Los Angeles Angels Top 15 Prospects

After undergoing Tommy John surgery as a freshman at Minnesota and struggling to throw strikes afterward, Klassen saw things click in pro ball, quickly looking like a steal by the Phillies in the sixth round. Klassen was packaged as the headliner, along with Samuel Aldegheri, in the Angels’ return for Carlos Estevez.

It’s been a weird 2025 for Klassen, whose underlying data suggests better results than what he yielded in Double-A. A comebacker that left him with a concussion and resulted in a few missed starts in June only added to the oddity of the season.

Arsenal

The stuff is loud for Klassen, boasting a fastball that averages 97 MPH along with a pair of quality breaking balls. His fastball can flirt with the dead zone, but Klassen generates whiffs off of sheer velocity and deception, turning inwards and hiding the ball as he strides forward before uncorking somewhat of a sling shot delivery.

His breaking balls really play up from this slot, with a 90 MPH gyro slider that hovers around zero inches of vertical and horizontal break, darting sharply below bats.

It was one of the best performing breaking balls in the minor leagues in 2024, holding opponents to an OPS below .400, and continued to be his most effective pitch in 2025. Klassen’s power curveball at 85-87 MPH with slurvy two-plane action. The bigger break makes it more difficult for him to locate as consistently, but it is an effective third offering to both lefties and righties.

Outlook

Klassen still is below average in the command department and the maximum effort in his delivery lends concern that it may be difficult for him to consistently throw strikes as a starter.

His sheer quality of stuff and pair of breaking balls that are effective to lefties and righties could continue to help him fend off the reliever risk, but he will need to take another step forward in the command department to stick as a starter and push closer to his middle-rotation upside. If he moves to the bullpen, Klassen could be a wipeout high-leverage arm.

2. Tyler Bremner – RHP – (CPX)

Height/Weight: 6’3″, 190 | Bat/Throw: R/R | 1st Round (2), 2025 (LAA) | ETA: 2026

Bremner offered one of the highest floors in the draft with an above-average fastball and the best changeup of the class. A strike thrower, Bremner fits the bill of the potentially fast-moving arm that the Angels like to target, but for him to consistently succeed in the big leagues, he’ll likely need to find a reliable third pitch.

Arsenal

Bremner utilized a three-pitch mix at UC Santa Barbara, dominated by his fastball and changeup. The fastball sits in the mid-90s with decent carry. His fastball command and shape can be inconsistent at times relative to his changeup, with the tendency to sail it above the top of the zone when his timing is off.

That said, he still averaged out to a 64% strike rate on the fastball in his draft year, aided by a chase rate of roughly 30% on the four-seamer, most of which came at the top of the zone. Assuming Bremner can maintain the run and ride on his heater with the big league ball, it could be a plus pitch.

His best pitch is a potential double-plus changeup at 83-85 MPH, averaging 18 inches of horizontal with late fade. His long arm action and ability to maintain his arm speed makes it extremely difficult to pick up the changeup out of his hand, and he locates the pitch effectively east and west.

It’s effective to both lefties and righties, each hitting below the Mendoza Line against it in his draft year with a 67% strike rate and big in-zone whiff numbers.

The slider lags far behind the fastball and changeup for Bremner, flashing slurvy action at 85-88 MPH with the tendency to flatten out. It was hit hard in 2025, with a strike rate below 60% and minimal swing and miss.

Outlook

Bremner’s fastball and changeup, paired with a track record of avoiding free passes should make Bremner a candidate to get to the upper minors quickly. For Bremner to reach his middle-rotation upside, he will need to find a more reliable third offering. The effectiveness of his changeup against hitters of both handedness helps, but a downer curveball or cutter could play more effectively. A likely easier and more attainable addition to his arsenal would be a sinker.

With the potential for an above-average fastball and double-plus changeup, even just an average third offering could put Bremner on track to be a middle-rotation option.

3. Nelson Rada – OF – (Triple-A)

Height/Weight: 5’9″, 170 | Bat/Throw: L/L | IFA: $1.8M – 2024 (LAA) | ETA: 2026

A glove-first, contact-oriented outfielder, Rada has been aggressively pushed by the Angels, reaching Triple-A in his age-19 season.

Hitting

Starting open with his weight slightly stacked towards his back side. He sinks further into his backside as he pulls his hands back with a simple stride that allows him to see the ball early. As a result, Rada makes plenty of contact with great swing decisions.

Rada’s polish at the plate has allowed him to handle very aggressive assignments. It’s near bottom-of-the-scale power, placing plenty of pressure on his ability to get on base. The good news is, Rada is patient with an excellent feel for the zone and recognizes spin well, resulting in strong walk rates.

The contact within the zone has consistently been solid for Rada, though he could be a bit more effective in spoiling pitches with two strikes, given his feel for the barrel and ability to spray the ball all over the yard. He’s also an excellent bunter.

There’s not a ton of room for added strength within Rada’s frame, though it’s reasonable to hope for a bit more raw impact as he enters his twenties. Regardless, Rada will need to really hit to be a regular.

Defense/Speed

A plus runner, Rada covers plenty of ground in center field with natural reads. His above-average arm only helps his case as a potentially plus defender up the middle. He’s an aggressive base stealer as well, swiping plenty of bags in volume in his minor league career, but he could be more efficient. With a bit more refinement, Rada should be a consistent stolen base threat.

Outlook

The ceiling for a player like Rada may be somewhat limited, but he has a great chance of at least landing as a fourth outfielder–especially when you consider the fact that he has posted above-average numbers in the upper levels as a teenager.

If the hit tool can trend closer to plus, Rada has a chance to be an everyday centerfielder, though he more likely lands as a second division regular/high-end fourth outfielder.

4. Denzer Guzman – SS/3B – (Triple-A)

Height/Weight: 6’1″, 175 | Bat/Throw: R/R | IFA: $2M – 2021 (LAA) | ETA: 2026

A prized international free agent, Guzman struggled through his first few pro seasons before breaking out in 2025. His above-average glove on the left side of the infield always aided his floor, but there’s a bit to dream on offensively now, too.

Hitting

Starting upright with his feet a little more than shoulder-width apart, Guzman’s pre-swing operation is simple with a small hand load and stride. He recognizes pitches well with a good feel for the strike zone, demonstrating what looks like plus plate discipline, hedging some of the contact concerns that hang over his offensive outlook.

Guzman hits velocity well and that spills over into harder sliders and cutters, but changeups and breaking balls with depth give him trouble as he has the tendency to pull off with his front side in his effort to pull the ball in the air at a high clip.

His ability to drive the ball in the air pull side is a big reason why the slug numbers are strong against velocity, but also why he can struggle to stay on stuff breaking away from him. Guzman flashes above-average raw power with a 90th percentile exit velocity of nearly 105 MPH in 2025, which, paired with his batted ball angles, gives him a chance for above-average power.

It will be important for Guzman to at least tap into average game power, as the hit tool is likely to be on the fringy side at best. His plus plate discipline and ability to pull the ball in the air certainly helps his case, especially in his age-21 season at the upper levels.

Defense/Speed

Guzman is a smooth defender on the left side of the infield with the ability to play an above-average shortstop, but the Angels have mixed in plenty of third base reps at the upper levels, with Zach Neto holding down shortstop in Anaheim. He’s an average runner, but you wouldn’t know it by his footwork on the dirt with a plus arm to supplement. He’s very comfortable throwing from all angles as well, looking like he could be a plus defender at third base.

Outlook

Guzman’s 2025 breakout has quickly made him a priority in the Angels’ farm system. An at least above-average glove on the left side of the infield already softened the offensive barrier needed to fill a big league role.

The fact that he has produced in his age-21 season at the upper levels only helps solidify his floor, but there’s still some concern that the hit tool could ultimately be below average.

With the plate discipline to hedge and some more power to dream on, Guzman looks like he can at least be a quality utility piece in the infield, but he’s not far off from projecting as a regular on the left side with time on his side.

5. Caden Dana – RHP – (Triple-A)

Height/Weight: 6’4″, 215 | Bat/Throw: R/R | 11th Round (328), 2022 (LAA) | ETA: 2025

After a dominant 2024 campaign in Double-A, Dana looked like a shell of himself through the first half of the 2025 season before the Angels shut him down for six weeks. He returned with sharper stuff, but still projects as a back-end innings eater.

Arsenal

While it is technically a four-pitch mix, Dana mostly relies on his fastball and slider. The fastball sits right around the mid-90s with generic shape and slightly above average extension, when he’s really feeling it, he can run it up to 98 MPH.

Dana’s 83-85 MPH slider is his best pitch with late, slurvy break. He will manipulate it for more gyro break at times or with a little more sweep on others. Picking up above-average whiff rates and rarely yielding hard contact with it, Dana’s slider flashes plus.

The 86-88 MPH changeup has a chance to be an average third pitch for Dana, but it’s inconsistent, landing it for a strike hardly north of 50% at the upper levels. He will mix in a taste-breaking curveball that is a distant fourth pitch with even less consistency.

Outlook

In true Angels fashion, they rushed Dana to the big leagues at the end of the 2024 season and even brought him up for a couple of outings in 2025. Adjusting to the PCL in between has presented some challenges and his command was backed up for the first half of the season.

Looking sharper down the stretch, Dana still looks the part of a back-end starter and at just 21 years old has more time to develop, though that will likely be in the major leagues. At a sturdy 6-foot-4, 215 pounds with a clean delivery, Dana looks like he’s built to eat innings.

6. Ryan Johnson – RHP – (High-A)

Height/Weight: 6’6″, 215 | Bat/Throw: R/R | Comp B Round (74), 2024 (LAA) | ETA: 2025

After taking Johnson just after the second round of the 2024 draft, the Angels catapulted Johnson into a bullpen role with the big league team before he pitched a single inning in the minor leagues. After understandably hitting a bit of a wall, the Angels sent Johnson to High-A, where they have transitioned him back into a starting role.

Arsenal

A four-pitch mix, Johnson’s arsenal works well east and west with good command. His most reliable pitch is a low-90s cutter that he will throw more than a third of the time. Johnson pounds the strike zone with it, while generating good swing and miss numbers and plenty of weak contact.

His funky delivery likely only helps make the right on right matchups even more uncomfortable for hitters with a windup that sees him hardly lift his lead leg up before swinging a long arm action behind him.

While Johnson doesn’t really utilize a four seamer, the wait the cutter plays out of his hand and off of his sinker and slider makes it a good swing and miss pitch at the top of the zone as well when he sets it up. His plus slider is his best pitch with good sweep and some ride. He uses it slightly more than his cutter against righties, but still mixes it in with plenty of success to lefties as well thanks to its unique movement and his feel to locate it.

The sinker may not be a great pitch in a vacuum, sitting around 92-95 MPH with 12 inches of horizontal action. The run plays up from his slingshot arm action and horizontal separation from the slider and cutter. He will mix in a changeup that mirrors the sinker shape almost identically. At 85-87 MPH, it’s an average offering to lefties, especially when they’re on the sinker, cutter cadence.

Outlook

The decision to transition Johnson to a starter’s role has turned in positive results in the early going, with his stuff playing well at High-A. There’s some concern that the delivery may not necessarily be conducive to maintaining velocity deep into starts and into the season, though he has had little issue pitching effectively beyond the sixth inning at High-A and has an arsenal that can allow him to be economical with plenty of strikes and weak contact.

Johnson has a chance to be a back-end starter who blends ground balls and weak contact with enough whiff and rarely beats himself. That said, he most likely projects as a swingman who could be effective in various roles.

7. Hayden Alvarez – OF – (Low-A)

Height/Weight: 6’2″, 190 | Bat/Throw: R/R | IFA: $2.3M – 2024 (LAA) | ETA: 2028

A contact-oriented bat, Alvarez signed for $2.3 million in the 2024 IFA class before turning in a mediocre pro debut in the DSL. His age-18 season has been much more impressive, mashing his way off the complex and starting hot at Low-A.

Hitting

Starting with a wide stance, slightly open, and stacked towards his back side with his hands just in front of his back shoulder, Alvarez loads early, hovering with his front foot with minimal hand movement. The simple pre-swing moves allow him to consistently be on time with a direct path to the ball geared for contact.

His early move allows him to see the ball well and make plenty of contact, though he can get onto his front side prematurely, which, paired with his bat path, results in a lot of contact on the ground. He has longer legs, which can make it difficult to hold the back side as long, especially with a wide stance.

The feel for the barrel really stands out, rarely getting beat within the zone at the complex and through his first taste of Low-A, while demonstrating a great feel to spoil tough pitches in the shadow of the zone. The contact rates only climbed as the 2025 season progressed, but the ground ball rate did as well, pushing closer to 60%.

With an average exit velocity right around 85 MPH, Alvarez’s power is well below average. The good news is, he has flashed some decent bat speed and has room to add strength within his frame. His patience at the plate and feel for the strike zone only help his case in the on-base department, which, paired with his ability to get to different pitch types and locations, should make him a tough hitter to punch out.

Defense/Speed

An above-average runner, Alvarez has the long strides to potentially cover enough ground in center, though his reads are not great with routes that can take him off track. The Angels will continue to give him reps up the middle and it will just be a matter of tracking his development out there.

He shouldn’t have much issue handling a corner if he is to move there ultimately. An aggressive base runner, Alvarez swiped 24 bags on 29 tries in the Arizona Complex League before struggling to be as efficient as he made the transition to Low-A.

Outlook

Alvarez and Denzer Guzman have been two of the most exciting stories in the Angels system in 2025 as two expensive IFA signings who made respective leaps. Alvarez has turned the corner quicker than Guzman, but may not have the same amount of upside.

Even so, great bat-to-ball skills, above-average speed and good plate discipline will always be a strong foundation. If Alvarez can develop in center field, that would surely take pressure off of his light-impact bat, but if he moves to a corner, he has plenty of time to add impact as he will just be 19 years old for the entirety of the 2026 season.

8. Chris Cortez – RHP – (High-A)

Height/Weight: 6’1″, 205 | Bat/Throw: R/R | 2nd Round (45), 2024 (LAA) | ETA: 2026

A flame-throwing right-hander who mostly pitched in relief at Texas A&M, the Angels wasted no time transitioning Cortez into a starter’s role, where he has been effective at High-A despite below-average command.

Arsenal

Cortez touched 101 MPH in college, averaging 99 MPH out of the bullpen for the Aggies in what was typically multi-inning relief down the stretch of the season. Now as a starter in pro ball, Cortez averages 97.5 MPH with his heater, touching 100 on a handful of occasions in 2025. Even at such a high velocity, it’s a ground ball pitch rather than a swing and miss offering with sinker action that he tends to spray around the bottom half of the zone.

Opponents produced a contact rate north of 85% against it in 2025, beating it into the ground at a 70% clip. His best pitch is his plus slider at 85-88 MPH. It can be tough to pick up from his short arm delivery, averaging roughly 25 inches of horizontal separation from his sinker.

The cutter has good underlying data and traits with poor surface level results. It sits in the low 90s with gyro break, picking up whiff and chase when he locates it. The problem is, Cortez tends to leave it over the heart of the plate too frequently, especially to righties.

Outlook

Cortez’s arm talent and ability to get ground balls likely played a key part in the Angels’ decision to try him as a starter, and while the numbers have been solid from a run-prevention standpoint, he still projects better out of the bullpen.

In shorter spurts the fastball, slider combination will be all he really needs with both presumably playing up. With a walk rate hanging out around 15% at High-A, it is worth wondering if the Angels make that change with Cortez ahead of the 2026 season, as his best two pitches could play well in a big league bullpen with a bit more refinement.

9. Joswa Lugo – SS – (CPX)

Height/Weight: 6’3″, 225 | Bat/Throw: R/R | IFA: $2.3M – 2024 (LAA) | ETA: 2029

A big and powerful teenager, Lugo impresses with his top end exit velocities, but he appears to be far off from tapping into his raw power consistently in games.

Hitting

Starting with his feet a little more than shoulder-width apart, Lugo rocks into his backside with a gathering leg kick. It’s more of a rock back and forth, meaning as soon as he shifts his weight into his backside, he tends to push it back forward over-striding with the barrel sometimes lagging behind.

His inconsistent lower half results in inconsistent batted ball quality, evident by Lugo’s EV90 of 108 MPH, but a hard hit rate around 35% at the complex. Lugo has popped exit velocities as high as 113.5 MPH in his age-18 season, yet he left the yard just twice in his first 35 games. An elevated ground ball rate limits the game power as well, especially against fastballs that tend to get too deep on him with his lunging stride.

The positive is that Lugo already possesses plus raw power and then some for his age and appears to have a decent ability to recognize spin. It’s an uphill battle for Lugo in the hit tool department, but with his bat speed and strength, he could produce even if the bat to ball is 40 grade if he can learn to hit the ball at better angles.

Defense/Speed

The bigger Lugo gets, the more likely he is to slide over to third base, where his good hands and above-average arm should play well. He will continue to get reps at shortstop and has a chance to stick there if he can maintain his agility, but third base seems most likely. An average runner now, Lugo may slow down a tick as he matures.

Outlook

Lugo has the potential for plus power with the ability to stick on the left side of the infield, which is why the Angels shelled out north of $2 million to sign him out of the Dominican Republic in 2024. It’s more realistic that Lugo starts hitting balls at better angles than making a leap in the hit tool department, giving him a hit-over-power outlook on the left side of the infield. Assuming he doesn’t make a huge leap in the contact department, Lugo projects as a short-platoon power bat.

10. Trey Gregory-Alford – RHP – (Low-A)

Height/Weight: 6’5″, 235 | Bat/Throw: R/R | 11th Round (322), 2024 (LAA) | ETA: 2028

Despite taking him on Day 3 of the Draft, the Angels gave Gregory-Alford second-round money ($1.96 million) to sign him away from Virginia. He did not make his pro debut until 2025, turning in solid results in the Arizona Complex League, behind his upper-90s fastball, before hitting the ground running at Low-A.

Arsenal

A fun project with an electrifying arm, Gregory-Alford sitting in the upper 90s, touching 101 MPH. The heater does not have the most ideal shape, which is common for hard-throwing teenage arms. Averaging nine inches of break in each direction, Gregory-Alford is hanging around the dead zone and resulting in less whiff, though the lack of induced vertical break creates some heaviness that can generate contact on the ground.

Gregory-Alford’s best secondary pitch is a gyro slider in the upper 80s. He has gained confidence in the pitch as he has racked up more pro innings, picking up above-average whiff and chase numbers as well as a high ground ball rate thanks to the late drop.

He will mix in a firm changeup around 90 MPH that is a distant third pitch, but slowly improved over the course of the season.

Outlook

Standing at 6-foot-5, 235 pounds at 19 years old with a live arm, Gregory-Alford is an exciting project, and his strong results in 2025, despite a very raw arsenal and nearly 70% fastball usage, only helps his case. There’s concern that the ability to overpower hitters with sheer velocity won’t translate as well as he climbs levels, given the high fastball usage and poor shape.

The slider looking like it can be an above-average pitch definitely helps his case, but he may need to develop a sinker as well. He’ll get plenty of runway as a starter, though Gregory-Alford projects best as a hard-throwing reliever.

11. Gabriel Davalillo – C – (DSL)

Height/Weight: 5’11″, 210 | Bat/Throw: R/R | IFA: $2M – 2025 (LAA) | ETA: 2029

A bat-first backstop with baseball bloodlines (his brother is a pitcher in the Rangers org and his father played in the Angels org), Davallillo was one of the top backstops in the 2025 IFA class and has looked the part in his pro debut.

He has battled minor injury which has limited his reps behind the dish, but posted a zone contact rate north of 90% through his first 40 pro games while flashing average power potential.

He has a strong arm and the ingredients to develop into a decent defender at catcher, though it’s hard to take much away from his limited defensive action in 2025. Davalillo has a chance to climb up the Angels’ prospect ranks in 2026 if he can convert the impressive offensive skill set stateside.

12. Chase Shores – RHP – (CPX)

Height/Weight: 6’8″, 250 | Bat/Throw: R/R | 2nd Round (47), 2025 (LAA) | ETA: 2026

Fitting the bill of the hard-throwing collegiate relievers the Angels like to target, Shores looked increasingly sharp the further removed he was from his 2023 Tommy John surgery. The tall, powerful right-hander works down the mound very athletically for a pitcher of his stature, creating a unique angle for hitters as a 6-foot-8 pitcher releasing from a roughly 5.3 foot height.

His fastball improved from a velocity, command and life standpoint as the season progressed. Averaging roughly 100 MPH over his final 10 appearances of the season, his fastball generates more run than ride, but the latter plays up from his low release point. His slider lacks some desired bite, though his arm angle and speed should be capable of generating a more effective breaking ball as he gains more comfort spinning it.

13. Johnny Slawinski III – LHP – (CPX)

Height/Weight: 6’1″, 175 | Bat/Throw: L/L | 3rd Round (79), 2025 (LAA) | ETA: 2029

*Pre-Draft report from Just Baseball’s Tyler Jennings*

An impressive athlete with a stringbean frame, Slawinski is a dynamic mover down the bump with tons of projection, deception, and pitchability that scouts covet. It’s a quick arm from a lower slot and natural deception, as he hides the ball well and creates some crossfire action.

Slawinski has yet to throw exceptionally hard, as he’s been in the 89-92 MPH bucket thus far and maxing out at 93 MPH, but the heater gets on hitters quickly with good life and command to both sides of the plate.

Given the projection and arm speed, there’s a good chance that Slawinski can throw much harder in the spring. His high-spin change-up is sold very well in the upper-70s, featuring tons of fading and tumble away from righties and excellent velocity separation from the heater.

The mid-70s breaking ball projects more as a two-plane curveball with good bite and shape, he also added a low 80s slider that looks like it could be better.

14. Talon Haley – LHP – (CPX)

Height/Weight: 6’2″, 200 | Bat/Throw: L/L | 12th Round (349), 2025 (LAA) | ETA: 2029

*Pre-Draft report from Just Baseball’s Tyler Jennings*

Haley’s story is about perseverance

He has overcome cancer and an arm injury over the past couple of years, but now he’s healthy and has the makings of a potential draft pick. Haley is on the older side of the class, as he’ll be 19.5 on draft day, but that hasn’t deterred teams from taking chances.

Haley has a ton of arm speed from the left side and has a loose, athletic delivery. After a solid showing at Super 60, Haley has held low-90s velocity consistently and has peaked at 95 MPH, jumping out of his hand.

His best offering is an upper-70s curveball with hammer traits and tunneling ability off the heater. There’s a ton of depth with legitimate bite. He does possess a spin-killing cambio in the low-80s with good velocity separation and some shape, though he’s working on developing it.

There’s a lot to like here, though the injury history is something to note. The Angels stuck to their strategy of over-slotting high school arms beyond the 10th round, giving Talon third round money to sign him away from a Vanderbilt commitment.

15. Barrett Kent – RHP – (Low-A)

Height/Weight: 6’3″, 215 | Bat/Throw: R/R | 8th Round (234), 2023 (LAA) | ETA: 2028

Barrett is a sturdy right-hander with the potential for a quality fastball/slider combo, but has been plagued by command issues ever since the Angels gave him third-round money to forego college. The fastball generates some good run and ride and has sat in the mid-90s at points and a tick or two lower at other times.

His gyro-slider flashes plus and tunnels well off the heater from his arm angle. The curveball and changeup lag behind mostly due to his lack of command, as both are too frequently non-competitive offerings. Kent returned from injury and started to throw the ball much better in his second stint at Low-A after the All-Star Break, but unless he makes a leap command-wise, Kent likely projects as a reliever.

Other Names to Watch

Samuel Aldegheri – LHP – (Double-A): Aldegheri has seen some big league action for the Angels that he was not ready for and he has seen his velocity drop by nearly two ticks in 2025, averaging barely north of 90 MPH on his fastball. His above-average slider and solid changeup have helped him compete in the Southern League, but with a step backwards in the command department to pair with the downtick, Aldegheri is trending in the wrong direction as he turns 24 years old. 

Juan Flores – C – (High-A): A glove-first catcher who signed with the Angels for $280,000 in 2023, Flores does not provide much offensively but is a plus defender with an elite arm, throwing out more than 30% of attempted base stealers as a pro. Flores projects as a backup catcher if he can pick up the offense just a little bit. 

CJ Gray – RHP – (CPX): *Pre-Draft report by Tyler Jennings*
A two-sport athlete from Kannapolis, Gray sprang onto the draft scene during an outstanding outing at NPI, striking out seven batters and walking none with explosive traits. Gray’s frame is lean and athletic, possessing good projection overall with strength in his lower half.

It’s a longer arm swing behind the back, but there’s explosive arm speed from a three-quarters arm slot. The fastball has tickled 97 MPH this spring, and he’ll hold mid-90s velocity with running action at the knees and some carry upstairs. It’s a high-spin offering that jumps on hitters quickly, and he throws a good amount of strikes with it.

He leaned heavily on the heater, though there’s a good two-plane curveball with snap and depth in the upper-70s. He’ll throw in a low-80s cambio, as well. Secondary improvement will be key, but there are not many heaters better than this in the prep class. 

Joel Hurtado – RHP – (Double-A): Signed just for $10,000 in 2022, Hurtado hit a wall in 2024, walking 82 batters in 138 ⅔ innings. 2025 has been a different story for Hurtado nearly halving his walk rate in Double-A while developing a feel for an above-average splitter. With four seamers and sinkers in the mid-90s and an above-average slider, Hurtado has a shot at developing into a No. 5 starter and has at least positioned himself as a potential depth arm. 

Dylan Jordan – RHP – (Low-A): A funky right-hander with a long arm action and low release, Jordan generates plenty of arm-side run on his fastball, which can pair with his slider to make for an uncomfortable right-handed at bat. The Angels will give Jordan a runway as a starter given their $1.25 million investment to sign him away from Florida State in the 2024 draft, but he projects as a potentially unique relief option who could be tough on righties. 

Matthew Lugo – UTIL – (MLB): Acquired from the Red Sox alongside several other prospects in exchange for reliever Luis Garcia, Lugo has played all three outfield spots since joining the Angels org and has experience playing on the dirt. It’s a power-over-hit profile with Lugo projecting as a solid bench piece if he can sustain the bat-to-ball gains at the highest level.

Sammy Natera – LHP – (Double-A): A late-blooming southpaw reliever, Natera really stood out out in the Arizona Fall League in 2024 before struggling out of the gate in Double-A in 2025. Natera has since shaken off some command challenges that held him back in the first half of the season, throwing plenty more strikes with a fastball slider combination that looks like it can play in a big league bullpen.