2020-21 MLB International Reviews: Los Angeles Angels

Perry Minasian brought in several new front office officials shortly after the Angels hired him as their general manager in November. The next month, the Angels changed things up in their international department, bringing in Brian Parker to run their international scouting. Parker had been working with the Dodgers as an international crosschecker after previously being with the Blue Jays as their scouting director.

Top Of The Class

The Angels’ top signing in their class was Denzer Guzman, a shortstop from the Dominican Republic who trained with Juan Rodriguez. Guzman is an offensive-minded player with some of the best hitting skills in the class. He’s 6-foot-2, 180 pounds with a knack for barreling the ball against live pitching for consistent, quality contact. Guzman has good plate coverage, squaring up pitches on all quadrants of the strike zone from a loose righthanded swing without much effort. Guzman drives the ball well with home run power to his pull side and the projection for above-average power in the future because of his bat speed and physical projection. He has a good chance to tap into more power down the road with how frequently he barrels the ball, with a hit-first mentality right now and an approach geared for contact and line drives rather than trying to lift the ball. Guzman has a plus arm for the left side of the infield, but he’s a below-average runner with range and defensive actions that will probably lead him to third base in the near future.

Names To Know

Luis Viloria , LHP, Venezuela: Viloria is a 5-foot-10, 150-pound lefty with a slight frame but an easy delivery with good arm action. He’s not a hard thrower, operating in the mid 80s, but he’s a strike-thrower with good feel to spin a breaking ball for his age. Viloria trained with Jose Montero.

Darlin Francia, RHP, Dominican Republic: Francia is 6-foot-5, 200 pounds with good physical projection and body control for a 17-year-old pitcher with his size. He’s not a hard thrower yet, working in the mid-to-upper 80s, but he has good projection indicators with his delivery, arm action and tight rotation on a breaking ball that’s his best pitch now. Francia trained with El Varon.

Eiver Betancourt, C, Venezuela: Betancourt, who trained with Alexis Quiroz, is 5-foot-11, 185 pounds with a simple swing from the left side and gap power. He doesn’t have a standout tool, but he’s a steady player who projects to stick at the position with a near-average arm.

Edgar Quero, C, Cuba: Quero was the catcher on youth national teams for Cuba at international tournaments, projecting to stick behind the plate with no one loud tool but solid skills on both sides of the ball. He’s a switch-hitter who’s a little more advanced from the left side, showing good strike-zone judgment and contact skills with a line-drive approach and gap power.

Keythel Key, RHP, Venezuela: Key has an athletic 6-foot-3 build with a lanky, projectable frame and room to grow a fastball that has trended up to touch 93 mph. He has feel for three pitches, including a changeup and a breaking ball that can miss bats when it’s on. He trained with Henderson Martinez.

Walbert Ureña, RHP, Dominican Republic: Ureña is a 6-foot-1 righthander with good athleticism, a fastball that reaches the low 90s consistently and has been up to 94 mph with projection indicators for more velocity down the road.

Sleeper Watch

Dominican righthander Yendy Gomez has an athletic 6-foot-2 build with loose arm action and a good delivery. Once he gets stronger he should be able to add to a fastball that ticked up before signing to touch 92 mph, with feel to spin a breaking ball as well.