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ANAHEIM -- The Minor League season is in full swing, so it¡¯s time to check in on how a few Angels prospects are faring early this year.
The Angels believe their farm system is in a better place than in recent years, and they can add to that mix in this year¡¯s Draft, as they have the No. 2 overall selection. With that in mind, here¡¯s a look at a player excelling at each of the club¡¯s four main levels of the Minors:
Triple-A Salt Lake: RHP Caden Dana
With the altitude in Salt Lake City and playing in the hitter-friendly Pacific Coast League, it¡¯s tough to put up strong numbers at Triple-A Salt Lake as a pitcher. But Dana, ranked as the club¡¯s No. 2 prospect by MLB Pipeline, is off to a dominant start. He's posted a 2.29 ERA with 26 strikeouts and seven walks in 19 2/3 innings. He's leaning heavily on his four-seamer, but his slider has improved to give him a weapon against right-handers. The 21-year-old already pitched in relief for the Angels early this season and made three starts late last year, and he is a candidate to join the rotation if he continues to pitch well. The 6-foot-4 right-hander doesn¡¯t have overpowering stuff but knows how to pitch and his improved slider has already had a major effect.
Double-A Rocket City: LHP Samy Natera Jr.
Natera put himself on the radar with a strong showing in last year¡¯s Arizona Fall League and has carried that over into this season. The 25-year-old reliever has posted a 1.08 ERA with 18 strikeouts and five walks in 8 1/3 innings. Natera, ranked as the club¡¯s No. 16 prospect, isn¡¯t on the 40-man roster yet but is an option to be called up to reinforce the bullpen if he continues to pile up eye-popping strikeout numbers. Natera, born in Juarez, Mexico, is considered a diamond in the rough, as he was a 17th-rounder out of the University of New Mexico in ¡¯22.
High-A Tri-City: 1B Ryan Nicholson
Nicholson isn¡¯t among the club¡¯s Top 30 prospects, but the first baseman has been raking in a league that skews toward pitching. He¡¯s batted .359/.500/.642 with three homers, six doubles and 13 RBIs in 16 games. It's even more impressive when compared to the club's overall slash line of .224/.340/.346. He was a 10th-round pick out of the University of Kentucky and is 24 years old, so he¡¯s roughly two years older than his average competition. But he¡¯s a candidate to be moved up to Double-A Rocket City to see how he fares against better pitching.
Single-A Inland Empire: SS John Wimmer
The Angels love to push their prospects by having them play against older competition and that¡¯s the case with Wimmer, who has fared well at Single-A despite being 20 years old and roughly a year and a half younger than his average competition. Wimmer, selected in the 11th round of the 2023 Draft out of Rock Hill High School in South Carolina, has batted .255/.375/.404 with three doubles, two triples and three RBIs in 13 games. He¡¯s still developing power, as he¡¯s hit just one homer in 71 career games in the Minors, but he¡¯s not small at 6-foot-1 and 170 pounds, so it should come with time. He¡¯s not among the club¡¯s Top 30 prospects but could play his way into that status and is considered a few years away from reaching the Majors.