January chugs along and that can mean only one thing around these parts: it’s time to rank minor-league prospects. Every team across the majors is selling hope to their fans: some are selling it in a more immediate fashion, in the form of active offseasons full of free-agent signings and trade acquisitions. Others, meanwhile, are selling it in the personage of prospects who could make the difference over the coming years.
CBS Sports is underway examining the top three prospects in each organization. Our definition of “prospect” is simple: does that player have rookie eligibility remaining for the 2025 season? If so, they’re a prospect; if not, that’s probably why your favorite young player is absent from the proceedings.
As always, these lists are formed following conversations with scouts, analysts, player development specialists, and other talent evaluators around the industry. There’s a fair amount of firsthand evaluation, statistical analysis, and historical research mixed in, too. Plus a heaping of personal bias — we all have certain traits and profiles that we prefer over others, there’s no sense pretending otherwise.
Keep in mind that there’s no one right answer with these sorts of things. Besides, these are merely our opinions, meaning they have no actual bearing on the future. We already published our ranking of the top 25 prospects in all of the minors.
With all that out of the way, let’s get to ranking the top three prospects in the Los Angeles Angels system.
The short hook: Precocious right-hander with interesting upside
Dana was the 10th Angels selection in the 2022 draft, chosen all the way at pick No. 328. He signed for the second-highest bonus in their class, receiving nearly $1.5 million to forgo his commitment to Kentucky. He’s since made a quick ascent, becoming the youngest Angels pitcher to start a MLB game during the Wild Card Era last September. Dana is a physical right-hander with a golden mane and the No. 36 jersey, making it likely that he’ll remind some Angels fans of Jered Weaver, albeit only on a surface level. Stuff-wise, he has a broad arsenal that includes several potentially above-average pitches. He should get a more prolonged big-league look this season, with an opportunity to carve out a home in the middle of the Angels rotation. MLB ETA: Already debuted
The short hook: Bat-first middle infielder nearing debut
Under Perry Minasian’s guidance, the Angels have garnered a reputation for placing their first-round picks on the express lane to the majors. Even now, Zach Neto (48) and Nolan Schanuel (22) have fewer than 75 combined minor-league games to their credit. We suspect that Moore, who made 25 appearances after being drafted eighth overall, won’t sniff 50 of his own before making his MLB debut. Moore has above-average pop and has shown an ability to work counts; the question is how often he’ll punch out due to his swing-and-miss tendencies. It would seem to bode well for him that he survived an SEC vetting and then held his own during an aggressive (if brief) assignment to Double-A. Moore isn’t considered a skilled defender, but the Angels will live with his deficiencies provided his bat plays as expected. MLB ETA: Spring 2025
The short hook: Pop-up righty with big stuff and bigger command questions
Klassen, a former sixth-round pick who walked nearly as many batters as he struck out during his final collegiate season at Minnesota, was in the midst of a breakout season with the Phillies organization when he was sent packing to the Angels last summer in the Carlos Estévez trade. The key to his ascent? Shockingly improved command that enabled him to average fewer than four free passes per nine innings. It’s concerning, then, that Klassen returned to possessing sloppy geography after the deal, with him surrendering 22 free passes in his final 28 innings. He has big-time stuff, including a hammer curve, but unless he can get back to throwing more strikes he’s going to find himself working in relief at the game’s highest level. MLB ETA: Late summer 2025
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