3 Angels players who are on thin ice going into the 2025 season

Reid Detmers is running out of opportunities to prove himself as an Angels' building block

The expectations for 25-year-old southpaw starter Reid Detmers have been high for a while now. After being selected in the first round, 10th overall, back in 2020, Detmers flew through the minors getting a cup of coffee in 2021.

His performance during that brief stint, a 7.40 ERA in 20.2 innings left a lot to be desired, but still, there were signs of potential. Hope grew in 2022 when he made 25 starts and posted a 3.77 ERA while generating 8.51 K/9 in 129.0 innings.

2023 wasn't quite the breakout that was hoped for, however, Though Detmers ran the strikeouts up to an impressive 10.17 K/9, he gave up a few too many walks, 3.63 BB/9, and homers, 1.15 HR/9, en route to a 4.48 ERA over 28 starts and 148.2 innings pitched.

The promise shown amid some struggles left many hoping that 2024 would be his breakout. Instead, Detmers struggled mightily leading to an early June demotion. His struggles continued in AAA, and when he resurfaced toward the end of the season he had no new answers for his problems and finished the year with a 6.70 ERA in 87.1 innings pitched.

Much like Jo Adell, Detmers has all of the physical tools but has struggled with the execution piece. 2024 showcased how nasty his stuff could be with a career-high 11.23 K/9, but too often his command was out of whack leading to walks and big home runs. The mistakes seemed to compound and his confidence at times seemed shot.

This spring, Detmers has looked sharp with a 2.79 ERA in 19.1 innings. He seemingly has the leg up on teammate Jack Kochanowicz, for the fifth starter role despite the fierce competition. However, entering 2025 he's running out of chances to prove that he has harnessed to mental part of the game to maximize his physical gifts.

A poor showing in 2025 might be a fatal blow to his confidence, dramatically impacting his long-term outlook. As for the Angels, while future rotation spots will be plentiful, so too is the collection of young arms that will be vying for them.

In addition to the aforementioned Kochanowicz, the likes of Samuel Aldegheri, Caden Dana, George Klassen, Chase Silseth, and others will all be jockeying for spots in the rotation in the near future. If Detmers doesn't prove he's on the right path this season, he could quickly become an afterthought amidst the rotation's youth movement.