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

Samy Natera Jr. is a name Angels fans need to know

One of the biggest movers going from obscure afterthought to a real contender to become a player in the majors is Samy Natera Jr., who went from unranked to become the Angels' no. 16 overall prospect.

Natera Jr. was a 17th-round draft pick back in 2022, and came into the organization as a raw talent with little baseball experience. He didn't start pitching until he turned 17, but his 6-foot-4 frame and velocity that can reach 98 miles an hour as a lefty show the intriguing traits that made him worthy of a late-round flier in the draft.

Once he hit pro ball Natera Jr. showcased immense strikeout potential and his fastball-slider combo kept hitters off balance while he averaged 11.71 K/9 across his minor league appearances in 2023, his first professional season.

Unfortunately, control was also an issue for him as he posted 4.67 BB/9 over the 22 starts and 90.1 innings he logged over the same time period, and he surrendered 1.39 HR/9 as his command in the strike zone lacked causing him to serve up a few too many meatballs.

An injury limited him to just five innings pitched in 2024, but he began to turn heads with a dominant performance in the Arizona Fall League over the offseason, which turned heads and made scouts take note.

Already 25-years-old but with less mileage on his arm than most pitchers his age, Natera Jr. could move quickly through the system if he's able to harness his stuff and command the strike zone over a larger sample.

If he's successful, you can add him to the list of talented young arms in the Halos' system, knocking on the door of the big leagues. At the end of the day, he might be a reliever only at the next level, but his arm talent could make him a very good one, and he'll be one of the most exciting Angels prospects to watch in 2025.

LA Angels News from Halo Hangout