Unheralded Angels prospect is reminiscent of a versatile fan favorite of the past

Chone Figgins made a name for himself as a speedy utility man, could Caleb Ketchup do the same?

Los Angeles Angels of Anaheim v Oakland Athletics
Los Angeles Angels of Anaheim v Oakland Athletics | Focus On Sport/GettyImages

During the Angels' run in the 2000s one of the key cogs of the team that drove their success was the speedy, slap-hitting, and versatile utility man, Chone Figgins. Figgins's career is a shining example of the importance of versatility and depth on a roster, and the one-time AL stolen base leader helped set a precedent for utility players being more than light-hitting defensive specialists.

Don't get confused, Figgins was never a power threat. He hit just 35 home runs in a career that spanned 1282 games, never tallying more than 9 in a single season. Instead, he made his mark with his versatility, both as a switch hitter and as a player who could play every position on the diamond save for first base, pitcher, and catcher.

A few poor years after his Angels tenure deflated his line as shown by his career 95 wRC+, but from 2005 through 2009 the switch-hitter had a tremendous run as one of the game's best leadoff hitters, slapping his way on base and wrecking having once he got there.

Figgins is a unique player in Angels' history, and there may never be another one like him, but if you squint hard enough you can see flashes of Figgins in the game of Angels' prospect Caleb Ketchup.

It might be unlikely, but Caleb Ketchup could develop into the next Chone Figgins for the Angels

In addition to having a great name, Caleb Ketchup is an exceptional athlete as well. Like Figgins who was only 5-foot-8, 180 pounds Ketchup is similarly undersized at 5-10, 160, but makes up for his lack of strength with blazing speed, totaling 65 stolen bases last year throughout all his minor-league stops.

In what was just his second minor league season, and first full one, Ketchup was aggressively promoted through the Angels' system making some noise along the way. The season as a whole left something to be desired, as he slashed just .208/.309/.318 across all levels last year.

Still, the versatile youngster followed in Figgins' footsteps logging time at every position except pitcher, catcher, and first base. That was a good start for the 15th-round pick who at least showed value with his positional versatility.

The next course of action for Ketchup is cutting down his strikeouts in an effort to lean into his best attribute, speed. Last year he posted a concerning 27.4% K-rate. If he's to have success and eventually find his way to the bigs, he'll need to cut that down drastically and embrace a Figgins-esque contact-driven approach that allows him to lean into his best attribute, speed.

You won't find Ketchup at the top of most Angels prospect lists, and his draft position shows what scouts think about his overall potential. Still, he's a very young and raw player with some great tools to start with.

Prospect fans and dreamers should keep an eye on him in 2025, and if the stars align it should not surprise if he ends up following in the footsteps of a former Angels great, impacting the game in unique and valuable ways, eventually.

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