Halos calling up top prospect Caden Dana and Italian-born pitcher Aldegheri
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DETROIT -- The Angels are calling up a pair of top pitching prospects for this weekend’s series against the Mariners in Anaheim.
On Thursday, the Angels announced that Caden Dana -- MLB Pipeline's No. 74 prospect and the top Angels prospect -- will be called up and make his MLB debut on Sunday at home against the Mariners.
“Well, he earned it,” Angels manager Ron Washington said Thursday after the Halos' 3-0 win against Detroit, “so, we’re going to give him the ball. And I’m looking forward to watching him pitch. I saw him in Spring Training, and he’s gained a lot more experience pitching. It’ll be nice to see where he is.”
Left-hander Samuel Aldegheri, the club's No. 8 prospect, is being recalled and will start Friday's series opener against Seattle.
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“I don’t know much about [Aldegheri],” Washington said, “but he’s coming up and he’s pitching [Friday night]. I’m looking forward to watching him. We’ve got great reports on him. But I’m looking forward to the kid coming up and getting his feet wet, and see how he handles himself.
“We get the chance to look at some of our good young kids, and they’ve been handling themselves well.”
Washington added, “They are two of our top guys [in the Minors], and with the way things are, they’re getting their chance. There’s nowhere else we can go. We’re going to have to see what they’ve got to offer. They’ve got good arms. They’re supposed to have a little bit of maturity. And we’re going to see all of those things in the next few days.”
Dana has had a fantastic season with Double-A Rocket City, posting a 2.52 ERA and striking out 147 batters across 23 starts in 135 2/3 innings. It’s been a big developmental success for the Angels, who selected Dana as a high-schooler in the 11th round of the 2022 Draft out of Don Bosco Preparatory High School in Ramsey, N.J. Considered a potential top-100 pick, Dana was expected to honor his commitment to pitch at Kentucky, but the Angels went over the $125,000 slot and gave him $1.5 million to get him to sign.
A 6-foot-4 right-hander with long, flowing hair and electric stuff, Dana has elicited comparisons to Noah Syndergaard. Dana’s fastball sits in the mid-90s and he has a trio of average or better secondaries in his changeup, slider and curveball. Given where things stand with the Angels rotation, Dana figures to be an integral part of the team’s future. He's gone 12-12 in 41 Minor League starts across three seasons, logging a combined 3.01 ERA while striking out 244 over 212 1/3 innings.
Aldegheri doesn’t carry the same upside or success as Dana, but he is an exciting pitcher whom the Angels acquired in the Carlos Estévez trade at this year’s Deadline. Aldegheri, along with right-hander George Klassen, were both big additions to the system.
Aldegheri has a 3.59 ERA and 134 strikeouts in 95 1/3 innings this season. He would be the first Italian-born pitcher in the Major Leagues since Marino Pieretti in 1950.
Given the state of the Angels' rotation -- Patrick Sandoval could be out until 2026 after undergoing left elbow surgery and Reid Detmers has had mixed results after being demoted to the Minors earlier this season -- Aldegheri and Dana could be vital parts of the club’s pitching plans moving forward.