This is part two of the monthly Angels prospect update articles which give an update on the standing of certain prospects in reference to their spot on the top prospect list. You can find part one here:
- LHP Nate Smith – Rising. Smith has had the reputation as a soft-tossing lefty, which up to this point hasn’t necessarily been inaccurate. He’s typically sat 88-89 MPH with a good changeup and curve. In his first four starts this season, Smith’s velocity has increased into the 91-92 range, which would put him slightly above average for a LHP. I’m not entirely sure where the additional 3 MPH came from. It could be his work with Mike Hampton in the minors, it could be added strength from an offseason workout regimen, or it could simply be that his arm is fresh right now. Whatever the case, Smith’s 1.54 ERA 9 K/9 and 1.5 BB/9 puts him directly in line to compete for a spot in the Angels rotation in the future, or if that group is too full he could be dealt. But, it’s becoming increasingly apparent that Nate Smith will end up being a starting pitcher in the major leagues. He’s experienced success at every level and looks ready.
- LHP Hunter Green – Same. I was really hoping Green would make it to full season ball this year, after missing all of last year with a back injury. He did look good according to reports in Spring Training, and has added fastball velocity as expected. I’ll be eager to see him in Orem this year. For those that need reminding, Green was selected in the second round of the draft a couple years ago and was seen as a bit of a steal on the Angels part because as a prep lefty, he definitely had first round upside. Hopefully that potential still exists.
- 3B Kaleb Cowart – In Freefall. Not only has Cowart continued to flounder at the plate, he’s now been demoted back to Advanced-A Ball and has been leap-frogged on the depth chart. A shift back to the mound should be coming any day now.
- RHP Kyle McGowin – Falling. McGowin has lots of upside, and he has fully returned from the Tommy John scare he had last season, but so far in Double-A the results haven’t been there. He’s missing the plate and is really searching for some consistency. But as I said, the upside exists and it’s still quite early.
- RHP Victor Alcantara – Through the roof. There’s a lot to be excited about with Alcantara, like the youth, the fastball, the slider, the fact that he was a Future’s Game participant at age 21 and the fact that posted an ERA under 4.00 in his first full season as a pro. But then there are things to be weary of. He only pitches from the stretch, and that he generally has little idea where the ball is going. He hit four batters last year and we still haven’t confirmed if any of them are alive and fully functioning. But we’ve seen a different Alcantara this year, a more refined Alcantara. No longer is he pumping gas in at 97-100 MPH, it’s now more of a controlled 94-97 MPH. No longer is he falling off the mound or struggling with balance, he’s perfectly balanced now. No longer are we seeing sliders thrown five feet too short or over batter’s heads. Now we’re seeing that devastating pitch in the strike zone. To put it as plain as I can, if Alcantara can stay in the zone and develop a changeup, he can be a staff ace.
- RHP Chris Ellis – Same. Sure, you might look at the 6.86 ERA and ask why he might still be held in such esteem. But in this case it isn’t about the numbers as much as it getting to see what he’s capable of. Ellis is showing the same 91-95 MPH fastball that caught our eye last year, and the ball is still cutting, tailing, diving, tumbling and whatever else it can possibly do. That sort of movement on a fastball is great. The only one I’ve ever seen with the same sort of movement in Garrett Richards. The difference is, Ellis right now still can’t quite manipulate it to where he can decide which movement will happen. It’s out of control and it’s random at this point. That means a lot of balls have been left over the plate, where they tend to get hit. The curve and the changeup are both plus pitches. So with three “plus” pitches, you can see why Ellis has fanned 27 in 19 innings. Now if he ever learns to command them, he’ll be unstoppable.
- RHP Joe Gatto – Falling. I was really hoping to see Gatto pitch a full year this season, but it doesn’t look like that’s going to happen. He came with the reputation of being an advanced prep pitcher a solid average breaking ball, changeup and fastball. But he just hasn’t progressed far enough yet.
- 2B Alex Yarbrough – Same. Yarbrough’s still exactly who we thought he would be. Good average, good gap power, decent speed, good defense, but lacking homerun power, slight contact issues and an inability to walk. That’s been him in a nutshell through A+ and AA. He started off slow so far in AAA but has gained momentum at the plate as of late and his defense has improved even further since last year to where now he may actually be a slightly above average defender. You have to think if Giavotella continues to hit the way he has for the Angels, they may end up using Yarbrough as trade bait. He still looks like a future starting 2B in the majors.
- 3B Kyle Kubitza – Rising. Kubitza’s been knocking the cover off the ball in AAA so far. His bat is definitely MLB ready as is his approach. He’s hit 11 doubles, two triples and a home run in only 20 games which batting .333. That’s great, it really raises hopes that he’ll be able to step in next year and take over at 3B for David Freese. But the main reason Kubitza’s in AAA this year is actually for his glove. He’s been a poor fielding 3B ever since he was drafted and so far this year, it’s no different. The one silver lining here is that his defense is better right now than it has been at any time n his career. He’s moving around well and has a good strong arm. But consistency is key.
- RHP Cam Bedrosian – Same. In fact, basically the exact same. Bedrosian shows one thing in the minors and another in the majors so far. The hard as nails fastball and electric slider are still there, still ready to dominate hitters. In AAA, he’s pitched 8 innings, given up no runs, no walks and has struck out 13. That’s downright insane. The video game numbers continue. In the majors, he hasn’t been scored upon, but he’s still missing his spots. The same thing applies as it did last year, if Bedrock hits his spots, he’ll be a dominant reliever at the Major League level.
- RHP Nick Tropeano – Rising. Nick was good in AAA last year, and got roughed up slightly in the majors. No problem. What we cared about is that now we have this pitching prospect that can slot into the rotation any time he’s needed. The scouting report was pretty much dead-on, he throws 91-92 with sinking movement on his fastball and have one of the best changeups in all of baseball. What we saw in his only outing with the Angels thus far was a very good curveball too. His stock is rising because now it appears he has two “plus” pitches and another that’s slightly above average. The ability to spot his three offerings makes him a potential mid-rotation starter. The fact that Weaver can’t top 83 MPH and is getting rocked and that Wilson, Shoe and Santiago have had inconsistent results so far only helps this cause. Tropeno’s going to be a good SP in the majors for the Angels. The only question I have is, who’s he going to replace?
- SS Roberto Baldoquin – Falling. We can’t be too hard on Baldoquin, this is his first taste of life and baseball stateside. He signed for $8 million and quite frankly, he’s got a lot on his mind, which isn’t necessarily helped by the language barrier. He’s a couple years younger than most of the competition in the Cal League and it’s shown so far. He’s hitting just .154 with lots of strikeouts and pretty inconsistent play at SS. Maybe it’s been too much too early for him. After all, Yoan Moncada of the Red Sox was signed this winter and still hasn’t even made it into game yet. Maybe the Angels have been too fast with him. Regardless, Baldoquin hasn’t shown us anything yet, but I’m confident that he will in time. He also hasn’t played in over a week and isn’t on the DL. That, I can’t explain.
- LHP Sean Newcomb – Rising. We all knew Newcomb has tremendous upside, given where he was drafted and his size and strength. What Newcomb has lacked is refinement. The Angels decided to take it slow with him, sending him to A Ball first when many of his counterparts are in Advanced-A Ball or even Double-A and the majors. The Angels need to make sure he irons out a few inconsistencies before promoting him. So far in A Ball, he’s done that to the tune of 28 Ks in only 20 innings and a 1.80 ERA. We did see a bit of his rawness pop up in his last start when he walked 5, but so far, he’s been hard to score on, let alone hit against. Mid-90’s from a big lefty will do that.
- LHP Andrew Heaney – Falling. Heaney’s a very good pitcher. He’ll be even better in a couple of years. But for now, he isn’t quite what Angel fans thought he was. We thought we were getting a young LHP top prospect to slot into the rotation. It seemed like a great deal for Howie Kendrick. Instead the Angels got a top LHP prospect that needs a little more time in AAA to iron some stuff out and gain consistency before breaking into the majors. Heaney had a rough Spring and has been inconsistent in AAA. His first start he went 7 innings, no runs, no walks, 8 K’s. That’s what he’s capable of doing every fifth day, but he isn’t there yet. His next start was evident of this as he couldn’t make it out of the first inning. His next two starts were better, going 5+ innings and keeping the runs at a minimum. One of those he struck out 9, the other he didn’t strike out a single batter. It’s just a mark of a kid that’s still learning how to pitch. The scouting report is out on him and hitters will be attacking him in much smarter manner, so he’ll need to adjust, which he will. It seems likely he’ll be in the rotation at some point this year, and if not, next year seems like a solid bet. The upside is still the same, a #2 or 3 starter with a good low-90’s fastball from a difficult angle, a very good sweeping slider, good curve and very good change up.
Non-Top 30 prospects whose stock has also risen this April.
A Ball: Jake Yacinich, Caleb Adams, Keynan Middleton (former Top 30), Jake Jewell, Jonah Wesely (Former Top 30), Eduardo Paredes
A+: Austin Adams (Former Top 30), Greg Mahle, Brandon Bayardi
AA: Wade Hinkle, Brian Hernandez, Danny Reynolds, Nate Hyatt, Eduard Santos, Kurt Spomer,
AAA: Jeremy McBryde
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