Los Angeles Angels Breakout MLB Prospects Entering 2024
Entering 2024, we’re examining multiple Angels prospects on the verge of a breakout season. To qualify as a breakout prospect for this exercise, a player must rank outside the Top 10 Prospects in his organization entering the year.
You can find all of our preseason prospect rankings here and a link to breakouts for all 30 teams here.
Angels Top Prospects In 2024
We rank the top players in Los Angeles’ system entering the season complete with new scouting reports, tools, grades & more.
Breakout Prospects
Preseason rank: 12
BA Grade: 45. Risk: High.
Track Record: Laverde signed with the Angels out of Venezuela for $350,000 at the start of the 2022 international signing period. He performed well in his pro debut that summer in the Dominican Summer League, posting an .807 OPS while throwing out 41% of basestealers. He carried his performance into a standout showing at instructs. Laverde again impressed in his stateside debut in 2023, slashing .306/.419/.455 in the Arizona Complex League with 28 walks to 31 strikeouts, flashing shades of former Angels catching prospect Edgar Quero.
Scouting Report: Laverde is a well-rounded, athletic lefthanded-hitting catcher. He has a flat plane, line-drive swing with high in-zone contact and the ability to manipulate the barrel. A patient hitter who focuses on contact, he has shown an advanced ability to make adjustments and rarely chases out of the zone. Laverde is strong and has a mature frame. He can impact the ball to the gaps with hopes of tapping into more over-the-fence power as he grows. A converted outfielder, Laverde is new to catching. His hands and feet worked well while honing his technique in his setup with Angels catching coordinators. He has a good foundation for lateral movement and receives well. Laverde has above-average arm strength, but his throwing mechanics and release need work. He is a near-average runner with aggressive baserunning instincts and is praised for his elite makeup.
The Future: Laverde has a lot of work to become an everyday catcher, but his hitting ability gives him a chance to be on the strong side of a platoon. He will make his full-season debut as a teenager in 2024.
Scouting Grades
Hitting: 50. Power: 40. Run: 45. Fielding: 45. Arm: 50.
Walbert Urena, RHP
Preseason rank: 14
BA Grade: 45. Risk: High.
Track Record: Urena signed for $140,000 two months into the 2021 international signing period, but arm injuries delayed his debut by a year. He raised his stock by regularly touching 100 mph during extended spring training and in the Arizona Complex League in 2022, although walks dogged his performance. Walks continued to hinder his performance with Low-A Inland Empire in 2023 until Urena incorporated a sinker and began throwing more strikes, leading to a 3.68 ERA over his final 13 starts.
Scouting Report: Urena is a lean, undersized righty with special arm strength and velocity. His fastball touches 102 mph and sits 98, but the shape needs work. He added a sinker that sits 94-98 mph and improved his shaky fastball command to fringe-average in the process. Urena could ultimately sit in the triple digits in short stints if he adds strength to his lean frame. He tinkered with multiple grips to find semblance of a real breaking ball, eventually landing on a fringe-average mid-80s slider with depth. His mid-to-upper 80s changeup will flash plus with fade, though the feel for his off-speed needs work. Urena has a basic delivery and shows on-mound athleticism. His control has improved with more reps and confidence throwing strikes, though it may never be better than below-average.
The Future: Urena has to throw more strikes and find a true breaking ball to reach his immense upside, but his premium velocity and small-stature point toward a future as a power reliever.
Scouting Grades
Fastball: 70. Slider: 45. Changeup: 55. Control: 40.
Anthony Scull, OF
Preseason rank: 25
BA Grade: 40. Risk: High.
Track Record: The son of 19-year Cuban major league star Antonio Scull, Anthony signed with the Angels late in the 2021 international signing period for $235,000. He hit .306 in his brief Arizona Complex League debut in 2022, but a shoulder injury limited him to 13 games. He returned to the ACL with a clean bill of health and hit .300 with an .830 OPS, then earned MVP honors at the Angels’ instructional league series at Angel Stadium.
Scouting Report: Scull is an athletic lefthanded-hitting outfielder with a well-rounded toolset. He has a compact swing from the left side with solid bat speed that allows him to make optimal contact and drive the ball to the gaps with authority. He has the ability to do damage, while his flat swing plane doesn’t always allow him to tap into his above-average pull side raw power. An aggressive hitter, he is working on finding a more balanced approach while making better swing decisions and keeping his strikeouts in check. He is an above-average runner which helps him steal the occasional base and cover ground across all three outfield positions, while his athleticism and aggression could keep him in center field long term. He has an average arm.
The Future: Scull’s physical maturation will dictate whether he can grow into enough power to fit a corner profile. He will make his full-season affiliate debut in 2024 at 20 years old.
Scouting Grades
Hitting: 50. Power: 45. Run: 55. Fielding: 50. Arm: 50.
