Keynan Middleton Powers Up

ANAHEIM—Righthander Keynan Middleton’s fastball was clocked as high as 102 mph in his first game at Triple-A Salt Lake on Aug. 8, when the 22-year-old struck out four in two innings at Reno.

Whether those radar-gun readings were accurate is beside the point. The fact that a notoriously thin farm system has a prospect who can generate anything close to triple-digit velocity is significant for the Angels.

“Yeah, those are good numbers,” farm director Mike LaCassa said. “His fastball has been averaging 96 (mph) this year, which is several ticks up from last year.”

There are two primary reasons. The 6-foot-2, 195-pound Middleton, a 2013 third-round pick out of Lane (Ore.) CC, added about 10 pounds of muscle this season, and a move from the rotation to the bullpen allowed him to expend more energy in shorter bursts.

“Pitching out of the bullpen is a different mentality—it was something Keynan really embraced,” LaCassa said. “He loves the adrenaline.”

Middleton’s fastball hovered between 90-92 mph in 2015, when he went 6-11, 5.30 in 26 starts at low Class A Burlington. He struck out 88 and walked 47 in 125.2 innings.

His velocity increase, combined with an 86-89 mph slider and an occasional changeup, helped Middleton jump three levels from the end of 2015 and put him on the cusp of the big leagues.

Middleton made 46 appearances in 2016, working his way from high Class A Inland Empire to Salt Lake. He struck out 12.0 and walked 3.8 batters per nine innings, while allowing 47 hits, including nine home runs, in 66 innings.

“He’s able to generate a lot of swings and misses and weak contact—that’s a good combination,” La Cassa said. “This was a kid coming off his first season in Low-A ball. He was not close. There’s no doubt he’s thrust himself into the picture.”

ANGEL FOOD

• A plan to promote Nate Smith to the big leagues in September was scrapped when the lefthander was diagnosed with elbow tendinitis. The good news: Tests showed no damage to his ulnar collateral ligament.

• Catcher Taylor Ward opened the Arizona Fall League with a two-hit night on Oct. 11, though he went just 1-for-8 over his next four games for Scottsdale.

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