List of the top 30 predictions for the 2023 Los Angeles Angels season

The Angels system is far from among the deepest in Major League Baseball. But at the top of the 30 best new spots, it’s a lot more interesting than it’s been in a while, and the top two on the list should be hitting Los Angeles soon.

He starts with catcher Logan O’Hoppe, acquired at the trade deadline last year for Brandon Marsh. He made his major league debut last year and should get plenty of time behind the plate in the major leagues, which is why he appears on lists for MLS Rookie of the Year candidate.

While Zach Nieto was only drafted last year, the player made his first Double-A appearance in 2022 during his professional debut. He’s on the fast track now and has the kind of advanced bat that could get him to LA very quickly.

And potential No. 3 Edgar Coiro is a long way off, but he’s put himself in the top 100 for conversations. After winning the California League MVP last year, the switchback catcher can jump the ratings with repeat performance.

On top of that, it’s waning fast, even though the overall 2021 draft looks like it’s going to produce some legitimate big league hits. Chase Silseth is already there and the lefty K Bush should be there soon. There are 16 pitchers in the top 30 New Angels, with seven of them coming from that draft class.

The Angels continue to count on being active in the global amateur free agent market, with 11 of the top 30 coming from those efforts. If many of these small players with big tools take steps forward in 2023, it could be the key to the system moving up the ranks.

Biggest jump/fall
These are the players who have changed ranks the most from Pre-Season 2021 to Pre-Season 2022.

jump: Werner Blakely, 3B (2022:24 | 2023:8) The Angels knew this could be a bit of a long play when they drafted him in the fourth round of the 2020 draft out of the ranks of Detroit-area high schools. He was starting to figure a few things out in his all-season debut last year before he got hurt. He’s only 21 years old for the entirety of the 2023 season, and there’s a ceiling he can grow to.

He falls: Arol Vera, SS (2022:3 | 2023:29) Vera was one of the top prospects in the 2019-20 international signing period and joined the Angels in July 2019 for $2 million. The pandemic certainly hasn’t helped, but there was optimism when he debuted in the 2021 Arizona Complex League. However, he has a 0.572 OPS and a 27 percent strike rate a full season ball in 2022, however, he has a lot of anxiety about if he can add strength and approach to reach greater heights.

Players are rated on a 20-80 exploratory scale for future instruments – 20-30 well below average, 40 below average, 50 average, 60 above average and 70-80 well above average. The players in brackets have the same score.

He hits: 60 – Zack Nieto
power: 55 – Logan Ohby
Being80: Jordyn Adams
arm: 55 – Zack Netto (Logan Ohope, Denzer Guzman, Keren Paris, Nelson Rada, Jeremiah Jackson, Arul Vera)
defense60- Jordyn Adams (Levan Soto)
Fastball: 80 – Ben Joyce
Curveball: 55 – Cadyn Dana
slider: 60 – Sam Bachman
change55: Sam Bachman (Ki Bush and Landon Marco)
controls: 55 – Landon Marco

How it was built
Draft: 18 | International: 11 | Trade: 1

Segmentation by ETA
2023: 6 | 2024: 10 | 2025: 7 | 2026: 6 | 2027: 1

Division by position
A: 2 | 2b: 1 | 3b: 1 | SS: 6 | from: 4 | RHP: 14 | LHP: 2