Angels’ Nelson Rada Proves He Belongs At Low-A
Nelson Rada turns 18 on Aug. 24, an age when most U.S. players are beginning their senior year of high school.
That’s what makes what the Venezuelan center fielder is doing this season at Low-A Inland Empire all the more remarkable.
Rada hit .253/.394/.324 with two home runs and 34 stolen bases through 64 games. He showed advanced plate discipline with 43 walks and 53 strikeouts.
“When you see a 17-year-old guy holding his own in Low-A ball, it’s a credit to the amount of work he’s put in over the last couple of years and to the staff there,” Angels minor league field coordinator Joe Kruzel said.
The 5-foot-10, 160-pound Rada signed for $1.85 million as a 16-year-old in 2022. In the Dominican Summer League last year, the lefthanded hitter batted .311/.446/.439 with 27 steals in 50 games.
That gave the Angels the confidence to start Rada at Low-A this season, when he was the youngest player on a Opening Day roster.
Rada quickly proved he belongs.
“His ability to draw walks and (put the ball in play) means he has a good understanding of the strike zone,” Kruzel said. “He has above-average speed, and his knowledge of reading pitchers and working on jumps has improved.
“He’s like a sponge. He absorbs and incorporates it into his game.”
Rada has a line-drive approach to all fields, and the Angels believe he will add power as he matures physically.
“I would project him to be a 10-15-homer guy,” Kruzel said. “With his understanding of the strike zone, ability to get the barrel to the ball and knowledge and approach to use the whole field, putting him in that range someday is not far-fetched.”
Rada’s closing speed and his decisive reads and routes give him the potential to be a plus defender, especially if his throwing arm improves. His elite speed can impact the game in many ways.
“We often look at stolen bases to decide whether a guy is a good baserunner,” Kruzel said, “but his knack for going first to third, reading balls in the dirt, tagging on balls to the outfield, those are like stolen bases, even though they don’t go down as stolen bases.”
