Teenage outfielder is one of the most important Angels' prospects in 2025

With the free agent outfield market drying up and reports that the Angels likely won't be trading Taylor Ward, it appears as though the Angels are set on this position group for 2025. Ward will man left and Mike Trout will be the primary center fielder. Jo Adell will handle the lion's share of the right field duties, while Mickey Moniak will get playing time as the fourth outfielder, and Jorge Soler will make some corner outfield cameos.

It might not be the perfect solution, but it is an acceptable one for 2025. The future is where things start to get murky. Sooner rather than later the Halos would be well served by moving Trout off of center. The future Hall of Famer has struggled to stay healthy the last few seasons, and the team crumbles without him. Lightening his defensive workload will be imperative as he ages.

Ward is another player who, while integral to the current iteration of the Angels, is not someone who projects to be with the team well into the future. He's signed to a bargain $7.825 million contract in his second-to-last year of arbitration, but when he hits free agency after the 2026 season he'll be looking to cash in.

This means the Angels will need reinforcements, and a teenage prospect could be on track to solve these needs in the coming years. That player, 19-year-old Nelson Rada, will be one of the most important prospects to watch in 2025.

Will Nelson Rada prove to be the answer to all of the Angels future outfield questions?

Signed out of Venezuela during the 2022 international free agent signing period, Rada was MLB.com's 29th overall prospect in his class. He currently sits at no. five on Baseball America's top Angels prospect list, while FanGraphs has him ranked as the Halos' fourth-best prospect.

Rada began his pro journey as most international free agent signings do -- in the Dominican Summer League. He raked to the tune of a .311/.446/.439 line in 2022, which was good for a 148 wRC+. He followed up that sizzling performance with a solid showing in A-ball in 2023, slashing .276/.395/.346 with a 113 wRC+ and 55 stolen bases.

In 2024, Rada became part of the Halos' strategy of fast-tracking prospects. He skipped over High-A and played the entire season in AA, where he had his fair share of struggles. He finished the year with a .234/.331/.269 line, 87 wRC+, and 35 steals.

While you may look at those numbers and believe he stalled, FanGraphs lead prospect analyst Eric Longenhagen points out in his report that Rada was nearly six years younger than the average AA prospect. While FanGraphs and Baseball America disagree as to whether or not the quick promotion was detrimental to his development, it is impressive that he was able to basically hold his own against much more advanced competition.

As a prospect, Rada has some exciting tools but some clear limitations. At just 5-foot-8, he's unlikely to develop much more than gap-to-gap power, and he'll need to maintain his hit tool in order to be productive with the bat in the bigs.

He has a well-developed batting eye, posting walk rates of 12.6%, 13.5%, and 11.4% over the last three seasons, respectively. On the flip side, his strikeout rate has risen at each level, going from 12.6% in 2022, to 18.1% in 2023, and finally 23.3% last year.

Rada has a ton of speed which helps on the basepaths and in the outfield, where he's already well-advanced for his age. Power is a real concern, however, as he's hit just four home runs in three minor league seasons. In the best-case scenario, the lefty-swinging Rada projects to be a lethal leadoff man whose contact skills, ability to draw walks, and stolen base prowess make him an ideal table-setter. However, if some of his tools stall out, he'll become a fourth outfielder who makes his name with his glove and range.

This season will be a critical one for Rada in determining his future. He could be well on his way to a 2027 arrival if all breaks right, just in time to replace Ward and push Trout to left field.

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