Inbox: Expanding Pipeline's first mock draft for 2025
Lots of Winter Meetings-related questions (Draft Lottery, trades, Juan Soto signing fallout) arrived in the Pipeline Inbox, so let's get to them. Nice work projecting every team's top pick in the 2025 Draft. But what about choices 28-37? --Jonathan M., Pittsburgh When I did my way-too-early first-round forecast after the
How the Rule 5 Draft impacted 12 teams' Top 30 Prospects lists
MLB Pipeline gives our organizational Top 30 prospect rankings complete refreshes twice per calendar year (once in spring, once in-season) and provides other live updates as graduations and other transactions necessitate them. In the latter category, two dates in particular are our busiest for Top 30 updates: the Trade Deadline
Garrett McDaniels highlights
Here are the 2024 Fall League award winners
For six more weeks again this year, some of the best prospects in baseball shined in the Arizona Fall League, the game’s most elite prospect circuit. Now it’s time to give out some hardware. The Fall League annually awards the Joe Black MVP Award to its top performer, and since
Angels prospect Kavadas named AFL Offensive Player of the Year
MESA, Ariz. – MLB’s July 30 Trade Deadline had passed five minutes earlier when Triple-A Worcester catcher Mark Kolozsvary approached first baseman Niko Kavadas with a fist bump. “Congrats,” Kolozsvary said. “We survived the Deadline.” Kavadas reciprocated, then was getting ready to take the field when he was told manager
Angels' late-blooming southpaw starting to flip script in Fall League
MESA, Ariz. -- Angels left-handed pitching prospect Samy Natera Jr. understood why doubters said the things they said, but he made it his mission to prove them wrong. He may be at the early stages of a breakthrough that will silence them permanently. Natera didn’t even start pitching until he
Arizona Fall League Week 3 top performers
Here are the top performers from the third week of AFL action:
Kavadas capping whirlwind year by showing off power in Fall League
PHOENIX -- It’s not often that a batter in the Arizona Fall League already has his first Major League homer under his belt. It’s also a rare occurrence for a hitter to return, particularly two years later. But Niko Kavadas finds himself back in the desert after a roller-coaster summer
3 prospects who could contribute to Angels in 2025
ANAHEIM -- The Angels bolstered their farm system this season by virtue of having three of the first 74 picks in 2024 Draft, including the No. 8 overall selection, while also being sellers at the Trade Deadline. The Angels selected second baseman Christian Moore with their first-round pick after his
Angels Arizona Fall League overview
No matter where Angels infielder David Mershon turned as a kid, there was baseball. His father, Brian, played college ball at Illinois and spent a year in the Reds organization. He has three uncles who also played at the Division I level. Luckily, David was happy to take the heirloom,
These prospects broke out in the Angels' system in '24
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.
'Anyone can make it': Aldegheri makes history for Italy in debut
ANAHEIM -- Growing up in the small town of San Martino Buon Albergo in Verona, Italy, Samuel Aldegheri had big dreams about a sport that wasn’t commonly played in his native country. His main connection to baseball was watching videos of Clayton Kershaw, and he was fortunate to have a
Which of these 3 players will be MiLB Pitching Prospect of the Year?
At 9 p.m. ET on Monday, Sept. 30, MLB Network will air the second annual MiLB Awards Show, with host Matt Vasgersian handing out a slew of honors, recognizing some of the best prospects, performances and moments of the 2024 season. The three finalists for MiLB Pitching Prospect of the
Dana's lesson clear: 'Walks create bad luck'
ANAHEIM -- At just 20 years old, right-hander Caden Dana dominated at Double-A Rocket City. But he’s learning that Major League lineups are a lot more difficult to navigate. He was hit hard for a second straight start in the Angels’ 6-4 loss to the Astros on Sunday afternoon at
Rio Foster highlights
Moore, Klassen provide glimpse into Angels' future at Double-A
There was nothing trashy about these performances at Double-A. The Angels' No. 2 and No. 3 prospects -- Christian Moore and George Klassen -- entered the final Saturday for the Trash Pandas on similar footings. Moore -- who last played Aug. 30 after suffering a left meniscus injury -- looked
Angels lefties a study in contrast vs. Astros
ANAHEIM -- Lefties Samuel Aldegheri and José Suarez both know how important pitching well down the stretch is for them heading into next season. Aldegeri, acquired in the deal that sent closer Carlos Estévez to the Phillies at the Trade Deadline, made his third career start but struggled in the
The top 11 farm systems with the best pitching prospects
Good pitching can be hard to find -- look at the flurry of activity at the Trade Deadline for evidence -- so clubs that can develop talents on the mound themselves can get a considerable leg up on the competition. Think of where the Phillies would be without homegrown talents
Angels' top prospect Dana, young Halos learning from mistakes
ARLINGTON -- In the final weeks of the season, Angels skipper Ron Washington, the oldest active manager in the Major Leagues, is conducting what amounts to on-the-job training for the many young, inexperienced players on his club. He said before Sunday’s 7-4 loss to the Rangers at Globe Life Field
Aldegheri earns 1st big league win as Angels beat Rangers
ARLINGTON -- Less than two months ago, Angels rookie Sam Aldegheri had never pitched above the High-A level in the Minor Leagues. Now he’s the first Italian-born pitcher to earn a victory in a Major League game since 1949. Making only his second career MLB start, the lefty Aldegheri notched
These young arms impressed the Halos in '24
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.
'Proudest moments of our lives': Dana shines in debut
ANAHEIM -- It was a milestone Caden Dana had envisioned for years -- and it arrived quicker than most had expected. MLB Pipeline's No. 73 prospect and the Angels’ top prospect made his Major League debut against the Mariners in Sunday’s 3-2 win, making a bit of organizational history. Dana
4 callup options for Angels behind Aldegheri, Dana
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.
What to expect from Angels' Dana in the big leagues
You can typically bank on the Angels calling up a top prospect earlier than expected. This weekend will be no different. Los Angeles is promoting MLB Pipeline’s No. 73 overall prospect Caden Dana for his Major League debut Sunday at home against the Mariners, the club announced Thursday night.
Halos calling up top prospect Caden Dana and Italian-born pitcher Aldegheri
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