3 surprises in MLB Pipeline's top 30 Angels prospects for 2025

Joswa Lugo and Gabriel Davalillo will be a future Angels stars

Joswa Lugo was the prize of the Angels 2024 international free agent class and was ranked as high as the eighth-best prospect on the market. Risk is high with players as young as Lugo, who was just days shy of his 17th birthday when he signed on the dotted line to join the Angels organization.

For now, the hype seems to be real as Lugo got his professional career off to a torrid start, dominating the Dominican Summer League last year to the tune of a .301/.370/.466 line, which led MLB pipeline to rank him as the Angels' no. 4 overall prospect.

Despite his youth, the Dominican-born shortstop already has the body of a major leaguer standing at 6-foot-3, 187 pounds. That size and strength helps to shape his offensive outlook that is so tantalizing, though it may eventually force him off of short and over to the hot corner.

The good news is, even if forced off short, Lugo has the reflexes, soft hands, and requisite arm strength to be a plus defender at third. With the bat, he projects to have substantial power with the ability to drive the ball to all fields. There's some hit tool stuff he'll need to clean up, but if he can put it all together, the total package could be that of a multiple-time All-Star.

Joining Lugo as a teenager ranking higher than one might have thought is the gem of this year's international free agent class, Gabriel Davalillo, who ranks 14th, despite being just 17 years old and yet to play a minor league game.

The young catcher was one of the top-ranked international amateurs in his class, and while there are some questions as to whether or not he'll be able to develop the defensive skills required to stick at catcher, few concerns exist about his bat.

He projects as a player with plus power and the ability to drive any pitch, with advanced swing mechanics that bode well for him to maintain the slugging production he showed off in his native Venezuela.

On top of that, he also has an advanced hit tool and is able to go to all fields. His compact, yet powerful, swing allows him to maximize his production and provide the best of both worlds and should project for some monster offensive production as he grows.

Whether he sticks at catcher or has to move to first base is up for debate, but what is a near-certainty is that he will hit. For both of these youngsters, the road to the majors is long, however, if they produce in the low minors they could follow in the footsteps of Nelson Rada, who reached AA last season at the age of 18.

Lugo and Davalillo are just two of several examples of reasons why the Angels farm system could skyrocket up the rankings in the coming years. It's worth having a dose of skepticism and patience when talking about players who are so young, but the talent these two possess is undeniable.