Angels finally have a young building block worth getting excited about

The Los Angeles Angels have had terrible luck developing top prospects in recent years, but their luck with those youngsters a tier two below has been nonexistent. That's why it's such a surprise to see Walbert Ureña, who entered the year ranked 16th in the Angels' barren farm system by Baseball America, becoming a rotation stalwart.

That's where we are today. The 22-year-old has made eight starts and owns a 2.53 ERA as a starter, besting even Jose Soriano and his historic start for the team lead as far as rotation arms are concerned. The question with Ureña heading into spring training was which role would be best to test him out in to see if he had a future. As a flame-throwing righty with questionable control, the logical conclusion seemed to be to let him air it out in the bullpen.

That's exactly what Los Angeles did, but the leash was unfathomably short. Ureña only threw 1 2/3 innings in relief and wasn't tagged for an earned run, but with five hits, three walks, and six unearned runs coming across in that short time, the Halos had seen enough. Cutting the youngster off at the knees and sending him down in favor of journeyman Shaun Anderson felt like a frustratingly familiar rush to judgment.

Fortunately, it didn't take long for him to return, this time with a bigger role coming back up as a starter on April 19. In two starts to close out the season's first month, he had a 5.59 ERA, but fortunately, the Angels showed rare patience, and now Ureña is rewarding them for it.

Underlying metrics and a strong mental outlook have Walbert Ureña on a path Angels fans can believe in

In May, Ureña has made six starts, tossing 33 innings, and posting a 1.64 ERA. After his last start on May 29, in which he took the no-decision after tossing six frames of one-run ball, he made some comments that showcased the pride and the confidence he carries himself with on the mound.

The Dominican native has become known for the headband he wears underneath his cap and regularly displays while leaving the mound, repping not only his homeland but also his tiny hometown of Maizal, which is located deep in the Dominican countryside.

“I come from a very small town, and I am extremely proud of having been born there,” Ureña told reporters in Spanish. “I feel all of the support that they give me every day from [my town] and my family.”

Ureña been carrying that energy through, and it shows in his work ethic. Feeding off the support from his friends and family back home, he's taken on a sense of responsibility to keep improving and make them proud.

"I just think [my improvement] will come with continuing to talk to the guys around me and being more patient with myself,” Ureña explained. “Every day I try to be more kind to myself and be more mature, and that has given me results.”

With that mentality comes some guts. The right-hander has a four-pitch mix that includes a fastball that can reach triple-digits, a sinker, a sweeper, and a changeup. One would think that a young hurler with that kind of velocity would want to blow everyone away with the fastball, but it's actually the changeup that is Ureña's go-to with a 34% utilization, the most of any of his offerings.

It's been a devastating weapon, allowing just a .143 batting average and generating a 37.1% whiff rate, while earning a 99th percentile run value of eight.

In fact, the under-the-hood metrics for the youngster are almost all among the upper echelon in the league. Ureña has allowed an average exit velocity of 86.9 miles per hour and a 32.5% hard-hit rate. He does an excellent job keeping the ball on the ground, generating grounders at a 51.6% clip.

All of Ureña's metrics, with the exception of his walk rate and his strikeout rate, place him in the 71st percentile or better. That's a strong foundation, and a clear testament to the chip he carries on his shoulder and his winning mentality. Cleaning up his command of his electric stuff is the next step, and given what we've learned about the spunky youngster, he shouldn't be bet against.

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