Los Angeles Angels Top 50 Prospects (2023)

2023-P1500-Angels — Angels Top 50 graphic design by Michael Packard, @CollectingPack on Twitter

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Depth is the word that has appeared most often this offseason for the Angels, and it’s been the same for their farm system. Since Perry Minasian has been in the Angels GM chair, he has worked to improve the depth of the farm system and improve their player development. His work has paid off, and while he doesn’t have many overall top 100 prospects, mostly due to graduations and some due to underrating certain prospects, he does have a plethora of guys I could see spend time at the major league level.

Minasian has put a focus on acquiring hitters instead of pure athletes as shown with players like Zach Neto, Nelson Rada, and Sonny DiChiara. On the pitching side, the 2021 Draft created a deep well of pitching talent that will be able to supplement the club this year and years to come, both in the rotation and in the bullpen. I am excited for this next season to see who emerges out of nowhere like Jorge Marcheco, Edgar Quero, and Connor Van Scoyoc.

Prospects1500 Tiers:
Tier 1: Players with high expectations of both making the majors and playing at an All-Star level for a number of years
Tier 2: Players with an above-average expectation of making the majors and being a solid contributor
Tier 3: Players with an average expectation of making the majors and being a solid contributor
Tier 4: Players who have the potential of making the majors, or have a high likelihood of making the majors but providing minimal impact
Tier 5: Players of interest, worth keeping an eye on, who have an outside chance of making their team’s 40-man roster

Levels listed for each player are the highest levels player reached in 2022

Tier 1

1. Logan O’Hoppe, C, 22, MLB
O’Hoppe came over from the Phillies in the Brandon Marsh trade and excelled with the Trash Pandas, hitting .306/.473/.673 while walking more than he struck out. A good hit tool and power tool makes him very valuable in the fantasy realm, and he is looking like a top 20 MLB catcher for 2023 by most measures. He’s always been a good fielder and should stick behind the dish for much of his career. I expect him to break camp with the MLB club this spring.

2. Zach Neto, SS, 21, Double-A
Neto was the Angels first pick in the 2022 MLB draft and boy was it a good one. After getting a week in Tri City (one of the hardest places to hit in all the minors) and doing well, he moved up to AA as a 21-year-old and excelled hitting .320/.382/.492 in 30 games. Despite an extreme leg kick, Neto has a plus hit tool with average power and above average speed. His defense is good enough to stick at SS. With his advanced feel to hit, combined with the Angels lack of a true shortstop, I could see him up with the club by mid-July.

Tier 2

3. Edgar Quero, C, 19, Single-A
Quero backed up his excellent 2021 with an equally good 2022 season. Quero hit .312/.435/.530 with 12 SB as a catcher. He has an above average hit and power tool. My only concern with Quero is his long-term sticking power at backstop as there are some defensive questions there, there have been improvements but there needs to be more of them. If Quero repeats what he did the last 2 years this season, he wouldn’t just be a Tier 1 prospect but likely a Top 20 prospect in all of baseball.

4. Chase Silseth, RHP, 22, MLB
Silseth made his MLB debut this past season after just 8 games in the minors and it wasn’t great, but it really opened everyone’s eyes to the 11^th round pick. It was clear he needed polish and it took some more time; but towards the end of the season, he had a noticeable improvement in command (in his last five games with a 32.4% K-BB%). Silseth has a fastball that sits at 96 mph but needs a bit more life to it, and above average Split and Slider. He’s dabbled in a sinker which might be a great addition to his repertoire. He will compete for the Angels 6^th starter position in spring training.

5. Ky Bush, LHP, 23, Double-A
Angels’ 2^nd round draft pick from 2021, Bush had a good year for the Trash Pandas. He finished the season with a 3.67 ERA and a 16.9% K-BB%. When I saw him live this past season, he looked very in control of everything. Fastball tops out at 96 mph; he has a plus Slider and an average curve to round out his pitching mix. He’s done well to put to rest the concerns about his command with a 7% walk rate. I see him getting some run in Spring Training but ultimately being more of a depth piece this year.

6. Denzer Guzman, SS, 18, Single-A
The 2021 international signee made his state side debut this season and continued to show a good feel to hit. Guzman batted .286/.341/.422 with a 21% K rate in the Arizona league going against mostly older players. Guzman has a hit over power approach and will likely grow into more as he ages. As a fielder he has good instincts and hands, the only question is speed as he isn’t the fastest now; and as he increases muscle mass, many expect him to slow down. I expect him to start the season with the 66ers in the California league.

7. Sam Bachman, RHP, 23, Double-A
The Angels 1^st pick in the 2021 draft, Bachman didn’t have the best season this past year because of a back injury that seemed to plague him the whole year. I wouldn’t read too much into the numbers unless he continues to struggle if healthy this season. Bachman has a Plus Plus fastball, and a plus slider. He completes his 3-pitch mix with an average change up, he has shown decent command in the past. He should start in AA and by mid-season could be in the Majors either in the bullpen or in the rotation.

Tier 3

8. Werner Blakely, 3B, 20, Single-A
The 2020 4^th round pick had a breakout season of sorts. It was clear that he was having an exceptional season but got injured twice (hamstring and hand hit by pitch). While healthy he hit .293/.443/.471 with 25 SB, although at home he had a .771 OPS. Blakely has a good feel to hit and controls the strike zone well. He has average speed, and we will need to see if he can keep the stolen base totals up in the upper minors. Defensively he is still a work in progress but should be sufficient at 3B. Power wise I feel like he needs to add some good muscle to take advantage of his hit tool more. I expect him to start the season in High-A or AA depending on how the organization feels.

9. Jeremiah Jackson, IF/OF, 22, Double-A
Jackson started the season with the Trash Pandas completely skipping High-A. Known for being streaky Jackson definitely was that starting and ending the season with OPS over .900 and .800 respectively while during July and August it was under .600. The good news is there were massive improvements in the strikeout department with an 11% reduction from last season. Jackson has improved his hit tool to average hit with plus power. He has plus speed so should be good for about 10 steals a year. Right now, the club is figuring out where they want him defensively. I expect him to start his season back with the Trash Pandas but move to Triple-A by mid-season.

10. Kyren Paris, 2B/SS, 21, Double-A
In 2022 Paris was with Tri-City and was struggling with an 86 wRC+ and was send to Arizona in August to work on somethings. 9 days later, he went back to High-A and from then on, he had a 202 wRC+ between High-A and AA. Speed has always been Paris’ calling card (33 SB in 2022). He’s shown a good feel to hit and the power while it hasn’t been great did flash at an big level during those last 32 games where he hit 14 extra base hits (8 HR). As a fielder, he is better suited to second base. I expect him to spend all of 2022 with the Trash Pandas.

11. Adrian Placencia, 2B/SS, 19, Single-A
Placencia spent all of last season with the 66ers and was solid for them, hitting .254/.387/.427 with 21 SB. Every tool with Placencia is average or better. There are some concerns about swing and miss as he struck out more than 30% of the time. As a fielder, he’s a second baseman especially in an organization that has as many middle infield prospects as the Angels do. Placencia will likely begin 2022 in Tri-City.

12. Ben Joyce, RHP, 22, Double-A
He of the 105-mph fame, Joyce was drafted in the 3^rd round this past season and showed that dominate stuff for the Trash Pandas, striking out 20 in 13 innings. As stated before, Joyce has a Chapman-esque fastball that he pairs with a sweeping slider. He has shown a changeup but is still looking for that consistent second pitch to keep hitters from just sitting fastball. By mid-season, I could see Joyce closing out games for the Angels.

13. Connor Van Scoyoc, RHP, 23, Single-A
Van Scoyoc was finally able to have a full season and it was a good one. Despite the slow start, he had a 20% K-BB ratio, and an ERA of 2.75 after June 1^st. From interviews, it’s clear that he has a good approach mentally recognize how he needs to pitch. Van Scoyoc is armed with a Sinker with good backspin, a 12-6 curveball, and a newly added cutter. Command massively improved this past season so I could see him sticking as a starter long term. I expect him to start in High-A.

14. David Calabrese, OF, 20, Single-A
Calabrese had a rather forgetful pro debut in 2021, and 2022 seemed to be going that way until July things just clicked. After the break, Calabrese hit .324/.393./.494 and helped propel the 66ers to the playoffs. He was known for his ability to hit even as an amateur in Canada, the power showed up after the break when he hit 17 extra base hits in 46 games. He’s got plus speed stealing 26 bags. He has primarily played CF but can play all over. I expect him to start the season with Tri-City.

15. Landon Marceaux, LHP, 23, Double-A
The Angels 3^rd round pick in 2021 spent a majority of his season in High-A and was exceptional at limiting base runners with a WHIP of 0.92. His season was cut short by injuries. I would like to see him improve on the strikeout numbers as it was at a 7.3 SO/9 rate and get back to the 10.2 he was as a junior in college. Marceaux has an excellent plus slider, a plus curveball, but a below average fastball and changeup. He will need to either improve one of those 2 pitches or find himself a sinker to be successful as a starter. I expect him to pitch at AA for all of next season.

16. Nelson Rada, OF, 17, Rookie (DSL)
One of Angels’ 2022 international signee, Rada absolutely showed he was worth the money, demolishing the DSL to the tune of .311/.446/.439 walking as much as he struck out adding in 27 SB in 50 games for good measure. He’s currently hit over power right now and likely in the future. There is some good pop that will likely come as he matures. He’s not the fastest runner but is sufficient. I expect Rada to come to the US and take down the Arizona Complex League next season.

17. Randy De Jesus, OF, 17, Rookie (DSL)
The other big name from the 2022 international market the Angels picked up, De Jesus had a good season for the DSL Halos hitting .272/.368/.467 with 7 HR. De Jesus has the prototypical size and profile of a power hitting corner outfield as his power is his best attribute. I expect him to start in the ACL next season.

18. Jorge Marcheco, RHP, 20, Single-A
Marcheco was an older signee out of Cuba in 2021 and had a great debut that season. This season he came in and dominated the ACL with a 22.4% K-BB ratio. Marcheco has a fastball that sits at 93 mph, a curve, changeup, and slider. He’s shown good command and has a clean, easily repeatable delivery. I expect him to play this season with the 66ers.

Tier 4:

19. Jake Madden, RHP, 21, College
20. Caden Dana , RHP, 19, Single-A
21. Jordyn Adams , OF, 23, Double-A
22. Coleman Crow, RHP, 22, Double-A
23. Kelvin Caceres, RHP, 22, Single-A
24. Walbert Urena, RHP, 18, Rookie (ACL)
25. Arol Vera, 2B/SS, 20, Single-A
26. Mason Albright, LHP, 20, High-A
27. Mason Erla, RHP, 25, Double-A
28. Luke Murphy, LHP, 23, Double-A
29. Eric Torres, LHP, 23, Double-A
30. Ivan Armstrong, RHP, 22, Double-A
31. Ryan Costeiu, RHP, 22, High-A
32. Livan Soto, SS, 22, MLB
33. Robinson Pina, RHP, 24, Triple-A
34. Jose Soriano, RHP, 24, Single-A
35. Davis Daniel, RHP, 25, Triple-A

Relievers make up a good portion of the Angels Tier 4. Angels are really excited about Dana, but he is so far away which is why he’s here. If Caceres could lower his BB rate from 16% to 8%, he would be in the big leagues tomorrow. Vera had a below-average season for the 66ers, but he’s still very young for the level so should be in for a bounce back year. Nick Torres saved a league-leading 22 saves and should be in the conversation for a bullpen role out of Spring Training.

Tier 5

36. Jadiel Sanchez, OF, 21, Single-A
37. Victor Mederos, RHP, 21, Double-A
38. Nixon Encarnacion, RHP, 18, Double-A
39. Jack Kochanowicz, RHP, 22, Single-A
40. Sonny DiChiara, 1B, 23, Double-A
41. Braden Olthoff, RHP, 23, Double-A
42. Joe Stewart, OF, 24, High-A
43. Brett Kerry, RHP, 23, Double-A
44. Orlando Martinez, OF, 24, Triple-A
45. Alexander Ramirez, OF, 20, Singe-A
46. Luis Torres, 1B, 18, Rookie (DSL)
47. Ryan Smith, LHP, 25, Triple-A
48. Glenn Albanese, RHP, 24, Double-A
49. Aaron Hernandez, RHP, 26, Triple-A
50. D’Shawn Knowles, OF, 21, High-A

Tier 5 speaks to the depth of the middle of the farm system. Kochanowicz made the transition to reliever this year and it seems like the role fits him well as his Opponents OPS was .471 as a reliever. DiChiara made his pro debut in Double-A, which is not an easy feat. Hopefully after dipping his toes in AA this past year he will come back and crush the Southern League. Ramirez strikes out way too much, keeps him from putting his tools to use. Luis Torres played very well in the DSL but was old for the league and is really far away. Hernandez is finally making the transition to reliever this season and his results improved but there’s still a way to go. Knowles has been on this list for a while but has been just okay at every level.

Andrew Rhodes

Prospects1500 Angels correspondent. Angels fan since he was 6, Andrew has been engrossed with baseball and the minor leagues since 2011. Participates in several fantasy leagues. Enjoyer of ancient history, video games, and memes. Don’t ask him to watch a show, you’ll almost never get him to watch one, especially not during the baseball season. Software Tester for the Navy thru ISPA Technology. Lives in Panama City Beach, FL with his dog Max. Follow on Twitter at @A_Rhodes77.