2014 Minor League Keeper Thoughts: Los Angeles Angels of Anaheim

The prospect staff here at Fake Teams will be taking an in-depth look at each major league organization, including our top 10 fantasy prospects, an overview of the organization's minor league system as a whole and potential opportunities for playing time in 2014. Our goal is to provide you with more information as you prepare for minor league drafts for dynasty and keeper leagues, as well as look at players that could potentially be worth watching during the spring, as they could be in line to potentially help your fantasy team. We will be reviewing two teams per week until we are through all 30 teams, and you can see the schedule of when your favorite team will be reviewed below.

System Schedule

Organizational Overview
By Andrew Ball(@andrew_ball)

The Angels very well could be considered the most disappointing team of the 2013 Major League Baseball season. Coming off of an 89 win season in 2012 and armed with the offseason additions of Josh Hamilton and several arms, the Halos were a popular World Series pick. In fact, the team's odds to win the Series were going off at 17/2 prior to the season, a figure that trailed just two clubs.

Then the season began, and things quickly feel apart in Anaheim. The gobs of money that owner Arte Moreno paid out over the past two offseasons showed no real bearing on the team's performance. 2012's big free-agent signing, Albert Pujols, hit just .258/.330/.437 in 99 games before plantar fascia ended his season in August. Hamilton managed to stay healthy for the full season, but even with a strong final two months (119 wRC+ in August, 134 in Sept) of the season he was barely more than a league average hitter, a huge drop from what he was with the Rangers.

The pitching acquisitions were probably worse -- Joe Blanton sported a 6.04 ERA in 130+ innings, Tommy Hanson compiled a 5.42 ERA in 73 frames before his season was cut short as well, Ryan Madson never took the mound, and Jason Vargas pitched as well as Garrett Richards and Jerome Williams, two bargain bin arms that were already on the roster. Only C.J. Wilson can be considered a good signing over the past two years, and even his contributions weren't enough to keep the team from finishing with the seventh-worst team ERA in the majors. Poor production from two of the team's best hitters and less than stellar pitching led the team to a 78-84 mark, finishing 18 games out in the AL West.

Even worse, the farm system is in the running for the worst in all of baseball, lacking both depth and impact potential. The signings of Pujols, Hamilton, and Wilson cost the Angels the 19th and 83rd overall picks in the 2012 draft as well as the 22nd overall pick in this past year's draft, selections that turned into Michael Wacha, Jamie Jarmon, and Hunter Harvey. Certainly things could have worked out differently, but Wacha and Harvey would easily rank one-two in this system and they would give the Angels a nice duo at the top. Instead the battle for our number one ranking came down to Taylor Lindsey, Mark Sappington and C.J. Cron, none of whom elicit much excitement from our team.

The saving grace in all of this is Mike Trout. We won't take the time that's necessary to really get into just how wonderful Trout is, but the fact that the farm system has graduated him within the last few years almost makes up for the lack of current talent. It also gives the Angels reason to believe that 2014 can be much better. It won't take a huge improvement from Pujols and Hamilton to really make them contenders again, and we would be surprised if they don't add at least one big piece in free agency.

2013 Graduates

The following players have surpassed their rookie maximums of 130 AB, 50 IP, or 45 days of service time prior to September 1st of this year.

Kole Calhoun (at bats), J.B. Shuck (at bats), Grant Green (at bats), Andrew Romine (at bats), Luis Jimenez (service time), Dane de la Rosa (innings), Michael Kohn (innings), Buddy Boshers (service time), Michael Roth (service time), Robert Coello (service time)

Major League Opportunities in 2014
By Andrew Ball(@andrew_ball)

Despite plenty of whispers that Angels' GM Jerry DiPoto and possibly manager Mike Scioscia would not return to the team for 2014, both have been retained for the upcoming season. What that means, though, is that both are on thin ice and this Angels team will probably look to fill its needs via trade and free agency rather than roll with youngsters, especially considering that their best prospects seem blocked. Second base prospect Taylor Lindsey is stuck behind Howie Kendrick, the Angels' best position player in 2012 not named Mike Trout, and C.J. Cron will find it hard to get in the lineup with Albert Pujols and Mark Trumbo ahead of him. Yes, Kendrick has been rumored to be available in exchange for pitching, but rather than turning the job over to Lindsey I would bet that the Angels pursue Robinson Cano or another veteran option like Omar Infante.

Still, there may be an opportunity for the farm system to have some impact this season. Nick Maronde, Cam Berdosian, and Mike Morin are all low ceiling righties that may see time on the mound this year, though all three might be better suited in relief. R.J. Alvarez is definitely a reliever, but he may be a very good one that gets some late-inning work after the All-Star break. And Kaleb Cowart, considered the top prospect in the system by many, may get a shot to be the Angels' third baseman at some point simply because there's very little competition for the job right now, and it's the weakest position on the free agent market. Realistically, however, it's unlikely that any of these players will make a worthwhile contribution to fantasy leagues in 2014. Rather, the Angels' success is going to come from a rebound from the existing team plus some additions from outside of the organization. And of course, Mike Trout.

Top 10 Fantasy Prospects
By Brian Creagh(@briancreagh)

Our top 10 fantasy prospect rankings are based upon standard 5x5 fantasy baseball leagues, with a balancing of ceiling and present value. While we are having discussions regarding these lists as a collective group, the top 10 fantasy prospect rankings are finalized by the writer listed above. Players are no longer considered prospects once they exceed either 130 at bats, 50 innings pitched, or 45 days of service time in the Majors prior to September 1st.

Befitting one of the worst systems in professional baseball, Lindsey might be the least exciting number one prospect in all of our rankings. Selected 37th overall by the Angels in the 2010 Amateur Draft, Lindsey was the result of the compensation pick Los Angeles received for losing Chone Figgins to Seattle. Drafted out of high school, Lindsey just completed his age-21 season in the Double-A Texas League and has his eyes set on a late 2014 debut. Lindsey has played 2B his entire professional career and figures to hold his own at the position in the long run.

The 2013 season was seen as a big step forward for Lindsey due to increased confidence that his offensive profile can handle major league pitching. Lindsey's hit tool has always flashed 60 grade, but not frequently enough to feel confident in that projection until he passed the test in Double-A. This season he passed the test, showing the ability to square up balls to all fields and leaving me hopeful for his ability to develop an above-average contact rate in the major leagues. Finishing with a .274/.339/.441 triple slash line, Lindsey appears to have the highest floor of all prospects in this system - a second division regular, providing solid defense and a capable bat.

Lindsey's power took a big step forward jumping from 9 to 17 HRs. I'm not ready to project any 20 HR seasons from Lindsey, and am more inclined to think he maxes out around 15. There is almost no load in his swing and it is rare to see Lindsey get full extension on a pitch and really drive it to the outfield, even in BP. He excels in making contact so he should run into enough fastball for 7-10 HRs, but don't let last year's HR tallies lead you into expecting much more. The same can be said about his speed - Lindsey isn't a burner and won't contribute more than a handful of steals.

So, I've just presented the case for a limited power, limited speed, average only player as the top prospect in a minor league system. How could this be? Mainly, it's because this system is in a sad state of affairs and there isn't much else of a choice; but it's also because this profile can play at second base for fantasy owners. We just saw Matt Carpenter put together one of the best offensive seasons for a second basemen while hitting only 11 HRs and stealing 3 bases in the process (I'm not in any way comparing Lindsey to Carpenter, just stating that the offensive profile still can have utility).

Lindsey doesn't strike out a whole lot and is capable of taking a walk. If he can sneak his way into the two-hole of that Angels lineup and be preceded (or maybe followed, in a year or two) by Mike Trout and have Pujols and Hamilton batting behind him, he could land himself in a solid position. He might be a little ways away from filling that role, but it isn't out of the realm of possibility and in a system this weak, it's a future role worth dreaming on. Expect to see Lindsey at the end of this year, or possibly sooner if the trade rumors of Howie Kendrick come to fruition.

Sappington spent 2013 in two different levels, ending the year in AA. A big, 23 year old righty, Sappington looks the part of a solid starter and will be able to hold up across a major league starter's workload. The Angels 5th Round pick in the 2012 draft, Mark Sappington was a college arm coming out of Rockhurst University, Missouri. Despite having a frame you can dream on and a plus fastball, Sappington went largely unnoticed while pitching for a Division II school.

Sappington offers a plus fastball routinely sitting 92-95 with some topping out at 98. He uses his 6'5" frame to his fullest advantage, getting a ton of sink on his fastball and inducing his fair share of groundouts. His slider is his out pitch and he can snap it off with a lot of tilt. Sappington's changeup is very underdeveloped, most noticeably due to the different arm speed he uses when throwing it compared to his fastball. The development of an average changeup is crucial for Sappington to reach his mid-rotation ceiling.

There are many who believe the most realistic outcome for Sappington is that of a long-reliever or high-leverage bullpen guy. His lack of control is a big reason people slap the reliever label on him so quickly. The cause of poor control is Sappington's complicated delivery that makes it hard for him to maintain consistent mechanics and release points on every pitch. The arm action is still very clean on the delivery, so if he can smooth out the rest of his windup, the plus stuff should still hold. As mentioned before, the fastball/slider combo would play really well out of the bullpen so it's easy to see Sappington's development path into a future reliever, but he offers the Angels a lot more value if he can make it as a number 4 starter. I think he can hold up as a starter long term and provide solid strikeout numbers with below-average walk rates.

2013 was Sappington's first full professional season and early on he flashed the potential of a mid-rotation starter going 5-0 with a 2.05 ERA to start the season in Hi-A. He was a little old for the competition, which could explain some of the dominance, but the overall numbers in Hi-A looked really good: 11-4 record, 3.38 ERA, 7.6 K/9, 4.3 BB/9 in 130.2 IP. His production earned him a promotion to AA to end the year and his control issues began to come to the forefront. In 25 AA innings, Sappington walked 20 batters (7.2 BB/9) but managed to maintain a solid 3.86 ERA. He improved his strikeout rates to 9.1 K/9, but it's too small a sample to suggest any sort of improvement. Ultimately, I think Sappington settles into a back-end rotation role, eats a bunch of innings, and provides above-average strikeout rates with below-average walk rates. Sappington could see some MLB innings in 2015.

An all power prospect, C.J. Cron offers nothing in the way of defense, speed, or unfortunately, hit tool. Cron does have legitimate 80-grade power and has shown the ability to translate that power into the game. The Angels selected Cron with the 17th overall pick in the 2011 draft and all he's done since is produced. He spent all of 2013 in AA and continued to display an impressive mix of low strikeout totals and power as he produced 14 HRs, a .274/.319/.428 slash line, and 8 SBs. He only struck out only 83 times in 565 PAs (14.7%) but he paired that with a pedestrian 23 BBs (4.1%) and will need to learn to take some walks if he does not want to get exploited at the highest level.

The strikeout/walk ratio is odd for such a pure power hitter, but it comes as a result of Cron's super-aggressive approach and his ability to put the bat on the first strike he sees in an at-bat. Cron is going to need to learn to take more walks, or at the very least get himself in better hitting counts so that the he can capitalize on pitchers needing to throw strikes. He's been extremely successful against left-handed pitching and should at the very least find himself in a platoon role down the line.

C.J. Cron's defense, or lack thereof, is what holds down both his fantasy and professional value. He's a 1B-only prospect, but even the defense at first is quite suspect and he's not too far off from being a DH-only prospect. His 6'4", 235 lb frame is not conducive to athletic defense, but to his credit, Cron has worked hard to improve his physical shape.

Cron has produced at every level of his professional career, but many doubt his ability to keep up such impressive stats in the upper levels where pitchers will take advantage of his aggressive approach. Cron could repeat AA to start 2014 or move up to AAA; either way expect to see Cron sometime late in 2014.

Last year's top prospect in the organization, Cowart received an aggressive assignment to AA after seeing only 69 games in Hi-A to conclude 2012. Cowart did not respond well to being pushed fast, and the wheels completely fell off. Cowart hit .221/.279/.301 in 132 games and I'm very surprised he did not receive a demotion back to Hi-A since he never looked comfortable and was clearly in over his head.

His 2013 struggles included an inability to find balance/timing at the plate and the failure to develop the power that many see coming. Cowart hit only 6 HRs in 546 PAs compared to 7 HRs in 315 PAs in Hi-A last season. His struggle in the power department this year does little to lower his ultimate ceiling of 20+ HRs during his prime, but it does raise some additional questions on his shaky hit tool. Cowart has a long load as well as an indirect route to the hitting zone, but he doesn't always show the bat speed to overcome these deficiencies. Reports from 2012 applauded his bat speed, so I have confidence that Cowart can regain his Top 100 prospect form, he just needs to find some comfort at the plate; something he had little of in 2013.

Cowart's future role at 3B is not in doubt given his plus-plus defensive capabilities. A huge arm, and natural movements at the hot corner, it is safe to project Cowart's offensive potential against the rest of the current landscape of the 3B position. A repeat of AA is all but guaranteed for Cowart, which puts him on track for a 2015 debut, but I wouldn't rule out the possibility of a late 2014 call up if he rakes early.

Jose Rondon is a shortstop prospect in the Angels system with an all-around skillset that could be a roto-league monster if it all breaks right. An international signing out of Venezuela, Rondon is a very polished product for a 19 year old who has yet to make it to full-season ball. He spent 2013 in the Pioneer league, hitting .293/.359/.399, swiping 13 bases and flashing some excellent glove work at SS.

At present, Rondon shows little power, but his 6'1" 160 lb. frame suggests that some power could be on the way. The extent of that power is yet to be determined, but even if he only develops some gap power Rondon could fit nicely atop a major league lineup. Rondon might fill out more than expected and develop some over the fence power, but this could come at the cost of outgrowing the SS position. He shows the instincts and arm strength to handle SS, but lacks the plus-plus athleticism that is required for bigger bodied players to handle the position. The power and uncertainty of body type are the biggest risks in Rondon's profile.

For a teenager, Rondon has always shown remarkable plate discipline. In 171 games of Rookie League action, Rondon has a 74/63 K/BB ratio. Rondon's patience and advanced hit tool, give him a very high floor to work with. He also receives great marks on his makeup and competitiveness, which completes the "grinder" profile for Rondon. The speed potential is also an interesting component to Rondon's game. He's not a burner but has average speed and should be able to swipe double digit bags depending on how the body fills out. He will need to pick his spots better, stealing 13 bases in 2013 but getting caught 8 times.

Rondon is quite a ways from reaching the major leagues as 2017 could be the earliest we see him. His development will be fun to track, because if he can develop just 50 grade power, to match a plus hit tool, average speed, and SS defense we could be looking at an all-around threat for fantasy owners.

Another middle infield prospect without much projection, Alex Yarbrough fits the mold of an average-only second basemen. Below-average power projection due to 5'11" frame and a contact-oriented swing as well as average speed ratings, Yarbrough's bat-to-ball ability is the only borderline plus tool. Drafted in the 4th Round out of Ole Miss in 2012, Yarbrough went straight to A ball where he hit pretty well and earned a brief AA promotion to close the season. He spent the entire 2013 season in Hi-A, and hit well enough to warrant a promotion but Taylor Lindsey's presence in AA kept Yarbrough at bay.

Yarbrough put up some impressive numbers this year, but keep in mind it all came in the hitter-friendly California league. The righty raked to the tune of .313/.341/.459 with 32 doubles, 10 triples, 11 home runs, and 14 steals to boot. That level of production coming from 2B would appear far more valuable than I'm giving him credit for with this ranking, but I don't expect that level of success to continue. The environment isn't the only reason I'm quick to dismiss the impressive numbers put up by Yarbrough; his age relative to the competition was also in his favor as a 21 year old in Hi-A.

There isn't a ton of projection left on Yarbrough and currently his ceiling is that of an average, everyday regular. There could be some utility in that for fantasy owners as 2B is notoriously thin, but I don't expect Yarbrough to ever be a guy drafted in many leagues as a starter. He faces a big test in AA next season, and his aggressive approach could very well catch up to him and cause Yarbrough to spin his wheels at first. He'll need to learn to take a walk and work counts in his favor, and he'll need to continue hitting for gap power in order for defenses and pitchers to respect him. Yarbrough is looking at a 2015 ETA and could be looking at falling off this list entirely if improvements aren't made.

Far and away the youngest player on this list (Born in 1997!), Ricardo Sanchez is a left-handed pitcher the Angels acquired by using over a quarter of their allotted international spending pool. Watch Sanchez on a mound and it's easy to see why the Halos invested so heavily in this kid. Currently standing at 5'10" the 16-year old figures to grow a few more inches and will eventually look the part of a frontline starter.

Sanchez offers a fastball, changeup, and curveball, flashing plus projection with each offering. The fastball sits low 90s and thanks to an easy, repeatable delivery, above-average command and control can safely be projected. His changeup needs some work, but Sanchez has not logged enough innings to reasonably expect him to have feel for the pitch. It should come in time. Sanchez also offers a slow curveball in the upper 70s that should get plenty of swings and misses.

Sanchez receives plus marks on his poise and makeup, which helps mitigate some of the enormous risk associated with young pitchers making the jump stateside. Currently the ceiling is a number 2 starter, but that can go up or down quick once we get an extended look at Sanchez against professional competition. The risk is enormous for Sanchez, but with little else to dream on in this system he is an interesting name to watch.

Having been in the Top 10 prospect discussions since 2009, there is a serious case of prospect fatigue with Randal Grichuk. He is a corner outfield prospect with a right field profile given the arm strength. Grichuk's power is his only plus tool, and he has always struggled to make enough contact to let the power play to its potential.

Grichuk spent all of 2013 in AA hitting 22 bombs with a .256/.306/.474 triple slash line. He has made tremendous strides in cutting his strikeout rate to below 20% in each of the past two seasons and this helped keep Grichuk from falling into prospect oblivion. Another promising trend in the past two seasons has been Grichuk's health. He was plagued with injuries in his first few professional seasons and he seems to have shaken off the injury risk label.

The ultimate ceiling here is an average corner outfield with solid power numbers and middling contact numbers. His defense should keep him in lineups if he struggles, but the ceiling isn't there for fantasy owners to get too excited over this guy. He seems to be more of an AL-only play because of a high likelihood of Grichuk maxing out to a platoon bat off the bench. He could see some time this season in the majors with a full time role not being established until 2015.

Relegated to a relief role early in his professional career, R.J. Alvarez is a reliever worth keeping an eye on. Drafted in the 3rd Round of the 2012 draft, Alvarez fits the stereotypical reliever role to a tee: two plus offerings in his fastball/slider, shaky command that can be masked in short appearances, and massive strikeout numbers that would allow him to escape sticky situations with relative ease.

Alvarez's fastball is plus-plus, working in the mid 90's with effortless arm action. His slider also projects to be a plus pitch, and can be an offering he can lean heavily on when ahead in counts. The slider gets plenty of tilt and should be able to put away countless right-handed hitters. Both a college arm and a reliever, Alvarez will move quickly through the system and despite finishing 2013 in Hi-A, he could see some innings in Anaheim by the end of the year.

Alvarez put up video game strikeout numbers in 2013, striking out 79 hitters in 48.2 IP. The downside is the 27 walks (5.0 BB/9) that came with it. I like that Alvarez has been designated as a reliever this early in his career. His value is so much higher as a high-leverage reliever, because I don't think the starting thing would have ever worked out. Allowing him to focus on his reliever role this early, should help Alvarez develop into the Angels' leading candidate for closer in 2015 and beyond.

Purely a dream at this point, Natanael Delgado is an 18 year old Dominican-born outfielder with sky-high potential. Delgado is a left-handed batter with an offensive-minded profile. At 6'1" 170 lb, Delgado hasn't begun to fill out into a frame that could support a middle of the lineup slugger. With an aggressive, pull-heavy approach, Delgado has plenty of adjustments to make before his prospect stock can really take off.

Delgado is a long ways from making a major league impact, but in a system deft of any impact talent, I'd take a flier on Delgado as someone you can dream on. He spent last season in Rookie ball hitting .271/.311/.422 with 3 home runs in 51 games. It's difficult to draw much from the stats, since the ultimate end product will look much different than the present, but watching a Delgado BP session is reason enough to believe there is the potential for something special.

Other Interesting Prospects
By Brian Creagh (@briancreagh)

Kenyan Middleton - Another of the Angels' 2nd Round picks in the 2013 draft, Middleton is a raw pitcher with the tools to be a capable starter if it all comes together. A right-hander out of Lane Community College, Middleton will be on a tight innings leash early on in his development. Some viewed the pick as a chance for the Angels to save some money in the draft to apply elsewhere, but there is definitely some projection this kid, and he is someone to keep an eye on.

For more on the Angels, be sure to check out SBNation's Halos Heaven. For more on the minor leagues and prospects in general, check out SBNation's Minor League Ball.

About the Authors

Jason Hunt is a contributing writer for Fake Teams, specializing in the minor leagues and prospects.
Follow him on Twitter @jasonsbaseball

Andrew Ball is a contributing writer for Beyond the Box Score and Fake Teams, specializing in fantasy baseball and the minor leagues.
Follow him on Twitter @Andrew_Ball

Brian Creagh is a contributing writer for Fake Teams, specializing in fantasy baseball and the minor leagues.
Follow him on Twitter @BrianCreagh

Matt Mattingly is a contributing writer for Fake Teams, specializing in fantasy baseball and the minor leagues.
Follow him on Twitter @MattMattingly81

Sources

Baseball America
Baseball Prospectus
Baseball Reference
Fangraphs
Halos Heaven
MLB Farm
Vimeo
Youtube