Along with a Top 10 Dynasty Baseball Prospects Ranking, I wanted to highlight some interesting MLB guys and talk some team specific strategy for every team to give a more complete Dynasty Team Report. Like during the regular season, I’m still going to be posting a few articles a month for free on my website. This is one of those articles. Here is the Los Angeles Angels 2022 Dynasty Baseball Report (Top 10 Prospects/Interesting MLB guys/Strategy Talk):
Hitters
Jo Adell LAA, OF, 23.0 – Do you want the good news, or the bad news first? …. The good news is that Adell significantly improved his K%, bringing it all the way down to 22.9% from 41.7% in 2020. The bad news is that his exit velocity fell off a cliff with it, tanking to a well below average 86.2 MPH (90.6 MPH in 2020). The huge raw power is obviously still in there, and his 29.9 ft/s sprint speed is in the top 2% of the league, so showing that he has the ability to make reasonable contact on the MLB level is a major step forward. Now he just has to put it all together. 2022 Projection: 68/22/77/.236/.302/.444/11 Prime Projection: 78/27/91/.249/.316/.476/15
Brandon Marsh LAA, OF, 24.4 – Marsh showed both his upside and risk in his MLB debut. He smashed the ball with a 51.7% HardHit% and showed near elite speed with a 29.1 ft/sec sprint speed, but his 35% K% is dangerously high and his 7.9 degree launch angle is capping his power. Randy Arozarena showed this kind of profile can still do damage, but Marsh needs to bring his K% down to even get into Arozarena territory. 2022 Projection: 76/18/65/.256/.328/.413/14 Prime Projection: 85/23/81/.266/.340/.451/15
Starting Pitchers
Patrick Sandoval LAA, LHP, 25.6 – Sandoval was in the midst of a breakout season when a stress fracture in his back ended his year in mid August after 87 IP. He throws two plus swing and miss secondaries in his changeup (.221 xwOBA with a 51.4% whiff%) and slider (.240 xwOBA with a 38.3% whiff%), and he heavily reduced the usage of his worst pitch (4-seamer) by adding a sinker to the arsenal. He now has a legitimate 5 pitch mix that led to a 3.55 xERA, 85.4 EV against, 6.3 degree launch, and 33.9% whiff%. The back injury is a little concerning, but if you want to assume full health, he could explode in 2022. 2022 Projection: 8/3.78/1.27/144 in 135 IP
Noah Syndergaard LAA, RHP, 29.7 – Syndergaard was supposed to come back mid-season in 2021, but setbacks only allowed him to pitch 2 innings at the end of the season. His 4 seamer was down 3.8 MPH to 94.3 MPH and he wasn’t able to throw his slider at all. He signed a 1 year deal for $21 million with Los Angeles, so teams were not willing to trust him with a lucrative long term contract. He’s going to have to prove it in 2022. 2022 Projection: 10/3.92/1.27/161 in 165 IP
Bullpen
Raisel Iglesias LAA, Closer, 32.3 – Iglesias leveled up in 2020 and then leveled up again in 2021, putting up a career best 37.7% whiff% and 4.4% BB%. His fastball, slider and changeup all notched career highs in whiff% at 31.1%, 51% whiff%, and 48.8%, respectively. Hader and Hendriks are in a league of their own, but Iglesias is trying his darndest to join that top tier. 2022 Projection: 4/2.88/1.02/98/33 in 69 IP
Los Angeles Angels Top 10 Dynasty Baseball Prospects
1) Reid Detmers LAA, LHP, 22.9 – Detmers destroyed the upper levels of the minors with a 108/19 K/BB in 62 IP split between Double-A and Triple-A, but the major leagues ate him up with a 7.40 ERA and 19/11 K/BB in 20.2 IP. This was his first year of pro ball, so making it all the way to majors is impressive regardless of results. His fastball ticked up this year, but it still averaged only 92.8 MPH in the majors. He combines that with two plus breaking balls in his curveball and a new slider, while his developing changeup lags behind. Unless his fastball can truly sit in the mid 90’s, he strikes me as a mid rotation guy. 2022 Projection: 7/4.22/1.32/122 in 120 IP Prime Projection: 12/3.83/1.23/189 in 177 IP
2) Sam Bachman LAA, RHP, 22.6 – Selected 9th overall in the 2021 MLB Draft, Bachman has an aggressive, attacking delivery that he uses to fire upper 90’s heat with a nasty plus slider. He had some shoulder soreness early in the year, but was lights out when on the mound with a pitching line of 1.81/0.77/93/17 in 59.2 IP. There is some reliever risk, but the stuff is electric. ETA: 2023 Prime Projection: 12/3.78/1.21/179 in 163 IP
3) Arol Vera LAA, SS, 19.7 – Vera wasn’t able to get to any of his power in his pro debut with 0 homers and high groundball rates in 57 games split between rookie ball and Single-A, but he was able to show off a good feel to hit. He hit .317 with a 23.8% K% at rookie ball and then hit .280 with a 22.2% K% as an 18 year old at Single-A. He’s a switch hitter with a lightening quick swing that should produce plenty of power when he gets older, so establishing a strong hit tool was a great start to his career. ETA: 2025 Prime Projection: 74/22/79/.266/.326/.443/7
4) Brendon Davis LAA, 3B/OF, 24.8 – Davis’ power broke out in a big way this year, slashing .290/.361/.561 with 30 homers, 16 steals, and a 25.1%/8.6% K%/BB% in 124 games split between 3 levels (A+/AA/AAA). He’s 6’4”, 185 pounds with that weird Giancarlo Stanton swing where his front foot is way over to the 1B side. The swing change clearly worked, but there is hit tool risk and he doesn’t really have a defensive home. 2022 Projection: 11/3/14.225/.292/.418/2 Prime Projection: 58/20/69/.243/.315/.462/7
5) Kyren Paris LAA, SS, 20.5 – A broken fibula limited Paris to 47 games in his full season debut. He showed off his plus speed (22 steals) and patience (14.6% BB%), and his power started to sprout just a bit with 4 homers. The biggest issue is strikeouts, as he put up a 31.1% K%, and his numbers tanked when he got to High-A with a 20/2 K/BB in 13 games. He’s still raw, but there is fantasy friendly upside here. ETA: 2024 Prime Projection: 74/15/69/.242/.321/.404/17
6) Ky Bush LAA, LHP, 22.5 – Selected 45th overall in the 2021 MLB Draft, Bush is a large man at 6’6”, 240 pounds with a mid 90’s fastball and potentially plus slider. He also throws a developing curve and change. His control took a step forward in 2021 with a 2.2 BB/9 in 78 IP in the West Coast Conference (4.8 BB/9 in 2019), and he showed his strikeout stuff will translate to pro ball with 20 K’s in 12 IP in his pro debut at High-A. There is legitimate upside here. ETA: 2023 Prime Projection: 11/3.92/1.29/180 in 168 IP
7) Denzer Guzman LAA, SS, 18.2 – Guzman didn’t particularly standout in his pro debut in the DSL with a 92 wRC+, but there were still some positive takeaways. He showed an advanced plate approach with an excellent 14.6%/12.2% K%/BB% and he put the ball in the air with a 49.1% FB%, so when he grows into his 6’2”, 165 pound frame, the power will come. ETA: 2026 Prime Projection: 74/21/78/.266/.337/.442/6
8) Jordyn Adams LAA, OF, 22.5 – Adams is an elite athlete at 6’2”, 180 pounds, but the production just isn’t coming. He put up a 66 wRC+ with 5 homers, 18 steals, and a 37.8%/9.1% K%/BB% in 71 games at High-A. I own him in an 18 teamer where I’m going to have a prospect crunch going into the off-season prospect draft, and I’m struggling as to whether I should cut him, or keep him and try to trade some picks this year for picks next year. The upside is high, but the risk is starting to win out. ETA: 2023 Prime Projection: 47/12/40/.234/.298/.403/12
9) Jeremiah Jackson LAA, SS, 22.0 – Jackson is consistent if nothing else with huge homer totals (10 homers in 51 games at mostly Single-A), plus speed (13 steals), and massive hit tool risk (33.2%). He’s a low probability prospect who likely won’t hit enough, but the upside is high if he can ever figure it out. ETA: 2024 Prime Projection: 51/17/57/.218/.295/.436/8
10) Alexander Ramirez LAA, OF, 19.7 – The risk is high with Ramirez because of extreme strikeout issues, putting up a 32.5% K% at rookie ball and a 42% K% at Single-A, but the upside is high too with plus power and some speed. He had a 136 wRC+ in 35 games at the age appropriate rookie ball and then cratered in full season ball with a negative 10 wRC+. ETA: 2025 Prime Projection: 62/18/67/.226/.305/.436/5
Strategy
The Angels have the 8th best hitters park in baseball, but the area where it really stands out is that it juices up homers for lefthanded hitters, so even though Jared Walsh and Brandon Marsh don’t have the most homer friendly launch angles, I’m more confident in their ability to knock homers out regardless.
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By Michael Halpern (@MichaelCHalpern)
Email: michaelhalpern@imaginarybrickwall.com
Twitter: Imaginary Brick Wall (@DynastyHalp)