Format = Position Player | Age on 4/1/2025 | Highest Level Played | Estimated Time of Arrival
1. 2B Christian Moore | 22 | AA | 2025
Grey wrote about Moore the other day. Here’s a link to his 2025 Fantasy Outlook.
After leading Tennessee to a national title, Moore slashed .322/.378/.533 with five home runs and two stolen bases in 23 Double-A games. We might’ve seen him in the majors if not for injury, and he might open the season in the majors.
2. RHP Caden Dana | 21 | MLB | 2025
A prototypical innings-eater type at 6’4” 215 lbs with easy velocity and three off-speed pitches, Dana repeats his delivery well and commands his arsenal with a deftness beyond his years. He dominated Double-A as a 20-year-old and forced a late-season promotion to LA of A even in a lost season. Well, that might be stretching it a bit. They could’ve just promoted him to Triple-A after he logged a 2.52 ERA in 135.2 innings in Double-A, but that wouldn’t have the same flair as sending him straight to the majors. Probably should’ve sent him to Triple-A around the hundred-inning mark.
3. OF Matthew Lugo | 23 | AAA | 2025
In 79 games across two levels, Lugo slashed .287/.376/.578 with 17 home runs and 16 steals. He got injured right after being sent over from Boston in the Luis Garcia trade. If not, we probably would’ve seen him in Anaheim come September. As is, he’s kind of flying under the radar as a redraft option in deep leagues. Solid chance he’s promoted early and contributes a little power and speed to a lot of fantasy rosters.
4. OF Nelson Rada | 19 | AA | 2026
The plusses here are obvious: a legitimate center fielder with solid plate skills from the left side, Rada swiped 49 full-season bases before he turned 18, and at 5’10” 160 lbs, he’ll likely add power as his frame fills out. The negatives are: he has no power at the moment, hitting just one home run in 502 plate appearances in 2024 after slugging two in 540 PA the year before. He’s always been extremely young for the level, and that tends to work out in the aggregate, especially if a teenager like Rada arrives to camp some spring wearing new muscle after a Rocky IV type winter.
5. RHP George Klassen | 23 | AA | 2025
Part of the return from Philadelphia for Carlos Estevez along with LHP Sam Aldegheri, Klassen represents a nice upside play in a wide-open rotation.
Here’s what I wrote about him in a late-May edition of Prospect News:
“Phillies RHP George Klassen (22, A) was not particularly effective as a college pitcher, posting ERAs of 5.72 and 14.09 in his two seasons as a Golden Gopher in Minnesota. Nonetheless, he showed enough plus stuff for the Phillies to select him in the sixth round of the 2023 draft. When he started generating hype this spring as a pitch-lab find for Philadelphia, I was skeptical because it’s hard to just hand-wave those kinds of outcomes. Plus, 22-year-old college pitchers should fare well against Low-A hitters. Even so, Klassen’s gone full Pickle Rick this year. His 0.33 ERA, 0.67 WHIP and 34.3 percent strikeout-minus-walk rate are eye-popping numbers that suggest he’s already graduated from that level, skills wise. He might be in High-A right now if not for a short trip to the injured list. His three-pix mix now includes a four-seam fastball at about 98, a cutter at ~90 and a curveball at ~86; all three play as plus.”
He wasn’t as good in High-A, but the Angels sent him straight to Double-A after the trade anyway, where he posted a 5.65 ERA in 28.2 innings across seven starts.
6. SS Joswa Lugo | 18 | DSL | 2029
Signed for $2.3 million last January, Lugo is the younger brother of Dawel Lugo, who had a few cups of coffee with the Detroit Tigers. At 6’3” 187 lbs with infield skills and actions, Joswa figures to stay on the dirt as long as he remains quick enough into his mid-20’s. His debut season was a success; he slashed .301/.370/.466 with five home runs and 18 stolen bases in 53 games. Here’s hoping he’s ready to fly through the minors because the Angels aren’t known to slow-roll a high-end youngster producing plus outcomes.
7. LHP Sam Aldegheri | 23 | MLB | 2024
Part of the return from Philadelphia for Carlos Estevez along with RHP George Klassen, Aldegheri pitched well all season until he was sent to Rocket City after the trade. He posted a 5.19 ERA in 17.1 innings across four starts, and the Angels sent him straight to the majors. Seems like they’re avoiding their Triple-A setting in Salt Lake City for some of the young arms. On the mound, his fastball plays well up in the zone even in the low 90’s, kind of a Drew Smyly look, and he mixes in a curveball, slider, and changeup with solid control of each pitch. He’s unlikely to dominate, but Aldegheri is a good bet to carve out a nice career retiring batters from both sides.
8. C Dario Laverde | 20 | A | 2028
A left-handed hitter listed at 5’10” 160 lbs, Laverde is a bat-first catcher with superlative plate skills, Laverde converted from the outfield and is using that athleticism and plus arm to make quick development gains behind the plate. He hit .349 for 18 games on the complex and then slashed .277/.366/.390 in 57 games in Low-A. He hit two home runs there but should show up a little stronger each year and add some power to the plus hit tool.
9. SS Denzer Guzman | 21 | AA | 2027
At 6’1” 180 lbs, Guzman should add strength with time, and his outcomes should improve when he’s not playing against guys who are about 3.7 years older than him on average. In 83 games against such players in Double-A Rocket City this season, Guzman slashed .206/.297/.304 with six home runs and seven steals in 13 attempts. He was good for 13 High-A games before that, for what it’s Werth, and there’s every chance he bounces back in 2025 if the club lets him repeat the Double-A level.
10. OF Randy De Jesus | 20 | A | 2028
A right-handed hitter at 6’4” 210 lbs, De Jesus signed for $1.2 million with the 2022 international class and hit well in the DSL but scuffed stateside the following year, slashing .249/.310/.331 with two home runs in 48 games on the complex. 2024 went better in full-season ball: 100 games with a slash line of .277/.352/.459 with 12 home runs and three stolen bases.
Thanks for reading.
