Top Angels prospect receives Spring Training invite

Nelson Rada gets a Spring Training invite Angels fans are sure to be excited about.

Los Angeles Angels v Tampa Bay Rays
Los Angeles Angels v Tampa Bay Rays / Douglas P. DeFelice/GettyImages
facebooktwitterreddit

Nelson Rada, who is the Los Angeles Angels' #3 ranked prospect according to MLB.com, will be invited to Spring Training according to his agent. Rada is only 18 years old but made a huge impact with his speed down in low-A with the Inland Empire 66ers this past season.

What Angels fans can expect from Nelson Rada

Now Rada is only 18 and while we have seen talent produce at that age in the Major Leagues, he is still going to need time to develop. However, his raw talent is definitely worth keeping an eye on as his speed clearly plays and he is able to make consistent contact.

In Low-A, Nelson Rada slashed .276/.395/.346 while also impressing with his blazing speed on the base paths, swiping 55 bases in 2023. This will be completely unfair to him as a player as he still needs time to develop, but when watching his swing, a lot of it reminded me of Juan Soto.

His power is going to be the main concern which is why I would pump the brakes on the Soto comparison for now. According to his scouting report on MLB.com, it reads "He needs to add strength to impact the ball, something that was a focus for him during the offseason, and while he's going to be hit-over-power, there's a chance for him to grow into enough extra-base authority."

In addition to MLB.com's scouting report on him, prospect guru Jared Tims doubled down on his contact skills with a player comparison to Giants legend Angel Pagan. "Good pure hitter who makes good swing decisions at the plate. More gap-to-gap power but could run into 15 home runs." Tims also commended Rada on his skills in the outfield as he looked comfortable and could stay there.

Based on all this information, it's safe to assume that developing his power is going to be one of his biggest needs heading into 2024. Even if he doesn't tap into it, his natural sense in making contact is a huge plus, along with his speed could easily make him an Angels major league player sometime in the very near future if he stays within the organization.

manual