The Los Angeles Angels aren't coming into the 2024 season with much promise. They lost their best player, they have a new head coach and injuries still play a crucial part in whether they'll succeed.
The Halos could be even worse in 2024, but if all works out, they could also be the surprise team this upcoming season. It's a weird situation that the Angels find themselves in currently.
Although the Angels are focused on the present, their future looks bright. As we've seen last season, many of their prospects got their shot in the big leagues.
The Halos may not have the best of prospects, as a whole, according to multiple farm system rankings. However, the Halos have some great pieces, including 18-year-old outfielder Nelson Rada.
Rada may be young, but he is on the rise. Bleacher Report's Joel Reuter calls for Rada to be the breakout star for the Angels organization.
Los Angeles Angels: OF Nelson Rada (Age: 18) Signed for $1.9 million out of Venezuela in 2022, Rada hit .311/.446/.439 in the Dominican Summer League in his pro debut, and he made the jump straight to Single-A for his first season stateside in 2023. Still 17 for much of the year, he hit .276/.396/.346 with 21 extra-base hits and 55 steals in 115 games. He currently profiles as a table-setting center fielder, but there is potential for him to develop more extra-base pop in the coming years.
The 18-year-old is the number three prospect in their farm system, deservedly so. In his minor league career, Rada has slashed .285/.410/.371 with a .781 OPS, three home runs, and 74 RBIs in 603 ABs and 165 games. He also added 82 stolen bases.
Rada is currently on the Halos single-A team, the Inland Empire 66ers. The Angels signed the young lefty batter in January of 2022, and he has played well for them ever since. He is among the best outfielders and the youngest player from the 2022 international class.
Nelson is a product of the Angels Dominican Academy, and he impressed in instructional league play from the start. This is only the beginning for the young outfielder, whose ceiling could be sky-high.
More must-reads: