Angels teen phenom's insane tool is fueling a breakout prediction by Baseball America

The Los Angeles Angels aren't known for their prospect pipeline, with the system typically ranking among the dregs of the league. Some of that has to do with the club's failure to identify and acquire top talent in the draft and in the international markets. Worse, a big part of the problem is self-inflicted, with the Halos willingly putting their prized youngsters in disadvantaged situations, harming their development along the way.

That could all change soon, though. Over the last couple of years, the team has gotten its act together on the international stage. That started in 2024 when the club signed then-16-year-old Dominican shortstop Joswa Lugo to a $2.3 million bonus, one of the largest bonuses handed out in the period.

Lugo quickly rose up the Angels' dismal prospect list thanks to a strong showing in the DSL in 2024 when he slashed .301/.370/.466. In 2025, he'd arrive stateside, playing 35 games in the Arizona Complex League and slashing .271/.375/.372, posting an impressive 12.5% walk rate, but striking out 26.3% of the time while struggling with power production.

There was enough there for Baseball America to name the soon-to-be 19-year-old as a top breakout contender for 2026, and the reasoning has everything to do with Lugo's power.

Angels' teenage prospect Joswa Lugo's signature skill is hiding in plain sight, leading Baseball America to name him a 2026 breakout candidate

At six-foot-three, 187 pounds, Lugo was already more physically developed than most youngsters his age when he signed. His calling card had been immense raw power, the type that threatened to be game-changing. The concern that scouts noted was his hit tool, questioning if it would develop enough to allow him to tap into his strength and become the impact player his other tools suggest he could be.

So far, we've seen very much the opposite. Sort of. Lugo's .301 average in the DSL might not have been unexpected given the level, but it showed that he could put the ball in play, even if he struck out 23.3% of the time.

The .271 mark he turned in last season tempered that a bit, but still showed that he could make contact, while his walk rate improved from 7.8% to 12.5%, despite the slight increase in competition, which indicated that he was maturing in his strike zone recognition  — a prerequisite for contact skills.

At first glance, that impressive power wasn't there last season, but there's more to it than meets the eye. Part of the reason Lugo hit as well as he did wasn't that he made a ton of contact. In fact, his 69.3% contact rate was slightly below-average. Instead, it was the authority in which he hit balls that allowed him to produce a .375 BABIP.

Baseball America notes that his exit velocities are superb for his age. Lugo posted a 107.4 miles per hour 90th-percentile EV and a 113.5 miles per hour max EV, showing that he was regularly scorching balls despite hitting just two homers in 152 plate appearances.

He needs to get more loft on the ball, but when he does, that ability to generate loud contact will have the homers coming in bunches. Combined with some improved patience at the plate, you can see the contact and on-base skills coming along.

If he does those two things in 2026, expect him to rise up the experts' lists quickly, as he'll be significantly closer to fully unlocking his superstar potential.