Angels Have 2 of Baseball's Best Prospects, Per MLB Pipeline

Jul 14, 2024; Ft. Worth, TX, USA; Christian Moore is congratulated by MLB commissioner Rob Manfred after being selected by the Los Angeles Angels as the eight player taken during the first round of the MLB Draft at Cowtown Coliseum. Mandatory Credit: Kevin Jairaj-Imagn Images | Kevin Jairaj-Imagn Images

The Los Angeles Angels have two of baseball's best prospects in Christian Moore (No. 68) and Caden Dana (No. 78), according to MLB Pipeline.

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"Don’t blink, because if track record tells you anything, Moore won’t be a prospect for very long," The MLB Pipeline staff wrote. "The Angels’ previous two first-round picks, Zach Neto and Nolan Schanuel, graduated less than a year after getting drafted, and it should surprise no one if Moore’s power bat gets to Los Angeles quickly, too. Dana, a 2024 Futures Gamer, is coming off a huge year in Double-A and made his big league debut, so he should be ready to contribute more long-term this season to the Angels’ rotation."

Both Moore and Dana excelled in the minors over a short period of time. Moore was drafted eighth overall in 2024. The second baseman recorded a .347/.400/.984 slash line with six home runs, 20 runs batted in, and two stolen bases in 101 at bats.

There is speculation Moore will play a big role for the Angels in 2025.

"He’ll come to spring training competing for the club’s starting spot at second base, although the Angels are expected to add at least one more veteran infielder to their mix before they head to camp," Angels beat writer for MLB.com Rhett Bollinger wrote. "Moore, though, is considered close to being Major League ready and should make an impact at some point in ’25

Dana made three starts for the Angels in 2024, but struggled in two of his outings ultimately posting a 9.58 ERA across 10.1 innings pitched.

“Anytime you're playing baseball at the Major League level, you’re auditioning, and it's also a learning experience," Angels manager Ron Washington said after one of Dana's rough outings. "All I want them to do is play baseball and understand the game. The things they don't understand, we’re going to help them understand. But there's certain skill sets that they have, and I expect them to bring that skill set here. ... You gain experience by being up here, but you have to bring your skill set. You just can't come up here and be a blind man.”

Nevertheless, Dana got some experience pitching against baseball's best hitters and can very well make more consistent starts next season. Furthermore, if the Angels don't sign any other pitcher this winter, it would open the door for Dana to possibly play a bigger role.

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