Obviously, every commentary about the Angels' farm system must be led by Jo Adell, the power hitting, speedy future star who will hopefully help Mike Trout actually get into the playoffs. Outside of him, it's actually a fairly imbalanced farm system, with a deep crop of maybe-could-be starting pitching, athletic but raw outfielders, and actually-pretty-interesting middle infielders, while the system is almost completely devoid of corner infielders and catching. Guys like Brandon Marsh, Will Wilson, Jeremiah Jackson, Hector Yan, and Jose Soriano have interesting upside, though only Marsh has actually played above Class A from that group. It's a really interesting system that has a good chance of turning out very little (beyond Adell, of course), but a lot of guys are just an adjustment or two away from becoming potential impact players.
Affiliates: AAA Salt Lake City Bees, AA Mobile BayBears*, High A Inland Empire 66ers, Class A Burlington Bees, rookie Orem Owlz, complex level AZL and DSL Angels
*AA affiliate will move from Mobile, AL to Huntsville, AL in 2020
Catcher
- Jack Kruger (2020 Age: 25): There's very little catching talent at all in this system, so potential backup Jack Kruger stands out as perhaps the best. A former 20th round pick out of Mississippi State, he had a strong 2018 season and slashed .299/.357/.413 between High A Inland Empire and AA Mobile, but a return to Mobile this year saw him slash just .240/.300/.309 with three home runs and a 69/24 strikeout to walk ratio over 92 games. He's supposedly a strong defender, and by stealing 13 bases in 2018, he showed some speed and athleticism that you don't see in every backstop. Rediscovering his 2018 swing could help him land as the Angels' backup catcher at some point. As a bonus, he grew up in Westlake Village, just northwest of Los Angeles.
Corner Infield
- Jared Walsh (2020 Age: 26-27): As with catching, the Angels are pretty shallow here in the corner infield too. Jared Walsh absolutely mashed in hitter-friendly AAA Salt Lake City in 2019, slashing .325/.423/.686 with 36 home runs and a 115/59 strikeout to walk ratio over 98 games, though those numbers were inflated a bit by the juiced balls and thin air. He also slashed .203/.276/.329 in a 31 game major league call-up, and he comes with plus raw power from the left side of the plate that should play in the majors once he gets acclimated. He'll likely never be more than a bench bat though, as his hit tool isn't strong enough to provide enough offense to start at first base, but the fact that he hits both lefties and righties well is a good sign. Walsh has also dabbled in pitching, and as a lefty reliever this year, he put up a 4.15 ERA, a 1.62 WHIP, and a 9/5 strikeout to walk ratio over 13 innings in AAA and even a 1.80 ERA and a 5/6 strikeout to walk ratio in five major league innings. A fastball/curveball guy with so-so command, he likely provides more value as a hitter but should be a useful mop-up reliever as well.
- Kevin Maitan (2020 Age: 20): Maitan was one of the top prospects in recent memory coming out of Venezuela, and he was compared to Chipper Jones and Miguel Cabrera from the time he was barely a teenager. Signed by the Braves at 16 for $4.25 million, he was freed in the team's bonus scandal and signed with the Angels for another $2.2 million. However, he has yet to really tap into that tremendous upside, and he slashed .214/.278/.323 with 12 home runs and a 164/39 strikeout to walk ratio over 123 games at Class A Burlington. He shows big raw power from both sides of the plate, but poor strike zone judgement and less feel for the barrel than expected has kept him from tapping it with any consistency. Originally projected to be a 30+ homer bat with on-base percentages north of .350, his upside is now more in the 20-25 home run range with mediocre on-base percentages, but the good news is that Maitan will play all of 2020 at 20 years old and he has plenty of time to reclaim that lost luster. He should stick at third base with a cannon arm and decent glovework.
- Keep an eye on: Jose Rojas, Jordan Zimmerman, Adrian Rondon
Middle Infield
- Jahmai Jones (2020 Age: 22-23): Jones was a second round pick out of an Atlanta-area high school in 2015, and he's followed up big 2016 and 2017 seasons with mediocre 2018 and 2019 seasons. This year, Jones slashed .234/.308/.324 with five home runs, nine stolen bases, and a 109/50 strikeout to walk ratio over 130 games at AA Mobile. He's a supreme athlete (if you're a football fan, you might know of his brother wide receiver T.J. Jones) with plenty of speed and quick hands that can help him avoid strikeouts. However, he's struggled to barrel the ball up much over the last couple of seasons, and he'll have to rediscover his all fields, line drive stroke if he wants to be a starting second baseman on this team, as there are a lot of middle infielders coming up behind him.
- Will Wilson (2020 Age: 21-22): The Angels' first round pick out of NC State in 2019, Wilson had a solid pro debut with rookie level Orem by slashing .275/.328/.439 with five home runs and a 47/14 strikeout to walk ratio over 46 games. He's an exciting talent with some serious pop to the pull side despite being a skinny six footer, and he's got enough bat speed and feel for the barrel to get the ball out to any field. Where he'll need to work offensively is on his plate discipline, as he's aggressive and that pull-oriented approach could be exploited in the minors. If he learns to trust his bat speed and improve his strike zone judgement, he could be a 20 homer, .350 on-base percentage type of hitter. Defensively, he's a bit raw at shortstop and may be able to stick, but his decent arm and quick reactions fit better at second base, where his decent range won't be as stretched.
- Jeremiah Jackson (2020 Age: 20): Originally thought of as a hit-over-power guy in high school in Mobile, Alabama, Jackson has bought into the launch angle revolution and while his hit tool has regressed slightly, his power has exploded. Spending 2019 in rookie ball, he slashed .266/.333/.605 with 23 home runs and a 96/24 strikeout to walk ratio in just 65 games with Orem. No other Pioneer League hitter had more than 19 home runs, and only two others hit more than 13. He gets great extension at the plate and his plus feel for the barrel has enabled 100% of his raw power to play up in games, though his home run-oriented swing led to a 33% strikeout rate against pitching that wasn't all that advanced. The good news is that when he gets a crack at full season ball in 2020, he can see if that home run swing works or if he'll need to dial it back a bit, which he is fully capable of doing. He'll be 20 for all of 2020 and he could play an above average second or third base if he moves off of shortstop, so he has time to figure it out.
- Kyren Paris (2020 Age: 18): One of the youngest players in the 2019 draft, Kyren Paris didn't turn 18 until shortly before this article was published and he therefore will have two full seasons in the minor leagues as a teenager. A second rounder out of high school in Oakley, California (about 30 miles west of Oakland), Paris is a natural ballplayer with smooth actions at shortstop as well as a smooth swing at the plate. He's so young and skinny that it's hard to know exactly what kind of power he'll grow into, but for now, he's hit over power with some speed and plate discipline. In the end, he could be a guy who hits 10-20 home runs per season with high on-base percentages and good defense at shortstop, though he obviously has a long, long way to go to get there.
- Arol Vera (2020 Age: 17): Even younger than Kyren Paris is Arol Vera, a Venezuelan shortstop who only turned 17 in September. He signed with the Angels for $2 million and hasn't played a professional game yet, but just watching some video of his swing, it's easy to see what the Angels like about the switch hitter. He's a wiry 6'2" with a very athletic frame, and he produces a ton of torque from both sides of the plate with good feel for the strike zone and barrel already. Of course, he has an even longer way to go than Paris, but he's definitely a name to watch as he begins play in the Dominican Summer League as a 17 year old in 2020.
- Keep an eye on: Roberto Baldoquin, Leonardo Rivas, Livan Soto, Justin Jones
Outfield
- Jo Adell (2020 Age: 21): If it weren't for Jo Adell, the Angels might have the worst farm system in the game. Adell is not only their headliner, but he might be the best outfield prospect in all of baseball. Injuries kept him off the field to start 2019, but he still came back and slashed .289/.359/.475 with ten home runs, seven stolen bases, and a 94/30 strikeout to walk ratio over 76 games for High A Inland Empire, AA Mobile, and AAA Salt Lake City. Those aren't the loudest numbers, but he reached AAA just a few months after turning 20 years old despite injuries keeping him off the field. He has light tower power, gets to it much more consistently than was originally expected when he was a first round pick out of high school in Louisville in 2017, and shows plenty of speed to make him an all-around offensive threat. Defensively, he uses his speed well in the outfield and could play center field if it weren't for Mike Trout, but his cannon arm makes him more than a fit for right field, where he could win Gold Gloves. Overall, he has the upside of a Christian Yelich-type player with a stronger arm, and even without hitting his ceiling he could still hit 25 home runs per season with solid on-base percentages, speed, and good defense.
- Brandon Marsh (2020 Age: 22): A second round pick out of an Atlanta-area high school in 2016, Marsh has been in Adell's shadow a little bit, but he's performed well under the radar. This year, he slashed .300/.383/.428 with seven home runs, 18 stolen bases, and a 92/47 strikeout to walk ratio over 96 games at AA Mobile. He has a quick barrel and generates good power from his 6'4" frame, but he's also been pounding the ball into the ground a lot and that has kept his power from playing up in games. Learning a thing or two from fellow Angels prospect Jeremiah Jackson could help him unlock a ton of power by lifting the ball more, though there's just enough swing and miss in his game that it wouldn't be an easy shift. He also has speed and a strong arm that helps him steal bases and play good defense, so Marsh provides close to a complete package, though obviously not with tools as loud as Adell's. If he can tap into that power, he probably ends up with 20-25 home runs per season, decent on-base percentages, and some speed.
- Jordyn Adams (2020 Age: 20): A two sport star who was committed to UNC as a four star wide receiver, Adams spent most of 2019 at Class A Burlington and slashed .257/.351/.369 with eight home runs, 16 stolen bases, and a 111/56 strikeout to walk ratio over 109 games. He has a quick barrel and a smooth swing, and his plate discipline ability to find that barrel has improved as he's developed. He doesn't have a ton of pop and likely never will have more than 15-20 home run power, but he does have the ability to spray balls into the gaps and use his plus-plus speed on the bases. Overall, he still has a lot to work on including continuing to refine his hit tool as well as his reads in the outfield, but he will also spend the entire 2020 season at just 20 years old.
- D'Shawn Knowles (2020 Age: 19): One of two toolsy Bahamian outfielders to play for rookie-level Orem this year, D'Shawn Knowles has outperformed Trent Deveaux so far. In 2019, playing the whole season at just 18 years old, Knowles slashed .241/.310/.387 with six home runs and a 76/26 strikeout to walk ratio over 64 games, numbers that were down slightly from 2018 but still respectable given his age. He's an explosive player who is still maturing physically, so it's hard to say exactly how much power he'll have down the line, but it's easy to see him at least spraying plenty of doubles and triples into the gaps while his plus speed does the rest. There are a lot of center fielders in this system, but Knowles can stick there as well. Overall, he projects as a run producing, high-ish on-base hitter who can pop anywhere from 15-30 home runs per season.
- Trent Deveaux (2020 Age: 19-20): While Knowles' feel for the game is more advanced at his age, Trent Deveaux is more tooled up. The Bahamian slashed .238/.320/.422 with with seven home runs, 15 stolen bases, and a 91/26 strikeout to walk ratio over 60 games this year, mostly in the complex level Arizona League but with a few games up at Orem. He's definitely got some raw power to tap into, though it's mostly to the gaps now, and his blazing speed rivals that of Jordyn Adams for the best in the system. However, it hasn't really translated onto the field yet, and he struck out in 31.1% of his plate appearances against lower level competition in the Arizona League and in 48.4% (15/31) in his small sample in the Pioneer League. If Deveaux wants to catch up to the other outfielders in this system, he has to start to learn the nuances. Fortunately, he reportedly has a strong work ethic and he's working hard to learn.
- Keep an eye on: Michael Hermosillo, Bo Way, Gareth Morgan, Nonie Williams, Alexander Ramirez
Starting Pitching
- Patrick Sandoval (2020 Age: 23): Sandoval dominated across three levels in 2018 with a 2.01 ERA and a 0.96 WHIP across 122.1 innings, though he wasn't quite as effective in 2019 when he pitched in more advanced, hitter-friendly environments. Between AA Mobile and AAA Salt Lake City, mostly at the latter, he had a 5.71 ERA, a 1.74 WHIP, and a 98/42 strikeout to walk ratio over 80.1 innings, then he was called up to the Angels in August and posted a 5.03 ERA and a 42/19 strikeout to walk ratio in 39.1 innings. Sandoval has plenty of classic starter traits, sitting in the low 90's with his fastball and adding three offspeed pitches in a curveball, a slider, and a changeup, all of which can be above average at times, and he showed great command in 2018. That command regressed a bit against better hitters in 2019, but he still has a good chance to be a solid left handed #4 starter as early as 2020.
- Oliver Ortega (2020 Age: 23): Ortega has improved slowly and steadily throughout his time in the minors, and this year he reached the upper minors after posting a 3.34 ERA and a 121/49 strikeout to walk ratio at High A Inland Empire. Because he struggled at AA Mobile (8.64 ERA), he finished the season with a 4.14 ERA, a 1.32 WHIP, and a 135/57 strikeout to walk ratio over 111 innings in all, but he's showing more and more that he could be able to stick as a starter. He's a fastball/curveball guy that sits in the mid 90's and needs to work on his changeup and command, though the command has been improving to the point where it's nearly average and could get there in time. Ultimately, it will be the changeup that determines whether he remains a starter, and for now he looks like a #3 or #4 guy at best.
- Kyle Bradish (2020 Age: 23): A fourth round pick out of New Mexico State in 2018, Bradish didn't pitch professionally that year but skipped all the way to High A Inland Empire for his pro debut this year. The results weren't spectacular, but he still exceeded expectations with a 4.28 ERA, a 1.42 WHIP, and a 120/53 strikeout to walk ratio over 101 innings against advanced competition in a hitters' league. Originally projected as a reliever, he delayed that potential move with his performance this year and by doing a better job of maintaining low 90's heat late into his starts. While nothing he throws grades out as a plus, his tilt and go delivery makes everything play up as it's hard to time and see his pitches. His command was a bit better than expected in 2019, and while a move to the bullpen is still possible due to the effort in his delivery, he might just be able to throw enough strikes to stick as a potential #4 starter.
- Aaron Hernandez (2020 Age: 23): Drafted a round before Bradish out of Texas A&M-Corpus Christi, Hernandez was also pushed aggressively to Inland Empire to begin his pro career. He didn't quite get the same results as Bradish, but the numbers were still solid as he had a 4.46 ERA, a 1.67 WHIP, and an 81/46 strikeout to walk ratio over 72.2 innings. He's 6'1" but his drop and drive delivery causes him to release the ball fairly low from the ground, which actually reduces his deception and makes it easier to pick his stuff up. That, combined with shaky command, has held him back somewhat, though his sinking low to mid 90's fastball and deep array of strong secondary pitches give him the chance to start in the majors. He's more durable than you'd expect given his slight frame, so there's less reliever risk than you'd think, but he might be forced into that role if he can't figure out a way to get better angle and/or deception on his pitches.
- Hector Yan (2020 Age: 21): Yan has gone completely under the radar up until this year, having thrown just 76.1 unremarkable innings over the first three years of his pro career. However, upon reaching full season ball in 2019, he took off in a huge way, posting a 3.39 ERA, a 1.16 WHIP, and a 148/52 strikeout to walk ratio over 109 innings in his age-20 season at Class A Burlington. He sits in the low 90's with his fastball and adds a good two-plane curveball, coming from a crossfire left handed delivery that makes it very difficult to pick up his stuff. His command improved to nearly average in 2019 as well, which made all the difference in the world, and he's now a legitimate mid-rotation starter if he can continue to improve that command and add a changeup. A year from now, he could be the best pitching prospect in this system – I like him.
- Jose Soriano (2020 Age: 21): Soriano dominated in his first two years of pro ball before getting knocked around a bit in his first taste of full season ball in 2018, but he bounced back in 2019 by posting a 2.51 ERA, a 1.32 WHIP, and a 92/51 strikeout to walk ratio over 82.1 innings, mostly at Burlington. While Yan is only 5'11", Soriano is 6'3" and sits in the mid 90's with his fastball with the promise of more velocity to come. He also throws a good curveball and a decent changeup, though his command has held him back to this point. He's got better raw stuff than Yan, and he has a higher ceiling if he can figure out his command, but I personally like Yan better as a prospect.
- Robinson Pina (2020 Age: 21): Pina was another breakout star in 2019, posting a 3.83 ERA, a 1.35 WHIP, and a 146/61 strikeout to walk ratio over 108 innings at Burlington. His fastball is down in the low 90's but he shows the potential for more at 6'4", and his hammer curveball helped him rack up the strikeouts. As has been the story with most of these Angels pitchers, command is what holds him back, and he carries a bit more reliever risk than Yan and Soriano.
- Jack Kochanowicz (2020 Age: 19): Drafted in the third round out of a Philadelphia-area high school in 2019, Kochanowicz has not pitched professionally yet but brings a low 90's fastball and a big curveball from a 6'6" frame while adding a changeup he has some feel for and solid command. He's fairly similar as a prospect to Stiward Aquino, except that he's a year and a half younger and doesn't come with the same injury history. For now, he's a rather generic projectable high school arm that's slightly more advanced than most kids his age, but it's still hard to say exactly what kind of starting pitcher he'll become.
- Keep an eye on: Andrew Wantz, Chris Rodriguez, Stiward Aquino
Relief Pitching
- Luis Madero (2020 Age: 23): Madero took a huge step forward in 2018 (3.49 ERA, 95/27 K/BB) to establish himself as one of the better arms in the Angels' system, though he was knocked around a bit this year and finished with a 5.03 ERA, a 1.54 WHIP, and a 98/31 strikeout to walk ratio over 105.2 innings, mostly at AA Mobile. Madero sits in the low 90's with his fastball and adds a good curveball, and while his command has improved up to average, his lack of a changeup or anything that really sets him apart caused him to get hit in AA. Taking a step forward with that changeup could help him remain a potential back-end starter, though a move to the bullpen could help his fastball/curveball combination play up and get him to the majors in 2020.
- Jeremy Beasley (2020 Age: 23): Beasley was excellent across three levels in 2018 (2.66 ERA, 104/32 K/BB), then came down to Earth with a 4.49 ERA, a 1.45 WHIP, and a 115/48 strikeout to walk ratio over 122.1 innings, mostly at Mobile but also with a few innings up at AAA Salt Lake City. He's more of a fastball/changeup guy with largely ordinary stuff across the board and average command, and he may still profile as a #5 starter if he can get that command to a tick above average, but ultimately the whole package might be a bit light for starting in the majors. He profiles well as a long reliever.
- Keep an eye on: Joe Gatto, Connor Higgins, Chad Sykes
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