The Spring Breakout event isn't easy to follow, but this report had some good intel on Los Angeles Angels prospects.
If you’re a Los Angeles Angels fan trying to figure out what the MLB’s Spring Breakout event means for the team’s prospects, you’ve got an uphill battle on your hands. It’s one of those events that’s confusing because it takes place over three days, and sometimes the prospects who are supposed to appear don’t show, especially given the 100-degree temps that are currently hindering Cactus League play.
But Keith Law of The Athletic did a nice turn providing some intel, so let’s see what he came up with based on yesterday’s 4-2 loss to the Cleveland Guardians.
Start with the basics: Star right-hander Tyler Bremner didn’t appear in the game, nor did pitcher Chase Shores. But four of the team’s top 10 prospects did end up playing.
Outfielder Nelson Rada is the first name Law mentioned, which isn’t surprising given the buzz Rada has generated. He led off and played the entire game, bunting for a hit and adding a single that was a soft line drive against a 99-mph fastball, according to Law. Rada flashed as the same player he’s always been which is an outfield who can run and eventually play center, and he can hit but doesn’t have much power.
Manager Kurt Suzuki has already said Rada will start the season at Triple-A Salt Lake, where he needs to work on adding a professional work ethic to his list of tools.
Next up was shortstop Denzer Guzman, who’s an interesting name because he’s still competing for an infield position, although it won’t be at short given the presence of Zach Neto there. Guzman hit a two-run home run and saw 19 pitches in his four at-bats, plus he made what Law described as an impressive stop on a ground ball to his left, although he was unable to throw out the runner.
The biggest disappointment was third baseman Gabriel Davallilo, who came into the game so far over his ideal weight that he’s “already too heavy to play anywhere on the field,” according to Law. Hopefully the Angels can remedy that situation by installing some professional training and and nutritional habits, and the good news is that Davallilo is just 18, so there’s time to fix this in theory.
The other pitcher who got mentioned was right-hander Dylan Jordan, the No. 12 prospect in the Angels system, who had a big velocity jump up to 94-98 mph at the upper end. His slider is still average, Law added, but he does work in the zone, so he’s a name to watch going forward.