Posted on 26 April 2009
H/W: 6-3 215 lb. B/T: L/R DOB: 4/4/88
The Angels' former 8th round selection missed all of the 2008 season with an ankle injury after a largely successful 2007 at Low-A Cedar Rapids where he hit .260 with 18 HR 72 RBI and 29 doubles. Matthew Sweeney has as much power potential as anyone in the Angels' system not named Brandon Wood. His smooth left-handed swing generates easy power to all fields and has the potential to hit for a high average as well. He has natural loft to his swing and seems to make solid contact with balls in the strike zone. One area of his offensive game that will continually need work is his ability to effectively work deep into counts. He walked just 38 times versus 88 strikeouts in 2007 and should prove to be a more dangerous hitter if he can boost his walk totals by 25-30. Defensively, he is somewhat heavy footed, but has soft hands and good first step range to both his left and right. His arm is plenty strong to handle any throws from the hot corner, though his 28 errors in '07 indicate that he still needs to control it and make more strides toward consistently making the routine plays.
2009 Projection: Sweeney has gotten off to an excellent start at High-A Rancho Cucamonga, hitting .375 with 3 HR 11 RBI and 7 doubles in his first 11 games. The biggest thing to watch out of Matthew is his ability to play the '09 season in good health. He looks like he is completely healthy, but ankle injuries, like so many other maladies, tend to become chronic problems that have detrimental effects on promising careers. Also keep tabs on his defensive performance. If he continues to post sub-.900 fielding percentages, there is a distinct chance that he could shift to the other infield corner or to a corner outfield spot a la Ryan Braun. Over a full season, Sweeney is a 25-30 HR hitter and a potential middle of the lineup hitter at the major league level. The Angels have Brandon Wood ahead of Sweeney on the organization's 3B depth chart, but lots can happen within the next couple of seasons. Sweeney's bat should place him somewhere.
Key Matthew Sweeney Baseball Cards:
- 2007 Bowman Chrome Prospects
- 2007 Bowman Heritage
- 2007 Donruss Elite Extra #/500
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Posted on 11 April 2009
H/W: 5-7 145 lb. B/T: L/R DOB: 6/18/89
If good things come in small packages, then the Angels will be quite pleased with their 3rd round pick from the '08 draft. Gomez played in four games with the Angels' Arizona Rookie League affiliate managing just two hits in 15 AB. Despite his demure build, Gomez has a sharp, line drive bat that can power balls to the gaps for doubles and the occasional long ball. He plays the game with savviness and grit that exceeds the range of his skills. He has a strong arm and soft hands that fit well at shortstop, though there is some conjecture that his fringe-average range could fit better at second base. Gomez has gotten pull-happy at times, seemingly to compensate for his slight build, but there is enough projection in his body to believe that he will develop more strength, perhaps alleviating his compulsion to overswing from time to time.
2009 Projection:Limited exposure and limited success should force Gomez to start his '09 season at extended spring training before heading out to Orem in June. Keep an eye on the development of Gomez's offensive game. Has the ability to hit for a high average with 5-10 HR power, but it may take a while for it to develop. If he can stick at SS, his chances of reaching the major leagues with the Angels is a bit better as the road ahead of him is not quite as congested. Long term, he will need to build some more strength to become a serious consideration as an MLB regular. It could happen, but the league is full of SS prospects with much higher upsides.
Key Rolando Gomez Baseball Cards:
- 2008 Donruss Elite Extra #/544
- 2008 Playoff Contenders Rookie Ticket SP Auto #/113
- 2008 Playoff Prime Cuts Auto #/249
- 2008 Razor Signature Series Auto #/699
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Posted on 11 April 2009
H/W 6-3 190 lb. B/T: R/R DOB: 3/2/85
The former 2003 1st round pick had his best season since his infamous '05 season by hitting .296 with 31 HR 84 RBI and scoring 82 runs in just 395 at bats at AAA Salt Lake City. As good as Wood was at AAA, he was equally horrible as a major leaguer, batting a meager .200 with 5 HR and 13 RBI in 55 games. There is no denying that Wood has a power-loaded bat that can launch homeruns at a 30+ per season pace. His fast hands generates exceptional bat speed and the natural leverage of his swing produces fence-clearing loft to all fields. Wood still hasn't figured out major leagu pitching yet. He has a difficult time laying off of breaking balls out of the strike zone and often gets himself behind in the count early. Defensively, Wood made the switch to third base prior to the '08 season and his natural agility as a shortstop and his rifle arm has made him an excellent defender at the hot corner. His footspeed is slightly above average, and he is an intelligent baserunner who has the ability to nab double digits in steals during the early years of his career. As he matures, he will continue to be more of a middle of the order power hitter who, while not a liability on the basepaths, will not be a weapon either. The Angels are cautiously moving Wood forward into a future starting role with the organization.
2009 Projection: Wood had an outstanding spring training, hitting .322 with 4 HR 13 RBI 14 runs scored and a 5 BB/12 K ratio in 59 AB. Despite his strong spring, the healthy return of Chone Figgins and the outstanding play of Erick Aybar sent Brandon packing for another opening day with Salt Lake City. Keep an eye on his eye at the plate. If he can improve his BB/K ratio with Salt Lake City, there may just be a chance yet that he will figure things out at the big league level. Once he does, watch out!
Key Brandon Wood Baseball Cards:
- 2003 Bowman Chrome Draft Auto
- 2003 Bowman Heritage
- 2005 Bowman Chrome Draft
- 2006 Bowman Chrome Auto
- 2006 Bowman Heritage Auto
- 2007 Bowman's Best Auto
- 2007 SP Authentic By The Letter Auto
- 2007 Sweet Spot Mini Helmet Auto
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Posted on 06 March 2009
H/W: 6-1 200 lb. B/T: S/R DOB: 8/16/82
The understated Angels infielder continued to put up excellent numbers at AAA Salt Lake City, hitting .335 with 15 HR 88 RBI 45 doubles and 92 runs scored. Sandoval has a line drive bat that produces gap power and high rates of contact. He has decent speed, but ran a lot less last season than in years past. Defensively, Sandoval is quite versatile spending time at 1B, 2B, 3B and even the OF last season. He is sure handed and plays with a great deal of intelligence. He is not flashy, but he can adequately fill a variety of roles. The rub on Sandoval is his age, at 26 years old, he is rapidly losing status as a prospect and needs to step into an MLB role sometime soon.
2009 Projection: Spring training will be a critical time for Sandoval to wriggle his way onto the Angels' 25 man roster. He has demonstrated all he needs to at the minor league level and, at 26 years old, is entering the prime productive years of his career. Monitor his progress this spring as well as rumblings within the Angels organization as to the 2009 role for Sandoval. He has the makings of a highly productive utility player who can admirably fill a variety of roles and is ready to produce right away. He should get more of a chance at some point in 2009.
Key Freddy Sandoval Baseball Cards:
- 2004 SP Prospects Auto #/400
- 2006 Bowman Chrome Draft
- 2007 Bowman Chrome Draft
- 2009 Topps
- 2009 Upper Deck
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Posted on 02 March 2009
H/W: 5-11 175 lb. B/T: R/R DOB: 12/16/89
Chatwood dominated hitters in the Arizona Rookie League last season pitching to a 1-2 record with a 3.08 ERA and 48 K's in just 38 innings. Hitters mustered a paltry .195 BA against him and he was able to induce 2.35 GO/FO. As dominant as he was, his control was a major concern as Chatwood walked 4 or more batters in 7 of his 11 starts. An electric 92-94 MPH fastball thrown from a high arm angle allows for him to keep a good downard plane on the ball, making it heavier to hit. Complimenting his heater is a big breaking curveball that has all the makings of a strikeout pitch as Tyler is already able to command it and use good arm speed to deceive hitters. His changeup is a potential third pitch, but it is far away from the other ones. Mechanically, Chatwood has good arm action, but needs to continue to use his legs to drive more of his velocity. This will help him avoid injury and, perhaps add a tick or two to the velocity of his fastball.
2009 Projection: Full season Low-A Cedar Rapids is the next stop for the Chatwood express. Expect him to carry forward the high GO/FO rate, but a repeat of 2.35 is highly unlikely. That would mean that the control numbers would need to drastically improve in order for Chatwood to avoid experiencing some major struggles in his development. The evolution of the changeup will be a key for his success in sticking as a starting pitcher. He has a small frame and two MLB plus pitches. If things don't work out for him as a starter, he could be a good option as a late inning reliever down the road.
Key Tyler Chatwood Baseball Cards:
- 2008 Bowman Chrome Draft
- 2008 Razor Signature Series #/1499
- 2008 Playoff Prime Cuts Auto #/187
- 2008 Playoff Contenders Auto
- 2008 Donruss Threads By The Letter Patch Auto #/240
- 2008 Donruss Elite Extra Auto #/257
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Posted on 27 February 2009
H/W: 6-1 195 B/T: R/R DOB: 3/31/87
The Angels' 2005 10th round selection broke out in a big way in 2008 by hitting .295 with 9 HR 51 RBI 50 SB and 83 runs scored at High-A Rancho Cucamonga. Bourjos, the son of former San Francisco Giants prospect and current Milwaukee Brewers scout Chris Bourjos, has game changing speed and emerging power that could produce double digit HR and 30-40 SB per season atop an MLB lineup. Some scouts questioned Bourjos' ability to hit as he had several mechanical ticks in his approach at the plate, but he seems to have put some of those to rest. He is an excellent defender in CF with an arm that is strong and accurate. He uses his speed well on the basepaths succeeding on 50 of 60 SB attempts and hitting for a combined 39 doubles and triples. The looming black mark in his game remains his plate discipline which, while obscured by his other fine numbers, still remains a noteworthy risk to his development as a top of the order hitter. Bourjos earned just 19 walks against 96 strikeouts due in large part to his overagressiveness towards off speed pitches. This, if not rectified could largely impact his ability to be productive against more advanced pitching. At just 21 years old, however, there is plenty of reason to believe that Bourjos can improve upon those numbers and have the promising career that his dad never had.
2009 Projection: The next destination for Peter Bourjos is AA Arkansas. This will be an excellent litmus test for the current state of his development. The speed part of his game will always be there, but the promising power numbers he displayed in '08 are not a sure thing going forward. Rancho Cucamonga and the rest of the California League has a reputation of being a league that considerably inflates offensive numbers (especially power). Add that with the possibility that Bourjos employs a more cautious and less aggressive approach at the plate and the potential for a regression in the power numbers becomes a distinct possibility. Fortunately for Peter, he is in a system that is quite thin in OF prospects, making his path to the major leagues a little brighter. The Angels have Torii Hunter locked up through 2012 which should provide for more than enough time to allow Bourjos to develop at a prudent pace.
Key Peter Bourjos Baseball Cards:
- 2007 Bowman Chrome Prospects Auto
- 2007 Bowman Heritage
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Posted on 03 February 2009
H/W: 6-2 205 lb. B/T: L/L DOB: 5/22/89
This young southpaw emerged as one of the Angels' brighter young pitching prospects after a fine season at Low-A Cedar Rapids. Despite being the youngest pitcher in the Midwest League, Reckling compiled a 10-7 record with a 3.37 ERA and 128 K in 159 IP. At this stage in his development, Trevor is not an overpowering pitcher. His fastball sits at 87-92 MPH with good movement, but his frame has still yet to fully develop and there is some conjecture that he can add a couple of ticks to his fastball. The true out pitch for him, however, lies in a big bending curveball that some scouts have likened to Barry Zito's infamous yakker. Reckling controls this pitch very effectively and his change up has come a long way to also be a potential plus pitch. Because his offspeed stuff is so good, Reckling gets in trouble at times when he tends to lean on them too often. If he can gain some velocity on his fastball, he should be able to feel confident in establishing it more, making his curve and change much more effective pitches.
2009 Projection: Reckling should move to High-A Rancho Cucamonga to start the '09 season. The key for him will be to improve his fastball, while at the same time maintaining his success on keeping the ball down in the zone. Last season, Trevor was quite effective at this, inducing a GO/FO ratio of 1.73. The Californian League can wreak havoc on young pitchers who struggle with their locations. While he keeps the ball down, Reckling does struggle from time to time with pitching to contact. The added velocity on his fastball would help tremendously. If he does bump it up a couple of notches, Reckling has the potential to be a solid #2 starter at the major league level. If he doesn't, his ceiling shifts dramatically to a back of the rotation starter.
Key Trevor Reckling Baseball Cards:
- 2008 Bowman Chrome Prospects
- 2008 Donruss Threads Auto #/875
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Posted on 14 January 2009
H/W: 6-0 175 lb. B/T: L/R DOB: 8/17/86
After shaking off the injury bug that bit him for the first two months of the season, the young Angels 2B prospect went on to tear the cover off of the ball over the final two months batting .297 with 16 HR 38 RBI and 54 runs scored in just 56 games. Mount was drafted in the 2nd round of the 2005 draft as a shortstop before being shifted to 2B following the 2006 season. Mount generates remarkable pop despite his small frame with a well leveraged lefty swing and quick wrists. He also has exceptional hand-eye coordination which allows him to make consistent hard contact and mitigate his strikeout totals. Despite stealing 10 bases last season, Mount is not quick on his feet, but his soft hands and good instincts should allow for him to be a fringe average defender at 2B. Naturally, the biggest issue with Mount is his health. He has fallen prey to a variety of nagging injuries over his first three years of his career. Most of these maladies have been with his quads and hamstrings which makes Ryan a high risk for a rapid drop in athleticism as he ages. Another area that the Angels would like to see him address is his pitch recognition and ability to work counts. While he doesn't strike out much, his 23 BB last season are too low for someone of his power potential.
2009 Projection: The Angels have preliminarily tabbed Mount to skip a level and begin the regular season at AAA Salt Lake City. That may be a tad aggressive for someone who has yet to complete a full season in good health. That will be the main thing to watch with Mount. If, and it is a BIG "if", he can avoid the DL, he could well find the pitching in the PCL to his liking, putting up good power numbers similar to his predecessor Sean Rodriguez. The Angels currently have their own injury aficionado Howie Kendrick manning the 4-hole with young Sean-Rod waiting in the wings. The chances are quite slim that Mount will receive any time with the big league club this season, but a solid effort at AAA could certainly increase his value as a trading chip come July.
Key Ryan Mount Baseball Cards:
- 2005 Bowman Chrome Draft
- 2005 Bowman Sterling
- 2005 Bowman Heritage
- 2007 Bowman Sterling Auto
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Posted on 03 January 2009
H/W: 6-0 205 lb. B/T: S/R DOB: 1/29/88
When Hammerin' Hank Conger played in '08, he demonstrated to the baseball world why he is considered one of the top catching prospects in the minor leagues. After missing the first two months of the season with a torn labrum, Conger batted .303 with 13 HR 75 RBI and 47 runs scored in just 73 games at High-A Rancho Cucamonga. Compact and very strong, Conger is a polished hitter with big time power from both sides of the plate that should produce 20-25 HR per season with a high batting average. Defensively, Conger has a strong arm and he gets the ball out quickly, but his mobility and accuracy are below average at this point. The bigger issue with Hank, however, is his proneness to injury. Last year's torn labrum marked the third consecutive year that Conger has had to be inactivated due to injury. Conger has youth on his side and a couple of healthy seasons could make his injury bugaboos a thing of the past. The Angels certainly hope so as his lethal bat would be a welcome addition to an aging Angels lineup.
2009 Projection: So far all systems are go for Conger to head to AA Arkansas in '09. Conger has yet to complete a full season of competition and, for both Hank and the Angels, that has to be goal #1 for the '09 season. Beyond that, watch his BB/K ratio. Conger makes consistently hard contact with pitches and he doesn't strike out a ton, but his walk totals have never been particularly high. If he can be more selective, Conger should still hit for a high average and good pop. If not, the batting average and on base percentage could take a tumultuous dip against advanced pitching.
Key Hank Conger Baseball Cards:
- 2006 Bowman Chrome Draft
- 2006 Bowman Sterling Auto
- 2007 Bowman Auto
- 2007 Bowman's Best Auto
- 2007 Bowman Sterling Auto
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The Angels' former 8th round selection missed all of the 2008 season with an ankle injury after a largely successful 2007 at Low-A Cedar Rapids where he hit .260 with 18 HR 72 RBI and 29 doubles. Matthew Sweeney has as much power potential as anyone in the Angels' system not named Brandon Wood. His smooth left-handed swing generates easy power to all fields and has the potential to hit for a high average as well. He has natural loft to his swing and seems to make solid contact with balls in the strike zone. One area of his offensive game that will continually need work is his ability to effectively work deep into counts. He walked just 38 times versus 88 strikeouts in 2007 and should prove to be a more dangerous hitter if he can boost his walk totals by 25-30. Defensively, he is somewhat heavy footed, but has soft hands and good first step range to both his left and right. His arm is plenty strong to handle any throws from the hot corner, though his 28 errors in '07 indicate that he still needs to control it and make more strides toward consistently making the routine plays.
