Under the Radar Prospects: Angels

The Los Angeles Angels are the subject of this week’s installment of Under the Radar Prospects.

Among the five players included in today’s list, a toolsy outfielder that broke out in 2023, a catcher that’s been around for nearly decade, a starting pitcher that was amazing before Tommy John surgery knocked him out, a young hurler that dominated the Dominican Summer League, and an infielder that possesses plus speed and plus power.

Jadiel Sanchez, OF - Los Angeles Angels

The Phillies picked up Jadiel Sanchez in the 12th round of the 2019 draft out of Puerto Rico. It’s easy to see the appeal and potential in Sanchez due to his tools. However, Sanchez struggled to stay on the field due to injuries and when Sanchez did make it into games, he was less than stellar. After three seasons (not including the 2020 canceled campaign), the Phillies dealt Sanchez to the Angels for Noah Syndergaard.

After being sidelined with another injury early on in his Angels tenure, Sanchez played his first full season in 2023 and took a huge step forward, hitting .297 / .378 / .475 with 11 HR and 7 SB over 105 games. He only struck out 14.4% of the time while registering a walk rate of 10.6%. Sanchez has a knack for contact — last year he produced a 8.2% whiff rate, the 3rd lowest among qualifying players in the Angels system. Despite the success, Sanchez did all of this as a 22-year-old and played in Single-A for the third straight season. There’s reason to believe that Sanchez’s breakout is for real, but he also could have just been feasting on younger competition.

Gustavo Campero, C - Los Angeles Angels