3 young Angels pitchers with burning questions to answer in 2025

Angels reliever Ben Joyce will have to prove he can be durable and stay healthy

Ben Joyce is standing on the edge of glory. The 24-year-old righty could become one of, if not the, best relievers in the game. His fastball can top 105 miles per hour, and he's already notched a couple of entries in the fastest pitch ever recorded list. That alone is impressive, but he also boasts a "splinker" that has a chance to be a singular pitch a la the great Mariano Rivera's cutter.

That's certainly high praise for the youngster, and something that shouldn't be taken lightly. It's apparent that the sky is the limit for the young flamethrower.

With all that said, an important question still remains. While Joyce was very good last season, posting a 2.08 ERA, he only made 31 appearances and tossed 34.2 innings. For his career, he has just 44.2 major league innings under his belt.

He only made pitched back-to-back days three times in 2024, something that will need to change if he is to become one of the game's elite late-inning relievers. His goal is to make 70-plus appearances this season, something that will be necessary if he is to convert potential into production, and pitching back-to-back days will be a huge part of achieving that objective.

Furthermore, Joyce will have to prove he can stay healthy. Injury issues have nagged him throughout his professional career, with the latest being a shoulder impingement that cut short his 2024 season on September 10th.

The bottom line is that Joyce's potential is all for naught if he can't take the mound consistently and stay healthy. 2025 will go a long way to answering whether or not he has the durability to be a feared late-inning reliever, or if like many others, he's simply a flash in the pan that tantalizes with his stuff but ultimately can't handle the workload.