Angels player on the 40-man roster bubble looks completely different during camp

Just look at that article image above -- Kyren Paris needed some help at the plate before he fizzled out of the league entirely. Well, Bobby Valentine mentioned on the broadcast of the Angels-Padres spring training game how the middle infielder's mechanics and in-game approach were tweaked this offseason by Richard Schenck, Aaron Judge’s personal hitting coach/instructor. Paris has a new swing that allows his barrel to cover more of the zone, and should help prevent him from rolling over ground balls. He looks completely revitalized during camp with his fancy new swing, and the "Paris is a bust" chatter must end!

Angels player on the 40-man roster bubble looks completely different during camp

When the Angels made additions this offseason that required corresponding moves on the 40-man roster, Kyren Paris was always a candidate to get the DFA. Given what he showed last season, i.e. a .167/.254/.278/.532 slash line across only 60 games played at Double-A Rocket City and Triple-A Salt Lake, it would not have been surprising at all to see the one time top Angels prospect receive the axe off the 40-man. Combine that with his major league slash line of .110/.214/.165/.378 across the past two seasons, and it appeared his days were numbered.

It did not appear as if Paris had any future with the organization, even if that terrible minor league season last year was largely due to an injury. At the end of the 2023 season, Paris suffered a ligament tear in his thumb which required surgery. You could easily make the case that the 23-year-old's woeful 2024 campaign was highly effected by an abnormal offseason caused by said injury. Given the major adjustments and solid results/eye test so far in camp, it appears that Paris is back on track and the organization has faith in him to return to form.

Much like Tim Anderson, the former full-time shortstop is showcasing his versatility and athleticism by playing some second base during spring training games. Paris stole a bag against the Padres as well. Paris only has one career home run at the big league level, but he could easily hit some more in the future with his newfound confidence, look, and health. Paris has to compete with Zach Neto, Christian Moore, Luis Rengifo, Kevin Newman, Tim Anderson, Scott Kingery etc. to get back to the major leagues, but he should continue to be a priority prospect in the minors moving forward. At this point, that's a win in of itself.

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