Signs of a Core: Young Angels Players Showing They Belong

Whether the Angels brass wants to admit it or not, the team is going through a rebuild. Young players are getting opportunities to showcase their skills and payroll is down nearly $80 million this season with future drops already scheduled.

Yes, the Angels would love to get franchise icon Mike Trout back to the playoffs but the true goal finally looks to be building a consistent winner. Fortunately, a young core is starting to form.

Zach Neto is the key to the young core and needs to be extended.

Not even offering Zach Neto a contract extension this past off season was short sighted at best. Offering a solid mix of offense and defense, the 25 year old Neto looks to be the future of the franchise.

Thrust into the leadoff spot, he is responding with a .364 on base percentage and offense that is 14% better than average by measure of wRC+. His OPS+ of 129 is 29% better than league average.

After posting consecutive seasons with 5.1 bWAR in value, Neto is on pace to deliver 8 bWAR this season and his price tag is only going higher.

Oswald Peraza is living up to his prospect billing.

Once the darling of the Yankees farm system, Peraza struggled at the big league level for years. Out of options and squeezed off the NY roster, he was shipped to the Angels for cash considerations.

Starting this year in the Cactus League, Peraza is driving the ball with authority. He currently has a 148 wRC+ and gives the Angels hope the long standing third base problem can be solved.

Jose Soriano, Reid Detmers, Jack Kochanowicz, and Walbert Urena are all performing well.

Imagine being told that in 2026 80% of the Angels starting rotation would be home grown. That is the case and those four are doing very well. Jose Soriano is the best starting pitcher in the American League at this point of the year. Reid Detmers and Jack Kochanowicz are solid middle of the rotation arms and Walber Urena's upside is tantalizing.

Soriano is the elder statesman of the group at 27. Detmers is about a year younger than Soriano then Kochanowicz just turned 25. Walbert Urena celebrated his 22nd birthday last month.

This core can stay together for at least

More help could be on the way.

Feb 24, 2026; Tempe, Arizona, USA; Los Angeles Angels pitcher Joel Hurtado (72) pitches in the sixth inning against the San Francisco Giants during a spring training game at Tempe Diablo Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Allan Henry-Imagn Images | Allan Henry-Imagn Images

While not a loaded farm system, the Angels do have some potential help on the horizon. Nelson Rada is continuing to get on base and play great defense at the AAA level. George Klassen's raw stuff is likely going to be in the rotation or bullpen soon.

The Angels also have a plethora of fireballers they are trying to develop as starters who seem destined for the bullpen. Considering the state of the bullpen and the above mentioned starters, these guys could be a big boost. Chris Cortez has experience in both roles. So does Joel Hurtado.

Samy Natera Jr. pitched will in the World Baseball Classic and is being developed as a pure reliever. It will be interesting to see if the Angels decide to convert 2025 second rounder Chase Shores to a bullpen arm or continue hoping he can be a starter.

The goal for 2026 is to identify the core of the next winning team.

As of now the Angels are hovering just under .500 and showing signs of improvement. Ultimately, it does not appear the team has enough depth, particularly in the bullpen, to make a playoff push. But if they can identify meaningful pieces for the future the year will be a success.

Vaughn Grissom will get his chance to sink or swim this season. His upside is great but he has yet to prove himself at the top level. If he sinks, then Christian Moore may get his opportunity in the second half of the season.

Many of the young players will in fact sink, but that is part of the process. For every Oswald Peraza there will be a Mickey Moniak. The farm system is incredibly light on bats, particularly in the outfield. Expect Perry Minasian to continue taking bets on players llke Peraza and Grissom until the farm can produce actual prospects.

For now, it looks like the Angels have 3/4ths of a future infield (Nolan Schanuel isn't bad), an outfield of Trout, Adell, and some day Rada, and the bulk of a home grown rotation in store for the future.

Give me that young core plus a couple of years for Tyler Bremner, George Klassen, and Caden Dana to develop along with the financial windfall from cutting payroll for two years, and I can see the makings of competitive Angels baseball as early as 2028. Add in some bullpen arms like Sam Bachman and a couple of the named above, and there is the making of a good team.

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