Los Angeles Angels Prospect Hotlist – 7/15/2013

What’s Up: Daniel Hurtado was one of the excellent starting pitchers on the 2011 Dominican Summer League championship-winning team.  Standing tall and very lanky at 6’3″, The soon-to-be 21-year-old Hurtado creates tremendous extension and follows through nicely.  This is extremely rare for younger pitchers, as this is a skill that usually comes along later in the developmental process.  Stuff-wise, his fastball is currently fringy at 88-90 MPH, with his secondaries being average to fringe-plus.  He works with a large over-hand curveball and a change-up that shows a bunch of promise.  Based on his delivery and mechanics, Hurtado has the potential to add a tick to his fastball which would seriously improve his prospect status.  

What’s Up:  After surviving a punch in the face from the Angels for not being called-up after Bourjos went down with an injury, Calhoun has rebounded in Salt Lake, furthering his cause to be called up for his tremendous play.  A terrific defensive outfielder, unlike J.B. Shuck or Brad Hawpe, Calhoun brings an energy to any ball-club that could use a spark.  For example, the 2013 Angels could use a player like Calhoun.  Offensively, Calhoun has a quick yet powerful stroke that will likely produce 8-10 home runs at the major league level.  Frankly, it is make or break time with Calhoun and it would not be surprising to see him on a different team come August. 

What’s Up:  Mike Morin just keeps doing his thing.  With his continued dominance after a promotion to Double-A Arkansas, Morin now has a clear path to the Angels by the time rosters expand in September.  Armed with a low 90s fastball, Morin also features a respectable breaking ball and plus-plus changeup.  A pitch that is truly fun to watch.  Just 22-years-old, Morin continues to show wonderful control and command that improves with every outing.  If all goes well, Morin could be a main-stay in the Angels bullpen by the start of 2014.  

What’s Up:  Even though Snyder is old for the level he is playing in, the 23-year-old has just one full season under his belt playing professional baseball out of college.  With a quiet approach at the plate, Snyder possesses plus power with the potential to be a 15-20 homerun hitter with 30-40 doubles.  Sometimes, Snyder tries to muscle up on the ball and gets himself into trouble with bunches of pop outs and strikeouts.  Defensively, Snyder is a work in progress but it appears more and more likely that his future lies as a DH.  In the long-term, it doesn’t look like there is a clear spot for Snyder on the Angels so he could become a valuable trade piece in the future.  

What’s Up: As the Angels’ biggest Dominican signee in 2012, the bar was set high for Nataneal Delgado, a lefty-hitting outfielder.  So far, Delgado has exceeded all expectations as he has bypassed the Dominican Summer League, beginning with the AZL Angels and impressing with his bat.  Delgado stands at 6’2″ at just 17-years-old which bodes well for his power developing further in the future.  To seriously improve his ranking as a prospect, Delgado will have to improve his understanding of pitches that are hittable and pitches that he needs to lay off.  AngelsWin is confident that he will and is looking forward to Delgado moving up the system.

Notes:  Chad Cordero and Jeremy Berg continue to get the job done out of the bullpen.  They are likely next on the list if the Angels were to need another reliever.  First-baseman Efren Navarro is hitting .350 with a potential Gold Glove.  The 26-year-old was a 50th round pick.

Notes:  Nick Maronde has slowly started to regain his control but his velocity is still down from his tremendous 2012 season.  The top hitters, Cron, Lindsey, Grichuk, Cowart have remained static and have yet to break out.  

Notes:  Alex Yarbrough continues to kill the ball, solidifying himself as a top 5 prospect in the Angels’ system.  The true test will be when he reaches Arkansas as a 22-year-old next year.  Mark Sappington has recently righted the ship, tossing 4 consecutive quality starts in a row.  

Notes:  Cam Bedrosian is still throwing the crap out of the ball out of the bullpen, a move that has revitalized his career.  Org. guy Garrett Cannizaro is hitting .360 in 50 ABs for the Bees.  Outfielder Andrew Ray has knocked 14 home runs in a tough hitting environment.

Notes:  Jose Rondon is a future star.  The 19-year-old short-stop is physically imposing and has all of the tools and factors to be a top prospect in the game.  Look for him to impress the mainstream media as he progresses.  Second-baseman/Outfielder Raul Linares is hitting .431 and is enjoying the thin air of Orem, Utah.

Notes:  Little Francisco Santana has been excellent out of the bullpen, posting an ERA below 2.  At 155 pounds soaking wet, Santana has an uphill battle.  Hunter Green made his debut on Friday, giving up 4 hits and 1 earned run in 1.2 IP.

Notes: Pitchers Eduar Lopez and Eduardo Paredes are drawing rave reviews although the former has failed to put up the kind of stats he did in 2012.  19-year-old Ramon Rodriguez recently made the trip to the AZL Angels and will begin his stateside career soon.  He has a potential plus-plus fastball that sits in the mid 90s.