Stefanic impresses during 62-game on-base streak

ANAHEIM -- Infielder Michael Stefanic saw an impressive feat come to an end at Triple-A Salt Lake on Friday, as his on-base streak was snapped at 62 games.

Stefanic, 27, fell 12 games short of the Minor League record, which is coincidentally held by current Angels Minor Leaguer Andrew Velazquez, who reached in 74 straight with Class A South Bend (D-backs organization) in 2014. But it was still an impressive accomplishment for Stefanic, who has done nothing but hit in the Minors and remains on the club’s 40-man roster.

After going 0-for-4 on Friday, he picked up three more hits on Saturday and is batting .337/.440/.436 with two homers, 10 doubles and 31 RBIs in 55 games with the Bees this season and is a career .317/.402/.433 hitter in 377 games in the Minors. Stefanic's first taste of the Majors last year didn't go as well, however, as he hit .197/.279/.230 with two doubles and zero RBIs in 25 games.

But Angels general manager Perry Minasian said Stefanic has been turning heads again offensively this year, and that the organization wants him to continue to work on his defense. The Halos already have a crowded middle infield that includes Zach Neto, Luis Rengifo, Gio Urshela and Brandon Drury. And that doesn’t include Minor Leaguers like Livan Soto, David Fletcher and Velazquez, who is working his way back from an injury.

“[Stefanic has] been great,” Minasian said. “Offensively, he’s been outstanding. The ability to get on base day in and day out, we’ve all seen it. Defensively, he’s made some strides. He gives a really tough at-bat. So I think it's, again, somebody that's on the radar, he’s on the 40 and he’s someone we really like.”

Double-A Rocket City: OF David Calabrese
His overall slash line of .205/.314/.415 doesn't immediately jump out, but Calabrese has been heating up at the plate and is playing in Double-A despite being just 20 years old. Calabrese, ranked as the club’s No. 24 prospect by MLB Pipeline, has hit .276/.409/.549 with three homers, six doubles and a triple over his last 15 games.

Listed at 5-foot-11 and 160 pounds, Calabrese was regarded as more of a table-setter and speedster after being taken in the third round of the 2020 MLB Draft out of St. Elizabeth Catholic High School in Ontario, Canada. But he’s developed more power than expected, as he has the second-highest slugging percentage on the team behind 25-year-old Orlando Martinez. Calabrese has also taken only four at-bats against pitchers younger than him this year.

High-A Tri-City: INF Arol Vera
Like Calabrese, Vera started out slow offensively but has fared much better recently. Vera, 20, has batted .295/.343/.443 with a homer, six doubles and 10 RBIs over his last 16 games, including a four-hit effort against Vancouver on May 19. Vera, ranked as the club’s No. 27 prospect, needs to cut down on his strikeouts but was shown to be a strong defender at both shortstop and second base.

Class A Inland Empire: OF Nelson Rada
At just 17 years old, Rada is the youngest player in full-season ball this year and has more than held his own with Inland Empire. He's hit .262/.403/.322 with seven doubles, two triples, 27 stolen bases and 21 RBIs in 48 games. He's still growing into his power but has impressive patience at the plate for a player his age. Rada, the club's No. 12 prospect, is a rangy center fielder who looks like he could be the leadoff hitter of the future for the Angels if he continues to develop.

After a .531 OPS in 19 games in April, Rada had an .814 OPS in 20 games in May and owns a .945 OPS in nine June games. The Venezuela native is nearly four-and-a-half years younger than the average Class A player.