Angels must follow the Mason Miller plan with Ben Joyce before something goes wrong

The Los Angeles Angels have been waiting forever for Ben Joyce's return to action. His initial rehab assignment in May was cut short by a setback, and ultimately his return to action was pushed back until August 5. Finally, the flamethrower is back and dominating.

It's only been six appearances and six innings pitched, but Joyce has really stood out. He's yet to allow an earned run, while striking out eight batters against just one walk. Opposing hitters are batting just .056 against him, and he owns a ridiculous 0.33 WHIP.

Joyce has a special arm that produces velocity that few can match. After last season came to a close, he had recorded the third-fastest pitch in MLB history, coming in at 105.5 mph. So far this season, Joyce is averaging 101.6 mph on his heater. For his career, he averages a ridiculous 101.8 mph.

The 26-year-old is more than just blazing speed, though. He also throws a splinker that's producing a mind-bending 66.7% whiff rate during his short sample of work, and also has a slider that he can show hitters to break things up.

His potential is enormous, and the Angels have been waiting for ages for a reliever with this kind of talent, which makes it strange to say that they should trade him as soon as possible.

The Angels could receive a huge haul if they maximize Ben Joyce's trade value

The value of relievers is an interesting phenomenon. Inherently, they are less valuable than starting pitchers, but the ones with elite-level velocity and production are among the most sought-after commodities in the game.

If Joyce can continue to string together these sorts of dominant performances down the stretch, he can emerge as that sort of special weapon that contending teams crave in the late innings.

Joyce might not have the exact same track record as Mason Miller, but he has been productive when healthy, owning a 2.78 career ERA. In fact, Miller leveled up several times in 2026 to become the sub-1.00 ERA demon that we see today, but at the time of last year's trade, he had a 3.16 career ERA. The allure of him for the San Diego Padres was his potential and the many years of team control that he carried with him.

The Athletics received a substantial package for the star closer. Leo De Vries was the headliner and is now the No. 2 prospect in all of baseball, but they also got a lot more back. Braden Nett and Henry Baez are a pair of high-potential hurlers who also went back to the A's in exchange for Miller.

Los Angeles might not be able to get quite as much for Joyce, but it could still be a franchise-altering type of return. He has similar arm talent, team control, and, if his production continues to trend in this direction, real-world value that could prove incredibly tempting for some reliever-needy club.

With that said, Joyce is also a ticking time bomb. His injury history, specifically arm injuries, is extensive and dates back to his college days when Tommy John surgery and an elbow stress fracture limited him to just 32⅓ innings at the University of Tennessee. Since then, he's also had shoulder troubles. All told, he's managed to pitch just 55 major league innings over parts of four seasons.

Another injury would tank Joyce's value and confirm that he may be damaged goods. The best possible outcome for the Angels, then, would be him continuing to mow down hitters through the end of the season and trading him for a massive return this offseason. Anything else would be playing with fire.

The club isn't in a position where an elite reliever makes all that much difference in its fortunes, so it's better to cash in this prime chip to build back stronger than hope that he can stay healthy and build around him. The Angels rarely get these situations right, but with a new sheriff in town, the tide may be turning.

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