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Angels Top Prospect Is Now In Two-Way Limbo With New Owner
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- Angels Top Prospect Is Now In Two-Way Limbo With New Owner
(IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect)
The Los Angeles Angels have multiple prospects who were selected back in the summer under the leadership of interim GM John Mozeliak, who will be gone at the end of December when his contract expires. That leaves their future close to being in limbo, especially since Mozeliak also said that the Angels will go outside the organization to hire a new farm director.
It's safe to say that no prospect will be affected by this more than Jared Grindlinger, the two-way player who was the Halos' top pick back in July. Grindlinger is just 17, and he was one of the most controversial choices of the draft as he represents a very new direction for the Angels.
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The previous direction was to select top college talent that was viewed as being close to ready for the majors. That worked to some extent, as the Angels had nearly all of their No. 1 picks on the field at the same time late in 2025, but it also led to a lack of depth in the system that has kept the Halos buried in the basement of the AL West.
Grindlinger is getting his feet wet as a pro for the first time, and he's looked mostly overwhelmed in the team's instructional league. He's a hitter at the moment, and the contact skills that were his biggest strength haven't translated so far.
This isn't at all surprising, especially given Grindlinger's age. It's common for top prospects to struggle during their initial at-bats against professionals pitchers. That's what instructional leagues are for — to prepare them for Low-A, the DSL or wherever else their first stop might be.
But Grindlinger's status as a two-way player complicates his situation even more. On the mound, Baseball America's scouting report has his deliveries landing in the 90-94 mph range, and he's touched 96, which is remarkable for a high school pitcher who still has a lot of filling out left to do on his 6'3", 185 frame.
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The issue with being a two-way player is that it sometimes puts prospects on two different tracks and timelines. Nearly every prospect stalls at some point in the development process, and it automatically raises the question of a switch to the second skill set.
The Angels aren't there yet with Grindlinger, but it will be interesting to see how new ownership views him. The GM meetings start on Nov. 9, and it will be especially intriguing if the Angels have their new leadership group in place under owner Stan Kroenke.
