The system has much improved depth and the club added a couple of very exciting athletes with the first two selections in the 2018 draft in Jordyn Adams and Jeremiah Jackson.
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1. Jo Adell | CF | A+ —> He’s tapped into his raw power a little quicker than expected but his BB-K rate of 17-60 shows a need for improvement. Still, there is a multi-tooled star in the making here.
2. Jahmai Jones | 2B | A+ —> A position switch from the outfield to second base may have caused his offensive to sputter (hopefully temporarily). I still think he has the ability to be a better-than-average hitter in the Majors and the ability to play both the infield and the outfield only increases his value.
3. Brandon Marsh | CF | A+ —> Marsh continues to struggle to hit for power and has just six extra base hits in 30 games since moving up to high-A ball. He can hit the ball hard so it’s just a matter of giving the young, raw athlete a chance to gain experience, improve his approach and find consistency/comfort with his swing.
4. Griffin Canning | RHP | AAA —> One of the biggest surprises so far in 2018, Canning has overcome injury concerns from his college days to zoom through the minors and reach AAA in his first pro season. He’s not the biggest guy and the stuff is more solid than electric so his ceiling falls more into the mid-rotation-starter category.
5. Kevin Maitan | SS | R —> Considered the top hitter in the 2016 international free agent market, Maitan struggled as a 17 year old when he was rushed to advanced rookie ball by Atlanta. The Angels wisely slammed on the breaks and returned him to the same level in ’18 and Maitan is looking like the promising prospect of old. He’s likely a longer-term project.
6. Jordyn Adams | OF | R —> Adams reminds me a bit of Jo Adell, so it’s clear why the Angels pounced on him. With that said, he’s a little more raw and the organization will need to be patient with him. He has exciting speed, with plays well on both the base paths and in the field.
7. Jesus Castillo | RHP | AA —> Castillo has the potential to be a solid back-of-the-rotation starter who should be able to provide lots of innings. His success will hinge on his ability to miss barrels and consistently generate ground-ball outs.
8. Taylor Ward | 3B | AAA —> A move out from behind the plate has kickstarted Ward’s bat. The trade-off, though, is a loss in defensive value, although it’s possible that the young hitter could still serve as a third-strong catcher in The Show.
9. Michael Hermosillo | OF | MLB —> Hermosillo doesn’t have a huge ceiling but fourth outfielders that provide solid defence and aren’t hopeless at the plate have value.
10. Jose Soriano | RHP | R —> Soriano has a promising fastball-curveball combination and projects to add additional velo as he matures (He currently works mostly in the low-90s). He’s another project for the system to develop.
Just Missed:
Matt Thaiss | 1B | AAA —> Thaiss could be higher because he’s had success at the triple-A level but the lack of proven power and limited defensive value (as well as athleticism) hurt his overall value.
Leonardo Rivas | IF | A —> Well all is said and done, Rivas is probably a utility player at the MLB level but he just might carve out a career as an everyday middle infielder. He reminds me of Cesar Izturis.
Jeremiah Jackson | SS | R —> One of my favorite athletes in the 2018 draft, Jackson should move quicker than the Angels’ first pick, Jordyn Adams, as the former is a more natural hitter.
