Ten Potential LA Angels You Could See In Salt Lake For 2023
Apr 1, 2023, 2:11 PM | Updated: 2:13 pm
SALT LAKE CITY – It seems like just yesterday that the Salt Lake Bees 2022 season came to an end with a 3-2 loss against Oklahoma City. Spring is on the doorstep and with it comes Opening Day for professional baseball.
The Los Angeles Angels, the Bees’ major league parent club, went through some significant roster changes as they look to make the playoffs for the first time since 2014.
We can’t wait to have you back out to the ballgame🐝
Tickets for Opening Weekend and Single Games are on sale now at https://t.co/kQPx4mVc4z pic.twitter.com/rFwhsRuYSy
— Salt Lake Bees (@SaltLakeBees) March 4, 2023
After signing starting pitcher Tyler Anderson away from the Dodgers and inking infielder/outfielder Brandon Drury in free agency, the Angels used the trade route to bolster the squad further. In a span of five days, the Angels traded away four players in return for infielder Gio Urshela and outfielder Hunter Renfroe.
RELATED: Steve Klauke Shares Unique Stories Of His Time With The Salt Lake Bees
Could all that change at the big league level mean a trickle-down of prospects showing their wares in Salt Lake? We take a look at eleven Angels farm hands fans could see in Utah this summer.
All prospect rankings come from MLB.com.
Salt Lake Bees Prospects
Jo Adell – Outfielder
Adell entered 2020 as the No. 1 overall prospect in all of MLB but has struggled to put together his tools consistently at the big league level. He enters his seventh season of pro baseball in Triple-A after making the Angels Opening Day roster in 2022.
Jo Adell…430 ft…115 mph 🚀 pic.twitter.com/e0W3JqPVEZ
— Angels TopPlays (@PlaysAngels) March 21, 2023
Last season, Adell struggled to a .224 batting average with eight home runs and 27 runs batted in for the Angels.
He was optioned to Salt Lake on May 3 after hitting .246 in April. He played 40 games with the Bees, finishing with 13 home runs and 15 doubles, and a .239 average.
Adell hit .229 with 22 strikeouts and two walks during Spring Training.
Chase Silseth – Starting Pitcher
Currently the Angels No. 4 prospect according to MLB.com, Silseth is scheduled to open 2023 as the Bees Opening Day starter. Los Angeles took Silseth with their 11th-round pick in 2021
RELATED: Salt Lake Bees’ Chase Silseth Ready For First Pro Opening Day Start
Less than a year later, Silseth made his MLB debut with a six-inning, one-hit shutout against the Oakland Athletics on May 13, 2022.
Six innings of one-hit ball in your MLB debut.
👏, @Chase_Silseth! pic.twitter.com/Uzg1hNdaDt
— MLB (@MLB) May 14, 2022
He made seven starts with the Angels, going 1-3 with a 6.59 earned run average.
With Rocket City, Silseth finished with a 7-0 record and a 2.28 ERA in 15 starts.
RELATED: Legendary Salt Lake Bees Announcer Steve Klauke Announces Retirement
Livan Soto – Middle Infielder
Soto signed with the Angles organization ahead of the 2018 season. He enters this year rated as the 16th-best prospect.
The first career home run for Livan Soto! 👏#GoHalos pic.twitter.com/ZbenToWBhw
— Los Angeles Angels (@Angels) September 18, 2022
Soto made his MLB debut on September 17, hitting his first home run the following day against the Seattle Mariners.
In 119 games with Rocket City, Soto hit six homers and 17 doubles to finish with a .281 average. Soto has been a whiz defensively in his time with the Angels. Great hands, good footwork, and a high baseball IQ make him a good defender at shortstop, second base, or third.
Mickey Moniak – Outfielder
The first overall pick by the Philadelphia Phillies in 2016, Moniak was acquired by the Los Angeles last August in a trade that sent Noah Syndergaard east.
Mickey Moniak (3)
Opponent: Cleveland Guardians
Pitcher: Cal Quantrill
Date: 9/14/22 pic.twitter.com/EucFjbKBqN— LAA Home Runs (@LAA_HR) February 20, 2023
Moniak missed most of August with a finger injury but returned to hit .200 with three homers and nine runs scored in 19 games with Los Angeles. He played two games with Salt Lake in 2022, homering in both contests.
Jordyn Adams – Outfielder
Adams was selected by the Angels with the 17th pick of the 2018 first-round MLB player draft. Adams was named an Under Armour All-American in both football and baseball, joining current NFL Pro-Bowlers Kyler Murray and AJ Brown as the only athletes to receive recognition in both sports. He has been named by Baseball America as the ‘Best Athlete” in the Angels organization for the past three seasons.
Jordyn Adams (1)
Spring Training🌴Opponent: Arizona Diamondbacks
Pitcher: Tyler Gilbert
Date: 3/11/23pic.twitter.com/n80au9CWtB— LAA Home Runs (@LAA_HR) March 13, 2023
Adams enters the season as the organization’s 30th-rated prospect after hitting .238 in 120 games between High-A Tri-City and Double-A Rocket City. The uber-athletic speedster stole 33 bases in 36 attempts in 2022.
He opens the season with Salt Lake, getting his first taste of Triple-A pitching after hitting .343 with one home run, three doubles and seven stolen bases in Spring Training.
Eyes on the Future
Each of these players is listed on the roster of the AA Rocket City Trash Pandas, just one step away from a call-up to Salt Lake.
Zach Neto – Shortstop
The Angels made Neto their first-round selection, 13th overall, in the 2022 MLB Player Draft. He enters 2023 as the Angels second-rated prospect.
ZACH NETO WITH A LEAPING GRAB! pic.twitter.com/2N9Q1JW4K8
— AngelsWin.com (@AngelsWin) March 10, 2023
Los Angeles gave him seven games at High-A Tri City to acclimate to professional baseball, where he hit .200 with a home run and four RBI. Neto was then promoted to Double-A Rocket City where he caught fire to end the season.
Neto hit .320 in 30 games for the Trash Pandas. In 122 at-bats, he hit four home runs and nine doubles, finishing with 23 runs batted in.
Kyren Paris – Middle infielder
Currently the tenth-rated prospect in the Angels system, Paris was selected by Los Angeles in the second round in 2019 when he was 17 years old.
Kyren Paris HR from today #Angels pic.twitter.com/EopTvBXi9F
— Jared Tims (@Jared_Tims) March 25, 2023
Paris struggled with injuries early in his professional career before seemingly hitting his stride late last season. From August through the end of the year, he supplied an 1.100 OPS (on-base % + slugging %). Paris is base-stealing threat, swiping 33 bags across three minor league levels in 2022.
Ben Joyce – Relief Pitcher
Joyce became a viral sensation at the University of Tennessee last season when he touched 105 mph on the radar gun. Los Angeles tabbed Joyce with their 2022 third round pick (89th overall).
The future is bright 😎#LAASpring pic.twitter.com/QnpjoFrDAT
— Los Angeles Angels (@Angels) March 17, 2023
He appeared in 13 games for the Trash Pandas after being drafted. Joyce allowed opponents to hit .220 while giving up 11 hits, striking out 20 and walking four to the tune of a 2.08 ERA.
With a mid-80s slider to go with his 100+ mph heater, Joyce could be a significant weapon in Keith Johnson’s bullpen if he starts the season well with Rocket City.
Sam Bachman – Starting Pitcher
The Angels 2021 first-round pick (ninth overall), Bachman comes into the season as the Angels sixth-rated prospect.
Righty Sam Bachman, the @Angels' No. 6 prospect, fanned three over a pair of scoreless innings.
He hasn't allowed a run over three 🌵 appearances. pic.twitter.com/QSaqPoGV4Y
— MLB Pipeline (@MLBPipeline) March 25, 2023
In 2022 with Rocket City, Bachman went 1-1 with a 3.92 ERA in 43.2 innings across 12 starts. Issues with his bicep caused him to miss time last season. Now healthy, he has been approaching 100 mph in bullpen sessions during spring training.
Ky Bush – Starting Pitcher
A local kid made good, Bush played his prep baseball at Fremont High School in nearby Ogden, Utah. The 6’6 lefty was selected by Los Angeles in the second round in 2021.
RELATED: Former Fremont Pitcher Takes Center Stage At MLB Futures Game
Last season, Bush appeared in 21 games with Rocket City, posting a 7-4 record and a 3.67 earned run average while striking out 101 batters. Bush appeared in the 2022 MLB Futures Game at All-Star Weekend in Los Angeles. He gave up one hit and struck out one in a scoreless inning of work.
Honorable Mention
Logan O’Hoppe – Catcher
Originally a 23rd-round pick of the Philadelphia Phillies in 2018, O’Hoppe joined the organization last August with Brandon Marsh heading to Philadelphia. He enters this year as the #42 prospect as rated by Baseball America and #53 by MLB. He made his MLB debut last season, batting .286 in five games with the Angels.
🔺AL West Breakout Pick🔺
Logan O’Hoppe – Los Angeles Angels #WeBelieveO’Hoppe was traded from the Phillies to the Angels at last year's deadline.
The 23-year-old backstop is already MLB's 53rd-ranked prospect, but his breakout could come sooner than many expect. pic.twitter.com/1QPQFrctIg
— Ryan Medeiros (@RRyanmedeiros) March 15, 2023
O’Hoppe earned a spot on the Angels Opening Day roster thanks to a strong spring training performance. In 13 games, he homered and drove in six RBI, finishing with a .265 average.
If the Angels decide O’Hoppe could benefit from some extra seasoning in the minors at some point this year, the 23-year-old catcher would be a welcome addition to the Salt Lake clubhouse.
RELATED: Familiar Face Set To Manage Salt Lake Bees In 2023
Easy Salt Lake Bees Listening With KSL
After having Opening Day snowed out, the Bees are scheduled to open the 2023 campaign with a seven-inning doubleheader against the Sacramento River Cats beginning on Saturday, April 1. First pitch for game one is scheduled for 12:05 p.m. (MT).
All Salt Lake Bees games are featured on the KSL Sports app.
Listen to ‘Voice of the Bees’ Steve Klauke on KSL Sports Zone. Purchase tickets to see the Bees play at slbees.com.
