Here's where the Angels' Top 30 prospects are starting the season
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With the Minor League season opening this week, here's where the Angels’ Top 30 prospects are projected to start:
1. Nelson Rada, OF -- Rocket City (Double-A)
2. Caden Dana, RHP -- Rocket City (Double-A)
3. Kyren Paris, SS -- Rocket City (Double-A)
4. Ben Joyce, RHP -- Rocket City (Double-A)
5. Barrett Kent, RHP -- Inland Empire (Single-A)
6. Denzer Guzman, SS -- Tri-City (High-A)
7. Dario Laverde, C -- Inland Empire (Single-A)
8. Joswa Lugo, SS -- Dominican Republic complex
9. Jack Kochanowicz, RHP -- Rocket City (Double-A)
10. Felix Morrobel, SS -- Extended spring training
11. Ryan Costeiu, RHP – Tri-City (High-A) -- Injured list (Tommy John)
12. Walbert Urena, RHP -- Tri-City (High-A)
13. Jadiel Sanchez, OF -- Tri-City (High-A)
14. Adrian Placencia, 2B -- Inland Empire (Single-A)
15. Victor Mederos, RHP -- Rocket City (Double-A)
16. Jorge Ruiz, OF -- Tri-City (High-A)
17. Alberto Rios, C -- Tri-City (High-A)
18. Camden Minacci, RHP -- Tri-City (High-A)
19. Jorge Marcheco, RHP -- Tri-City (High-A)
20. Joel Hurtado, RHP -- Tri-City (High-A)
21. Juan Flores, C -- Inland Empire (Single-A)
22. Capri Ortiz, SS -- Inland Empire (Single-A)
23. Jordyn Adams, OF -- Salt Lake (Triple-A)
24. Adrian Acosta, RHP -- Extended spring training
25. Anthony Scull, OF -- Inland Empire (Single-A)
26. John Wimmer, SS -- Extended spring training
27. Kelvin Caceres, RHP -- Salt Lake (Triple-A)
28. Davis Daniel, RHP -- Salt Lake (Triple-A)
29. Francis Texido, LHP -- Inland Empire (Single-A)
30. Cole Fontenelle, 3B -- Rocket City (Double-A)
Team to watch
While Tri-City has the most Top 30 guys on the roster with eight, Rocket City gets the nod here for being so top heavy. With the aggressive placement of top prospect Rada there, the Trash Pandas have the top four prospects in the system, and five of the top 10. It’s a young group, too, with Rada just 18 for most of the 2024 season and Dana at age 20 for the entire campaign.
Teams on MLB.TV and MiLB.TV
Triple-A Salt Lake
Double-A Rocket City
Single-A Inland Empire
Players we could see in 2024
The Angels do not hesitate to move guys aggressively up the ladder, and the easy joke would be to say whoever they take No. 8 overall in this July’s Draft is the best bet to reach Los Angeles, a la rapidly graduated prospect Nolan Schanuel. Save that, there’s a good chance you’ll see Adams again when the need in the outfield arises and if Joyce and Mederos can get in a groove, the Angels are not shy about jumping guys from Double-A to the big leagues.
New faces
The top pick from last year’s Draft, Schanuel, is already off the prospect list, but there are five others from the 2023 Draft class getting going in earnest this season (Kent, Rios, Minacci, Wimmer, Fontenelle). All of them except for Wimmer, who is in extended spring training, are with full-season clubs. The Angels gave Joswa Lugo $2.3 million to sign back in January, and Dawel’s younger brother will kick off his professional career in the Dominican Summer League.
On the shelf
It’s a relatively healthy group here. Only Costieu is on the injured list. The right-hander had Tommy John surgery last July and is still rehabbing his elbow.