 1st base.
    While 1st base has been an unfortunate challenge to fill this year (I truly hope that Walsh bounces and rediscovers his talents), drafting Schanuel is not drafting for need at the position. Instead, we would draft him for his insane plate discipline (71 BBs vs. 14 Ks) and power potential (19 HRs this year) and for the potential to get him at a below slot deal.
    Some analysts have knocked Schanuel for not playing in the most elite D1 program. However, Minassian has shown with Neto that he isn’t afraid to take a player from a perceived weaker system if the skills are there, especially elite plate discipline skills. Schanuel has an unorthodox swing, much like Neto, but if works for him, we could sure use an elite Middle of the Order (MOTO) lefthanded bat in our lineup. Schanuel could start in AA this year and could be ready by the middle of next year giving the Angels a quick return on their investment.
    What makes Schanuel especially appealing is that because he is perceived as a lower defensive talent, he might be a player who is more likely to take a lower financial deal, coming in under slot, which would allow us to spend more money later in the draft.
    Every year, there are always high school players who will want to be drafted in the 1st round to get the large signing bonus to forego college. Not all of them will be taken. Freeing up money to lure a high talent high school player who fell in the draft would create more opportunities for the Angels to layer talent for the future as well as the present. This may make Schanuel the BPA for us, even if other players may have more defensive talent or potentially more offensive upside.
    Last year, Minasian employed this exact strategy to spread our limited draft pool money around and get a lot more talent into our organization. Not only did the Angels get Neto, who was not expected to be available when the Angels picked him, they got him at a below slot deal because he came from a lesser program and his unorthodox swing was a concern for other teams.
    By freeing up more money with an under slot deal with Neto, the Angels were able to draft Ben Joyce in the 3rd round, Jake Madden in the 4th round, and Caden Dana in the 11th round all for over slot deals (with Dana setting a record signing bonus for the 11th round pick in the draft pool era). All of them are making an impact in our system and likely to produce at the Major League level. So, not only was Neto the BPA when we picked him because he made it to the Majors quickly and provided excellent defense at shortstop, he also allowed us to spread our resources and get far more talent than we could have if we had spent all of our 1st round money on someone else.
    This wouldn’t be the first time that Minasian employed a similar strategy. In 2021, we had several under slot deals to free up money to sign Chase Silseth Mason Albright for over slot deals (with Albright setting a record bonus that was then broken by Dana in 2022). It’s pretty clear that Minassian takes a holistic approach to the draft and is willing to employ strategies and financial concerns to determine who is the BPA. So, if Schanuel, Shaw, or Taylor will take below slot deals, that may make one of them the “BPA” even if other players may individually be ranked higher by many analysts.
    Using a holistic approach to the draft, the BPA should make the overall organization the best it can be. That’s why the Angels fans shouldn’t get too caught up in where commentators rank players in terms of the draft. Instead, we should see how each player fits into our overall system and makes the organization stronger. A lower ranked player by analysts may still be the BPA for us if we can draft him and several other premium talents who fell due to signability issues in later rounds. Unlike Major League organizations, analysts can look at players in isolation without considering any of the other factors that GMs must consider. While the Angels should pass on a premium talent, especially a pitcher, when comparing almost identical talents, we absolutely should consider other factors when making our 1st pick.
    No matter who the Angels pick over the next few days, I will absolutely root for their success. I’m not going to get too caught up in the rankings to say one player is the BPA compared to another. Instead, I’m looking forward to seeing how it all works out overall and hope that whomever we choose will get us back to playoffs ASAP!
  23. 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.
  24. 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.
  25. 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.
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