Saturday, October 17

ANAHEIM -- One of the main goals for interim general manager John Mozeliak when he took over in late June was to boost the club’s farm system.

The Angels had several prospects acquired under previous general manager Perry Minasian who took huge steps forward this year, but Mozeliak wanted to add to that pool via the Trade Deadline and the Draft. 

They were aggressive sellers for the first time in recent memory, trading seven players from their 26-man roster but acquiring several impact prospects, including shortstop Arjun Nimmala, who is ranked as the club’s No. 1 prospect (No. 34 overall) by MLB Pipeline. They also received several other prospects via the Deadline, including right-hander Mason McGwire (No. 21) and catcher Jacob Cozart (No. 22).

And in the Draft, they selected Huntington Beach High School outfielder Jared Grindlinger with the No. 12 overall pick. He’s just 17 -- which bucks recent trends of taking college players in the first round -- and is ranked as the club’s No. 4 prospect. Other players in their Top 30 taken in this year’s Draft include second baseman Jarren Advincula (No. 7), third baseman Gavin Grahovac (No. 10), outfielder Rylan Lujo (No. 23) and shortstop Jaxon Willits (No. 24).

3 players who forced their way onto the radar this year

3B Jake Munroe

Munroe, 23, went from being unranked to becoming the club's No. 20 prospect after a breakout season with Double-A Rocket City. Munroe, a fourth-round pick out of Louisville in '25, slashed .289/.402/.498 with 19 homers, 30 doubles and 62 RBIs in 118 games across two levels, including Double-A Rocket City. He’s among the group of key players along with Nimmala and Cozart who helped lead Rocket City to the Southern League title. He could make an impact by '28.

LHP Johnny Slawinski

The 19-year-old, who is ranked as the club's No. 5 prospect, was dominant in the Arizona Complex League, posting a 3.33 ERA with 82 strikeouts and 17 walks in 54 innings. He was a third-round pick out of Lyndon B. Johnson High School (Texas) in '25, so he’s still several years away from the Majors, but the early returns have been incredibly promising. He’ll pitch at Single-A Rancho Cucamonga next year.

OF Hayden Alvarez

Alvarez opened the year as the club’s No. 12 prospect but is now ranked No. 3 and No. 98 overall after excelling across two levels of Single-A. The 19-year-old center fielder slashed .289/.391/.456 with 12 homers, 32 doubles, five triples, 53 stolen bases and 62 RBIs in 118 games. He was named the club’s MLB Pipeline Prospect of the Year and should move up to Double-A next season. He signed for just $685,000 at the start of the 2024 international signing period, so the organization deserves credit for scouting him in the Dominican Republic.

2 possible breakout players to watch in 2027

RHP Tyler Bremner

After being selected as the No. 2 overall pick in the 2025 Draft out of UC Santa Barbara, Bremner’s first season in professional ball was a success but he was limited to 72 2/3 innings across High-A Tri-City and Double-A Rocket City. Bremner, the club’s No. 2 prospect and No. 42 overall, posted a 4.33 ERA with 100 strikeouts and 27 walks in 72 2/3 innings to lead all Angels Minor Leaguers in FIP (3.46) and xFIP (3.51).

The 22-year-old dealt with fatigue early in the year but has the stuff and command to reach the Majors next year. He will need to continue to work on developing a breaking pitch to pair with his elite changeup.

3B Gavin Grahovac

Grahovac was the club’s third-round pick in this year’s Draft, and he absolutely mashed with Single-A Rancho Cucamonga. The 21-year-old, who attended nearby Villa Park High School before starring at Texas A&M, hit .304/.402/.641 with eight homers, five doubles, 13 stolen bases and 18 RBIs in 24 games. He could be the much-needed power-hitting corner infielder the Angels have been looking for over the last few years.

1 big question for next season

Will new ownership be in favor of a rebuild?

Mozeliak said after the season he is still awaiting word from the new ownership group on how they want to approach the offseason. He said he’s open to making trades, but noted that he doesn’t anticipate trading away any of the club’s notable prospects. But it’s unclear if the Angels will continue to trade players such as lefty Reid Detmers, shortstop Zach Neto or first baseman Nolan Schanuel to accelerate a rebuild and add even more young talent to the system.

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