Angels rising young star named as one of MLB Insider's top day 1 draft breakouts

In a piece looking back at previous day one draft picks (players selected in the first or second round), The Athletic's Jim Bowden mused on which fallen former top prospects are finally achieving breakout success. At the top of his list was Kyren Paris, who has taken the Angels and the league by storm in the early going.

In case you've been living under a rock for the past three weeks, Paris has been playing like an MVP candidate in the early going, even if the national media hasn't given him the attention that his dynamic performance deserves.

Of course, for Angels fans, this should come as no surprise. As the losses and ineptitude have piled up over the years, many in the national media have taken great joy in piling on, sometimes deservedly so, but sometimes throwing out takes that highlight their bias.

Finally, it looks like the Angels might start getting the recognition they deserve, and the catalyst for that has been the electric Kyren Paris. Drafted in the second round out of high school back in 2019, it feels like Paris has been around forever, making it easy to forget that he's just 23 years old.

As a reference point, last year's breakout star, Zach Neto, was drafted three years after Paris yet is about nine months older than the Halos' latest budding star. This should serve as a reminder that, although the Angels often fast-track prospects through their system, development isn't always linear, and some guys (especially those coming out of high school) need more time than others.

Kyren Paris is playing like a superstar, and the baseball world is finally taking note

Before Paris could convince the world at large that he was a star in the making, he first had an uphill battle to get his own team to believe in him. After a torrid spring training, Paris was rewarded with a spot on the opening day roster, however, the initial plan was for him to primarily back up Jo Adell in centerfield.

The original plan was for him to play just a couple of times a week. Thankfully, the Angels have scrapped that plan and kept underperformer veterans like Kevin Newman and Nicky Lopez on the bench.

As a result of some inconsistent playing time in the very early going, Paris doesn't show up on the leaderboards when sorted by "qualified plate appearances." However, amongst hitters with at least 40 plate appearances, his 289 wRC+ through 13 games ranks number one, ahead of reigning AL MVP Aaron Judge by a whopping 48 points.

Paris won't hit .400 all season like he is currently. Pitchers will adjust as they get more looks at him, and he'll be forced to make his own adjustments and muddle through the grind of a marathon 162-game season.

How he responds to the inevitable ebbs and flows of the game will be crucial to determining his future value. Is he a true superstar that has MVP potential? Is he an All-Star? Is he a serviceable starter? Those questions and more are valid and will require a much larger sample to answer.

However, one thing is for sure. Paris has incredible tools ranging from athleticism and speed to power and patience. These are the same tools that got him selected highly in the draft, and they are the ones that he's finally putting together at the major league level.

The question no longer is whether or not he is a big-league caliber player. The answer there is a resounding yes. The question now is, how good will he truly become? His ceiling is sky high, and whether or not he reaches it will be one of the most fascinating storylines to watch as the season unfolds.

The signs are all there -- power, speed, and a penchant for coming through in the clutch. If all of that holds true over a larger sample, the Angels just got a surprise addition to the young core they've been building around, an addition that may be the best piece yet.

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