Don’t forget to pick up your copy of the The 2022 Prospect Digest Handbook here!
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1. Reid Detmers, LHP
| FB | CB | SL | CH | Command | Overall |
| 55 | 60 | 60 | 50 | 50 | 60 |
Background: The University of Louisville is on one helluva run the past several seasons: since 2016 the ACC powerhouse has had three players chosen in the Top 5 of the draft, seven total players taken in the opening round, and a whopping 15 players chosen through the first three rounds. And Detmers, the 10th overall pick in 2020, is the second highest pitcher drafted from the Cardinals – only outdone by two-way star Brendan McKay. A 6-foot-2, 210-pound southpaw, Detmers rocketed through the Angels’ farm system in his first professional campaign in 2021. The consensus Top 100 prospect made quick work of the Double-A South competition, posting an absurd 97-to-18 strikeout-to-walk ratio in just 54 innings of work. He was practically unhittable in his first start in Triple-A in late July, fanning nine in only six innings of work before the Angels’ front office brass promoted him up to The Show. Then, and only then, did the dominant left-hander look fallible: he got rocked for 15 runs in 19.0 innings across four starts. The organization pushed him back down to Triple-A for one brief two-inning stint before bouncing back up to LA for one more unsuccessful start.
Scouting Report: Consider the following:
- Since 2006, here’s the list of 21-year-old pitchers to post a strikeout percentage of at least 35% in a season in Double-A (min. 50 IP): Carter Capps, Grayson Rodriguez, and Reid Detmers.
Taking it one step further:
- Here’s the list of 21-year-old arms to fan at least 40% of the hitters they faced in Double-A (min. 50 IP): Reid Detmers.
Detmers was as dominant a pitching prospect that I’ve seen since writing The Prospect Digest Handbook. His fastball was hovering in the 92- to 93-mph range, and touching a tick higher at times. It may not be a “true” plus pitch, but it got a lot of late swing swings-and-misses. Both breaking balls – a mid 70s curveball and a hellacious mid-80s slider – are wicked plus offerings. And he’ll mix in an average, albeit rare, changeup as well. If the command ticks up there’s bonafide ace potential; otherwise he’s going to settle in nicely as a very good #2 with the occasional flashes of brilliance. The best news: thanks to a later birthday, Detmers is only entering his age-22 season.
Ceiling: 5.0-win player
Risk: Moderate
MLB ETA: Debuted in 2021
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2. Sam Bachman, RHP
| FB | SL | CH | Command | Overall |
| 70 | 60 | 50 | 55 | 55 |
Background: Miami University of Ohio has a few baseball claims to fame throughout its history, including: Hall of Fame manager Walt Alston, crafty left-hander Charlie Leibrandt, infielders Bill Doran and Tim Naehring, and outfielder Adam Eaton are all alums. The RedHawks have never had a player chosen in the first round. Enter: hard-throwing righty Sam Bachman. Hailing from Hamilton Southeastern High School, Bachman, a two-year letter winner, struck out an impressive 32.6% of the hitters he faced during his varsity prep career. A member of Miami’s rotation as a true freshman, the 6-foot-1, 235-pound hurler made 15 appearances, 14 of which were starts, throwing 75.2 innings with 75 punch outs, 39 free passes, and a 3.93 ERA. Bachman honed in on the strike zone with an increased regularity during his COVID-shortened sophomore season: he averaged a whopping 11.8 strikeouts and 2.3 walks per nine innings across four starts. And the Indiana-native upped the ante even further during his dominant junior campaign for the Mid-American Conference squad: in 12 starts for the RedHawks, Bachman fanned 93, walked just 17, and tallied a barely-there 1.81 ERA en route to winning four games. The Angels drafted the dynamic right-hander in the first round last July, 9th overall, and signed him to a deal just north of $3.8 million. Bachman made five brief starts for the Tri-City Dust Devils in High-A, recording 15 strikeouts and four walks in 14.1 innings of work.
Scouting Report: Per the usual, my pre-draft write-up:
“Consider the following:
- Between 2011 and 2020 there were only five instances of a MAC pitcher averaging more than 12 strikeouts per nine innings (min. 50 IP): Drey Jameson (twice), Joey Murray (twice), and Kyle Nicolas. Jameson was drafted in the first round. Murray was taken in the eighth. And Nicolas was a second round pick. Only Jameson averaged more punch outs than Bachman.
Now let’s look at all Division I hurlers. Consider the following:
- Between 2011 and 2020, only six Division I hurlers averaged at least 14 K/9 and fewer than 3.0 BB/9 in a season (min. 50 IP): Jason Bahr, Graeme Stinson, Ethan Small, Aaron Ochsenbein, Noah Song, and Jonathan Holder.
An explosive, plus-plus fastball that can touch as high as 101 mph. Bachman compliments the offering with a deadly plus slider. He’ll also mix in a solid-average changeup. Bachman has a high floor/high ceiling. He has legitimate #2-type potential, though the changeup will need to see an uptick. Similar to Toronto’s Nate Pearson.”
Ceiling: 3.0-win player
Risk: Moderate
MLB ETA: 2023/2024
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3. Arol Vera, 2B/SS
| Hit | Power | SB | Patience | Glove | Overall |
| 50/55 | 40/55 | 50/45 | 45 | 50 | 55 |
Background: The front office opened up their seemingly limitless pocketbook on July 2nd, 2019 and handed the switch-hitting infielder a hefty $2 million bonus. And Vera, who’s listed at 6-foot-2 and 170-pounds, began his professional career like a bat of hell in 2021: he opened the campaign up with a 10-game hitting streak, slugging a hearty .419/.480/.605 with the club’s Arizona Complex League. In total, the Valencia, Venezuela, native batted an aggregate .304/.370/.401 with 16 doubles, three triples, and 11 stolen bases in 57 games.
Snippet from The 2020 Prospect Digest Handbook: Vera creates a tremendous amount of torque that – barring any contact issues – will lead to 20-homer pop down the line.
Scouting Report: Wide base. Simple approach at the plate. Above-average, maybe better bat speed. And Vera doesn’t get cheated either. The over-the-fence pop hasn’t started to show up in games yet. But it’s coming. Vera makes consistent contact, and held his own as an 18-year-old in Low-A. Vera is poised to be one of the bigger breakout prospects in 2022 and could potentially wind up a Top 100 prospect as well.
Ceiling: 3.0-win player
Risk: Moderate
MLB ETA: 2024
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4. Ky Bush, LHP
| FB | CB | SL | CH | Command | Overall |
| 60 | N/A | 60 | N/A | 50 | 50 |
Background: Since the 2016 draft St. Mary’s College of California, located in Moraga, has churned out a surprising amount of professional prospects: a total of 16 players have been selected from the West Coast Conference squad – including Corbin Burnes, who’s blossomed into one of the best pitchers on the planet, and Tony Gonsolin, both were chosen in 2016. Bush, a massive 6-foot-6, 240-pound southpaw, is the highest drafted prospect from the school since the Athletics snagged Mark Teahen with the 39th overall pick in 2002. The 45th overall pick, Bush originally transferred to St. Mary’s from Washington State – after spending a year at Central Arizona College – following an abysmal freshman campaign in which he posted a 12.69 ERA in 39.0 innings of work. Last season the big lefty made 14 starts, throwing 78.1 innings with a staggering 112 strikeouts and just 19 free passes to go along with a 2.99 ERA. After signing with Los Angeles for a smidge over $1.7 million, Bush made five brief appearances with Tri-City, posting a 20-to-5 strikeout-to-walk ratio in 12.0 innings.
Scouting Report: Consider the following:
- Between 2011 and 2020, only seven Division I pitchers averaged more than 12 strikeouts and fewer than 2.4 walks per nine innings in a season (min. 75 IP): Trevor Bauer, Logan Gilbert, Casey Mize, Marcus Stroman, David Peterson, Danny Hultzen, and Nick Sandlin. Bush’s 2021 production places him among the group as well.
A plus fastball / slider combo that tends to be death on both left- and right-handers. Bush, according to reports, mixes in a pair of 45-grade offerings in his curveball and changeup – though I didn’t see any prior to the draft. He’ll need the development of one of the two to at least tick up to average, but there’s a lot to like in the Angels’ second round pick. He could move quickly in the next 12 to 18 months.
Ceiling: 2.5-win player
Risk: Moderate
MLB ETA: 2023/2024
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5. Alexander Ramirez, CF
| Hit | Power | SB | Patience | Glove | Overall |
| 40/50 | 50/55 | 50/45 | 50 | 50 | 55 |
Background: Ranked as the 24th best prospect on the international market by MLB.com during the 2018 season. The Angels handed the raw, toolsy center fielder a hefty million bonus. The following year, 2019, Ramirez spent the summer as one of the younger players in the Dominican Summer League. And he acquitted himself well enough. In 39 games, the then-16-year-old batted .234/.328/.429 with eight doubles, five triples, four homeruns, and six stolen bases. His overall production, per Weighted Runs Created Plus, was 9% better than the league average. Last summer the front office bumped him up to the Arizona Complex League where he continued to show a ton of promise: .276/.396/.512 with seven doubles, four triples, five homeruns, and three stolen bases. Then his season cratered. He was promoted up to Inland Empire in late August and looked like he never played a professional game, batting a lowly 0.83/.185/.111 in 81 trips to the dish.
Scouting Report: Among all players in domestic rookie leagues last season with 150 plate appearances or more, Ramirez’s 136 wRC+ ranked as the ninth best total out of the 90 qualified hitters. Only one other 18-year-old, White Sox’s Wilfred Veras, topped his mark. But here’s the kicker: according to FanGraphs, Ramirez’s average Exit Velocity was 95 mpg and a Max of 111 mph, which is tied for 14th among the 627 players the site has data on. Big leg kick with plus bat speed and does not get cheated. Loud tools.
Ceiling: 2.5-win player
Risk: Moderate
MLB ETA: 2025
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6. Jeremiah Jackson, SS
| Hit | Power | SB | Patience | Glove | Overall |
| 45 | 55/60 | 50 | 50 | 45+ | 50 |
Background: Mobile, Alabama-based St. Luke’s Episcopal High School is home to just one draft pick: Jeremiah Jackson, the Angels’ second round pick in 2018. A twitchy middle-infielder, Jackson put on an impressive show during the first half of his professional debut, slugging a scorching .317/.374/.598 in 21 games in the Arizona Summer League – though that was completely undone by his lackluster production with Orem later in the year (.198/.260/.396). To no surprise, Jackson found himself back in the Advanced Rookie League the following year and he…flourished. In 65 games with the Owlz, the 6-foot, 165-pound infielder slugged .266/.333/.605 with 14 doubles, two triples, and a whopping 23 dingers. Last season Jackson spent an injury-shortened year with Inland Empire in Low-A, batting a solid, Jackson-esque .263/.352/.527 with 14 doubles, three triples, and eight homeruns. He also swiped 11 bags in 14 attempts. His overall production, per Weighted Runs Created Plus, topped the league average threshold by 22%.
Snippet from The 2020 Prospect Digest Handbook: He’s still young enough to tweak the swing / approach at the plate, but he could very easily get chewed up when he reaches Class AA. Boom or bust type prospect – just like Brandon Wood.
Scouting Report: Consider the following:
- Since 2006, only three 21-year-old hitters posted a wRC+ total between 117 and 127 with a K-rate north of 30% in Low-A (min. 175 PA): Addison Barger, Rashun Dixon, and Jeremiah Jackson.
He’s intriguing the same way that 2014 first rounder Jake Gatewood was – a middle infielder with plus-power potential and a questionable hit tool. Unfortunately for the Brewers, who drafted Gatewood, the high school star had to shift away from the middle infielder. Jackson, however, has the defensive chops to at least stay on the left side of the keystone. He also walks at a significantly higher clip as well. The power and speed can be dreamed upon. But he’s going to have to keep the strikeouts in check – or at least make sure they don’t increase in the coming years.
Ceiling: 2.0-win player
Risk: Moderate
MLB ETA: 2023
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7. Kyren Paris, 2B/SS
| Hit | Power | SB | Patience | Glove | Overall |
| 45/50 | 50 | 60 | 50 | 50 | 50 |
Background: Freedom High School, located in Oakley, California, has produced just two minor leaguers – ever. Chris Bodishbaugh, a 38th round draft by the Marlins in 2003 who would eventually be re-drafted out of Los Medanos Community College, and Kyren Paris. On the opposite end of the draft spectrum, the Angels selected the twitchy middle infielder in the second round, 55th overall, and handed him a cool $1.5 million bonus three years ago. After a brief three-game cameo in the Arizona Summer League, which barely constitutes a professional debut, Paris appeared in 47 games between rookie ball, Low-A, and High-A in an injury-marred 2021 season. The then-19-year-old batted a collective .267/.388/.459 with seven doubles, seven triples, four homeruns, and 22 stolen bases.
Snippet from The 2020 Prospect Digest Handbook: [H]e doesn’t utilize a whole lot of his legs. It’s like his lower half is completely out of sync with his torso. Defensively, he’s smooth with soft hands, plenty of range, and should be able to stay on the left side of the keystone. Right now, he profiles as a bit of glove-first utility guy.
Scouting Report: The swing looks improved and he’s utilizing his lower half much more efficiently now. Plus speed. Developing power that looks like a potential average tool. The long red flag for Paris: there’s a little too much swing-and-miss to his game, even in a couple short sample sizes. He’s whiffed in 68 of his 219 total plate appearances – roughly 27% of the time. There’s a utility floor with some Jazz Chisholm-type ceiling.
Ceiling: 2.0-win player
Risk: Moderate
MLB ETA: 2024
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8. Edgar Quero, C
| Hit | Power | SB | Patience | Glove | Overall |
| 45/50 | 55 | 50/45 | 55 | 50 | 50 |
Background: Signed out of Cienfuegos, Cuba, for $200,000 a couple years ago. Quero, a switch-hitting backstop, first opened eyes during his tenure with the country’s 15U squad; he batted a scorching .400 with five walks and didn’t strikeout. Last season the 5-foot-11, 170-pound prospect made his stateside professional debut with the organization’s Arizona Complex League squad, batting a solid .253/.440/.506 with eight doubles, one triple, and four homeruns. He compiled an impressive 28-to-23 strikeout-to-walk ratio. Quero capped off his successful 2021 campaign with a 10-game cameo with Inland Empire in Low-A. He hit an aggregate .240/.405/.463 between both levels.
Scouting Report: Another of the club’s better prospects that simply didn’t get in a ton of playing in 2021. Really like the swing from both sides of the plate. Above-average bat speed, natural loft to belt out 15 to 20 homeruns. And, perhaps most importantly, Quero shows a strong ability to work the count and doesn’t give away at bats. He’s a good athlete and shows a bit of speed on the base paths as well. He’s the type of athlete that would be able to move to second or third bases without much trouble.
Ceiling: 2.0-win player
Risk: Moderate
MLB ETA: 2025
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9. Landon Marceaux, RHP
| FB | CB | SL | CH | Command | Overall |
| 50 | 55 | 55 | 55 | 50 | 45 |
Background: Los Angeles went the collegiate pitching route early and often during the 2021 draft. In fact, the front office tried to corner the entire market on college pitching last June. They had 20 picks. They took 20 collegiate arms – the third of which was Landon Marceaux, who, perhaps aptly, played for the LSU Tigers (Geaux Tigers, get it?). The 6-foot, 179-pound right-hander led the SEC powerhouse in wins (seven), games started (17), innings pitched (102.2), strikeouts (116), and ERA (2.54). The Halos snagged the Tiger in the third round, 80th overall, and signed him to a deal worth $765,300. Marceaux made a pair of very brief, limited started in the Arizona Complex League, throwing 3.2 innings with six strikeouts, zero walks, and a hefty 14.73 ERA.
Scouting Report: Consider the following:
- Between 2011 and 2020, only five SEC pitchers met the following criteria in a season: 100+ IP, 10 K/9, and fewer than 2.5 BB/9. Those five arms: Aaron Nola, Clarke Schmidt, Casey Mize, Alex Faedo, and Chris Stratton. For those counting at home, Marceaux’s production in 2021 would put him on the same list.
It’s all about the offspeed, baby! The diminutive right-hander, at least by modern day standards, showcases an average fastball, but spins a couple above-average breaking balls and mixes in a matching changeup. Had his heater been two ticks higher Marceaux would’ve been a lock as a mid- to late-first rounder. Alas, it’s not. And the Angels found a very solid pitching prospect in round three. The lack of velocity will put a strain on his average command at times, but he has the makings of a #4/#5-type arm.
Ceiling: 1.5-win player
Risk: Moderate
MLB ETA: 2023
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10. Brendon Davis, IF/OF
| Hit | Power | SB | Patience | Glove | Overall |
| 45 | 55 | 50 | 45 | 50 | 45 |
Background: From minor league retread to dominating stick. Davis, perhaps, opened more eyes in the Angels’ farm system outside of the club’s top prospects. He’s had an interesting, albeit frustrating professional career. Originally taken by the Dodgers in the fifth round in 2015, Davis’ flashy tools quickly fizzled and the club packaged him up as part of the deal for Yu Darvish several years ago. The former LA farmhand had an abysmal year in High-A in 2018. And an even worse campaign in Double-A in 2019 (he batted a disgusting .202/.298/.272). The infielder / outfielder came back from the COVID-interrupted year with a vengeance, though: rocketing through High-A, Double-A, and Triple-A, as he slugged an aggregate .290/.361/.561 with 29 doubles, six triples, 30 homeruns (which is more than his previous career TOTAL), and 16 stolen bases. Per Weighted Runs Created Plus, was 38% better than the league average.
Scouting Report: What a year for the former toolsy fifth rounder. His 138 wRC+ total ranked as the 16th best tally among all minor leaguers with 500 or more plate appearances. The good news continues: his aggregate strikeout rate, 25.1%, marks the second lowest total of his professional career and he’s flashing above-average, in-game thump for the first time as well. The only question that remains: is it repeatable – any of it, most of it, all of it? It’s not unheard of for older-ish, toolsy prospects finally putting it all together. But I’m not completely sold either. Before their massive offseason, Texas wasn’t remotely closing to contending – which boded well for Davis. Now, though, it remains to be seen.
Ceiling: 1.0- to 1.5-win player
Risk: Moderate
MLB ETA: 2022
All statistics were provided via the following website: Baseball Reference, FanGraphs, TheBaseballCube, BaseballProspectus, and ClayDavenport.com
