The Angels’ all-pitcher draft last year seemed gimmicky, but when you look at the rest of the system, you can see why the strategy made sense — they had some depth in shortstops and outfielders but almost no pitching, and that deficiency goes back about a decade, so addressing it aggressively was the right move.
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To qualify for these rankings, players must still be eligible for the Rookie of the Year Award in 2022, which means they may not have more than 130 at-bats, 50 innings pitched or 45 days on an active roster heading into this season.
1. Reid Detmers, LHP (Top 100 ranking: No. 19)
Age: 22 | 6-2 | 210 pounds
Bats: Left | Throws: Left
Drafted: No. 10 in 2020
Detmers’ major-league debut was a bit rocky, but bear in mind that he was just over a year out of the draft, missed most of 2020 due to the pandemic, and was working this year with bigger velocity that may require some more time for him to learn to use effectively. Detmers was a command lefty in college, earning 60 (plus) grades from scouts, but had a lower projection than other college starters because he was at 88-92 mph and didn’t have a clear knockout pitch. His velocity picked up in 2021, to the point where he averaged 93 mph on his four-seamer in the big leagues, and his slider improved as a result of the new arm strength. There’s natural deception in Detmers’ delivery, as his slider and curve come out with movement diametrically opposed to his fastball (and his rarely-used changeup, a distant fourth pitch for him), but he struggled in the majors with location. Maybe it was the different baseball, or learning to harness the new velocity, but Detmers had a track record in college of doing … not this, fastballs middle-up and sliders close to the heart of the zone. His ceiling now is tied to whether any of his pitches emerges as a clear swing-and-miss offering, but if he returns to plus command of a repertoire that should have three grade-55 pitches, that’s a solid No. 2 starter on any staff.
2. Sam Bachman, RHP (Top 100 ranking: No. 60)
Age: 22 | 6-1 | 235 pounds
Bats: Right | Throws: Right
Drafted: No. 9 in 2021
Bachman had the best pure stuff of any starting pitching prospect in the 2021 draft, running his fastball up to 102 mph, along with a plus slider in the low 90s, which resulted in him striking out 41 percent of opposing hitters for the University of Miami (Ohio). He missed two starts in the spring with a tired shoulder, which scared some teams off, but returned with the same stuff, helped by a coaching staff that brought him back very gradually from the time off. There’s some effort in his delivery — you don’t throw 102 mph without effort unless you’re Hunter Greene — but his arm action is fairly compact; he just doesn’t generate as much power from his lower half, with minimal hip rotation to generate more torque. He’ll need to use his changeup more often in pro ball to get lefties out, and has to stay healthy, of course, but he has No. 1 starter upside with those two plus-plus pitches.
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3. Kyren Paris, SS (Just missed)
Age: 20 | 6-0 | 165 pounds
Bats: Right | Throws: Right
Drafted: No. 55 in 2019
Paris was one of the youngest players in the 2019 draft when the Angels took him in the second round, turning 18 that November, so he was an appropriate age for Low A this year — when he played, as a leg injury kept him off the field for more than two months. He’s a contact-oriented hitter who should be able to post high OBPs in time with some doubles power, but he also had difficulty with high fastballs at both levels last year and has to cut down on the swing-and-miss to keep his average and OBP up. He plays above-average defense at short with quick feet and an above-average arm, and he’s a plus runner who could get to 40 bags if he stays healthy and gets on base enough. He’ll probably return to High A this year as a 20-year-old and work on cutting down on his chase rate, after which it should be clearer how likely he is to get to that above-average everyday shortstop ceiling.
4. Arol Vera, SS
Age: 19 | 6-2 | 170 pounds
Bats: Switch | Throws: Right
Vera signed for $2 million in 2019 and made his pro debut this past year, playing well enough in the Arizona Complex League that the Angels sent him to Low A for three weeks even though he was still 18. He’s gotten quite a bit stronger since he signed, and now he’s a bat-first guy who may end up moving off shortstop due to his size and some lost speed. He has good feel to barrel up the ball, despite a noisy lower half that makes it hard for him to get his front foot down consistently. We’ll see how his plate discipline develops as he faces better pitching; if it’s good enough for him to keep making contact, he could be a .300 hitter with 15-20 homers and either average defense at short or better defense at third.
5. Jeremiah Jackson, SS
Age: 22 | 6-0 | 165 pounds
Bats: Right | Throws: Right
Drafted: No. 57 in 2018
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Jackson has at least 70 raw power and can play shortstop, which you’d think would make him a slam-dunk top 100 prospect, but he gets to his power with so much swing-and-miss, thanks to a lack of pitch recognition and constant changes to his swing. He punched out a third of the time in Low A last year at age 21 in about half a season, missing over two months with a strained quad muscle. If he had a better eye, he could be a Joey Gallo kind of bat but at shortstop, which is a hell of a player, but that’s not the path he’s on.
6. Ky Bush, LHP
Age: 22 | 6-6 | 240 pounds
Bats: Left | Throws: Left
Drafted: No. 45 in 2021
Bush is 6-foot-6 and drives the ball right down at hitters, working 93-96 with some natural cut and huge extension out front. He has the full four-pitch complement and his slider has improved since the Angels got to work with him, as the lack of an average breaking ball was a major reason he slipped to the second round despite his size and stuff. He’s always been a strike-thrower, and if any of his secondaries develops into a plus pitch he’d be both a top 100 prospect and a potential No. 2 starter.
7. Jordyn Adams, OF
Age: 22 | 6-2 | 180 pounds
Bats: Right | Throws: Right
Drafted: No. 17 in 2018
Adams hit .217/.290/.311 for High-A Tri-City last year, and while he’s still an 80 runner, it doesn’t matter when you’re making an out 71 percent of the time. He’s changed his swing so many times since he was drafted — some on his own, some via the club — when he has such a low bar for success: If he puts the bat on the ball consistently, his speed and defense in center will make him valuable.
8. Edgar Quero, C
Age: 19 | 5-11 | 170 pounds
Bats: Switch | Throws: Right
Quero signed for $200,000 last February, and had previously played for the Cuban National U-15 team. He’s a disciplined, switch-hitting catcher who’s at least average behind the plate, with good instincts for the game and enough arm to nail 37 percent of runners who ran on him last year. He doesn’t project for power, between the swing and his lack of physical projection, so he’s going to have to hit for more average as he moves up the ladder. His most likely outcome is a quality backup, with everyday ceiling if he starts hitting the ball harder for more singles and doubles.
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9. Mason Albright, RHP
Age: 19 | 6-0 | 190 pounds
Bats: Left | Throws: Left
Drafted: No. 351 in 2021
The Angels took all pitchers in the 2021 draft, and Albright, their 12th rounder, was their only high school pick. He’s not the typical projection teenage pitcher, though, as he’s maybe 6-foot-1 and not that likely to get past average velocity; the Angels took him because he showed unusual command for his age, and great feel for pitching, from moving the ball around the zone to changing speeds and angles to mess with hitters.
10. Landon Marceaux, RHP
Age: 22 | 6-0 | 179 pounds
Bats: Right | Throws: Right
Drafted: No. 80 in 2021
Marceaux is a 6-foot right-hander who throws a ton of strikes with a four-pitch mix where his fastball might be his weakest pitch. He gets big spin on the slider and the curveball and got awful swings on both pitches while pitching in the SEC. He has a high slot and starts on the extreme first-base side of the rubber, so there’s deception in his delivery while he keeps himself online to the plate. There’s probably no projection here, with a fourth-starter ceiling thanks to his control and the quality of his offspeed stuff.
11. Chase Silseth, RHP
Age: 22 | 6-0 | 217 pounds
Bats: Right | Throws: Right
Drafted: No. 321 in 2021
Silseth was undone last spring at the University of Arizona by a couple of disaster starts and some bad defense behind him, so he went from a probable pick in the top three rounds to an 11th-rounder. He’s been up to 97 with a power slider, with the potential for a four-pitch mix, and he does throw strikes. It’s a starter look across the board.
12. Mason Erla, RHP
Age: 24 | 6-4 | 200 pounds
Bats: Right | Throws: Right
Drafted: No. 501 in 2021
Erla was a fifth-year senior at Michigan State when the Angels took him in the 17th round, and they may have found a steal, as he rolled out this summer throwing 96-97 with sink and a tight slider. He’s already had shoulder surgery and an ACL injury, so he’s going to be a reliever, but he looks like he could start this year in Double A and move very quickly to the majors.
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13. David Calabrese, OF
Age: 19 | 5-11 | 160 pounds
Bats: Left | Throws: Right
Drafted: No. 82 in 2020
Calabrese was the Angels’ third-round pick as a 17-year-old in 2020, but his pro debut last year was disappointing in health and in performance, as he struck out nearly a third of the time while hitting just .201/.303/.306 while dealing with nagging injuries. He’s still a plus runner who can play center field, so if he can put the ball in play more he’ll at least make himself a fourth outfielder, regardless of whether he adds strength as he fills out. First and foremost, though, he has to get a full season of at-bats this year.
14. Alexander Ramirez, OF
Age: 19 | 6-2 | 180 pounds
Bats: Right | Throws: Right
Ramirez hit well in the Arizona Complex League as an 18-year-old last year, with a .276/.396/.500 line, but that masked some weaknesses in his game; he didn’t take advantage of pitches in the zone as much as he should have, with many of his walks coming because he was passive rather than patient. He has explosive power in his hands, which is all the more reason for him to swing more often, and may end up able to stay in center field. He’s just 19, so his range of outcomes is still wide, with fourth outfielder the most likely one.
15. Adrian Placencia, 2B/SS
Age: 19 | 5-11 | 155 pounds
Bats: Switch | Throws: Right
Placencia signed for $1.1 million in 2019 and made his pro debut last year, primarily playing second base rather than shortstop. He showed flashes of his above-average power from both sides of the plate and his ability to lay off some pitches out of the zone, but had too much swing-and-miss on pitches in the zone, hitting .175/.326/.343 as an 18-year-old. He has plus speed but not the arm for short, and may end up outgrowing the position anyway. We’re projecting mostly on tools here, with everyday upside if he closes his holes in the strike zone.
16. Davis Daniel, RHP
Age: 25 | 6-1 | 190 pounds
Bats: Right | Throws: Right
Drafted: No. 211 in 2019
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Something of a forgotten man in the Angels’ system, Daniel struck out 154 batters in 114 2/3 innings across three levels last year, although he gave up nearly two hits per inning in Triple A and posted an ERA over 10 in 21 innings there. He’s a fastball/curveball guy without big velocity who comes from a high slot that has made it hard for hitters to distinguish the two pitches. If the Triple-A debacle was just a small-sample issue, or the different baseball giving him trouble with his curveball, he could be a back-end starter.
17. Mo Hanley, LHP
Age: 23 | 6-2 | 195 pounds
Bats: Left | Throws: Left
Drafted: No. 381 in 2021
Hanley had a chance to go in the top two rounds before he blew out his elbow last spring, pushing the Adrian College junior to the 13th round. He’s an incredible athlete who was up to 95 in the spring and showed a plus slider with questionable command and control. Given when he had the surgery, he should be on a mound by mid-year.
18. Alejandro Hidalgo, RHP
Age: 19 | 6-1 | 160 pounds
Bats: Right | Throws: Right
Hidalgo is a slender right-hander with an above-average curveball that Arizona Complex League hitters couldn’t touch, which gave him some cover for his below-average fastball command. There’s modest projection here that could get him from a 55 fastball to a 60, and he has enough of a changeup to give him a starter ceiling, but between the iffy command and his size, the odds on his outcome are probably 75 percent reliever/25 percent starter.
19. Denzer Guzman, SS
Age: 18 | 6-1 | 180 pounds
Bats: Right | Throws: Right
Signed for $2 million in January 2021, Guzman just turned 18 last week and still looks like a kid who hasn’t even begun to fill out, so you can dream on his tools while we wait for the performance to catch up. He has a simple swing that should produce plenty of contact, and he showed some idea of the strike zone in the Dominican Summer League last year (caveats on that league apply), although his bat speed is just fair right now and he doesn’t have the strength for power yet. He’s a legit shortstop right now with average speed but better footwork and the arm for the left side of the infield.
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20. Janson Junk, RHP
Age: 26 | 6-1 | 177 pounds
Bats: Right | Throws: Right
Drafted: No. 662 in 2017
I’m not going to say it … Junk is a strike-thrower with some natural deception between his fastball and both breaking balls, with a 55 slider but not enough changeup or fastball life to start. The fastball is mostly 91-94, although it could tick up if he’s working in shorter outings. He’s more than (don’t say it) just another (seriously, don’t say it) junk-baller, though. (Damnit.)
Others of note
Right-hander Ivan Armstrong was 96-100 and didn’t allow a homer in 57 1/3 innings last year between Low A and High A; he was acquired from the Giants for Tony Watson. … Livan Soto can still play the heck out of shortstop and puts the ball in play, but there’s no impact there at all to turn that contact into even modest production … Right-hander Stiward Aquino missed additional time on his way back from Tommy John surgery but his arm strength is still there, perhaps now better suited to a relief role. … William Holmes missed most of the year due to injury, and he’s still a two-way player who isn’t developing enough as a hitter or a pitcher; the Angels and the player need to pick one side and focus their energies on it. … Cuban outfielder Orlando Martinez has enough pop and defensive versatility to be a fourth outfielder in 2023 or beyond. … Right-hander Jack Kochanowicz is 6-foot-6 with big stuff, but seemed reluctant to just let it rip last year and go after hitters, posting a 7 ERA in Low A with far too few strikeouts for this kind of arsenal. … D’Shawn Knowles is a plus defender in center and plus-plus runner, possibly 70 and 80 respectively, with 31 steals in 32 attempts last year, but Low-A pitchers took advantage of his lack of pitch recognition and he posted a .280 OBP. … They took several other interesting college arms in the draft who might zip through the minors quickly in relief, including former Vandy closer Luke Murphy (92-93 with a good changeup), Tulane’s Braden Olthoff (92-94 with sink and 60 control), and Louisville right-hander Glenn Albanese, who missed most of the spring while coming back from 2020 Tommy John surgery.
2022 impact
Detmers is in the rotation, and I expect a much better performance from him the second time around. Junk should spend much of the year in the majors in a swing role or the rotation.
The fallen
Right-hander Chris Rodriguez, a former top 100 prospect who lost prospect eligibility when he spent a few months in the Angels’ bullpen last year, underwent shoulder surgery that will probably cost him all of 2022, which would mark the third year since he was drafted that he lost to injury.
Sleeper
Vera’s the obvious candidate to show up on the top 100 next year, although Bush is pretty close because of the improvement in his slider.
(Photo of Reid Detmers: Nick Cammett / Diamond Images via Getty Images)
