Nelson Rada, Caden Dana qualify for the Angels Little League

This story was excerpted from Rhett Bollinger’s Angels Beat magazine. To read the full newsletter, Click here. And register yourself to get it regularly in your inbox.

ANAHEIM — If there’s one thing the Angels are known for with their prospects under general manager Perry Minasian, it’s being aggressive with their promotion and challenging their young players.

The Angels have had several draft picks reach the Majors quickly in recent years, such as first baseman Nolan Schanuel, shortstop Zach Neto, lefty Reid Detmers and right-handers Chase Silseth, Sam Bachman and Victor Mederos.

So it wasn’t exactly a surprise to see two of the club’s top prospects start this season with Double-A Rocket City despite their youth. Center fielder Nelson Rada, Halos’ Number 1 prospect by MLB Pipeline, just 18 years old, and right-hander Caden Dana, the club’s starter. Number 2 expectations, he is 20 years old.

Radar is about six years younger than the average Double-A pitcher, as he jumped to High-A Tri-City after excelling at Single-A Inland Empire, where he was the youngest player in the league. He hit .276/.395/.346 with two homers, 13 doubles, six triples, 55 stolen bases and 48 RBIs in 115 games in 2023.

And Rada said this spring that he’s not afraid to play against older competition because he’s been doing it all his life.

“Age is just a number,” Rada said through interpreter Manny Del Campo. “I just know I can do my job wherever they put me.”

He still uses his power but has the patience and speed to be the first shooter. And he showed that in his the first taste of Major League Spring Training this year, stealing five bases in 12 games and hitting a homer.

Angels manager Ron Washington said he believes Radar can be more aggressive on the bases this year as he continues to learn the nuances of baserunning.

“He’s a young kid with good ball skills,” Washington said. “We just want him to play his game. He puts the ball in play and he can run. We’re trying to get him to be more aggressive on down routes. But he’s 18, so he’s in his head. We just told him to trust his speed and we got an interpreter to tell him (that) if he is thrown out, dust himself off and try again. He has carte blanche.”

Dana has also been on a roll since being selected in the 11th round of the 2022 MLB Draft out of Don Bosco Preparatory High School in Ramsey, NJ. Dana was signed for a $1.5 million bonus, a record for a drafted player. after the 10th round.

It seems like a smart decision for the Angels so far, as he has the potential to be a front-row starter. He posted a 3.56 ERA with 89 strikeouts in 68 1/3 innings in the Inland Empire and Tri-City last season and earned an offer to the Rocket City for 2024.

Dana, who resembles former Angels right fielder Noah Syndergaard with long blonde hair and an imposing 6-foot-4 frame, made his season debut with the Trash Pandas on Wednesday, striking out seven over 4 2/3 innings. .

Dana was also in major league camp for the first time this spring and showed a few glimpses of his abilities, including shining as a member of the organization. starting pitcher in Spring Breakout against the Dodgers’ top prospects. He has a fastball that reaches the low 90s to go along with his slider, curveball and developing changeup.

“I like his big presence,” Washington said. “I like his confidence in what he’s trying to do. He’s young, and he’s very absorbent, which means he takes every bit of knowledge he can get. And he tries to use it. One thing about this organization is that your age and experience don’t matter. If you can get out, that is the important thing.