Caden Dana: Angels 2024 Minor League Player Of The Year
Ron Washington has spent more than five decades in baseball as a player, coach and manager.
So the Angels skipper knew not to get overly excited about 20-year-old righthander Caden Dana’s impressive MLB debut.
“I think he knows he can pitch in the big leagues,” Washington said after Dana allowed two runs in six innings against the Mariners on Sept. 1, “and there’s a lot of growth left.”
That was clearly evident during Dana’s second start, when he grooved far too many pitches while allowing five runs and seven hits, including three home runs, in one inning against the Rangers.
The shellacking did little to detract from a season in which Dana established himself as one of baseball’s top pitching prospects.
The Angels signed Dana for a well-over-slot $1.5 million in 2022, when they drafted him in the 11th round out of high school in New Jersey. Just two years later, he led the Double-A Southern League with 147 strikeouts and a 2.52 ERA for Rocket City.
The 6-foot-4, 235-pound Dana took a significant leap forward in 2024 thanks to the development of a mid-80s changeup and low-70s curveball that he added to his 94 mph fastball and 85 mph slider.
“Having command of all four pitches has been huge,” Dana said. “Last year, I used two pitches in most outings, maybe three some days, but now I have each one in the back pocket, and I can let the moment dictate what I throw.”
Dana more than doubled his workload in 2024, improving from 68 innings last season to 146 this year, counting his time in Anaheim.
He said he felt strong all season thanks to changes in his winter workout regimen, which he instituted with the help of Guardians reliever and family friend James Karinchak, and a modified diet.
Dana has stopped eating at restaurants. He travels with a portable grill and cooks for himself on the road, his diet consisting primarily of proteins—mostly steak and ground beef—and fruits.
“I’m stronger than ever,” Dana said. “Every day, I wake up and tell myself that I’m ready to take on anything they ask me to do.”
