M-V-P! These Angels prospects stood out in first half

This story was excerpted from Rhett Bollinger’s Angels Beat newsletter. To read the full newsletter, click here. And subscribe to get it regularly in your inbox.

It’s not only just past the halfway point in the Major League season, but in the Minor Leagues as well.

Several Angels prospects have had impressive showings so far across each level of the Minors. You can track all of the club’s Top 30 prospects as ranked by MLB Pipeline right here. With that in mind, here’s a look at the MVP for each of the club’s affiliates at the halfway mark of the season.

Triple-A Salt Lake Player of the First Half: 1B Keston Hiura

OK, Hiura has only played in 19 games since signing a Minor League deal last month, but he's hit 12 homers and has 21 RBIs along with a slash line of .360/.429/.853. Hiura, 27, isn’t considered a prospect in the traditional sense and played in parts of four years with the Brewers from 2019-23, but he is turning heads at Triple-A and could be called up soon if he continues to produce.

Hiura, who attended Valencia High School in Santa Clarita, Calif., and UC Irvine, was a former top prospect and hit 50 homers in 284 games with Milwaukee. He was released by the Tigers on June 3 and signed with the Angels on June 11.

Double-A Rocket City Player of the First Half: RHP Caden Dana

Dana, ranked as the Halos’ No. 1 prospect by MLB Pipeline, is having a breakout year at Double-A, posting a 3.09 ERA with 88 strikeouts and 30 walks in 84 1/3 innings. He’s doing it at just 20 years old, which makes him more than four years younger than his average competition and he’s only faced one batter younger than him all season.

Dana has put himself firmly on the club’s radar and being called up this season can’t be ruled out despite his youth. The 11th-round pick in the 2022 MLB Draft, who signed for over slot, has the frame and pitch mix to be a frontline starter.

High-A Tri-City Player of the First Half: RHP Joel Hurtado

Hurtado, 23, has posted a 4.50 ERA with 82 strikeouts and 43 walks in 76 innings this year and has been pitching much better recently. Hurtado, ranked as the club’s No. 18 prospect, has a 3.07 ERA with 46 strikeouts and 20 walks in 44 innings over his last eight starts.

Hurtado, who was in Major League camp in Spring Training, has a big arm with a fastball that can reach the high 90s and a slider in the high 80s. He was signed for just $10,000 during the 2022 international signing period out of the Dominican Republic.

Single-A Inland Empire Player of the First Half: OF Randy De Jesus

De Jesus, the club’s No. 29 prospect, has slashed .275/.335/.458 with eight homers, 16 doubles and 43 RBIs in 61 games. He's also just 19 years old, which makes him two years younger than his average competition. At 6-foot-4 and 210 pounds, De Jesus has played some center field, but projects as a corner outfielder and is likely to end up in right field.

DeJesus was signed to a $1.2 million bonus out of the Dominican Republic during the 2022 international signing period. He’ll need to cut down on his strikeouts and become more patient, but he has a knack for driving in runs and is developing power.