LA Angels prospect is an AFL fall star

The Los Angeles Angels do not have the best farm system in the game. In fact, they have the worst system in baseball according to this list on mlb.com. There're some hidden gems within the prospects the Angels have, but the high-end talent is hard to spot.

The top prospect is Logan O'Hoppe who just made his MLB debut so he is not in the Arizona Fall League. Most of the other top prospects in the Angels system are not in the AFL either.

One prospect who is in the AFL is Werner Blakely. He was just selected to the American League AFL Fall Stars team.

Werner Blakely is a name to keep an eye on in the Angels system.

It was a bit of a surprise to see Blakely playing in the Arizona Fall League, to begin with. The 20-year-old was a fourth-round pick in the 2020 MLB Draft. He's ranked as the 15th-best prospect in this poor Angels system. He probably wouldn't be in the top 30 on a bunch of teams.

Blakely has just 99 total minor league games played in his two seasons since going pro. He played in 44 games in Rookie Ball in 2021 before getting promoted to Single A for 2022.

Despite his inexperience, Blakely performed well with the Inland Empire 66ers, slashing .295/.447/.470 with five home runs and 40 RBI. He drew 45 walks in 235 plate appearances which is outstanding. He also stole 24 bases in 26 attempts. Blakely got on base at an elite clip and when he got on, used his speed to put himself into scoring position.

Blakely got the call to join the AFL as a representative of the Angels despite his inexperience in pro baseball and hasn't disappointed despite the major jump in pitching facing some of the best prospects in the game.

Blakely has slashed .271/.397/.396 with no home runs and eight RBI in 13 games. He's also stolen three bases in four attempts. Blakely has continued to find his way on base and make an impact.

Blakely was drafted as a shortstop but has transitioned nicely to third base. Every game except for one in which Blakely has appeared in the field this season has been at third, and I expect that to continue as he continues to rise in the ranks. With his performance in the AFL I wouldn't be surprised to see Blakely find his way to AA Rocket City as their Opening Day third baseman.