The Angels bolstered their farm system this season by owning three of the first 74 picks in the 2024 draft, including the No. 8 overall pick, while also selling at the Trade Deadline.
Following his successful season at the University of Tennessee, the Angels selected second baseman Christian Moore in the first round. He kept the momentum going with an outstanding performance in his first professional season in the minors. Moore, the club’s No. 2 prospect by MLB Pipeline and No. 71 overall, was scheduled to be called up in September, but a meniscus injury in late August sidelined him for two weeks.
The Angels also selected right-hander Ryan Johnson from Dallas Baptist University with the 74th pick in the Draft as compensation for losing Shohei Ohtani to free agency. Johnson, their No. 5 prospect, appears to be a future big league starter, and the team also took Texas A&M relief ace Chris Cortez (No. 10 prospect) in the second round and plans to stretch him out as a starter.
The Angels also acquired right-hander George Klassen, their No. 3 prospect, and lefty Sam Aldegheri, their No. 8 prospect, in exchange for closer Carlos Estévez before the Trade Deadline. In their deal with the Red Sox for reliever Luis GarcÃa, they acquired outfield prospect Matthew Lugo, ranked No. 12, along with first baseman Niko Kavadas, right-hander Yeferson Vargas, and Ryan Zeferjahn. Kavadas and Zeferjahn both made their Major League debuts down the stretch, with Zeferjahn pitching particularly well in relief.
Caden Dana, the Angels’ top prospect, made his Major League debut with three starts down the stretch, while Aldegheri had three starts before being sidelined with a blister.
“Continuing to add to that group is really, really important,” general manager Perry Minasian said. “We felt that we accomplished this at the Deadline with the deals we were able to make. We felt like we could do that with the Draft. But we’re quite enthused about our system and its depth as it moves forward.”
The farm system is in better form than in previous years, and here’s a look at three players to watch who might make their MLB debuts with the Angels in 2025:
2BÂ Christian Moore
Moore is polished enough, and he was so effective in his brief experience in the minors, that he will compete for the starting job at second base during Spring Training. Moore, 21, hit.347/.400/.584 with six home runs, six doubles, and 20 RBIs in 25 games for Single-A Inland Empire and Double-A Rocket City. He’ll also get the opportunity to study with infield gurus Ron Washington and Ryan Goins during Spring Training to improve his defense. Moore is on the same fast track to the Majors that the Angels saw with shortstop Zach Neto and first baseman Nolan Schanuel.
RHPÂ George Klassen
Klassen had a career season for the Phillies and was one of two crucial arms acquired in the Estévez deal at the deadline. The 22-year-old possesses a fastball that sits in the upper 90s and can reach triple digits, but he is still learning how to effectively utilize his exceptional stuff. Klassen has a 3.10 ERA, 135 strikeouts, and 46 walks in 93 innings over Single-A, High-A, and Double-A this season. He’ll need to cut back on walks, but he showed promise in his final start of the season with Double-A Rocket City, hurling six no-hit innings with 12 strikeouts. Klassen still has things to work on but he has a strong chance to crack the rotation at some point next year.
OFÂ Matthew Lugo
Lugo was one of four Angels players added in dealing GarcÃa to the Red Sox. He came close to reaching the Majors before sustaining a season-ending hand injury on a hit-by-pitch on Aug. 2 in his first game with the organization at Triple-A Salt Lake. The 23-year-old had a terrific year in Double-A and Triple-A, batting.287/.376/.578 in 79 games with 17 home runs, 21 doubles, and 57 RBI. Lugo, the nephew of nine-time All-Star Carlos Beltrán, is expected to add to the club’s outfield depth next season and is best suited for a corner-outfield position.
