Add MLB Pipeline to the list of sites that rank the Angels' farm system dead last

After Baseball America, The Athletic, and ESPN universally panned the Angels' farm system, MLB.com recently published their own rankings agreeing with the others and ranking the Halos dead last.

While the ranking, and its justifications aren't surprising anymore, like before, there's more than meets the eye when it comes to the Angels' talent pipeline and its effectiveness at producing big-league talent.

One of the key items the authors at MLB.com looked at was the number of players in the system who ranked in their top-100. The league's best system, the Detroit Tigers, included six top-100 prospects, two of which ranked in the top-10.

The Angels on the other hand had just two entries, Christian Moore (no. 67) and Caden Dana (no. 77). The Angels got dinged, in part, because of their aggressiveness in promoting players through the system and up to the majors, citing that both Moore and Dana will likely be contributors on the big league roster at some point this year.

The hypothetical is worth discussing. Would Nolan Schanuel be further along in his development if he spent the last year and a half in the minors? Would Zach Neto have ascended even faster at the big league level if he was left down for more seasoning? If Christian Moore makes the opening-day roster, would he be better served by getting his feet wet first at AAA?

At the end of the day, many of the Angels' young core are already contributing at the big league level, and while the hypotheticals are valid, it's no guarantee that extra minor league experience would make them any more impactful today. Moore and Dana will likely follow in the footsteps of their young predecessors, which partly justifies the system's low ranking.

When and if that happens, the Angels will be left with zero prospects ranked in the top-100, but perhaps not for long.

The next wave of Angels' top prospects are all incredibly young

Citing the Angels' activity in the international free-agent market, where the team has cast a wide net opting for quantity over top-end quality, the authors of the piece point to the impact that youth can make as they rise through the ranks.

"This organization is very active internationally with 14 players acquired from that market, a big reason why this is the youngest Top 30 in baseball. There is lots of risk, but there could be a lot of reward if guys like 2024 signee Joswa Lugo hits like he did during his Dominican Summer League debut last year and 2025 acquisition Gabriel Davalillo follows suit."

MLB.com

In recent years, the Halos have made a concerted effort to balance using their top draft assets on near-MLB-ready college players who might have higher floors yet lower ceilings with a plethora of very young teenagers via the international market who serve as lottery tickets with a huge variance in potential outcomes.

Players like Joswa Lugo, who turned 18 in January, ooze potential after slashing .301/.370/.466 in the DSL last year, but is a long way away from making any big league impact. Top 2025 signee, Gabriel Davalillo, could easily follow suit in his first professional appearances this year as noted in the article.

Beyond those two, the Angels are starting to see some of their, slightly older but still very young, international signees coming closer and closer to realizing their potential while still being aggressively moved through the system.

Nelson Rada spent all of last season at AA as an 18-year-old, and while he struggled with a .234/.311/.269, the fact that he was able to hang at all with significantly older competition signifies the talent he has. So far in big-league spring training, he's showing off his skills and looking more polished than one may have thought, posting a .333/.462/.333 line over 26 plate appearances.

Denzer Guzman spent the majority of 2024 in AA as a 20-year-old, and while he struggled with the bat, he showed significant polish with the glove. He's also been given an opportunity in big-league camp this spring, and while his numbers haven't been as impressive, we've seen glimpses of the power and plate discipline potential he has to pair with his already solid glove work.

Prospects like these are not highly regarded because their youth and lack of experience make them relative unknowns. However, as they age and advance through the system, they may skyrocket up prospect rankings bringing the opinion of the Angels' system up with them as a whole.

Of course, despite the promise and potential, some of these guys will flame out, but if enough of them show growth and continue to ascend rapidly through the minors we could see a much rosier outlook for the Halos farm system by the time mid-season rankings roll out.

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