Angels Prospect Update: Demoted pitcher dominates, reliever making case for promotion

Despite what every website says about the Los Angeles Angels' pipeline, they actually do have some diamonds in the rough. Whether it's a top prospect or a Low-A closer, LAA actually does have some pitchers with solid upside at their affiliates.

Editor's Note: Tune in every Tuesday night for an Angels Prospect Update moving forward

Angels Prospect Update: Ryan Johnson is shoving for Tri-City

The Angels sent Ryan Johnson, the reliever, down to High-A Tri-City in May, and the organization's no. 7 prospect left the big leagues with a 7.36 ERA, 5.55 FIP and 1.98 WHIP. The rationale, as far as it was reported, was that Johnson could build back back up as a starter and also build his confidence back up in the minors.

How's that experiment going? Not too bad!

His first appearances as a minor leaguer in his professional career were two starts that totaled 4.1 innings and 83 pitches. On May 25th, Johnson then got to 5.0 innings and 63 pitches. His fourth start for the Dust Devils was his first quality start -- he turned in 6 innings, allowed 4 hits, 1 walk and just 1 earned run, while striking out 10 on 76 pitches.

From May 25th on, Johnson has amassed 41 innings pitched. He has a sterling 2.20 ERA, 2.41 FIP, 1.00 WHIP, 10.32 K/9 and 1.76 BB/9. In that time frame, Johnson's numbers are amongst the best in all of minor league baseball. Of the 77 qualified MiLB pitchers at every level, that ERA ranks 14th best, his FIP ranks 6th, the WHIP is 17th, K/9 is 10th and BB/9 is 18th.

The Angels wanted Johnson to dominate that level, and he sure is doing that. Some balked at sending Johnson down past Triple-A and Double-A, but the team's evaluators were spot on in sending the 74th overall pick in the 2024 Draft to the most pitcher-friendly environment in professional baseball. They have a lot invested in the player they received as a compensatory prize for losing Shohei Ohtani moving forward, but also in 2025...

The big league Angels have an interesting choice to make at the deadline with Tyler Anderson, and they might need to make a decision on what to do with Jack Kochanowicz given his struggles this season (might they option him to MiLB or make him a reliever?). Should Johnson continue to dominate and refine his arsenal, building him back up as a starter might look genius.

Some might point to Caden Dana or Sam Aldegheri as fill-ins for the rotation should Anderson be dealt or Kochanowicz moved out, but Johnson could lap them in the race with how he's looked since being demoted.

Angels Prospect Update: Benny Thompson should be promoted

This past week, the 66ers' reliever just kept on doing his thing.

Benny Thompson logged 4.1 innings from June 24th on, racking up a save and posting a 7:2 K:BB. For his standards, it was not the most glamorous week even though it was a solid showing. He's spent the whole season with Inland Empire, and has thrown 38.1 innings, has a 2.82 ERA, 2.83 FIP and gargantuan 15.03 K/9.

Speaking of gargantuan, Thompson's mid-90s fastball has some of the highest ride you'll see from a minor league arm, and he locates it consistently in the upper 3rd of the zone like he should. That 4-seam is one of the greatest tools any Angels prospect has. His changeup is nothing to balk at either.

The 23-year-old was an undrafted free agent who the Angels signed in 2023 out of Troy University. He does not fit the profile of a top prospect, but he sure has pitched like one during his entire tenure with the Angels' affiliates. For his career between the ACL, Low-A and High-A the past three seasons, Thompson has 115 strikeouts and 43 hits allowed in 71.2 innings. He has an issue with walks, but the dude has only allowed two earned runs since May 28th.

He's shown enough this season at Low-A, let him go cook with Johnson in High-A!

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