Angels Are Using AFL As A Prospect Proving Ground

For the Los Angeles Angels, the Arizona Fall League basically a proving ground right now. Two of their best prospects, infielders Arjun Nimmala and Jake Munroe, are there now, and they’re hoping to boost their prospects by playing well for Mesa as the season opens. 

They’re also mastering the process of using quotes to prop each other up. Nimmila said Munroe was the best players he’s ever played with in a piece written by Jonathan Mayo of MLB.com, and he also declared Munroe the most underrated player in the AFL. 

The two have hit it off, but there’s some evidence to back up what Nimmala is saying. Munroe was a two-time All-State player at Champaign Central High School, but his college options were limited, so he chose the junior collage route. He posted a slash line of .339/.466/.661 with 12 home runs and 54 RBIs as a freshman for John A. Logan —it’s a school — but his options didn’t improve enough, so he returned for another season.  

Fast forward to this past season, and Munroe advanced to Double-A Rocket City, where he upped his numbers to a .315/.412/.491 line in 62 games. He led the entire organization with his 142 wRC+, per Mayo, before hitting third during the Trash Pandas’ run to the Southern League title. 

As for Munroe, he trotted out a cliche of his own, saying he’s playing with the proverbial chip on his shoulder. He’ll come into spring training with a reputation as a contact machine with some power, and his numbers suggest a move up to Triple-A Salt Lake. 

But big jumps from Double-A to the majors are common these days, especially for a team like the Angels. The Halos have a reputation for moving prospects up fast and throwing them into the fire, and Munroe might be a guy with the survival skills to handle that kind of test. 

The same applies to Nimmala, although he’s more of a proven prospect. The consensus on him is that he’s either ready or very close, so he, too, is a prospect who might turn up in Anaheim. 

The mystery at this point is the new ownership group and what the philosophy is going to be. Interim GM John Mozeliak has stated that the Angels will go outside the organization to hire a new farm director, which means there may be an opportunity for players like Munroe and Nimmala to move up even faster and make it to Anaheim.