The 2026 MLB Pipeline Rankings are Another Indictment of the Angels Farm

Since the departure of Eddie Bane in 2010, the Angels farm system has consistently ranked at or near the bottom in all of baseball. A succession of front offices with undersized scouting and development teams have produced the same underwhelming results. Arte Moreno inherited a solid front office and farm system but his hires have turned what was a strength into a weakness.

MLB Pipeline updated their prospect rankings today and the Angels have only one of the Top 100 prospects. That one selection is Tyler Bremner, who checks in at number 81 after being selected second overall by the Angels in the 2025 draft.

By the math, each team should have 3 prospects in the top 100. After all, 100 divided by 30 equals 3.33 expected prospects per team. The fact the Angels only have one name on the list proves just how far below average the organization's talent level stands at the moment.

And this is not a new phenomenon.

On the year end list for 2023, the Angels also had only one draftee on the list. Shortstop Zach Neto checked in at number 89. Trade acquisition Logan O'Hoppe was 53 for a total of two top prospects. Both have panned out pretty well, but that is still not three nor any in the top half.

Interestingly enough, Angels GM Perry Minasian has acquired two more players from the 2023 list. Seventh overall prospect Grayson Rodriguez and 52nd rated Oswald Peraza have failed to live up to expectations but were both brought into the fold

The 2025 preseason list did include all of Christian Moore, Caden Dana, and George Klassen who all fell off after underwhelming campaigns. The final list for 2025 included both Tyler Bremner and pitcher Ryan Johnson who rated 91st and 96th, respectively.

If you go back further than 2023, the lists continue to produce one name in the top 100. First Reid Detmers then further back it is Jo Adell.

The 2025 draft did not move the needle.

Time will tell if Tyler Bremner was worthy of being the second overall pick in the draft. Heading into last season he was considered to be the safest bet to be a plus arm and he dealt with significant off field issues. Over the course of the year other college pitchers like Jaime Arnold and Kade Anderson outshined Bremner and made the Angels selection feel like a letdown.

With plenty of talent on the board at pick 47, the Angels again selected a pitcher who profiles as a reliever. Chase Shores was chosen over higher rated college bats in the hopes he can both stay healthy and learn enough control to join the Angels future rotation. Given the obvious needs throughout the farm and Shores reliever profile, this pick also failed to get kudos from the draft community.

Meanwhile players drafted after Bremner are ranked ahead of him.

While I like Bremner better than many experts, there are legitimate reasons to rank both Arnold and Anderson ahead of him. Bremner has a better health profile than Anderson but has not been as consistent as Arnold. What the new rankings tell us is that all the arms taken after Bremner are viewed as better prospects by the expers at MLB.

On the pitching side, Kade Anderson is ranked 21st overall with Corona High fireballer Seth Hernandez at 29. Liam Doyle is another big fastball, big injury risk guy and he is rated 34 followed by the consistent Arnold at 41.

While people may argue which prospect they particularly prefer, what this grouping tells us is four first round draft picks are rated between 21 and 41 while the highest drafted pitcher of the first round sits at 81.

MLB Pipeline is pretty generous on the scouting scale of 20 to 80 and gives Bremner an overall grade of 55. If that holds true, the Gaucho will be an above average MLB pitcher. And to be fair to Bremner, they rate both Arnold and Anderson the same overall. So perhaps this is simply a deep class with beauty in the eye of the beholder.

But for a team that had early draft position for half a decade to only have one top 100 entrant is damning. The Angels draft positions the last five years have been: 2, 8, 11, 13, 9. Yet the farm still ranks among the worst in baseball.

Some will say the team rushes players to the majors and that is true. But of those five early first round selections only 2022 and 2023 picks Neto and Nolan Schanuel are in the show. Sam Bachman and Christian Moore are neither at the big league level or on any rankings lists.

Most teams coming off consecutive 90+ loss seasons are generally loading up on talent to make a run in the future. Unfortunately for the Angels, the experts don't see a wave of young talent on the horizon.