Angels Pitching Prospect Recognized for Breakout Game Performance
Is Caden Dana the next Angels prospect on the fast track to the majors?
The 20-year-old right-hander was chosen to the Second Team when MLB announced its inaugural All-Spring Breakout Team from the four-day event. The Angels lost to the Dodgers, 8-1, in their Spring Breakout game.
Dana threw two shutout innings and struck out three hitters. In a recent interview with Halos Today, Angels director of player development Joey Prebynski said Dana has plenty of potential.
“He’s a physical, durable starter with upside. A 3-pitch fastball, slider, changeup (repertoire). We were encouraged last year with the progress he’s made.”
— Angels director of player development Joey Prebynski
Prebynski has spoken openly about the Angels' desire to help their best prospects get to Anaheim quickly — even players as young as Dana. So while he might be new to national prospect lists, Dana might only have needed one big game (like Saturday's) to put himself on the fast track to the major leagues.
The right-hander allowed four runs across six innings in a three-game Cactus League cameo. Dana was reassigned to the Angels' minor league camp March 11.
An 11th-round draft pick in 2022, Dana went 3-5 with a 3.56 ERA in 14 starts across two minor league levels (low-A and advanced-A) in 2023.
No other Angels players were named to either the First Team or the Second Team — an accurate reflection of their relatively poor performance in the Breakout Game.
But the Angels are less concerned with producing prospects in bulk than future major leaguers. Among his peers last weekend, Dana stood out above the rest.
