Moniak impressing early for Halos

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.

ANAHEIM -- When the Angels called up outfielder Mickey Moniak on May 12, it came as a bit of a surprise, as Taylor Ward, Hunter Renfroe and Mike Trout had been getting all the regular playing time and they had backup outfielder Brett Phillips on the roster.

But the Angels wanted to see what they had in Moniak after a strong showing in Spring Training and with Triple-A Salt Lake, plus they were facing a long stretch of facing right-handed starters. The move certainly worked out, as Moniak has hit .333 with four homers and seven RBIs through 12 games and has essentially played himself into a platoon with Ward.

Ward enjoyed a breakout season last year but has had trouble repeating it this year, batting .220/.295/.312 in 51 games. Manager Phil Nevin said he believes it’s an issue with Ward’s timing, and the advanced stats indicate he’s also been hitting the ball on the ground more this season (43.6 percent this year vs. 35.5 percent in 2022).

Ward has remained in a slump, batting .178 with a double in 13 games since Moniak’s promotion, and if the Angels really want to shake things up, they could bring up outfielder Jo Adell. Like Moniak, he excelled this spring and has dominated at Triple-A Salt Lake. Adell, 24, has hit .284/.373/.623 with 17 homers, 11 doubles and 41 RBIs in 48 games, while also improving his defense.

In this scenario, the Angels could option Ward to Triple-A to get everydayat-bats and get his mechanics in order, while Adell and Moniak could form a platoon in the Majors. Adell, though, needs to get it going himself after going 1-for-13 with six strikeouts over his previous three games entering Sunday. But he’s batting a more respectable .289 with a .931 OPS over his last 11 games.

Nevin said when Moniak was called up that Adell was also considered but the front office went with Moniak because the club wasfacing so many right-handers. He also said that he communicates with Adell and likes his attitude. The Angels are facing three right-handers in Chicago, but lefty Framber Valdez is scheduled to pitch Thursday’s series opener for Houston.

“I'm sure that the time will come for Jo,” Nevin said earlier this month. “It's just how baseball works. But at the end of the day -- and I communicate that to him -- I'm proud of him, the work ethic and how he’s doing things.”

Here’s a look at how other prospects are faring at the other three levels in the Minors:

Double-A Rocket City: INF/OF Jeremiah Jackson

Jackson, the club’s No. 13 prospect per MLB Pipeline, has been heating up at the plate recently, hitting .310 with two homers, a double and six RBIs over his last 11 games. Jackson, 23, was previously a shortstop but has been getting reps at third base, second base and in the outfield this season. Jackson still needs to cut down on his strikeouts but possesses a tantalizing combination of power and speed to go along with defensive versatility.

High-A Tri-City: RHP Caden Dana

The Angels are aggressive with their prospects and it’s certainly the case with Dana, who is just 19 years old but is in High-A, where the average player age is 23. Dana, the club’s No. 10 prospect, was promoted in late April after dominating at Single-A Inland Empire with a 1.20 ERA and 18 strikeouts in 15 innings. He's posted a 5.30 ERA through his first four starts with Tri-City but has struck out 23 batters in 18 2/3 innings. He didn't allow an earned run over four innings in his most recent start on Thursday and struck out five. If he pitches well at High-A this year, expect the 6-foot-4 right-hander to skyrocket in the prospect rankings.

Single-A Inland Empire: SS Denzer Guzman

Guzman, 19, is starting to shake off a bit of a slow start, as he’s hit .378 with three doubles, a triple and seven RBIs over his last nine games. Guzman, the club’s No. 5 prospect, has the skills to stick at shortstop, although he’s not much of a burner, so he could move to second base down the line. He’s handled his own offensively given his age, as he’s only had one at-bat against a pitcher younger than him this year.