Angels possibly fast-tracking Tyler Bremner may not be same old mistake

There's already a growing sentiment that the Los Angeles Angels might go back to their favorite bag of tricks and rush last year's top pick, Tyler Bremner, to the bigs in 2026. Given that the youngster hadn't garnered any pro experience until his March 11 spring training appearance against the Chicago White Sox, it's easy to start worrying that the club is about to ruin yet another promising youngster.

Selecting Bremner No. 2 overall was a decision that was almost universally panned. The UC Santa Barbara product was ranked behind several other top hurlers. There was the nation's top prep arm, Seth Hernandez, who many experts loved. Lefties Liam Doyle and Jamie Arnold were viewed as higher-upside prospects and came with the added benefit of being southpaws. Instead, selecting Bremner with such a premium asset looked like a blunder. It was a classic Angels' move, passing up top talent in favor of saving a couple of bucks on an underslot bonus.

But with Bremner taking the mound, we're getting a glimpse at the other side of the coin. Bremner pitched a scoreless inning, despite walking the first two batters. He needed to adjust to the pitch clock, to a new level of competition, and to an unfamiliar catcher, but he rebounded to throw a scoreless frame, flashing a 98 miles per hour heater and his stellar changeup in the process.

While it was just one inning, the conversation about him making a 2026 MLB debut needs to be reopened. It might not be as classically destructive a decision as what we're used to from the Halos.

Tyler Bremnner's spring training debut might hint that 2026 promotion isn't as crazy as we thought

First, there's the simple fact to consider that keeping his composure despite two early walks is a very encouraging sign. Many youngsters would have wilted, but not Bremner.

Second, there's the flip side of the coin to his pre-draft rankings. Bremner might not have as high a ceiling as some of his peers, but he has a much higher floor than most.

The soon-to-be 22-year-old has the collegiate experience, the velocity, and a potentially lethal changeup. While his slider and cutter are still developing, his first two pitches are very, very good. More importantly, he has already displayed more advanced command than most college arms when he was coming out.

With two plus pitches (the changeup is plus-plus) and an ability to fill the strike zone, he already has a viable baseline for success, at least as far as baseball tools are concerned. That doesn't mean he should be on the Opening Day roster, but with just a little bit of seasoning, he could be ready to get called up and actually thrive by midseason.

The consternation around his selection boils down to the fact that he's likely never to be an ace. That hurts. You'd like to have that kind of ceiling with the second pick. But even those with ace potential rarely reach it, even if they still go on to have productive big league careers.

What Bremner can be is a reliable No. 3 starter. And he might be ready and close to that ceiling this season. The Angels could really use an ace, but the rotation can always use talented young arms. Those are in short supply in the Halos' system, so Bremner being this sort of option isn't a bad thing. Promoting him might not be a bad thing; in fact, he might be exactly what Los Angeles needs.