2026 is the year Angels must let Caden Dana sink or swim

When the Angels announced their September call-ups, Caden Dana was a notable exclusion from the list. Despite a recent 13 strikeout performance, the Halos elected to leave their top pitching prospect in the minor leagues for now, and potentially the rest of 2025. However, next season needs to be the opportunity for Dana to show this organization and the league at large what he can offer as a starting pitcher.

Caden Dana got his first crack at starting at the big league level in 2024, getting added to the roster late into the season with the Angels well out of playoff contention. Dana was simply not ready, posting a 9.58 ERA in those starts. He allowed 14 hits (five of them home runs), seven walks, and only struck out eight batters. He had a promising first start - six innings of two run ball while striking out four and picking up the win - he went downhill from there. 

2025 offered a real chance for Dana. However, the Angels effectively ended any chance of development for him before he had any real opportunity. Dana was brought up to the big leagues multiple times to serve as a multi-inning reliever in mostly blowout losses. Stunting his development as a starting pitcher in favor of eating innings was certainly a choice by the Halos’ front office, and one that seemed to ruin any semblance of confidence Dana had as the season went on. His ERA in the majors this season is sitting at 7.50.

The bigger concern is that Dana’s numbers in Triple-A Salt Lake City are not exactly encouraging either. A 5.93 ERA is not what a team wants from the player who was their indisputable top pitching prospect going into the season. Coming off of a prolonged absence due to what the team called fatigue, Dana has shown flashes in some of his starts with the Salt Lake Bees. Most notably, his recent 13 strikeouts, seven inning start showed that he has the stuff to exist as a major league player. Whether that is as a starter or reliever is a question for down the line, but the time to find out if Dana can be a starter at the big league level is now. 

Dana has the stuff. He has shown flashes and moments of knowing exactly how to use his arsenal to fool batters all night long. However, his ability to do so consistently and with command will be the biggest factor in his future being as a starter alongside recent No. 2 overall selection Tyler Bremner or as a reliever alongside Reid Detmers and Sam Bachman. And however that future plays out, the Angels need to find out next season.

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