LA Angels: Underrated Prospects Who Could Breakout in 2019

There is a plethora of young talent coming up through the Angels system with prospects such as Jo Adell, Griffin Canning, and Jahmai Jones looking to break into the bigs very soon.

However, it is known that for baseball and the LA Angels, it isn’t just all top prospects. It’s common for an unheralded or undervalued Minor Leaguer making a big impact on his ballclub. This isn’t any different with the Angels as they harbor a handful of highly talented, underrated prospects who are looking to impact the Angels big league club sooner than you think.

The future of the Angels is looking very exciting with the organization having a ton of talent looking to impact and change the landscape of the club for years to come. But as it is with all of baseball there has to be a support system around those elite athletes in order to cultivate true success. Sure you’ve heard of the Jo Adell’s and Brandon Marsh’s of the Angels system, but who exactly will fill out the system around them? Or better yet, are there any underrated prospects who have the potential to impact the big league ballclub just as soon as these Top 10 Prospects?

Included at the end of each slide are links which lead to other Halo Hangout articles and interviews regarding these prospects.

Jack Kruger, C

Jack Kruger plays one of the more valuable position for the Angels in terms of immediate needs for the future. As an offensively gifted catcher whom made the California League All-Star team (Class A Advanced MiLB) thanks to his potent bat and athleticism behind the plate. What makes Jack Kruger so promising isn’t just his offensive potential (.299/.357/.413 slash line in 2018), or his defensive metrics (.991 Fielding %, 37% Caught Stealing), but his rare athleticism.

On top of his offensive talents is his defensive excellence. In 2018 Jack Kruger posted a Range Factor per Game of 9.24, a stat which is calculated by putouts+assists divided by games played. For reference, the highest RF/G in the MLB by a catcher was Gary Sanchez with a RF/G of 10.08. What this means is that Gary Sanchez was involved an average of 10 plays per game, whether he assisted in the out or took it himself.

Jack Kruger held a RF/G of 9.24, which is just a hair outside the MLB Top 5 in RF/G with #5 being Yan Gomes at 9.40. Lets not forget that Kruger spent his time in the MiLB so this isn’t a direct skill comparison, but an example of how much of an impact Kruger is capable of making within the game. Coupling this with his caught stealing percentage of 37% shows you just how involved Kruger is from the backstop

As a final note, across the 2018 season Kruger nabbed a total 13 stolen bases while being caught stealing 5 of those times. That would be seen as solid from most other positions, but as a catcher that’s All-Star material. Oh wait, Jack Kruger was an All-Star in 2018. The chances at him translating his All-Star capabilities to the big league Angels in 2019 are very real, and we may see it very soon.

Patrick Sandoval, LHP

The Angels acquired Houston Astros top prospect Patrick Sandoval after sending catcher Martin Maldonado to the Astros. Coming from arguably the best developmental system in baseball, Sandoval looks to break into the Major Leagues very soon. He’s highly refined, in 2018 (his 4th MiLB season) Sandoval pitched 122.1 innings of 2.06 ERA baseball.

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What makes Sandoval so good is his ultra-aggressive approach to pitching. He has a refined killer mentality which matches perfectly with his ability to locate a pitch. His high baseball IQ keeps him strategically on top of the situation and his strong pitch ability keeps him racking up outs. 2018 saw Sandoval carry a 10.7 K/9 rate next to a fantastic 2.1 BB/9, which equates to 145 Ks and 29 BB’s in his 122.1 IP throughout 2018.

All in all Sandoval looks ready to man a middle of the rotation role with the Angels. His ability to provide quality innings at a highly competitive level is something the Angels desperately require in their starting rotation. Sandoval has a very strong, controlled rhythm on the mound and is able to keep the groove in his favor. There’s nothing more important than a pitcher who can dominate the games rhythm and ensure hitters are out of their groove during each and every matchup.

There’s little doubt that Sandoval will impact the club when he arrives, and given his development that may be as soon as 2019. The sky is the limit with Sandoval, so even though he projects as a middle of the rotation starter he can easily pitch his way into the #2 role with his commanding mentality and strong repertoire.

Brett Hanewich, RHP

Brett Hanewich is probably the least likely, though he still has the potential to make a late season break into the bullpen. Hanewich sports a 100mph fastball which he showed off during the latest fall league. Hanewich began growing into himself with the Angels Class A Advanced organization after throwing 42.2 innings of 1.90 ERA baseball. 2018 was a huge breakout for Hanewich in terms of realizing current talents as well as crafting a clearer vision of his future ability.

Hanewich started the season with the Burlington Bees in Low-A Ball where he posted a 3.76 ERA. His jump to the next level of performance on the mound after being promoted to Class A Advanced, where he pitched to a 1.90 ERA, came from a boosted confidence after evolving his pitching mentality from the college level to the professional level.

As a Stanford graduate it is no surprise to see Hanewich take a highly cerebral approach to pitching. When coming into the Angels organization Hanewich admits that he was up on the mound throwing without much of a game plan. What’s important is his quick adjustment to the talent and landscape within the MiLB; a higher focus on first pitch strikes and bearing down on every single pitch elevated Hanewich from his 3.76 ERA with Low A (26. IP) to a 1.90 ERA in Class A Advanced (42.2 IP). With how fast Hanewich adjusted to a higher level of talent it isn’t out there to believe his ability to adjust will continue to translate all the way through Triple A.

While Hanewich practically doubled his effectiveness after the Low A to Class A jump there is still the need for Hanewich to improve his effectiveness with walks. Despite his 9.7 K/9 ratio (74 Ks/69 IP) there was still a lot of action on the base paths given his 6.0 BB/9 ratio (46 BB’s/69IP). This is a big improvement that needs to be made, but should Hanewich get a handle on his BB effectiveness there is little reason to doubt his future as an Angels bullpen stalwart.

Should Hanewich continue his current development path, we could see him joining the Angels big league bullpen near the back-end of the 2019 season, the earliest being after the All-Star break.