Angels Sign Former Royals Pitcher in Free Agency

The Los Angeles Angels agreed to a minor league contract with left-handed pitcher A.J. Block.

Block was Detroit's 17th-round pick in 2019 out of Washington State but opted to stay in school and wasn't selected in the shortened 2020 draft. He ended up signing with the Kansas City Royals as a free agent.

Block’s senior season with the Cougars was cut short to just four starts, but he made a strong impact. He struck out 10 or more batters in three of those starts and led the Pac-12 with 27.2 innings pitched. His 3.25 ERA over those four starts marked a notable improvement from his 6.06 ERA during his junior season.

The #Angels have signed LHP AJ Block to a minor league contract. The 26-year-old was Detroit's 17th-round pick in 2019 out of WASU.

Block returned to the mound last year after missing 2 1/2 years for TJ and recovery. He went 932 days between outings from '21 to '24. He's… pic.twitter.com/tp7P8nlcd6
— Chris Harris (@CHarris731) January 11, 2025

Before the pandemic ended WSU's season, the southpaw made four starts, going 2-1 with a 3.24 ERA and striking out 34 batters in 27.2 innings.

Though Block, like all spring sport seniors, had the option to return for the 2021 season, former head coach Brian Green believed his pitcher was ready for the next phase of his career and encouraged him to pursue professional baseball.

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“A.J., what a great story, coach (Anthony) Claggett and I met with his family over the summer and we promised the family, ‘Look we’re going to get you prepared for professional baseball better. You didn’t have a win last year, we promise you you’ll have a better experience,’” Green said during a 2020 virtual forum with The Spokesman-Review’s Northwest Passages. “… I was pumped, he had two wins, three games with 10 strikeouts or more, he did a great job with his mental game.

“Just really, really, really matured, and he’s ready for pro ball, so we’re pumped about that.”

As a junior, he started 14 games for the Cougars baseball team, recording 68 strikeouts over 71.1 innings pitched. His achievements weren’t limited to the field, as he earned a spot on the Academic All-Pac-12 First Team for the second consecutive year.

Over his first three years at Washington State, he accumulated 144 strikeouts in 148 innings. While his individual record stands at 1-15, he has consistently improved in every category each year and remained committed to the Cougars. He was also part of the team that threw a combined no-hitter in April 2018.

Across two minor league seasons, Block has gone 9-6 in 57 games (19 starts). He has an earned run average of 4.00 and ended the 2024 season with Kansas City's Double-A affiliate in Northwest Arkansas.

Block has struck 185 batters and walked 62 in 155.1 innings of work.

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