3 Angels spring training overreactions after first week of action

LA Angels prospect Nelson Rada is going to be a superstar

There is a lot to like about young Angels prospect Nelson Rada. Signed as an international free agent in 2022, Rada is turning heads in Angels camp this spring after receiving a non-roster invite earlier this offseason.

Nolan Schanuel is the Angels' only Top 100 prospect according to MLB Pipeline, but Rada will likely enter that conversation; if not by midseason, he'll be there heading into the 2024-25 offseason. Though LA's farm system is not highly thought of, Rada could help to change that narrative during the upcoming season.

But before everyone jumps on the Nelson Rada bandwagon and crowns the 18-year-old as the savior of the Angels franchise, it's wise to take a step back and allow this young outfield prospect to develop. While many scouts see Rada as a potential starter, and even a potential star, he's barely played professional baseball.

The Angels have made a habit lately of accelerating the development of highly-touted prospects. Angels fans have seen it with the aforementioned Schanuel, as well as shortstop Zach Neto. It looks like the Halos are trying to slow it down a bit with Kyren Paris, and hopefully the club takes the same approach with Rada.

While Rada looks the part, everyone should pump the brakes before giving the young prospect more expectations than he can handle. With that in mind, LA needs to allow young prospects like Rada to prove themselves in the minors for more than a month or two before calling them up to the big leagues.