This week the Angels announced they are rebuiling in two ways. First John Mozeliak orchestrated the most substantial trade deadine moves in recent franchise history. Then he restructured he Major League club's roster by cutting Jorge Soler and brining back Ben Joyce .
The focus is clearly on a youth movement in Anaheim with a goal of identifying young talent that could be part of a future winning team. The departures of Jose Soriano, Ryan Zeferjahn , Jo Adell , and Kirby Yates also open up opportunities for Angels prospects to potentially move up to the big club this season or early next year.
2026 Minor League Stats: 6-6, 3.96 ERA, 91.0 IP, 1.42 WHIP
Klassen impressed Angels brass enough in Spring Training to get an early season opportunity with the Angels. A two start cup of coffee did not go well and the promising right hander was sent down to AAA. Struggling at the MLB level then making adjustments in AAA is common and Klassen appears to have done just that.
Klassen is the most electric arm in the system and is fresh off being named the Pacific Coast League Pitcher of the Month for July. During his dominant July stretch with Triple-A Salt Lake, the 24-year-old went 3-0 with a 2.48 ERA. He completely dominated AAA hitters, leading the league in July with 38 strikeouts, a 0.99 WHIP, and a minuscule .197 opponent batting average over 36.1 innings.
When you consider those numbers were posted in the hitter's paradise of the PCL, they are even more impressive. Klassen's plus-plus fastball is playing up better now that he has more command of his secondary pitches. At this point he is looking MLB ready and should be here soon.
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 | IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect
2026 Minor League Stats (Double-A): 6-4, 3.63 ERA, 20 GS, 101.2 IP, 83 SO, 1.21 WHIP
Joel Hurtado's development has a lot of similarity to Walbert Urena's. Both command a power sinker that created a high ground ball rate as they moved up the minor league ladder. Neither had big strikeout numbers at the AA level but showed enough raw stuff to hopefully add more whiffs in the future.
In Hurtado's case, his sinker sits 94-95 miles per hour and has a significant drop. It gets ground balls over half the time it is hit but does not yet generate many whiffs. Pairing that with his upper 80s slider gives him two really solid pitches. Hurtado's change up is still a work in progress and needs to improve. If it does, his sinker will play up much better and he could take a significant step forward like Urena.
By attacking the strike zone, Hurtado has a solid 1.21 WHIP that reflects vastly improved command, a major step forward from earlier in his development. The right hander was promoted to Triple-A level this week and is obviously on the club's radar. Hurtado represents a polished, high-floor arm who can immediately provide length and stability to the Angels pitching staff. If he can add a little swing and miss to his game, he could be a nice addition to the rotation.
Joel Hurtado has a very interesting back story that he shared prior to the season, as well.
Nov 9, 2025; Mesa, AZ, USA; Los Angeles Angels outfielder Raudi Rodriguez during the Arizona Fall League Fall Stars Game at Sloan Park. Mandatory Credit: Mark J. Rebilas-Imagn Images | IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect
2026 Minor League Stats (Double-A):. 262/.374/.417 12 HR, 14 2B
Rodriguez is a bit of a surprise addition the youth movement, boasting a dynamic power-speed profile. After an extraordinary 2025 campaign where he earned the organization's Minor League Player of the Year honors from Baseball America , the 22-year-old outfielder then earned MVP honors in the Arizona Fall League.
An early season promotion to AA saw Rodriguez struggle a bit and then his bat caught fire. For most of the months of May and June, Raudi torched the ball and began climbing up prospect rankings lists.
This week he was promoted to AAA Salt Lake City along with Joel Hurtado. Rodriguez clearly profiles as a corner outfielder and should provide solid to plus defense in either corner. His command of the strike zone is evident in his high on base percentage and his speed allows him to turn gappers into doubles quite easily.
Raudi will be invited to big league camp in 2027 but could sneak onto the roster for a brief look later this season. Ideally, Rodriguez will slot next to defensive wiz Nelson Rada to form a defensively solid outfield in Anaheim sooner rather than later.
This article was originally published on www.si.com/mlb/angels/onsi as Angels Prospects to Watch: Klassen, Rodriguez, and Hurtado Lead Next Wave of Anaheim Youth Movement .
