Los Angeles Angels

Track Record: A former shortstop, Warren didn’t begin pitching until his sophomore year of college at UNC Wilmington. He was hardly a top prospect, signing for only $7,500 as a senior sign in the sixth round, but he rose quickly through the Angels system and made his major league debut in July. Warren immediately impressed the Angels’ coaching staff with his repertoire and poise and was pitching in high-leverage situations by mid-August.
Scouting Report: Warren generates velocity that belies his smallish frame. His four-seam fastball sits 93-94 mph and touched 96 mph in the big leagues last season. He held opponents to a .130 average in at-bats ending with his heater and produced a 25.6% whiff-rate with the pitch. His best pitch is a wipeout slider that sits 86-88 mph with nearly three feet of drop. It’s a plus pitch and his go-to swing-and-miss offering. His firm, upper 80s changeup is more of a show-me pitch. Warren pounds the zone, frequently getting ahead of pitchers with first-pitch strikes, and keeps the ball on the ground.
The Future: Warren has a combination of confidence and fearlessness that was immediately evident in his major league debut. He has positioned himself for a middle-relief role with the Angels.

Track Record: Silseth began his college career as a reliever at Tennessee before transferring to JC Southern Nevada, where he made six starts before the 2020 season shut down due to the coronavirus pandemic. He transferred to Arizona and was the Wildcats’ Friday night starter in 2021, with his top moment coming when he went toe-to-toe with All-American Kumar Rocker in the College World Series, The Angels drafted Silseth in the 11th round and signed him for an over-slot $485,000 bonus.
Scouting Report: Silseth has a lively fastball that averages 96 mph and touches 98 mph. He has a good feel for a slurvy curveball with 12-to-6 break in the 78-82 mph range and a tight mid-80s slider. Both have a chance to be plus pitches, although he gets more swings and misses with his curveball. Silseth also keeps hitters off-balance with a low-80s splitter with good depth that is often mistaken for a changeup. He generally throws strikes early in his outings, but his command suffers as games wear on and he gets tired.
The Future: Silseth’s four-pitch arsenal may allow him to remain in the rotation. His command and durability are indicators that he might have more success as a power arm out of the bullpen.

Track Record: Daniel had Tommy John surgery after throwing just two innings for Auburn as a junior in 2019, but the Angels still drafted him in the seventh round and signed him for $172,500. Daniel began generating buzz when he returned during instructional league in 2020 and carried that momentum into his pro debut in 2021. He rose three levels from High-A to Triple-A and led the Angels system with 154 strikeouts.
Scouting Report: Daniel has a full four-pitch arsenal, but he mostly goes after hitters with his fastball. His high-spin four-seamer sits 91-92 mph and touches 95 mph with above-average ride and cut to generate swings and misses at the top of the strike zone. He complements his fastball with a mid-70s, 12-to-6 curveball, an improving, low-80s changeup and a low-80s slider. None of them project to be more than average, but Daniel is a smart pitcher who knows when to throw them for maximum effectiveness. He throws plenty of strikes with above-average control and creates some deception with an old-school delivery in which he tilts his glove angle to hide the ball.
The Future: Daniel has a chance to be a back-of-the-rotation starter if his secondaries continue to progress. He also has experience as a reliever, so where he pitches in the big leagues will be based on need.

Track Record: The switch-hitting Knowles signed with the Angels for $850,000 out of the Bahamas when he was 16 and slowly made his way through the low minors. He made his full-season debut in 2021 at Low-A Inland Empire and showed elite speed and defensive versatility while starting games at all three outfield positions and shortstop. But he also hit just .227/.280/.355 and showed he has a long way to go offensively.
Scouting Report: Knowles shows flashes of ability but has yet to find consistency. At his best, he drives the ball to both gaps with a clean, compact swing from both sides of the plate and average raw power. He has developed into a great base-stealer, is learning to bunt and is working on a better two-strike approach. Knowles also has stretches when he swings and misses at the top of the strike zone in bunches and takes zig-zag routes in center field. He goes to the gaps well and is even better at charging balls with his above-average arm strength and quick release, but he struggles to find the wall going back. Regardless of whether he’s going good or bad, Knowles earns raves for his work ethic, enthusiasm and love of the game.
The Future: Knowles projects more as a speedy utility man than a regular. He’ll move to High-A in 2022.

Track Record: Marte did not rise above the Class A levels in his first four pro seasons with the Giants, but after idling in 2020, he moved from the rotation to the bullpen in 2021 and excelled at Double-A. The Angels acquired Marte as one of three prospects for Tony Watson at the trade deadline, and he made his major league debut for them in August.
Scouting Report: The power-armed Marte throws a heavy two-seam fastball that sits 96-97 mph with big sink and run. The sinker consistently plays as a plus pitch when he keeps it down in the zone and is difficult for batters to elevate, part of the reason he rarely allows home runs. Marte complements his sinker with a sluvy, mid-80s slider with more drop than break. He replaced the changeup he threw earlier in his career with an upper-80s cutter as his third pitch. Marte has long struggled with his fastball command and overall control. He needs to improve the consistency of his secondary pitches and be more effective at finishing batters off once he gets them in two-strike counts.
The Future: Marte has a lot of things to work on, but his stuff gives him a chance to be a middle reliever in the majors. He’ll try to win a bullpen spot in spring training.

Track Record: After missing most of 2018 and 2019 because of back injuries and 2020 because of the coronavirus pandemic, Rodriguez broke camp with the Angels in 2021 and worked his way into high-leverage relief by going 2-0 with a 2.30 ERA in his first eight appearances. But shoulder injuries derailed his season, and he underwent capsule repair surgery in October that will sideline him for most, if not all, of 2022.
Scouting Report: Rodriguez would do well to smooth out a delivery that is a little high-effort at times, but he showed last season that he has the stuff to pitch in the big leagues. His four-pitch mix features a sinking fastball that sits 94-96 mph with and late tailing action, a wipeout, 89-90 mph slider that induces plenty of swings and misses, a big overhand curveball in the mid 80s with more than four feet of vertical drop and a 88-90 mph changeup with screwball-like action. Rodriguez throws plenty of strikes with his premium arsenal, but he hasn’t been able to stay on the mound. He has thrown more than 30 innings only once in four seasons, and that was in 2017.
The Future: Rodriguez has the stuff to succeed as a starter or reliever in the majors, but another major injury has clouded his future. He’ll spend the year rehabbing and try to make it back healthy in 2023.

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’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. The Future: Rada will be one of the youngest players in professional baseball in his pro debut, as he’s ticketed to play nearly the entire 2022 season as a 16-year-old in the Dominican Summer League.

Track Record: The switch-hitting Placencia signed with the Angels for $1.1 million as one of the youngest players in the 2019-2020 international class. After spending 2020 in instructional league, he made his professional debut in the Rookie-level Arizona Complex League in 2021. Placencia cleaned up some of his footwork and throwing mechanics on defense and showed glimpses of offensive potential, but he hit just .175/.326/.343 in 43 games.
Scouting Report: Placencia has an advanced feel for contact from both sides of the plate. He has quick hands and the barrel of his bat moves quickly through the zone. He limits his chase swings and doesn’t strike out often. Despite that strong foundation, Placencia struggled to hit in his pro debut in part because he doesn’t consistently hit the ball hard. He flashes surprising power for his small frame and has some natural lift in his swing, but on a pitch-to-pitch basis, he struggles to do damage. Defensively, Placencia has smooth actions, soft hands and an average arm with a quick exchange. He is a below-average runner and is better at second base than shortstop.
The Future: Placencia profiles better as a utilityman than an everyday player, but he’s still young and has time to add strength to his frame. He may see Low-A Inland Empire in 2022.

Track Record: Junk was a largely anonymous 22nd-round pick in the Yankees system his first three pro seasons, but he broke out in 2021 at Double-A Somerset and was acquired by the Angels for Andrew Heaney at the trade deadline. He continued his ascent in his new organization and received his first MLB callup in September, posting a 3.86 ERA in four abbreviated starts.
Scouting Report: Junk used the coronavirus shutdown in 2020 to adjust his attitude and take a more aggressive, attacking mindset to the mound. With that new mindset, his fastball has become his best pitch at 93-97 mph with a high spin rate and good carry at the top of the strike zone. He also used the shutdown to alter the shape of his slider, which was too slurvy and similar to his curveball. His low-80s slider is now a sweepier pitch with late horizontal break and drop that gets plenty of swings and misses. Junk rounds out his arsenal with a fringy 79-80 mph curveball and a fringy changeup he mostly throws to lefthanded hitters. He throws plenty of strikes with average control but is on the small side for a starter, leading to some durability concerns.
The Future: Junk’s size and fastball-slider combination might be better suited for a middle-relief role. He’ll look to break camp with the Angels in 2022.

Track Record: Martinez signed with the Angels for $250,000 out of Cuba in 2017 and has steadily risen up their system. After impressing at the Class A levels his first two seasons, Martinez returned from the coronavirus shutdown and set new career highs in doubles (23), home runs (16) and total bases (178) with Double-A Rocket City, all despite the league being pitcher friendly.
Scouting Report: Martinez has a smooth, lefthanded swing and a natural feel to hit, but he sacrificed some contact to access more power last season. Though he has more of a hit-over-power profile, Martinez could add power as he continues to learn what pitches he can drive with authority and what pitches he should lay off of. He has decent speed but is not a base-stealing threat. Though he is not Gold Glove-caliber on defense, he has shown the ability to play all three outfield positions with good jumps, clean, direct routes and a strong, accurate arm.
The Future: Martinez does not have the eye-popping tools of a potential all-star, but he is the type of prospect whose whole is greater than the sum of his parts. He could be a versatile extra outfielder or platoon player and will open 2022 in Triple-A.

Track Record: The end of Murphy’s college career was much better than the beginning. After sitting out the 2019 season recovering from Tommy John surgery and pitching only four times in pandemic-shortened 2020 season, Murphy spent 2021 as Vanderbilt’s closer and went 4-1, 2.40 with nine saves. The Angels drafted him in the fourth round and signed him for $747,500.
Scouting Report: The lanky Murphy relies heavily on a fastball that sits at 94-95 mph and touches 98-99. He has good command of the four-seamer and locates it in all four quadrants of the strike zone. His best secondary offering is a sweeping slider with movement that has the potential to be a wipeout pitch. He is developing a curveball and changeup but didn’t throw either pitch much in college. Murphy didn’t start at Vanderbilt, but he worked multiple innings regularly and can be stretched out.
The Future: Murphy’s fastball-slider combination is suited to a high-leverage relief role. He could move quickly and reach the upper levels of the minors in 2022.

Track Record: Ortega signed with the Angels for $10,000 as a late-blooming 18-year-old and spent his first five seasons as a starter before moving to the bullpen in 2021. He struggled early at Double-A Rocket City but found his bearing after a promotion to Triple-A Salt Lake and received his first big league callup in September. After making eight relief appearances for the Angels, he went to the Dominican Winter League and posted a 0.69 ERA in 13 appearances.
Scouting Report: Ortega has plenty of stuff to pitch in relief and is getting comfortable with the role. His four-seam fastball sits 96-97 mph and touches 99 mph with cutting action out of the bullpen. His funky, 12-to-6 knuckle curveball sits in the low 80s with nearly four feet of drop and sometimes spins like a lefthanded breaking ball. His rarely thrown changeup is firm at 89 mph and has a lot more run than his fastball. Ortega’s stuff is loud, but his control is below-average. He will look dominant at times and then walk two or three batters in a row.
The Future: Ortega could provide solid middle relief for the Angels as soon as 2022. He’ll look to win an Opening Day bullpen spot in spring training.

Track Record: After going undrafted despite starring at NAIA Westmont, Stefanic sent his resume and a homemade prospect video to all 30 clubs in the summer of 2018. The Angels needed a low-level infielder and signed him with the thought he’d be an organizational player. Stefanic instead hit at every level leading up to a breakout 2021 season. He finished second in the minor leagues with 165 hits and tied for fifth with a .336 batting average as he rose from Double-A to Triple-A.
Scouting Report: Stefanic is an extreme contact hitter who rarely swings and misses, doesn’t chase and has the bat control to put almost any pitch in play. He grew stronger and started showing his power—to the pull side as well as right-center—in 2021. There is little doubt he can be an average hitter with double-digit home runs in the majors, but that might not be enough to overcome his defense. Stefanic isn’t very athletic defensively and has to substantially improve his lateral mobility. He has limited range at second base and his below-average arm doesn’t play well at third base. He has bottom-of-the-scale speed and lacks first-step quickness.
The Future: Stefanic’s bat is legitimate, but he will have to improve defensively to be a utilityman. If he can play third base and add corner outfield to his resume, he could earn a spot on a big league bench.

Track Record: Early on during the scouting process in the Dominican Republic, de Jesus stood out for his power potential as a 6-foot-3 righthanded hitter. He bolstered his stock as he got himself into better shape, leading to a $1.2 million deal with the Angels when the 2021-22 international signing period opened on Jan. 15, 2022. Scouting Report: De Jesus improved his conditioning while retaining his ability to drive the ball for damage when he makes contact. He has a chance to develop above-average power, already hammering the ball with impact relative to his peers. De Jesus doesn’t have the same pure contact skills as fellow Angels international signing Nelson Rada, but scouts highest on him believed in his ability to translate that power against live pitching. What de Jesus does in the batter’s box will drive his value, as he’s a corner outfielder with below-average speed. The Future: De Jesus is several years away from the big leagues, with the Dominican Summer League where he will make his professional debut in 2022.

Track Record: Blakely grew up in Detroit and emerged as Michigan’s top high school player in the 2020 draft class. He did not get a chance to play his senior season due to the coronavirus pandemic, but the Angels still drafted him in the fifth round and gave him an above-slot $900,000 bonus to pass up an Auburn commitment. Blakely made his pro debut in the Arizona Complex League in 2021 and showed some ability to draw walks, but he hit just .182 with a 37% strikeout rate.
Scouting Report: Blakely has a lot to dream on with his long, lean, projectable frame and immense athleticism. He has a good eye and patient approach at the plate, but he swings and misses a lot in the strike zone with an uppercut swing. The Angels tinkered with his swing throughout his first season, and it began to look better at the end of the year. Blakely should add power as he packs more muscle onto his frame and is athletic enough to remain an above-average runner even as he gets bigger. A shortstop now, Blakely has the actions and arm strength to play all three infield positions, but most think he’d be best in center field.
The Future: Blakely is a prototypical high-risk, high-reward prospect with plenty of projection. His swing development will determine what kind of career he has.

Track Record: Erla was passed over in the five-round 2020 draft, so he returned to Michigan State for a fifth season and went 5-6, 3.50 with 80 strikeouts and only three home runs allowed in 79.2 innings. The Angels drafted him in the 17th round and he immediately showed promise in his pro debut with 11 strikeouts and no walks in 7.1 innings across two levels.
Scouting Report: The big-bodied Erla has good command of a fastball that averages 95-96 mph and touches 98 mph in short bursts. He added a low-90s cutter that has more slider-like action after being drafted to give him a potentially average secondary pitch, He has shown a good feel for a mid-80s changeup and is still developing a mid-80s slider that is more of a slurve. He throws all of his pitches for strikes with average control.
The Future: Erla is already 24, but his velocity and strike-throwing capabilities make him a sleeper candidate. He will remain a starter for now and can slide into relief if needed.

Track Record: Kochanowicz signed for an over-slot $1.25 million bonus as a third-round pick in 2019 and had to wait almost two years to make his professional debut. The layoff showed at Low-A Inland Empire in 2021, where Kochanowicz surrendered 102 hits in 83.1 innings and got tagged for an 6.91 ERA while averaging barely four innings per outing.
Scouting Report: Kochanowicz is a big-bodied righthander with an athletic and relatively fluid delivery that produces lively fastballs in the 93-97 mph range. His high-spin, big-breaking, mid-70s curveball with big drop and late horizontal movement gives him a second potential plus pitch if he can command it, and his changeup shows average potential. Kochanowicz struggled to throw his offspeed pitches for strikes in 2021, forcing him to throw his fastball over the middle, where it was crushed. He should improve as he gains better command of the heater and learns to attack different parts of the zone with it. The Angels love his work ethic and inquisitive nature and believe he will grow from the adversity.
The Future: Kochanowicz’s focus in 2022 will be on fastball command and getting ahead in counts. He needs to do that and start throwing his secondaries for strikes to live up to his starter potential.

Track Record: Peguero is a native of Cotui, the rural Dominican Republic town that produced former Angels pitcher Ramon Ortiz. He signed with the Yankees for $50,000 in 2015 and was acquired in a trade-deadline deal for Andrew Heaney last summer. Peguero spent his first three professional seasons as a starter but was moved to the bullpen in 2019, a better fit for his power two-pitch mix. He jumped three levels in 2021 and made his big league debut in late August, getting roughed up in three appearances.
Scouting Report: Peguero features a heavy sinking fastball that averages 96 mph with late tailing action. It is a difficult pitch to lift when it’s down in the zone. His vertical upper-80s slider has plenty of drop but lacks sharpness and he struggles to land it. Peguero uses his lanky frame well to throw downhill and puts the ball over the plate, but he has trouble hitting his spots and too often leaves the ball in hittable zones
The Future: Peguero has the pure stuff to pitch in the back of a bullpen, but his lack of command makes him more likely to be a middle reliever.

Track Record: The switch-hitting Quero jumped onto the radar of talent evaluators when he hit .400 in the 15U World Cup in Panama in 2018. He signed for $200,000 last winter, one of 11 six-figure bonuses the Angels handed out during the 2020-2021 international signing period. Quero hit so well in 29 Arizona rookie-league games (.253, .945 OPS, four homers, 24 RBIs) that he earned a promotion to Low-A Inland Empire in late August.
Scouting Report: Quero has an advanced approach at the plate for his age and a knack for barreling the ball, with most of his pull power coming from the left side. He should develop more power as he matures physically and gains strength. Though there is some swing-and-miss in his game, he rarely chases pitches out of the zone and had almost as many walks (23) as strikeouts (28) in the ACL. Defensively, Quero is athletic with good receiving skills and an average arm, and he’s already impressing coaches with his ability to call a game and work with pitchers.
The Future: It has been more than a decade since the Angels developed a decent homegrown catcher. Quero has the potential to end that streak, although he’s a few years away.

Track Record: The Angels drafted Crow in the 28th round out of high school in 2019 but gave him a $317,500 signing bonus— fifth-round money—to buy him out of his Kennesaw State commitment. Crow did not pitch after being drafted and lost the 2020 season to the coronavirus pandemic, but he finally made his pro debut in 2021 and excelled at Low-A Inland Empire. He went to the Arizona Fall League after the season and posted a 1.38 ERA in five games as one of the league’s youngest players and earned a selection to the AFL Fall Stars Game.
Scouting Report: Though small in stature, Crow has a feisty mound demeanor and a penchant for battling through tough situations. His fastball sits 91-92 mph and touches 95 and he spins his slurvy, low-80s slider extremely well, generating 3,000 rpms on the pitch. He complements his two primary offerings with a low-80s changeup with split action and late run and is mixing in a two-seam fastball with tailing and sinking action. Crow has just fringy control, but he throws enough strikes in short bursts.
The Future: Crow could be a solid depth piece if he gains more fastball velocity and better commands his secondary pitches. A move to the bullpen could help his stuff tick up.