Pitching-heavy Draft class reshaping Angels' farm system

SCOTTSDALE, Ariz. -- The Angels have endured six consecutive losing seasons, in large part because of subpar pitching staffs dragging down Mike Trout-led offenses. They haven't signed a homegrown pitching All-Star since Jordan Walden in 2007, and their collection of mound prospects was quite thin as the 2021 Draft approached.

So Los Angeles went all in on pitchers and used all 20 of its picks on pitchers, signing 19 of them.

Beyond 2020 first-round left-hander Reid Detmers, who already made his big league debut last August, the next four pitching prospects on MLB Pipeline's new Angels Top 30 came from the 2021 Draft: right-hander Sam Bachman (first round), left-handers Ky Bush (second) and Mason Albright (12th) and righty Landon Marceaux (third). Righties Chase Silseth (11th), Mason Erla (17th) and Luke Murphy (29th) also made the list, while righties Braden Olthoff (ninth) and Glenn Albanese (15th) cracked our Draft Top 250 last summer.

The first first-round choice ever to come out of Miami (Ohio), Bachman showcased some of the best pure stuff in the Draft last spring, when he ranked second in NCAA Division I in WHIP (0.77) and fourth in hits per nine innings (4.4). At their best, both his four-seam fastball that reaches 101 mph and his nasty mid-80s slider earn top-of-the-scale grades from scouts. After making five brief starts in High-A during his debut, he could move quickly.

"Sam came in to work out early in Arizona and his stuff and physicality are really exciting," Angels farm director Joey Prebynski said. "Coming out of college, he had that power fastball and wipeout slider. His changeup continues to get better and that's been his point of emphasis this spring."

• Sam Bachman Q&A

Bush started his college career at Washington State and Central Arizona CC before becoming the highest-drafted pitcher in St. Mary's history when he went 45th overall. Like Bachman, he relies heavily on his fastball (a heavy heater that parks around 93 mph) and slider (which sits in the low 80s, features impressive vertical break and shows signs of becoming a plus pitch). He too made five truncated starts in High-A last summer and is on the fast track.

"Ky has been up to 97 and he throws his fastball for strikes," Prebynski said. "His slider works against left-handers and right-handers and he's mixing in a breaking ball. He's still developing his changeup. He's another guy we're really excited about."

Albright was the lone high school arm among Los Angeles' 20 picks, and the IMG Academy (Bradenton, Fla.) product landed $1.25 million to give up a Virginia Tech scholarship. His money is a record for a post-10th-rounder in the bonus-pool era, surpassing the $1.2 million the Brewers paid third baseman Chad McClanahan in 2016. He stands out more for his polish than his pure stuff.

"With Mason, there's a lot of pitchability there," Prebynski said. "His fastball is 90-91 mph, he can spin a breaking ball and he's working on developing a changeup. We like his ability to pitch and command the baseball. He did a ton of work over the winter and there's still some physical development left."

Camp standout: Michael Stefanic

Though Stefanic batted .363 in four seasons at Westmont (Calif.), an NAIA school, scouts found the rest of his tools lacking and he went undrafted as a senior in 2018. He sent a video to all 30 big league clubs asking for a shot, and the Angels signed him for no bonus because they needed to fill a hole at second base in Rookie ball.

Stefanic hit .351 in 14 games that summer and hasn't let up. He batted .336/.408/.493 with 17 homers in 125 games while starting at six different positions last season, mostly in Triple-A, and went 6-for-14 (.429) in big league camp this spring.

"Michael hits everywhere he goes," Prebynski said. "He has great bat-to-ball skills, he's a great competitor, he's a great leader. He worked out here all winter, he's driven continually to improve and he had a great spring. We'll see where he goes from here."

Something to prove: Jordyn Adams

One of the best two-sport athletes in the 2018 Draft, Adams could have played wide receiver at North Carolina but opted to sign for $4.1 million after the Angels selected him 17th overall. After two decent seasons in pro ball and a third lost to the pandemic layoff, he batted just .217/.290/.311 with five homers and 18 steals in 71 High-A games last year while dealing with hamstring issues.

"The big thing for Jordyn is to consistently get in a good hitting position and repeat that," Prebynski said. "If he does that, I feel good about his ability to make more contact. He has elite athleticism and plays a very good center field, probably the best in our system."

Breakout potential: Arol Vera

The gem of Los Angeles' 2019 international class, Vera signed for $2 million out of Venezuela. He made his pro debut at age 18 last summer, batting .304/.370/.401 with 11 steals in 57 games between Rookie ball and Single-A. A switch-hitter, he could develop average or better tools across the board while playing a steady shortstop.

"Arol has bat-to-ball ability and he's a great worker, great in the clubhouse, a leader for our position-player group," Prebynski said. "He continues to get better defensively with his actions. I think as he continues to get stronger, he's going to grow into some more power."