Don’t forget to pick up your copy of the The 2023 Prospect Digest Handbook here!
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1. Edgar Quero, C
| Hit | Power | SB | Patience | Glove | Overall |
| 55 | 60 | 50/40 | 60 | 50/55 | 60 |
Background: The Angels have invested serious chunks of money on the international free agency market in recent history, but one of the club’s small bonuses handed out two years ago is making the largest impact. A native of Cienfuegos, Cuba, Quero agreed to join the Halos’ organization for $200,000 prior to the start of the 2021 season. And he’s been a revelation ever since. The 5-foot-11, 170-pound backstop ripped through the Arizona Complex League during his professional debut that summer, hitting .256/.440/.506 with 13 extra-base knocks, before earning a late-season promotion up to Inland Empire. The front office kept the then-19-year-old catcher back in Low-A for a full-season crack at the league’s pitching. And he dominated. Quero mashed .312/.435/.530 with 35 doubles, two triples, 17 homeruns, and 12 stolen bases. Per Weighted Runs Created Plus, his overall production topped the league average mark by 50%.
Scouting Report: Consider the following:
- Since 2006, only four 19-year-old hitters posted at a wRC+ total between 145 and 155 with a sub-20% strikeout rate in a season in Low-A (min. 400 PA): Luis Arraez, Alek Thomas, Alen Hanson, and – of course – Edgar Quero.
At this point it’s probably easier to list what the young phenom can’t do. And, well, there’s nothing on the list. Quero’s a (A) switch-hitter with no platoon splits, (B) hits for average, (C) hits for power, (D) runs well – especially for a catcher, (E) works the count, (F) gets on base, and (G) plays strong defense. He may eventually creep into the same of talent as Francisco Alvarez, Endy Rodriguez, and Diego Cartaya. Incredible bat speed, among the best in the system, with easy plus power. He’s going to be a consensus Top 10 prospect within in a year. The Angels haven’t had a dominant bat behind the dish since Mike Napoli. Now the system has two premium options in Quero and Logan O’Hoppe.
Ceiling: 4.0-win player
Risk: Moderate
MLB ETA: 2024/2025
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2. Logan O’Hoppe, C
| Hit | Power | SB | Patience | Glove | Overall |
| 50 | 55 | 30 | 45 | 55 | 60 |
Background: It was one of the more intriguing – almost out of nowhere – deals at the deadline last summer with the Angels agreeing to send struggling former top prospect Brandon Marsh to the Phillies for prospect Logan O’Hoppe. And the initial results look promising for both organizations. Marsh, a 2016 second round pick, benefitted from a change of scenery as he slugged .288/.319/.455 in 41 games in Philadelphia and he stayed hot during the club’s deep playoff run. And O’Hoppe looked Ruthian in his month-long stint with the Angels’ Double-A club and briefly made his Major League debut. The 6-foot-2, 185-pound backstop, who was a 23rd round pick by the Phillies in 2018, hit an aggregate .283/.416/.544 with 14 doubles, one triple, 26 homeruns, and – surprisingly – seven stolen bases. His overall production with both club’s Double-A affiliates was a whopping 59% better than the league average, per Weighted Runs Created Plus.
Scouting Report: Just how good was O’Hoppe’s bat last season? His 159 wRC+ ranked second among all qualified Double-A bats (trailing only Mets top prospect Brett Baty) and the sixth best production line in all of the minors’ (among hitter with at least 300 PA). Despite his late round draft status, O’Hoppe has always flashed tremendous offensive potential and it – finally – came to fruition last summer. An absolute grinder on both sides of the ball, O’Hoppe has the makings of a potential All-Star caliber backstop. And he’s shown a new plus skill: working the count thanks to his improved eye. Great looking swing with impressive bat speed, O’Hoppe stands tall but crouches as the pitcher begins his approach towards the plate. Defensively, he may win a Gold Glove or two. In terms of upside, think .270/.340/.480.
Ceiling: 4.0-win player
Risk: Moderate
MLB ETA: Debuted in 2022
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3. Zach Neto, SS
| Hit | Power | SB | Patience | Glove | Overall |
| 55 | 50 | 50 | 50 | 50 | 60 |
Background: Miami Coral Park Senior High School has a surprisingly long list of famous alums, including ballplayers Jose Canseco, Ozzie Canseco, Orestes Destrade, Steve Foucault, Pete Gonzalez, Luis Montanez, Sean Rodriguez, and Eric Soderholm. And that’s not including other celebrities like Pedro Gomez, the beloved ESPN reporter who passed away in 2021; Elsa Murano, the 23rd President of Texas A&M; Alex Marvez, former President of the Pro Football Writers of America; Steven Reinemund, the former Chairman of the Board and CEO of Pepsico; and – of course – Mr. World Wide, Pitbull. Zach Neto, a 6-foot, 190-pound, was a phenomenal two-way player during his time at Miami Coral Park Senior High School, earning: All-District Team nominations three times, Second Team All-American as a junior, HSBN Senior All-Star Game MVP, and 2019 Senior All-Star Public Team. After a bit of a slow start to his collegiate career, Neto, who earned just six plate appearances and a brief start on the mound, had a massive breakout campaign for the Campbell Fighting Camels during his sophomore season. In 44 games, the young shortstop / right-handed reliever batted .405/.488/.746 with 17 doubles, three triples, 12 homeruns, and 12 stolen bases while posting a 3.43 ERA in 21.0 innings of work. Neto moved into the Cape Cod League that summer and continued to rake, slugging .304/.439/.587 against some of the best collegiate arms. Last season the redshirt sophomore continued to manhandle the competition to the tune of .407/.514/.769 with career bests in doubles (23), homeruns (15), and stolen bases (19). He also made four relief appearances for the Big South Conference squad, striking out eight and walking three in 4.2 innings of work. The Halos selected Neto in the opening round, 13th overall, and signed him to a deal worth $3.5 million. Los Angeles briefly sent their first rounder to High-A, but after seven games they bumped him up to the minors’ toughest challenge – Double-A – for the remainder of the season. The former Camel star slugged an aggregate .299/.377/.476 with nine doubles, one triple, five homeruns and five stolen bases.
Scouting Report: Per the usual, here’s Neto’s pre-draft write-up:
“Consider the following:
- Since 2011, here’s the list of Division I hitters to bat at least .400/.500/.700 with a 2-to-1 walk-to-strikeout ratio in a season (min. 250 PA): Adley Rutschman, the first overall pick in 2019; Andrew Vaughn, the third overall pick the same year; and – of course – Zach Neto, the Campbell University star.
One of the largest knocks on Neto is his level of competition: the Big South Conference will never be confused with the likes of the SEC or Big 12 or ACC or Pac 21. So Neto’s statistical domination with the Fighting Camels will always be viewed with some level of skepticism. Except that he dominated the Cape Cod League by slugging .304/.439/.587 with a one-to-one strikeout-to-walk ratio. Neto’s leg kick is a cross between late-career Darryl Strawberry and Sadaharu Oh. It’s a massive leg kick, almost like he’s going through a pitcher’s windup, not reading himself to hit. Neto has a chance for an above-average hit tool, 50-grade pop, speed, and the defensive chops to stick at shortstop.”
Ceiling: 4.0-win player
Risk: Moderate
MLB ETA: 2024
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4. Nelson Rada, CF
| Hit | Power | SB | Patience | Glove | Overall |
| 40/50 | 30/55 | 55 | 50 | 50/55 | 55 |
Background: Like a lot of the other up-the-middle Top 20 prospects in the Angels’ farm system, Rada was handed a hefty seven-figure bonus off the international free agency scene – nearly $2 million, to be precise. A native of Valencia, Venezuela, Rada turned in an impressive showing in the foreign rookie leagues last summer, slugging .311/.446/.439 with 12 doubles, three triples, one homeruns, and 27 stolen bases (in 33 total attempts). His overall production, per Weighted Runs Created, his overall production topped the Dominican Summer League average by a whopping 48%. Oh, by the way, he was just 16-years-old, among the youngest prospects in any level of the game.
Scouting Report: Consider the following:
- Since 2006, there have been eighty-eight 16-year-old hitters that earned at least 200 plate appearances in any foreign rookie leagues. Of those 88, Nelson Rada’s overall production, 148 wRC+, ranks as the sixth best. The five hitters that topped Rada’s production line – Alexander Mojica, Rayne Santana, Eguy Rosario, Moises Gomez, and Michael De La Cruz – all had a worse contact rate than Rada.
Really good looking swing, particularly from a baby-faced 16-year-old. There’s a lot of maturity in his mechanics, very controlled with great rotation. Rada – clearly – is still a project / lottery ticket at this point. But there’s a lot, a lot of potential to turn into an impact hitter in the coming years. Great bat speed with natural loft that projects for above-average pop. He made consistent contact during his stint in the DSL and – more importantly – his production wasn’t solely based on high walk rates (which is common for the level). Don’t be surprised if he pops up as a Top 100 prospect in two years.
Ceiling: 3.0-win player
Risk: High
MLB ETA: 2025
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5. Chase Silseth, RHP
| FB | CB | SL | SF | Command | Overall |
| 60 | 45/50 | 55 | 60 | 50/55 | 55 |
Background: The list of viable big leaguers the organization has drafted since 2013 is fairly small: Sean Newcomb (2014), David Fletcher (2015), Taylor Ward (2015), Jared Walsh (2015), former top prospect Brandon Marsh (2016), Griffin Canning (2017), and Reid Detmers (2020). And if the 2015 draft class is ignored, the franchise’s lack of big leaguers stings like stubbed toe. But for all the front office(s) shortcomings, the ball club not only unearthed a viable pitching prospect in Chase Silseth, but they did so in latter parts of the 2021 draft with a pitcher that was rather abysmal during his collegiate career. Mainly a relief option during his freshman season with the Tennessee Volunteers, Silseth posted a 4.35 ERA in 20.2 innings of work, recording a stout 24-to-6 strikeout-to-walk ratio. The 6-foot, 217-pound right-hander would transfer to the College of Southern Nevada and then eventually on to the University of Arizona – where he would spend his final amateur season in the Wildcats’ rotation posting a 5.55 ERA with solid peripherals (9.7 K/9 and 2.7 BB/9) in 18 starts. Los Angeles would draft him in the 11th round, 321st overall, and sign him to a deal worth $485,000. Then after a quick debut in the Complex League, the organization promptly bumped him up to Rocket City for two brief starts. Five more starts in Double-A in 2022 and – somehow? – Silseth was up in the big leagues shutting out the Oakland A’s for six innings. He would yo-yo between the minors’ toughest level, AA, and the game’s pinnacle level, MLB, for the remainder of the year. Silseth would throw 83.0 innings with Rocket City, averaging 11.9 strikeouts and just 2.9 walks per nine innings. He tossed another 28.2 innings of work with the Angels, recording a 24-to-12 strikeout-to-walk ratio.
Scouting Report: Consider the following:
- Since 2006, only four 22-year-old hurlers have posted a strikeout rate north of 33% in any Double-A league in one season (min. 75 IP): Clay Buchholz, Jose De Leon, Reese Olson, and – of course – 2021 11th round pick Chase Silseth.
A vastly superior arsenal than you’d expect given his late round draft status, Silseth attacks hitters with a plus mid-90s fastball, reaching as high as 97 mph a few times during his final start of the year. He backs that up with a trio of offspeed pitches. He’ll throw a rare upper 70s curveball that is fringy average with good appeal but minor league hitters didn’t miss it much. He’ll rely on his above-average, mid-80s slider and a plus splitter (which is often listed as a changeup). The split-finger offering shows tremendous dive and tumble. The best part: he can throw the plus offering for strikes. LA let Silseth get his feet wet in the big leagues – just a year removed from pitching in college – so he’ll likely get a longer look in 2023. There’s backend potential with a very high floor as a fastball / splitter combo guy in high leverage relief outings.
Ceiling: 2.0-win player
Risk: Low to Moderate
MLB ETA: Debuted in 2022
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6. Ky Bush, LHP
| FB | CB | SL | SF | Command | Overall |
| 55 | 50 | 60 | N/A | 50 | 50 |
Background: After the front office selected hard-throwing Miami University of Ohio ace Sam Bachman in the opening round two years ago, the front office grabbed Saint Mary’s College of California lefty Ky Bush in the second round, 45th overall. And just like they did with Bachman – as well as Chase Silseth – Bush was almost immediately pushed directly in Double-A, the true proving ground. The big 6-foot-6, 240-pound southpaw, who made five brief – mostly dominant – starts in High-A West during his debut, spent the entirety of last season twirling strong start after strong start with the Trash Pandas. He would average nearly a punch out per inning (8.8 K/9) with a strong feel for the strike zone (2.5 BB/9). He would finish his first full season in the minor leagues with a 3.67 ERA, 4.29 FIP, and a 4.13 xFIP.
Scouting Report: Consider the following:
- Since 2006, only seven 22-year-old hurlers posted a 22.5% to 24.5% strikeout percentage with a 6% to 8% walk percentage in a season in Double-A (min. 100 IP): Corbin Martin, Brett Kennedy, Nick Tropeano, Robert Dugger, Vladimir Gutierrez, Juan Gutierrez, and – of course – Ky Bush.
The prototypical polished college lefty. Bush fills the zone up with plenty of strikes, shows a well-rounded arsenal mixed with a bit of guile and guts. Bush’s fastball seemed to take a small step backward in his first year in the professional ranks, now sitting comfortably in the 91- to 93-mph range. His curveball has ticked up to fringy average at this point, though he struggled locating in the bottom half of the zone in the start I scouted. His slider remains a veritable out pitch. And his changeup has crept up into average territory, though it’s straight but still misses the fat part of the bat. Bush looks like a solid #4 / #5 option, something along the lines of early career Daniel Norris.
Ceiling: 1.5- to 2.0-win player
Risk: Moderate
MLB ETA: 2023
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7. Kyren Paris, 2B / SS
| Hit | Power | SB | Patience | Glove | Overall |
| 40/45 | 50 | 60 | 55 | 50 | 50 |
Background: The Angels’ front office opened up their 2019 draft class with a pair of shortstops – N.C. State star Will Wilson and Freedom High School product Kyren Paris – before ripping off fourteen straight pitching selections. A little more than six months later Wilson was used as a sweetener to convince the Giants to take on Zack Cozart’s $12.7 million deal – thus leaving Paris as the highest player in their class. The 55th overall player taken that year, Paris was limited to just a trio of games in the rookie leagues during his debut. And his 2020 season was KO’d thanks to COVID, so – by and large – his true debut wouldn’t happen until the following year. Paris ripped through A-ball for a month before hitting the DL, returned to Inland Empire 2.5 months later where he continued to hit. And he would eventually spend the last several weeks in High-A. Last season, though, didn’t go as well. Opening the year back up in High-A, the 6-foot, 180-pound infielder started the year as cold as a woolly mammoth’s toe nails, hitting a frigid .176/.306/.290 over his first 49 contests. But he seemed to right the ship in late June and got hotter as the season came to end, batting an impressive .291/.407/.517 over his remaining 58 games – 14 of which were with Rocket City in the Southern League. He finished the year with an aggregate .241/.363/.417 slash line, belting out 20 doubles, five triples, 12 homeruns, and 33 stolen bases (in 37 total attempts). His overall production, according to Weighted Runs Created Plus, was a surprising 20% better than the league average mark.
Snippet from The 2020 Prospect Digest Handbook: 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 to High
MLB ETA: 2024
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8. Adrian Placencia, 2B / SS
| Hit | Power | SB | Patience | Glove | Overall |
| 40/45 | 50 | 60 | 50 | 50 | 50 |
Background: Part of the bounty the club hauled in off the international scene during the 2019-20 signing period. Placencia received a hefty $1.1 million bonus. The diminutive switch-hitting middle infielder would make his affiliated debut two years ago in the Arizona Complex League – though, the results were abysmal. The Los Alcarrizos, Dominican Republic native hit a putrid .175/.326/.343 with just 11 extra-base knocks in 43 games. Needless to say, the initial return on vestment was lacking. Then 2022 happened. Undeterred by Placencia swinging a wet noodle during his debut, the front office aggressively challenged the teenage prospect by sending him up to the California League. And he shined. In 104 games with Inland Empire, the 5-foot-11, 155-pound infielder slugged .254/.387/.427 with 23 doubles, two triples, 13 homeruns, and 21 stolen bases (in 29 attempts). His overall production, according to Weighted Runs Created Plus, was 16% better than the league average – an improvement of 32 percentage points over his weak debut.
Scouting Report: Consider the following:
- Since 2006, only three 19-year-old hitters posted a 110 to 120 wRC+ total with a 28% to 32% strikeout rate and a double-digit walk rate in a season in Low-A (min. 400 PA): Robbie Grossman, Jackson Frazier (formerly known as Clint Frazier), and – of course – Adrian Placencia. Just for those counting at home: Frazier owns a career 105 wRC+ and Grossman owns a career 103 wRC+ mark.
Great bat control and shows an incredible willingness to shoot the outside pitch the other way and he has no qualms about turning on the inside pitch. Good bat speed, especially for a smaller player. The swing can get a little long at times. And he’s already showing some swing-and-miss issues: he whiffed 30% of the time in 2022. I’m betting on the bat control and suspect his K-rates will decline in the coming years. Plus speed. Solid glove at the keystone, where he’ll eventually shift permanently. Really interesting pieces here. If he puts it all together, he could be a massive breakout candidate in the next year or two.
Ceiling: 2.0-win player
Risk: Moderate to High
MLB ETA: 2024/2025
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9. Sam Bachman, RHP
| FB | SL | CH | Command | Overall |
| 55/60 | 60 | 50 | 45 | 45 |
Background: One of the biggest risers in the 2021 draft class. Everything about Bachman typified a potential Angels draft pick: (A) he pitched, (B) he was a college prospect (C) he threw hard, (D) he could have a quick track to the big leagues, and – oh year – (E) he pitched. So it wasn’t surprising when the Angels, who are always in search of any type of pitching (particularly in the Mike Trout era), selected the former RedHawk ace with the ninth overall pick two years ago. And just like a few of his 2021 draft counterparts, he spent the year in Double-A in 2022 – though it was plagued with an extended stay on the disabled list and some mediocre production. Bachman would make just 12 starts for the Trash Pandas, throwing 43.2 innings with 30 strikeouts and 25 free passes. He finished the year with a 3.92 ERA, 5.32 FIP, and 5.33 xFIP.
Scouting Report: The book on Bachman was quite simple: he’d come in and blow the doors off the competition with his plus-plus, triple-digit fastball. Except that’s not what he did or what he showed in 2022. Bachman’s fastball sat in the 93- to 94- mph range and touched 95 with noticeable effort. His slider looked plus still. And his changeup was a 50-grade hit or miss offering. Based on his work in 2022 alone, Bachman looked like a potential backend reliever. He did lose a lot of developmental time due to injury, so 2023 will go a long way towards determining his future. One more final thought: the command seemed to really leave him at points.
Ceiling: 1.5-win player
Risk: Moderate
MLB ETA: 2023
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10. Werner Blakely, 3B / SS
| Hit | Power | SB | Patience | Glove | Overall |
| 40/45 | 40/55 | 60 | 55 | 45 | 45 |
Background: A product of Detroit Edison High School, the Halos selected Blakely in the fourth round in 2020, 111th overall, and signed him to a deal worth $900,000 – the fifth largest bonus in the round. And he promptly flopped during his debut in the Complex League two years ago, hitting a lackluster .182/.339/.284 with six doubles and three homeruns in 44 games. But things seemed to click for the lefty-swinging third baseman / shortstop because he was a revelation for Inland Empire last year. While injuries sapped a lot of his game time – he appeared in just 55 contests – Blakely slugged a scorching .295/.447/.470 with 13 doubles, two triples, five homeruns, and 24 stolen bases (in 26 total attempts). His overall production, according to Weighted Runs Created Plus, was a whopping 45% above the league average – a 66-percentage point improvement from his debut showing.
Scouting Report: Consider the following:
- Since 2006, only four 20-year-old hitters posted a 140 to 150 wRC+ with a walk rate north of 15% and a strikeout rate north of 24% in Low-A (min. 225 PA): Nolan Jones, Anthony Alford, Drew Robinson, and Werner Blakely.
Formerly committed to Auburn University, Blakely is long and wiry with plenty of room to fill out. Offensively, he takes massive cuts, nearly swinging out of his shoes at times. The swing is long, but fast. He hasn’t tapped into his above-average, maybe even plus, power potential yet. But it’s definitely in there. Like a few of the club’s other better hitting prospects, Blakely, too, has some massive swing-and-miss issues; he K’d in 29.8% of the time last year. Great eye at the plate. Plus speed. Very good athlete. Defensively, he’s an outfielder masquerading as a third baseman / shortstop. Very high risk, but the tools are undeniable.
Ceiling: 1.5-win player
Risk: Moderate
MLB ETA: 2024/2025
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All statistics were provided via the following website: Baseball Reference, FanGraphs, TheBaseballCube, BaseballProspectus, ClayDavenport.com, and Baseball America.
