If you thought our review of the Angels farm system ended when our Top 30 countdown ended, you were wrong. Scotty Allen is back to review the top tools in the Angels farm system. Take it away, Scotty!
Pitchers
Best Fastball: Austin Wood/Victor Alcantara. If Austin Wood is healthy and fully recovers from missing two consecutive years of development due to injury, then his fastball is the best in the system. He leaves it up too much, doesn’t hide it and the pitch doesn’t move at all. It’s just a straight 98+ MPHÃÂ fastball. Here, see if you can hit this! If Wood does end up being done, the mantle shall be passed to Victor Alcantara, who on a bad day throws 94-95 as a starter. On a good day, 97+ gas.
Best Slider: Kyle McGowin. The velocity and break McGowin deploys with his slider is jaw dropping. It’s even more breathtaking if it lands in the strike zone.
Best Curveball: Nate Smith. This award was definitely set to go to Ricardo Sanchez before he was dealt to Atlanta in the Kubitza trade. Smith’s is a very good offering in the minors and likely a good or at least average pitch in the majors. Definitely something that can get hitters out.
Best Changeup: Nick Tropeano. This award has Mike Morin‘s name stamped on it from the day that he was drafted. But now that he’s emerged as a fixture in the mid-late innings for the Angels, the newly acquired Tropeano takes the cake. Nick’s changeup is so good Fangraphs wrote an article about it. Easily one of the best in minor league baseball.
Best Control: Andrew Heaney. Heaney is one of the rare prospects that hovers in the Dan Haren territory of strike throwers. Just amazing control and command for that matter.
Most Polish: Nick Tropeano. There just aren’t any weaknesses in him as a pitcher that need to be addressed in the minors. Andrew Heaney is in the conversation, but Tropeano’s command, changeup and intelligence make him an obvious candidate for the rotation right now.
Most Upside: Sean Newcomb. Big, left handed, mid-90’s fastball, plus slider and potentially plus changeup. Yeah that’s what aces look like.
Most Underrated: Chris Ellis. Seriously, no one remembers this guy, or even knows who he is right now. That’ll change soon. A low-90’s fastball with the chance to climb into the mid-90’s, a plus changeup and in a year or so, a plus curve. He isn’t sure where it’s going yet but give him time. This kid is going to be very good, but he’s still a few years off.
Hitters
Best Bat: Alex Yarbrough. As far as a batted ball profile goes, Yarbrough’s a marquee player. He has great hand-eye coordination, can hit the ball to all fields and will hit for average at any level.
Best Power: Kyle Kubitza. The Angels really don’t have any power hitting prospects left after C.J. Cron‘s graduation. Natanael Delgado has power potential, and so does Kubitza, but Kyle’s build seems more conducive to an increase in HR’s. He’s a big, strong kid, and the ball parks he’s played in have helped knocked some of his potential HR’s down. This will happen in Anaheim too, but when he gets to play against anyone in the AL East, or in Texas, that should help him. I can envision 15-20 HR’s in his future.
Best Discipline: Kyle Kubitza. A .405 OBP in AA last year, in a pitcher’s park. .381 career OBP in the minors. Right around 80 walks per year. Kubitza should be an OBP machine at any level.
Best Speed: Eric Stamets. He’s not the best baserunner the Angels have, but as far as speed from a spot to 90 feet go, there’s no one in the system faster than Eric Stamets.
Best Baserunner: Chad Hinshaw. He just stole 40 bases in his first full year in the minors. Granted, he was caught more than you’d prefer to see, but Chad Hinshaw should be a consistent base-stealing threat at ever level of the minors.
Most Upside: Kaleb Cowart. Yeah, him again. Look, neither I or anyone else actually believes he’ll capitalize on all of his talent as a position player. But as far as potential goes, if we hit the lottery and everything just came together for him, Cowart would be a switch-hitting gold glove defensive third baseman that hits for power, average, reaches base and steals bases too.
Most Polished: Kyle Kubitza. He’s improving at every level and is creeping ever closer to putting it all together and being a major leaguer. Great discipline, improving defense and power potential.
Most Underrated: Bo Way. The onlyÃÂ thing anyone actually knows about him is that he’s that guy with a cool name. but there’s much more here than meets the eye. He shouldn’t be a power hitter but his excellent speed results in a lot of doubles. His first taste of pro ball resulted in him hitting .347/.410 with 13 SB in only 60 games. Yeah, he was old for the level, but the tools are actually here to grow into a very good fourth OF or even starting OF and leadoff hitter in the majors someday. Not bad for a guy no one has ever heard of.
Most Range: Eric Stamets. The things he does at shortstop are nothing short of magical. It’s like watching Peter Bourjos in CF but with Mike Trout‘s jumping ability. He’s the sort of guy you jump out of your seat for at first, and then after a few times you just smile and laugh. He’s that good at shortstop.
Best Arm: Kaleb Cowart. It should really help him when he’s inevitably forced to transition back to the mound.
Best Glove: Eric Stamets. Long live the king of future utility infielders.
Highest Climber Potential: Austin Wood. Supposedly, he’s finally healthy. If he is, and the Angels do indeed decide to keep him a starter, I’d be very intrigued. His big strong frame, high-90’s fastball, plus slider and potentially plus curve could make him a potential Garrett Richards type of starter (minus all of the movement on the fastball). Even if he ends up being a reliever, he has a Jordan Walden look to him, which could make him a closer or setup man on any team.
Lowest Potential Fall: Kaleb Cowart. There are undoubtedly a whole bunch of players who won’t be here next year, but Cowart takes the cake. If he struggles in AA again, there’s no way he’ll ever be on this list, by principle alone. Fool me once (2010/11) shame on you, fools me twice (2011/12) shame on me, fool me three times (2012/13) I’m gullible, fool me four times (2013/14), I’m stupid, fool me five times (2014/15) stop reading what I write. If I’m fooled again, I quit.
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