LA Angels: 5 promising facts about the young core

The LA Angels have been consistently absent from the MLB top farm systems rankings since 2015.

The LA Angels have been frequently caught in the middle of wanting to keep young talent and selling the farm to be competitive.

The problem with being in the middle of contending and rebuilding is you’re left with a team that is mediocre year after year with little to be excited about at the minor league level. Despite this lack of clarity from the front office, the Angels have managed to produce some promising young talent that is being given a chance to prove themselves at the major league level amidst this year’s injury-riddled season. Although much of the talent is still developing and getting their feet wet at the big-league level, here are five promising facts about the Angels’ young core.

No. 1 promising fact about the LA Angels’ young core: Jo Adell has 16 Runs Batted In in 20 Games Played

Let’s face it – we’re all still waiting on Jo Adell to show that he can be “that guy”. Dubbed as the next “Robin” to the Angels’ “Batman” (Mike Trout), Adell struggled mightily in 2020. He put up a whopping -13.2 offensive WAR in 38 games, and a -5.3 defensive WAR.

His season can be summed up by the infamous headbutt homerun, in which he misplayed a ball in right field, allowing a fly ball hit short of the wall to hit his head and hop over the wall for a homerun. Although his struggles have continued at the big league level in 2021, Adell hit 23 bombs in just 73 games in AAA this year, warranting a well-deserved second shot at the big leagues. Still leaving much to be desired, Adell is hitting .213 with a .263 OBP and 5% walk rate (all stats in this article are as of August 25th).

Although still above league average, Adell’s 2020 41.7% strikeout rate is down 13% to 28.7%. He has knocked in an impressive 16 runs in only 20 games, highlighted by his mammoth grand slam in Detroit. If Adell can learn a little bit more plate discipline, he will almost certainly be a reliable run producer in the middle of the Angels lineup for the rest of 2021 and 2022.

No. 3 promising fact about the LA Angels’ young core: Reid Detmers is 1st of the 2020 Draft top 10 picks to make debut

The 10th pick in the MLB draft, Detmers was widely regarded as the most polished and close to the big leagues pitcher in the draft. A perfect fit for the Angels, Detmers has made it to the show a year later, and looks to be a staple in the Angels rotation for years to come. Although the results have been sub-par thus far, it is worth noting that Detmers has faced two top five lineups in the MLB, and two top 15 lineups: the Dodgers, the Astros, Oakland, and Cleveland.

His best start thus far was when he fired six innings of one run ball against the Astros on August 15th, giving up two walks, three hits, and striking out six. His “Devil’s rainbow” of a curveball has been on full display, and his shaky start is nothing to be concerned about given how quickly he was rushed to the big leagues.

No. 4 promising fact about the LA Angels’ young core: Chris Rodriguez has 0 HR Allowed in 29.2 Innings of Work

A fourth-rounder in 2016 out of Monsignor Edward Pace High School in Miami Gardens, Florida, Chris Rodriguez had not pitched above A ball before 2021. His strong spring training performance forced Joe Maddon’s hand at saving a big league roster spot for him on opening day, and Rodriguez has impressed since. Splitting his time out of the bullpen and as a starter, Rodriguez has thrown 29.2 quality innings for the Halos, and has allowed just one home run.

In an era where launch angle and lift is so prevalent in MLB hitters’ minds, Rodriguez’s ability to keep the ball in the park has been incredibly impressive, and he will be an asset both out of the bullpen and in the rotation for years to come.

No. 5 promising fact about the LA Angels’ young core: Austin Warren has an 81.3% left-on-base percentage in 16 IP

The 17th pick in the sixth round of the 2018 draft, Austin Warren was not regarded as one of the top draft prospects coming out of the University of North Carolina at Wilmington. Even after being drafted, Warren has never been ranked as a top 30 prospect in the Angels farm system. In his debut on July 29th against Oakland, Warren struck out a batter while walking none and allowing no hits.

Since then, Warren hasn’t looked back. In recent years, the Angels have really struggled with allowing inherited runners to score out of the bullpen, and Warren has been a breath of fresh air. He has allowed only one of seven inherited runners to score, leading to a 81.3% LOB%, while the MLB average is 71%. He looks like a guy who could be a back-end of the bullpen piece for years to come for the Halos.

The Angels young core hasn’t looked this good in years, including Jose Suarez, Patrick Sandoval, and Jared Walsh not mentioned in this article. With a healthy Mike Trout and Anthony Rendon to provide mentorship and stability to some of the young players’ ups and downs, 2022 could be a year that many of these young studs experience monumental growth – and Angels fans are here for it.