Angels should build their new core around these 5 young players

The Los Angeles Angels are arriving at a truly interesting juncture in their journey. For the first time in a long time, there is actual hope for the future. That optimism comes via multiple different sources. On one front, Stan Kroenke's ownership usher in a new era of spending lavishly on high-end talent.

But things were already looking more promising before Kroenke came into the picture. The draft and trade deadline brought an influx of talent into the farm system, making it seem as if the pipeline will function as intended for the first time in years.

Finally, while Los Angeles's win-loss record isn't a thing of beauty, the development of several young players on the field, like Reid Detmers, Zach Neto, Walbert Urena, and others, is proving that there's actual talent present here.

The question will be which of these young pieces will be part of the future, and which will be shipped out for different assets. A lot may depend on the timeline the new front office leadership intends to follow. With that in mind, we're going to give them our blueprint for the foundation of the next great Halos team based on the young players already in the system.

These five Angels players should be the foundation of the next contending squad

Reid Detmers, SP

There's a case to be made for trading Reid Detmers, whose value was already very high and is only going up amid his astonishing second-half run. The haul that he'd return would be incredible, but it would also delay the timeline.

Los Angeles has lacked a true ace for decades now, and as they say, a bird in the hand is worth two in the bush. The 27-year-old southpaw has two years of team control remaining, and the Angels would be wise to take advantage of Kroenke's deep pockets to lock him up long-term, even if the price tag is higher now than it would've been a few months ago.

Zach Neto, SS

In a way, it feels as if Zach Neto has been stagnant. He posted a 117 wRC+ in both 2024 and 2025, and currently owns a 116 mark as of September 9. That's good, of course, but you'd like to see the 25-year-old build on what is a strong foundation.

At the same time, 3.5-plus WAR shortstops don't grow on trees, and Neto has been so close to hitting the 30-30 plateau that you can't simply write him off as a fully developed product. The question will be whether he's a Batman or a Robin in the lineup, but either way, he's a valuable piece at an important position.

Walbert Urena, SP

It's still mind-boggling how dramatic Walbert Urena's rise has been in 2026. At the start of the season, he was a mid-ranked prospect in a bottom-of-the-barrel farm system, meaning he'd likely be left out of many teams' top-30 lists.

Now, he's set to become the first Angels starter since Jered Weaver in 2006 to finish his rookie season with an ERA under 2.90 and at least 100 strikeouts. At 22 years old, there's still a whole lot of growth potential there, and with Detmers, the Halos could end up with a pair of aces atop the rotation.

Samy Natera Jr., RP

Lefty relievers who can strike out batters at a high clip are like gold, and that's exactly what Los Angeles has found with Samy Natera Jr. The 26-year-old has posted a 37.9% K-rate and compiled 1.1 fWAR over just 30 2/3 innings pitched. Add in a 1.83 FIP and 2.35 ERA, and that's some elite stuff.

Of all the Angels' bullpen arms, Natera Jr. stands out as the best building block. That might seem strange, given the presence of Ben Joyce, but Joyce's injury history makes him feel like a ticking timebomb that the club would be better off trading for him for a haul before his next devasting injury.

Wade Meckler, OF

This will be the boldest entry on the list, but every team needs a glue guy, and that's exactly what Wade Meckler is. He doesn't hit for much power, but he makes contact, gets on base, and plays decent defense while doing the little things that help a team win.

Meckler was quite the find as a waiver claim back in January, but despite a sub-.400 slugging percentage, Meckler has a 120 wRC+ so far this season. He runs the bases well, too, and is the kind of guy who flies under the radar until he does something big that makes you realize how good he's been all along. Winning teams have this type of player, and the Angels would be wise to hold on to him.

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