Los Angeles Angels: Top 10 Rookie-Eligible Prospects for 2018

We have reached the point of the offseason where prospect lists abound. We continue our top 10 prospects for every team with the Los Angeles Angels!

Our team top 10 prospect lists at Call to the Pen are spearheaded by Benjamin Chase. Today, he gives us the top ten prospects for the Los Angeles Angels.

This season, we will be going through teams by division, in order of 2017 record. The AL East will be first, followed by the AL Central and AL West. Then the focus will shift to the National League in the same order.

The format will be as it was last season for the same lists, with a system review, which will include last season’s list. The top 10 will follow in reverse order, two players per page in order to give adequate space to each player. Major trades or international signings will lead to an updated top 10!

Finally, don’t go away after #1 is revealed as each list will also contain a player either signed in the 2017 international free agent class or drafted in 2017 that isn’t part of the top 10 and should be tracked. Last season’s mentions in that area made over half of the top 10s this season, so this is a great way to get to know a player who could be making a big splash in the organization.

System overview

Last year’s list

Few farm systems have seen as much improvement recently in one year as the Angels system from 2017 to 2018. Going into 2017, the Angels were among the 3 worst teams in the game, and while they’re not among the best now, they’ve certainly moved up to one of the top half in the league.

While part of that is on the back of a guy (Ohtani) who won’t be on this list very long as he’s going to be in the major leagues right away on opening day, there is still exceptional depth that doesn’t even make this list, guys that could see the majors this year as a fill-in starter in the rotation or play a significant bullpen role, quality bench pieces, etc.

Angels fans should be very pleased with their new front office as well, as their last two drafts have absolutely nailed the value in their spot. If they can develop some of the raw talent that they picked, this system could continue on its way up, even without Ohtani.

Let’s take a look at that system….

Next: #9 and #10

10. Livan Soto, SS

Birthday (age on opening day 2018): 6/22/2000 (17)
2017 teams/levels played for: Gulf Coast League Braves
2017 Stats: .225/.332/.254, 208 PA, 7 SB, 27/26 BB/K

Info: Soto was one of the Atlanta Braves prospects that was let go in the November punishment, Soto was the second such player that the Angels signed, and some might argue that he has an even more impressive floor than the guy we’ll discuss later on in this list.

Soto was signed out of Venezuela and made his professional debut in 2017 in the Gulf Coast League. Even though it was complex ball, and the numbers weren’t pretty, there were a lot of things to be impressed with in his season.

Soto showed some of the most impressive defense seen in the minor league system of the Braves since Andrelton was fielding balls for the Braves system

Soto currently has a slight build on his 6′ frame, but he’s not likely going to fill out a ton more, already to 170ish pounds, probably a guy who could handle short well still at 185, but not much more. His calling card is absolutely his defense.

Soto showed some of the most impressive defense seen in the minor league system of the Braves since Andrelton Simmons was fielding balls for the Braves system. He has double-plus range, plus hands, and an above-average arm that he does very well setting up with good body control.

At the plate, Soto has impressive maturity, and though he did struggle a bit with some length to his swing, the fact that he had more walks than strikeouts was no fluke, and neither was his K rate staying under 13% in spite of his length to his approach in his swing. The bat speed is impressive once he gets the bat in the zone, as is his bat control.

Soto may profile more as a guy who pounds out gap hits and uses his raw plus speed and good base running instincts to be a positive offensively to accompany what is an other-worldly glove at the position. However, that profile can certainly play with the value he would provide with his speed and glove.

The Angels will likely open Soto in extended spring and send him to short season ball, but with the glove and approach already so advanced, if he can cleanup the backside of his swing, he could rocket up the Angels system.

9. Michael Hermosillo, OF

Birthday (age on opening day 2018): 1/17/1995 (23)
2017 teams/levels played for: high-A Inland Empire 66ers, AA Mobile BayBears, AAA Salt Lake Bees
2017 Stats: .267/.366/.397, 533 PA, 9 HR, 35 SB, 56/116 BB/K

Info: When he was drafted as a highly-athletic high schooler from Illinois in the 28th round in 2013, the Angels knew Hermosillo would be a project that wouldn’t likely move quickly.

He spent his first two seasons working up short season leagues and then struggled with injuries the last two seasons, not making his way out of A-ball by the end of his fourth professional season, but certainly flashing impressive all-around athleticism.

Hermosillo has shown himself to be an outfielder that can handle all three positions, with the speed and instincts to work in center and the arm to handle either corner. He’s not got a single “plus” defensive tool beyond his raw speed in the outfield.

Hermosillo has raw above-average power, but a level swing and an approach that doesn’t really allow him to best approach generating power on all pitches throughout the zone, something he’ll need to adjust in his swing and approach.

Hermosillo projects currently as a 4th outfielder, but he’s still polishing that athleticism into more true baseball skill, and there’s still upside to be seen in his profile, in spite of spending most of his 2017 in the upper minors, his first full, healthy season.

He’ll likely open in AAA in 2018, but he could fit into the Angels bench as a player to spell all three outfield spots if the Angels don’t sign a bench outfielder before the season.

Next: #7 and #8

6. Matt Thaiss, 1B

Birthday (age on opening day 2018): 5/6/1995 (22)
2017 teams/levels played for: high-A Inland Empire 66ers, AA Mobile BayBears
2017 Stats: .274/.375/.395, 606 PA, 9 HR, 8 SB, 77/109 BB/K

Info: A college catcher with Virginia, the Los Angeles Angels immediately moved Thaiss out from behind the plate to first base. Thaiss has worked to improve his defense at first base, where he’s still stiff in his range at the position, but he’s got good hands.

One of the biggest concerns evaluators had with Thaiss at first base was presenting a good target, as Thaiss is only 6′ tall and 200 pounds, so he’s far smaller than the typical first baseman. He has worked well to use his catching athleticism to present a tall target and then immediately get to position to field throws from his fielders in the infield.

At the plate, Thaiss came from college with an advanced understanding of the strike zone, and that has continued to show as he has advanced up the system. Thaiss has a career .370 on base in his minor league career, with a walk rate of 11.4% and strikeout rate of 15.6%.

Thaiss’ power completely disappeared when he got up to AA after already being questionable for the position before that. He’s going to be a guy who needs to adjust his swing to be able to access power, with a quick, powerful swing, but a level swing that doesn’t do well turning to pull on pitches.

Thaiss spent 50 games at AA in 2017, and that’s likely where he will start in 2018, but if he can show some improvement in his power access in his swing, he could move quickly with his advanced plate approach.

5. Brandon Marsh, OF

Birthday (age on opening day 2018): 12/18/1997 (20)
2017 teams/levels played for: advanced rookie Orem Owlz
2017 Stats: .350/.396/.548, 192 PA, 4 HR, 10 SB, 9/35 BB/K

Info: Marsh was recruited for baseball and football out of high school, but an injury suffered in football kept him off the field for much of the 2016 high school season, meaning many teams did not get a good look at him.

The Los Angeles Angels got Marsh in the 2nd round of the 2016 draft but did not play in game action due to a back injury found in medicals before he signed his contract. Marsh worked well with Angels coaches to be ready to explode in 2017, and explode he did.

Marsh worked well with Angels coaches to be ready to explode in 2017, and explode he did

Marsh went straight to the advanced rookie level Pioneer League, facing a lot of college players, and he crushed the ball, knocking 13 doubles, 5 triples, and 4 home runs in just 39 games. There was a bit of concern in his plate discipline just looking at the raw BB/K numbers, but Marsh really did show very good plate discipline, working the count and then finishing most at bats with a swing, which led to his low walk rate.

Marsh should be able to take plenty of walks in his future based on his ability to wait out his pitch in 2017, and his exceptional potential for both power and speed could allow him to have above-average power and speed numbers, with a chance for 20/20 seasons as he gets going in his career.

Marsh is likely headed to a corner outfield spot, but he should be a premium defender in a corner as he is a more than adequate center fielder with an above-average arm.

Marsh will open in full-season ball in 2018, with the Los Angeles Angels willing to push him up the level if he performs well enough to deserve the push.

Next: #3 and #4

4. Kevin Maitan, SS/3B

Birthday (age on opening day 2018): 2/12/2000 (18)
2017 teams/levels played for: Gulf Coast League Braves, advanced rookie Danville Braves
2017 Stats: .241/.290/.340, 176 PA, 2 HR, 2 SB, 11/49 BB/K

Info: The biggest “name” among players that were stripped away from the Braves, Maitan was the top prospect in the 2016 international class, and was considered one of the most elite hitters to come out of Latin America in years.

Many felt his pro debut in 2017 was underwhelming as Maitan played across two rookie levels with mediocre overall numbers and some reported concerns with weight. The real issue behind all of that was a hamstring injury that Maitan struggled to get proper conditioning while he worked to heal his hamstring.

Back at full strength in fall workouts, Maitan moved as well or better than before

Back at full strength in fall workouts, Maitan moved as well or better than before and showed the quickness in first step and bat that many scouts noted lost or diminished during the 2017 season. Twitter videos of Maitan’s batting workouts had that familiar sound that Braves fans got used to hearing in fall instructs after the 2016 season, a unique sound off the bat that very few hitters generate.

Maitan trimmed down a ton of the extra frame that many scouts were ragging on him for already, and he would seem primed to truly take off. He does still have some concerns to overcome in his approach at the plate, which was exposed more strongly when his bat speed couldn’t make up for pitch recognition issues.

That really is the biggest draw back on Maitan right now, though. With his returned first step quickness, he could work at shortstop for a bit longer, and his plus arm would work at third if/when he moves there down the road.

It’s quite feasible that the Los Angeles Angels push Maitan in his first season in their system directly to the Midwest League, but he might do so after opening in extended spring.

3. Jahmai Jones, OF

Birthday (age on opening day 2018): 8/4/1997 (20)
2017 teams/levels played for: low-A Burlington Bees, high-A Inland Empire 66ers
2017 Stats: .282/.348/.446, 578 PA, 14 HR, 27 SB, 45/106 BB/K

Info: Jones was one of the best athletes in the 2015 draft, selected in the 2nd round by the Los Angeles Angels out of high school in Georgia. Jones comes from a family of athlete, with a father and two brothers that have played in the NFL.

The Angels knew Jones would be a guy who took a couple of seasons on complex before he was ready, but could be a major reward once he got it. In 2016, Jones started to “get it”, working his way to A-ball by the end of the season.

In 2017, he took the next step forward, opening his season in low-A and spending 40+ games in high-A. He actually hit better after being promoted, flashing power, speed, excellent defense, and solid plate discipline throughout the season.

Jones has a quick bat, plus raw power, and his muscular build belies his plus speed, though he could use polish on his base running and base stealing instincts. His instincts on the ball in the air works in center field, but his arm is average, and he really projects best in left field.

After just short of 200 plate appearances with success at high-A, it’s certainly feasible that a 20 year-old Jones would open 2018 in AA, which would put him on track to see major league time in 2019. With Kole Calhoun having a 2020 club option, Jones could be ready to take over in 2021 in left field for the Los Angeles Angels.

Next: #1 and #2

2. Jo Adell, OF

Birthday (age on opening day 2018): 4/8/1999 (18)
2017 teams/levels played for: Arizona Rookie League Angels, advanced rookie Orem Owlz
2017 Stats: .325/.376/.532, 222 PA, 5 HR, 8 SB, 14/49 BB/K

Info: The Los Angeles Angels have been focusing strongly on premium athletes with Billy Eppler as the team’s General Manager the last two seasons. In the 2017 draft, they had not only arguably the best athlete in the draft fall to them with the 10th pick, but also a polished baseball player as well.

Adell crushed home runs during his high school season, and his power was on display in his pro debut, with 11 doubles, 8 triples, and 5 home runs over 49 games. The power is not in question with Adell.

Pro scouts I talked with have different levels of belief in Adell’s contact ability, with many relating his lack of high-level competition as a concern behind the contact concerns. Adell certainly has the bat control and bat speed to have a positive contact rate if he doesn’t fall in love too much with his power stroke.

One of the more underrated things about Adell in high school was his impressive skills on the mound, and he does bring a powerful arm to the outfield along with above-average speed and excellent instincts both in the outfield and on the bases to allow him to use his speed very well.

Adell profiles as a premium defender in right field with the type of athletic profile to be a guy who can offer power and speed offensively. He should open 2018 in a full-season league, and if he adapts quickly, he could move fast through the Angels system.

1. Shohei Ohtani, RHP/DH

Birthday (age on opening day 2018): 7/5/1994 (23)
2017 teams/levels played for: none
2017 Stats: none

Info: The most highly-anticipated Japanese free agent arguably to ever come to the league, and certainly to come over to MLB since Hideki Matsui, Ohtani ended his free agency by surprising many by signing with the Los Angeles Angels.

A big reason that Ohtani reportedly was drawn to the Los Angeles Angels was that he could have the chance to both hit and pitch.

With (Ohtani’s) ability to possibly (hit and pitch both), he is one of the best all-around prospects in the entire game.

As a hitter, Ohtani would be among the 25 best prospects in the game coming over from Japan. As a pitcher, Ohtani would rank as one of the top 2-3 pitching prospects in the entire game. With his ability to possibly do both, he is one of the best all-around prospects in the entire game.

On the mound, Ohtani can routinely top triple digits in velocity, with an elite split-finger fastball and a plus slider as well. He utilizes a change and a curve that are not as impressive in their quality, but that he does command very well, allowing them to play up.

Ohtani’s major complaint from scouts who’ve watched him pitch was that he often stayed up in the zone with his pitches, and his fastball has minimal movement, but when he locates it well and utilizes his split finger to off-set the pitch, it plays well. However, a straight fastball up in the zone at any velocity could be tagged by any professional hitter.

At the plate, Ohtani’s power is unquestioned. However, he has not had pitchers utilize the whole plate against him, and in international competition, he struggled on inside pitches. He certainly could make the adjustment to cover the whole plate.

Ohtani will open the season with the Los Angeles Angels major league club, barring any injury issues during spring training.

Next: Newcomers to watch

2017 Acquisition: Trent Deveaux, OF

Birthday (age on opening day 2018): 5/4/2000 (17)
2017 teams/levels played for: none
2017 Stats: none

Info: When the Los Angeles Angels attempted to dip into the Cuban rush a few seasons back with Roberto Baldoquin and spent significant money, they removed themselves from being able to spend more than $300,000 in bonus money on an international free agent the last few seasons. Baldoquin has been a significant failure, hitting .228/.279/.295 over 193 games so far in his minor league career, thus far not advancing beyond A-ball.

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This season, the Los Angeles Angels finally were allowed to dip into the market again, and they did so with fervor, signing multiple quality Latin free agents, the highest-rated of whom was Deveaux.

Deveaux and his fellow countryman D’Shawn Knowles were signed for a combined $2.05 million out of the Bahamas, but Deveaux is certainly the more elite player.

Deveaux is a pure 80-grade runner on the scouting 20-to-80 scale, and he has the ability to be a plus center fielder with his speed and developing instincts at the position. Deveaux pairs that speed with an average arm that he positions well to play up to above-average, making center field a feasible long-term destination.

The big thing for Deveaux in the last year was the leap forward that his bat took, showing excellent bat speed and adjusting his his stance to be able to keep his bat through the zone better, allowing to hit the ball with more authority. While Deveaux doesn’t profile as a guy who would be a significant power hitter, he could be a guy to pound the gaps and add double-digit home runs.

More than anything, Deveaux represents a change in philosophy for the Los Angeles Angels, who were next to the Orioles in their withdrawal from the Latin market under previous front offices. This investment will need to have some payoff to continue to keep owner Arte Moreno’s buy-in.

Next: Trout to be highest-paid in MLB in 2018

So that is the Los Angeles Angels top 10 prospects for 2018. Who is too high? Too low? Missing entirely from the list? Comment below!!