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The Los Angeles Angels system has become depleted largely due to promotions of some guy named Mike Trout and Garrett Richards, trades that sent Jean Segura and Johnny Hellweg to Milwaukee, and poor showings in recent drafts. But there is a legitimate top prospect and some young players who could help the parent club soon.
Below are my top 16 prospects with 2013 opening day age, position, and comments on each player. Below the top 16 is a small list of additional notable names. Enjoy.
| Player | Comments | |
| 1 | Kaleb Cowart (20-3B) | Cowart did not disappoint in his first full season in pro ball. His discipline improved vastly and it showed with a drop in K-rate and a 14.3% walk rate in his final stop in High-A. He is a good athlete with a plus arm and great bat speed that generates plus raw power that is starting to show in games. He should end 2013 in AA and could be on the fast track to third base in Anaheim. |
| 2 | Nick Maronde (23-LHP) | He was a reliever at the University of Florida and in his short stint for LAA in 2012. He has the frame to be a good inning-eater and has excellent control to go with an above-average fastball, slider, and developing change-up. He reminds me a lot of Brett Cecil when he was a prospect. If all fails then he could be a very good reliever but has the ceiling of a #3 or #4 prospect if the Angels give him time in AAA instead of using him in the pen. |
| 3 | C.J. Cron (23-1B) | The oft-injured slugger has plus raw power and made a lot of contact (12.9% K-rate) for a slugger. But he is limited to 1B and isn’t even average at the position, and his patience and discipline at the plate leave a lot to be desired with an abysmal 3.1% in High-A as a 22 year old college product. Unacceptable! But he has the potential, with improved discipline, to be a legitimate big league slugger. |
| 4 | Travis Witherspoon (24-OF) | Witherspoon made huge strides last season in the area he lacked the most: discipline. He posted a 10.5% walk rate between High-A and AA and we are starting to see his tools play in games. He has plus speed and if he wasn’t blocked by Trout he could be the Angels’ CFer soon. He uses the entire field and has at least average power with potential for more. Some bad luck in AA (.242 BABIP compared to .338 in career prior) kept his stat line down. I am much higher on him than most but I see potential for an above-average regular in center. |
| 5 | Randal Grichuk (21-OF) | Speaking of making strides, Grichuk, finally healthy for a season, saw his K-rate drop to 16% while maintaining solid power. He is till raw and it shows with a 4% walk rate but his defense improved and his tools are finally manifesting on the field. With some seasoning and improved approach he could be an above-average regular. |
| 6 | Taylor Lindsey (21-2B) | Lindsey has an above-average hit tool but below-average patience that could be his undoing if he does not learn some. The rest of his tools are average and he has the chance to be an average big leaguer at second if he can learn a little patience and discipline. |
| 7 | Mike Clevinger (22-RHP) | Clevinger has a fastball that reaches the mid-90s in short stints but that fact that he has three pitches that are at least average and a frame built for eating innings the Angels wisely moved him into the rotation where he has the chance to be a #3 starter. If the starter gig does not work, he had an arm injury that ended his season, he can always move to the pen where is fastball can play up and make his change-up look even better. |
| 8 | R.J. Alvarez (21-RHP) | Alvarez was the Angels’ top pick in 2012. He is a college reliever who will remain in that role but has a plus fastball and above-average offspeed pitch. He needs a real out-pitch breaking ball if he wants to pitch in high-leverage situations. |
| 9 | Austin Wood (22-RHP) | Command and control are killing his stock and his mid-to-upper 90s fastball is a bit flat. He pairs it with a slider that flashes plus but is far from consistent and he has a change-up that is developing. If he can improve the command and control he has #3 starter potential but I see more a reliever here than starter but the Angels are doing the right thing by letting him work out as a starter before moving him to the pen. |
| 10 | Cam Bedrosian (21-RHP) | He missed all of 2011 with Tommy John surgery but I love his arm. He has an above-average fastball and a slider that was already flashing plus. He could be a pen arm, though, with lack of a third pitch and a non-typical starter’s frame. |
| 11 | Kole Calhoun (25-OF) | I would like to see him get a chance for regular at-bats because he has great discipline at the plate but might not have enough power for a corner outfield, where he profiles best, and may end up being a solid 4th OFer who plays a long time in the Majors in that role. |
| 12 | Mark Sappington (22-RHP) | Sappington has the frame to eat innings and his fastball is in the low-90s but he struggles with command and needs to develop his secondary offerings. A move to the pen seems likely and his fastball could play up there but he will be given the chance to start and become a back-of-the-rotation innings eater. |
| 13 | Luis Jimenez (25-3B) | He has a quick bat and above-average hit tool to go with doubles-power but lacks discipline at the plate and is barely average in the field despite decent speed. He could have a few solid seasons in the Majors but looks more like a good reserve in the Juan Francisco mold. |
| 14 | Alex Yarbrough (21-2B) | Yarbrough is a lot like Lindsey with a good hit tool but lacks discipline and is average everywhere else. He really has to improve that 3.6% walk rate if he wants to reach his potential as an average regular. |
| 15 | Eric Stamets (21-SS) | Has the potential to be a plus glove at shortstop and offers plus speed as well. The bat has a long ways to go and he will never hit for power but he does make a lot of contact and if he adds patience to his game he could be a regular at the big league level one day. |
| 16 | A.J. Schugel (23-RHP) | He has an average three pitch mix and “knows how to pitch” and the numbers showed that in AA. He could be a fifth starter in the Majors and shouldn’t be too far from reaching the big leagues. |
A few more: Andrew Romine (SS), Jose Rondon (SS), Carlos Ramirez (C)
-Jonathan C. Mitchell can also be found writing about the Tampa Bay Rays at DRaysBay and you can follow him on twitter at @FigureFilbert. Be sure to follow MLBdirt at @MLBdirt
Filed under: Digging Deep - Analysis Tagged: | 2013 Top Prospects, A.J. Schugel, Alex Yarbrough, Andrew Romine, Austin Wood, C.J. Cron, Cam Bedrosian, Carlos Ramirez, Eric Stamets, Jose Rondon, Kaleb Cowart, Kole Calhoun, Los Angeles Angels, Luis Jimenez, Mark Sappington, Mike Clevinger, Mike Trout, Nick Maronde, Prospects, R.J. Alvarez, Randal Grichuk, Taylor Lindsey, Travis Witherspoon
CJ Cron is better than you give him credit for. With another year in AAA he will go on to have a similar career as Trumbo, except he cant throw as an outfielder. He can be a star DH somewhere…like NY Mets. CJ Cron and Bourjos for Dickey.
jk im an idiot. just realized he cant DH there. duh. dang it.
Haha! No worries. Like Trumbo, he makes too many outs but Trumbo has more power. I like From but not as high on him as others.