Brandon Marsh Ready To Go
ANAHEIM—The Angels will get their first extended look at Brandon Marsh this spring after the 19-year-old outfielder’s tumultuous first summer with the organization.
“He’s a well above-average athlete with plus speed, plus arm strength and five-tool potential,” farm director Mike LaCassa said. “We’re excited to get him into camp and to see what he can do on the field and why our scouts picked him in the second round (in 2016).”
A week before the July 15 signing deadline, Marsh, a three-sport standout from Buford (Ga.) High who bats lefthanded, signed for the slot value of $1.073 million. But shortly after he reported to the team’s Arizona training complex, Marsh had a stress reaction in his lower back that did not require surgery but sidelined him for several months.
Rehabilitating with the team’s medical staff, the 6-foot-3, 210-pound Marsh showed “tremendous work ethic and made quick, noticeable gains,” LaCassa said. Marsh was able to play several instructional league games in the Dominican Republic in the fall and participated in the team’s mini-camp for top prospects in Arizona in January.
“At this point, he’s 100 percent healthy,” LaCassa said. “He had some frustrations in rehab, but that didn’t hurt him through the process. It made him work harder.”
Marsh led Buford, which is located just outside Atlanta, to the Georgia 4A state title in 2014, and he was also a wide receiver for a football program that won state championships in 2013 and 2014.
The Angels love Marsh’s raw tools and athleticism and believe he has the speed and instincts to cover a lot of ground in center field. He is expected to remain in extended spring training and will likely join Rookie-level Orem in June.
“He can hit, he can throw, he hits the ball to all fields,” former Angels scouting director Ric Wilson said after the draft last summer. “He’s going to develop into some power.”
ANGEL FOOD
• The Angels signed outfielder Dustin Ackley to a minor league deal with an invitation to big league camp. He hit .148/.243/.148 in 28 games for the Yankees in 2016 before suffering a season-ending shoulder injury.
• Veteran righthander Yusmeiro Petit, who spent the past two seasons as a reliever, will report to camp as a starter after signing a minor league deal with a spring-training invite.
— Mike DiGiovanna covers the Angels for the Los Angeles Times
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