The Angles feel lost to me. The Major League team has some famous players and arguably two of the best players ever to put on a uniform over the past five years. Yet, they finished 16 games below .500.
Most organizations with a weak Major League team are rebuilding. Therefore, their minor league system is strong. Unfortunately, that is not the case with the Angels. Their system is a bottom-five organization in the league. It’s just not pretty, and if I were a fan, extreme patience is the name of the game.
I’ll point you to three players I find intriguing. Caden Dana has the size and arsenal to pitch at the top of the rotation and is not talked about enough. Ben Joyce has a big arm and could be a Major League closer one day. And finally, Kevyn Castillo looks like he can really hit. He’s 18 and still in the DSL, but he’s one to watch. The rest? There’s talent, and some may develop into full-time regulars, but all have flaws, and I’m not sure there is a star in the bunch.
Prospect Snapshot
- Top Prospect: Nolan Schanuel
- Biggest Mover: Caden Dana
- Biggest Disappointment: David Calabrese
- Emerging Prospect: Kevyn Castillo
1. Nolan Schanuel (1B, #11)
- Highest Level: Majors ETA: 2023 Fantasy Ceiling: Top 20 1B with upside
- Tools Summary: He profiles as a .270 hitter with a high OBP but with questions on how much power he will develop.
The Angels drafted near-ready big leagues in back-to-back years, with Zach Neto selected number 13th overall in 2022, and last July, Nolan Schanuel was taken with the 11th overall pick. After 22 games in the minor leagues, the Angels decided to promote Schanuel to the Major Leagues, where he did what we all thought he would do – hit with no power. If he played second base, that would be fine, but he plays first, which will be problematic for most fantasy managers.
The upside for me is maybe an Eric Hosmer-type player, but his average exit velo of 85.4 MPH and a launch angle of 6.5 degrees say there is work left before he can reach that ceiling. Those numbers align with Nick Madrigal (85.6% exit velo and 2.3 degrees of launch). I think, maybe hope, they will be better than that. However, that’s what he’s doing currently, and candidly, that’s what got him to the Major Leagues, so what is the incentive to change?
All I can do is share the data. You must decide where to draft him in FYPD. If you think he can add launch and hit the ball harder, by all means, take him early. For me, it’s a pass.
2. Kyren Paris (SS/2B)
- Highest Level: Majors ETA: 2023 Fantasy Ceiling: Top 15 SS or Top 10 2B
- Tools Summary: He’s showing more power, and when you combine that with plus speed, the tools are exciting. The question continues to be, will he hit enough?
Kyren Paris appears to be taking another step forward in 2023 as he can into camp stronger, and it’s playing on the field with a higher SLG and more over-the-fence power. He is still a double-plus runner, so the increase in power solidifies his ceiling as a 20-20 performer. The swing-and-miss tendency is still there, but so are the walks. His approach could have some passivity, but he’s still young for the level with a chance to improve as he matures.
While I know the Angels promoted him to the Majors for help in September, I do not think he was ready and believe it would be best for them to start him back in Triple-A to begin the 2024 season.
3. Nelson Rada (OF)
- Highest Level: Low-A ETA: 2026 Fantasy Ceiling: Top 45 OF with risk
- Tools Summary: He is an exciting young player who did not look lost in Low-A.
Nelson Rada was signed for $1.85 million in 2022, and the Angels didn’t waste any time promoting him to full-season Low-A to begin the 2023 season as the second-youngest player in the league. He more than held his own, demonstrating excellent plate coverage and speed. There’s plenty of bat speed, but he needs to get stronger before we can expect power to develop. There’s a lot to “dream on” with a kid who could be a full-time regular with 30+ stolen bases, 10 to 12 home runs who can hit.
4. Caden Dana (RHP)
- Highest Level: High-A ETA: 2026 Fantasy Ceiling: Top 45 SP with upside
- Tools Summary: He has three potentially plus pitches with enough athleticism to suggest he’ll be able to throw strikes consistently eventually.
Caden Dana might have the highest upside of anyone on this list. He was the Angles’ 11th-round pick in 2022 but signed for second-round money ($1.5 million signing bonus). He’s a big kid at 6-foot-5 with a fastball that will touch 96 MPH and a quality curveball and change-up, with one evaluator I spoke with putting a 60 on both pitches. The Angels managed his innings closely in 2023, limiting him to 14 starts in 68.1 innings across Low and High-A. The stats looked great as he posted a 3.56 ERA, striking out 11.7 per nine while walking four per nine.
5. Ben Joyce (RHP)
- Highest Level: Majors ETA: 2023 Fantasy Ceiling: Closer
- Tools Summary: His fastball averaged 100.9 MPH in the Major Leagues. If he can throw strikes, he profiles as a closer.
Ben Joyce ripped through the minor leagues and got a September call-up where he slung 100+ MPH pitches at Major League hitters. His fastball averaged 100.9 MPH with a high spin rate of 2357. It got an excellent 23.5% whiff rate. It’s an 80-grade pitch, but he threw it 80% of the time and needs to throw his slider more to be effective, which I think he will. That also looks like a plus pitch with high velo (87.6 MPH) and spin (2742).
It’s everything you want in a closer if he can throw enough strikes. But it’s hard to work on the finer art of pitching when you throw 29.2 innings in the minor leagues before getting the call.
6. Alberto Rios (OF, #79)
- Highest Level: Low-A ETA: 2026-27 Fantasy Ceiling: Wide Range – Top 50 OF if he can hit
- Tools Summary: He didn’t play much in college but appears to have some power and speed that should make him of interest to fantasy managers.
Albert Rios was the Angels third-round pick in 2023. In his college career at Stanford, he had seven at-bats in his first and second years before slashing .384/.485/.707 in his Draft year. I don’t think he was hurt, so did Stanford mis-evaluate him, or did things finally click for him in 2023? Regardless, he got drafted and received a $900,000 bonus for his efforts.
He didn’t hit in his professional debut, but he did show a little pop and stole eight bases. He has plenty of bat speed and is an above-average runner with decent plate skills. But we have so little to go on that I cannot recommend picking him in Dynasty Leagues; instead, he’s a kid to monitor.
7. Trey Cabbage (1B/OF)
- Highest Level: Majors ETA: 2023 Fantasy Ceiling: Top 45 OF or Top 15 1B if he can make enough contact.
- Tools Summary: He went 30-32 in Triple-A this season. He doesn’t have big bat speed, so there is debate on whether he’s a Major Leaguer or Quad-4A player.
Trey Cabbage had one of the best seasons in minor league baseball in 2023. He slashed .306/.379/.596 with 30 home runs and 32 stolen bases.
He’s a tough guy to evaluate, as the tools are crazy, but he’s never posted a strikeout rate under 30%. While he can hit the ball a long way, it’s not high-end bat speed, so there have always been questions as to whether he’ll be able to handle high-end velocity. He did get into better shape in 2023, and the results show, especially in his ability to steal bases and play in the outfield.
A lot is going against him. He’s 26, strikeouts a ton, and expands the strike zone, but he went 30-30. On paper, you have to roster this guy in a Dynasty League, but I think there is a low probability of success.
8. Denzer Guzman (SS)
- Highest Level: Low-A ETA: 2026-27 Fantasy Ceiling: Middle Infielder
- Tools Summary: He has yet to live up to his International hype, but there could be some power and speed potential if he hits enough.
Denzer Guzman was the Angels big International signee in 2021, inking a $2.8 million bonus. He’s never hit at any level, showing average power and speed potential.
There are defensive skills that should give him a floor of a utility player. He needs to get stronger, and if he can improve his strikeout rate, you can project a middle infielder down the road. He’s currently a lottery pick in Dynasty Leagues.
9. Jack Kochanowicz (RHP)
- Highest Level: Double-A ETA: 2024-25 Fantasy Ceiling: Top 60 SP with upside
- Tools Summary: He’s tall and throws strikes with a fastball that can touch the mid to upper 90s.
Jack Kochanowicz was one of my sleepers after the Angels took him in the third round of the 2021 Draft. He’s 6-foot-7, throws hard (fastball up to 97), and, most importantly, throws strikes. However, he struggled out of the gate, and I dropped and lost track of him. He’s surfaced in 2023 and pitching better than ever. He’s still throwing strikes but pitching more to contact than striking out hitters. He’s only 22 and already in Double-A. It’s time to start following this guy more closely, as there are some decent building blocks to be a number four starter, if not more.
10. Jordyn Adams (OF)
- Highest Level: Majors ETA: 2023 Fantasy Ceiling: Top 40 OF with extreme risk
- Tools Summary: The impressive raw tools are turning into production, as his home runs and stolen bases are showing consistently in his box scores. Unfortunately, his hit tool is still very in question.
Jordyn Adams continues to taunt us with his speed and power potential. There’s theoretically 20-20 potential, although his exit velocities are more average than 105+. But the real question is, will he hit enough to be successful? He chases too many pitches and is aggressive at the plate, and that combination does not bode well for a positive outcome. He has cut his strikeout rate to less than 30%, which is good, but he needs to move into the mid-20s to improve his chances of success at the highest level. It was only 14 plate appearances in a few games at the big leagues over the summer, but he did strike out six times.
I own him in a Dynasty League, and he’s been on the bubble to cut multiple times. At this juncture, I want to see how it ends, and I’m just not sure that ending will be great.
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