Nelson Rada

Organization Prospect Rankings

• 
  Ranked Los Angeles Angels #2 prospect in 2024
  BA Grade: 50/High
  
  Track Record: One week shy of being ineligible for the 2022 international signing period, Rada signed with the Angels for $1.85 million as a high-profile prospect. He was among the offensive league leaders in his pro debut in the Dominican Summer League later that summer. The Angels aggressively assigned him to Low-A Inland Empire as a 17-year-old in 2023 as the youngest player on any full-season Opening Day roster. Rada performed honorably, slashing .276/.395/.346 while leading the California League with 55 stolen bases.
  
  Scouting Report: Rada is an advanced lefthanded hitter with everyday upside. His short, line-drive swing allows him to make contact to all fields with innate bat-to-ball skills and feel for the barrel. Though his lean, 5-foot-10 frame doesn’t permit much physical projection, any muscle gains could give him fringe-average power with his ability to frequently find the barrel. It may take years for him to become stronger naturally, but his ability to make barrel adjustments and drive the ball in the air more consistently will help. A highly selective hitter who handled the zone against older pitchers, Rada rarely swings and misses. He occasionally gets beat on the inner half, which should improve as he shortens up and gains barrel strength. With above-average speed, Rada’s instinctual baserunning aggression gives him a plus run tool and makes him a basestealing threat. He makes good reads and is a smooth defender in center field, where he has plus potential at a premium position. Rada is the same age as players in the 2024 high school class, so most of his everyday projection rests in his physical maturity.
  
  The Future: Rada is on track to be a table-setting everyday center fielder but will need to get stronger to maximize his upside.
  
  Scouting Grades Hit: 55 | Power: 45 | Run: 60 | Field: 60 | Arm: 55
• 
  Ranked Los Angeles Angels #9 prospect in 2023
  BA Grade/Risk: 50/Extreme
  
  Track Record: Rada was one of the youngest players in the 2022 international signing class and signed with the Angels for $1.85 million as a 16-year-old. The son of a former Venezuelan professional basketball player, Rada stood out for his instincts and pro-ready mentality despite his youth. He excelled in his pro debut in the Dominican Summer League as one of the youngest players in professional baseball. Rada hit .311/.446/.439 with as many walks as strikeouts (26) and 27 stolen bases in the DSL. He followed that with a strong showing in instructional league after the season.
  
  Scouting Report: Rada is a slim but projectable 5-foot-10 outfielder with exciting instincts and athleticism. He is a selective hitter with a short, line-drive swing and has excellent natural bat-to-ball skills that lead to consistent hard contact from the left side. He manages at-bats well beyond his years and is not fazed by facing older, more physically advanced competition. Rada is firmly a contact-first hitter, but he has shown the ability to pull the ball in the air with authority. He has enough raw power to project double-digit home runs as he matures physically and hits the ball in the air more consistently. A slightly above-average runner and solid athlete, Rada has improved his speed with physical gains to increase his chances of staying in center field. He gets good reads off the bat and closes on balls quickly in all directions. He has average arm strength that could increase as he gets stronger.
  
  The Future: Rada has the potential to be a leadoff-hitting center fielder, but he is many years away from that ceiling. He will make his U.S. debut in 2023 as a 17-year-old, most likely in the Arizona Complex League, while working on physical gains.
  
  Scouting Grades: Hitting: 50. Power: 45. Speed: 55. Fielding: 50. Arm: 50

• February, 2023 Scouting Report
  BA Grade/Risk: 50/Extreme
  
  Track Record: Rada was one of the youngest players in the 2022 international signing class and signed with the Angels for $1.85 million as a 16-year-old. The son of a former Venezuelan professional basketball player, Rada stood out for his instincts and pro-ready mentality despite his youth. He excelled in his pro debut in the Dominican Summer League as one of the youngest players in professional baseball. Rada hit .311/.446/.439 with as many walks as strikeouts (26) and 27 stolen bases in the DSL. He followed that with a strong showing in instructional league after the season.
  
  Scouting Report: Rada is a slim but projectable 5-foot-10 outfielder with exciting instincts and athleticism. He is a selective hitter with a short, line-drive swing and has excellent natural bat-to-ball skills that lead to consistent hard contact from the left side. He manages at-bats well beyond his years and is not fazed by facing older, more physically advanced competition. Rada is firmly a contact-first hitter, but he has shown the ability to pull the ball in the air with authority. He has enough raw power to project double-digit home runs as he matures physically and hits the ball in the air more consistently. A slightly above-average runner and solid athlete, Rada has improved his speed with physical gains to increase his chances of staying in center field. He gets good reads off the bat and closes on balls quickly in all directions. He has average arm strength that could increase as he gets stronger.
  
  The Future: Rada has the potential to be a leadoff-hitting center fielder, but he is many years away from that ceiling. He will make his U.S. debut in 2023 as a 17-year-old, most likely in the Arizona Complex League, while working on physical gains.
  
  Scouting Grades: Hitting: 50. Power: 45. Speed: 55. Fielding: 50. Arm: 50
• December, 2022 Scouting Report
  BA Grade/Risk: 50/Extreme
  
  Track Record: Rada was one of the youngest players in the 2022 international signing class and signed with the Angels for $1.85 million as a 16-year-old. The son of a former Venezuelan professional basketball player, Rada stood out for his instincts and pro-ready mentality despite his youth. He excelled in his pro debut in the Dominican Summer League as one of the youngest players in professional baseball. Rada hit .311/.446/.439 with as many walks as strikeouts (26) and 27 stolen bases in the DSL. He followed that with a strong showing in instructional league after the season.
  
  Scouting Report: Rada is a slim but projectable 5-foot-10 outfielder with exciting instincts and athleticism. He is a selective hitter with a short, line-drive swing and has excellent natural bat-to-ball skills that lead to consistent hard contact from the left side. He manages at-bats well beyond his years and is not fazed by facing older, more physically advanced competition. Rada is firmly a contact-first hitter, but he has shown the ability to pull the ball in the air with authority. He has enough raw power to project double-digit home runs as he matures physically and hits the ball in the air more consistently. A slightly above-average runner and solid athlete, Rada has improved his speed with physical gains to increase his chances of staying in center field. He gets good reads off the bat and closes on balls quickly in all directions. He has average arm strength that could increase as he gets stronger.
  
  The Future: Rada has the potential to be a leadoff-hitting center fielder, but he is many years away from that ceiling. He will make his U.S. debut in 2023 as a 17-year-old, most likely in the Arizona Complex League, while working on physical gains.
  
  Scouting Grades: Hitting: 50. Power: 45. Speed: 55. Fielding: 50. Arm: 50
• April, 2022 Scouting Report
  Rada was extremely young for the 2021-22 international class, to the point where had he been born eight days later, he would have had to wait until the following year to sign. The son of a former professional basketball player in Venezuela, Rada was a skinny 5-foot-9 outfielder early on in the scouting process, but he has grown a few inches since then. Rada is young but his instincts for the game have long stood out for his age, including while playing for Venezuela at the U-15 World Cup Americas Qualifier in 2019. Rada takes a short swing from the left side with a selective approach for his age. He has doubles power that has ticked up as he's gotten stronger, and while there should be more to come, his offensive game should be centered around his on-base skills. He's a solid-average runner in center field whose defense is enhanced by his first-step quickness and ability to get good reads off the bat.
• April, 2022 Scouting Report
  BA Grade: 50/Extreme
  
  Track Record:: Rada was extremely young for the 2021-22 international class, to the point where had he been born eight days later, he would have had to wait until the following year to sign. The Angels made the 16-year-old Venezuelan outfielder their top signing when the international period opened on Jan. 15, 2022, coming from the same program where they signed shortstop Arol Vera. Scouting Report: The son of a former professional basketball player in Venezuela, Rada was a skinny 5-foot-9 early on in the scouting process, but he has grown a few inches since then. Rada is young but his instincts for the game have long stood out for his age, including while playing for Venezuela at the U-15 World Cup Americas Qualifier in 2019. Rada takes a short swing from the left side with a selective approach for his age. He has doubles power that has ticked up as he&#39s gotten stronger, and while there should be more to come, his offensive game should be centered around his on-base skills. He&#39s a solid-average runner in center field whose defense is enhanced by his first-step quickness and ability to get good reads off the bat. The Future: Rada will be one of the youngest players in professional baseball in his pro debut, as he&#39s ticketed to play nearly the entire 2022 season as a 16-year-old in the Dominican Summer League. Scouting Grades: Hitting: 50. Power: 40. Speed: 55. Fielding: 50. Arm: 45.