Rushing prospects directly to the majors backfires. The Angels' accelerated development plan stifles talent, leading to consistent struggles and a dire need for a strategic overhaul.
Winning baseball hasn’t been produced by the Los Angeles Angels in over a decade, and there isn’t much optimism that it’ll come anytime soon. With such a rich recent history of losing games, one would expect the Angels to have an abundance of potential-filled prospects that could turn the franchise around – but that’s not the reality.
Instead, the Angels have consistently had one of the worst-ranked farm systems in the league since the decade started. The front office has failed time and time again in the draft, and most importantly, has failed to develop their players in the minor leagues to give them even a chance at becoming a meaningful major leaguer.
Since 2020, the Halos have rushed their top picks into the major leagues, not giving them a shot at developing and honing their skills. Being thrown straight into the fire, these young players are forced to stick to what they did in college rather than make significant changes to their swings or deliveries to better improve their outlook as a big-leaguer.
First Rounders Since 2020
The Angels selected left-handed pitcher Reid Detmers in 2020. He played just 14 games in the minor leagues before earning his call-up at 21 years old. Unsurprisingly, he struggled greatly, allowing 17 earned runs in just over 20 innings during his first stint in the majors.
2021 saw the Angels draft all pitchers, the first of which was right-hander Sam Bachman. He pitched just 23 minor league games before the organization called him up in 2023, which he surprisingly handled well. Since then, however, he’s been whiplashed up and down the minors and struggled in the majors last season.
Shortstop Zach Neto, the Angels’ first-round pick in 2022, defied the odds and was successful after just 48 minor league games. His success says more about himself than it does the strategy of the Angels; it’s obvious Neto has a unique talent that would’ve found success even with another organization.
The Halos then drafted first baseman Nolan Schanuel in 2023, an MLB-ready player with a ceiling that didn't offer much excitement. After 22 games in the minors, Schanuel was on a big league field. He’s been an everyday player in the majors, but the Angels prioritized their preference for having a young player in the majors rather than picking a higher-ceiling prospect with the 11th overall selection that year.
Infielder Christian Moore was selected eighth overall in 2024 and played the most minor league games, 93, before his call-up. Unsurprisingly, he struggled in the majors last season, failing to bat even .200.
It’s a repeated strategy from the Angels that’s seen no success. Drafting college players that are closer to playing in the MLB isn’t the sneaky tactic the Angels think it is. They continue to draft older players and give them no chance to develop or change things in the minor leagues. Not a single first-round pick since 2020 played even 100 games in the minor leagues before being thrown onto a big league diamond.
That’s not strategy – it’s negligence. The only question is how long it’s going to take the front office in Anaheim to figure out why they are the laughing stock of the league, year after year.