By Taylor Blake Ward, AngelsWin.com Feature Reporter

Let's start with a proviso: Variance is vital to assessment. When talking about the Dominican Summer League (DSL) and Arizona Complex League (CPX), you have to acknowledge that performance is going to be taken with a heavy grain of salt in multiple directions.

Players in the DSL can range from 16 to 22 years of age, and upwards of 17 to 24 in the CPX. This could be the difference between no professional experience to upwards of six years played in professional baseball and Rule-5 eligibility. It is not apples-to-apples, and very much apples-to-bananas when comparing particular players to another in their respective leagues. Comparing a high school sophomore-aged player to someone who has a college degree leaves plenty of room for error while looking at on-paper performance.

It is the preliminary stages of development, both from a baseball and physical perspective, for the young men playing in these leagues.

For pitchers, they may be throwing in the mid 80's with their fastball, while others are throwing in the mid-to-upper 90's. Some will have devastating off-speed pitches while others have no form of a breaking pitch. Most have not harnessed their control or command, so walks will come at a premium, both for pitchers and hitters, which is a warning to looking at on-base percentage for hitters.

While speaking of hitters, physical growth may hinder the younger players in the power department. Inflated on-base percentages are common due to the lack of opposing pitching control, while slugging percentages could be held to purely doubles and triples, where misplayed balls defensively could turn a single into a triple.

Performance is always a fun item to look at on-paper, but with the high variance, it's reasonable to be cautious when doing so.

Pinpointing which performance numbers you want to isolate; you'll need to focus on indicators for future development and advancement into the low levels of full season ball with one consistent for both hitters and pitchers that tend to carry deep into pro ball.

For hitters: contact rate and strikeout percentage. You cannot simply toss aside walk rates, but as mentioned, they will be inflated due to the lack of control from pitchers.

For pitchers: strike-throwing. It is a raw base for being able to do so at the next level.

Simply, you have to trust projection. Size and athleticism are the starting points of each amateur signing. Power and command will eventually come around -- or they won't in some cases -- but you always start with the baselines of how a natural swing or delivery operates.

Before finally jumping in, a tab on record books:

The DSL has been in existence since 1985, with the Angels having an affiliate since 1992. The club did not have an affiliate in the DSL in 1997 and shared the affiliate with the Dodgers (1993), Rays (1996), and White Sox (1998).

Public statistics and records only date back to 2006, which gives 18 years of statistical data for the league and 13 years without.

After the cancelled 2020 season due to COVID-19 and truncated 2021 season, the DSL schedule was reduced to 56 games for each affiliate since 2022, down from 72 in prior years. This does impact the record books, while players since 2022 will receive 144 less innings of development and playing time.

The CPX now has a similar issue despite a 56-game schedule that has been in place since 1988. Major League Baseball, for some reason unbeknownst to many, have put in place seven-inning games on the bulk of the schedule, which has eliminated an estimated 30 innings of development (estimation from development executive).

Public records for CPX have been held since the start of the league in 1988, with the Angels holding an affiliate from 1989-1996 and 2001 to present. (All statistics are based on records kept by Baseball-Reference and FanGraphs; Ages noted are as of 9/1/2024)

With all of that out of the way, let's dive into some of the top performers and general thoughts on the Angels Rookie Ball affiliates.

(NOTE: Signing bonuses have been granted via club sources or player agents. Players born or signed out of Venezuela will not have their signing bonuses shared due to the political unrest in the country and threat to their immediate family or personal well-being. We thank you for your understanding. - Taylor Blake Ward)

Dominican Summer League

Completing their fourth consecutive campaign with a winning record and 14th in 19 years, the DSL Angels based out of Boca Chica had an extended season that landed them in the DSL Championship Series, where they fell in the third game in a best-of-three against the DSL Red Sox.

At 38-18, it was the fourth best regular season win/loss record in affiliate history (dating back to public record in 2005). With the Championship appearance, it could be argued as the second-best season in affiliate history, behind only the 2011 club that went 52-18 and won the league title.

No pitcher saw his stock rise during the postseason quite like that of 18-year-old Panamanian right-hander Brayan Vergara. In three appearances, Vergara allowed two runs in 13 innings with 21 strikeouts and one walk in the postseason, which included a six-inning scoreless relief stint in the first game of the opening series and a four and one/third innings scoreless relief cap in the second game of the Championship Series, striking out a combined 18 of 36 batters faced.

The six-foot, 145-pound Vergara signed out of Panama last summer for an unknown bonus, missing the 2023 campaign. In 2024, he posted a 1.91 ERA over 33 innings in relief, with three saves. A smaller pitchability righty with plus command, he walked just three of the 126 batters he faced this summer, and none of the final 72 he faced. He works mostly off of his upper 80's fastball that touches 91, and an average-or-better slider.

Serving as a shutdown closer for the Angels in the islands, 18-year-old Venezuelan Davidxon Lara had one of the best run prevention seasons in DSL history. Lara allowed two earned runs in 33 innings, leading to a 0.55 ERA on the summer, the 19th best single-season mark in DSL history among pitchers with 30-or-more innings. He added to the statistical mark with a league-leading 11 saves (not including three in the postseason) which has only been accomplished by 44 others in public record league history and is the most since 2019. He had a sub-5% walk rate for the second consecutive season in the DSL, with a combined walk percentage of 3.7% over the last two summers.

After starting nine games in 2023, the 5-foot-10, 165-pound right-hander was given multi-inning closing duties to continue giving him high-leverage innings and permitting other pitchers to stretch out in rotation roles, and he is expected to return to rotation development upon his stateside debut. Lara is mostly a two-pitch arm with a fastball that sits 91-92 and regularly touches 93, with a low 80's curve that flashes above-average. He also has a rudimentary changeup. Praised for his fastball command and desire to want the ball in tight situations, he is garnering some prospect attention prior to coming stateside in 2025.

Another returnee from the 2023 club who blossomed into more legitimate prospect status was 18-year-old Dominican Ubaldo Soto. Originally signed for $250K at the start of the 2023 international signing period, Soto saw a velocity spike over the summer, going from 87-89 with his fastball to sitting 93-95 and touching 97 (including hitting 95 at the DSL All-Star Game). He utilizes the fastball as a swing-and-miss pitch more than his secondaries, though his changeup and slider can both flash average, with the cambio being the better of the pair in their current state. He will have to refine some of the violence and effort in his delivery to tap into more consistent strikes and rotation upside, though he has made steady progress towards seeing a full season rotation in the next 18 months.

The six-foot-two, 185-pound right-hander bettered his already solid 2023 performance (1.64 ERA, 44 IP) with a 1.29 ERA over 56 innings over the summer, while striking out as many batters as innings pitched. He led the league in wins, with eight, which tied for the second most in affiliate history. Among pitchers with 100-or-more innings pitched in DSL history; Soto's combined 1.44 ERA ranks 11th best. That record will stand for now as he is expected to make his stateside debut in 2025.

Not to be confused with Ubaldo, 18-year-old Venezuelan Fabian Soto shared the rotation with his fellow surname counterpart as the third man in the rotation. Signing late in the 2023 summer, Fabian made his DSL debut in 2024 where aside from his pro debut (1.2 IP, 3 ER), he held a 2.70 ERA over 40 innings before missing brief time late with a non-arm related soreness. The physical six-foot-two and 170-pound right-hander will grab 97 early in outings and sit 93-94 through his workload. He will have to find a true secondary pitch and drastically improve his control, but the club likes the ceiling on a potential power arm.

The top pitching signee from the Angels 2024 international signing class, Dioris de la Rosa made a loud first impression in pro ball with a five-inning hitless pro debut with six strikeouts. He allowed just one earned run in his first five starts (25.1 IP), while going six perfect innings in his fifth pro start. His next six starts came with wear-and-tear where he held a 5.06 ERA in 26 2/3 innings, though the bulk of his workload made him a standout performer (2.77 ERA, 52 IP, 3.5 BB/9, 9.9 K/9) and a truly clear top prospect going into the winter.

The six-foot-four, 200-pound, 17-year-old Dominican stood out as an amateur for his workhorse frame and ability to sit 91-92, which led to a $300K signing bonus, the third largest given to a pitcher by the Angels since 2013. Over the summer, the low 90's velocity grew into sitting 92-94 and touching 96. His upper 70's slider will need some excess power but does flash above average. He also throws a changeup in the elementary stages of development. With the frame and easy, repeatable mechanics, de la Rosa projects to have a rotation future.

17-year-old Venezuelan Daniel Colina made effective use of his limited long man relief usage, posting a 1.40 ERA in 19 1/3 innings, striking out 20. With starter traits, the six-foot-one, 194-pound right-hander sits 88-91 and mixes his slider and changeup well with the former being the better of the pair. He will have to improve his command with expectancy in seeing the DSL rotation next summer.

19-year-old Venezuelan left-handed pitcher Andres Cova got a quick taste at instructional league in 2023 after signing after the DSL season and steadily improved start-after-start in his first pro summer. A crafty southpaw with a tall-and-strong six-foot-two, 165-pound frame, Cova allowed just three runs in his final four starts (18 innings) while closing out the regular season with 11 strikeouts over six scoreless innings. In a do-or-die game three of the opening round of the postseason, he went six scoreless. Cova mixes his pitches well but will have to improve the command of his upper 80's to low 90's fastball.

The Angels priority international signing for 2024 came in the physical 17-year-old Dominican shortstop Joswa Lugo, who signed for $2.3 million -- tied for the second most given to an international signee by the Angels (Shohei Ohtani, $2.3M; Roberto Baldoquin, $8M). The younger brother of three-year MLB veteran Dawel, Lugo is projected to be a well-rounded offensive impact infielder due to his solid bat speed that produces above-average raw power and plate coverage that permits optimal contact. There were rudimentary chase concerns, particularly against breaking balls, that the club is hoping he will iron out with more reps and shorten his occasional quick trigger and let the game come to him. His defensive improvements gave strong faith to keeping him on the left side of the infield, though it is likely gains to his six-foot-three, 190-pound frame will move him off of shortstop to the hot corner.

It was a tale of two seasons for Lugo in his first pro season. Splitting his year completely in half, he slashed .381/.438/.549 with a 21.9% strikeout rate in his first 31 games, while his next 31 games saw a slash of .212/.300/.354 and jump in strikeouts to a 27.7% rate. Evened out, it looked pretty on paper, with a 122 wRC+ with 12 doubles, three triples, six home runs, and 20 stolen bases. He served as the Angels primary run producer during their Championship run as well, with a team-leading six runs batted in during the postseason. The strikeouts are a concern and will be a focus point when he comes stateside in 2025.

Though coming with less fanfare, the Angels made another big splash in the 2024 international signing class by inking 17-year-old Dominican Hayden Alvarez to a $685K signing bonus. In similar fashion to Lugo, Alvarez went through a tale of multiple seasons with his monthly splits reflecting the up-and-down periods. Splitting his season into thirds based on plate appearances (270 PA total), he saw a .672 OPS with 17 strikeouts in his first 85 plate appearances, .784 OPS and 10 strikeouts in his next 85, and .577 OPS with 18 strikeouts in final 85. Despite the inconsistencies, the organization liked the adjustments made throughout the season and into the playoffs.

The six-foot-three, 190-pound outfielder was signed as a strong athlete who could man center field with ease as an above-average defender. Alvarez picked up some wheels over the summer, going from a perceived average runner to a plus runner who could post near 70-grade home-to-first times at his peak, which helped him steal 32 bases, tied for second in affiliate history (Ayendy Perez, 41, 2013). At the plate, he is mostly approach-over-everything as he strings together competitive at bats and is learning how to utilize his compact swing from the right side. Physical development held his bat and slugging back over the summer and will dictate his future role(s) if he can tap into even fringe raw power.

Splitting up-the-middle duties with Lugo and Alvarez were smaller statured, left-handed hitting Anyelo Marquez and Oswaldo Patino. Marquez, an 18-year-old Dominican who signed for $600K, and Patino, a 17-year-old Venezuelan who signed for a concealed yet modest bonus, were both returnees to the DSL from the prior summer. Both have similar tool sets as table setters who make plenty of contact and put together tough at bats while being capable dirt defenders at second base and shortstop in a pinch.

The six-foot, 165-pound Marquez strung together a solid season, walking 39 times to 31 strikeouts, leading to the seventh best OBP in single-season affiliate history at .420. A slightly-above average runner, physical gains may help the bat while also keeping him off of shortstop and slowing him down a tick.

The 5-foot-10, 160-pound Patino replicated much of his short stint success from the summer prior where he had the 11th best OBP (.513) in league history among players with 80-or-more plate appearances (might be getting fancy with the stats here). In 2024, he hit .318 with a .407 on-base percentage, reaching base in 42 of his 49 games played.

Leading to DSL club offensively was 17-year-old Venezuelan Jose Camacho. Walking as often as he struck out, Camacho had the second best single-season on-base percentage (.450) in affiliate history. Signed initially as a catcher, he has moved to first base solely where more focus has come on the bat with strong initial returns of commanding the zone and showing strength in the box.

18-year-old Dominican Bryan Martinez saw a return to Boca Chica after nagging injuries held him to 16 games in 2023. He made good use of his repeat season, slashing .275/.391/.394 with six doubles and 23 stolen bases. The six-foot-two, 170-pound left-handed hitter has shown glimpses of high upside power and speed at the plate. Originally signed for $125K as a third baseman for who spent most of the previous summer at first base, he has transitioned to the corner outfield where his athleticism has made for a quick adjustment.

Before taking a trip north to Tempe, here is a brief look at the top of the Angels incoming 2025 international signing class.

Right-handed hitting Venezuelan catcher Gabriel Davalillo is anticipated to receive the highest bonus from the Angels in the 2025 class, and potentially the highest among all amateur catchers, though the signing bonus will remain classified. He provides an offense-first profile with a fair chance of staying behind the plate. He is a high contact hitter who has already shown glimpses of above-average raw power and a frame to indicate more in the future.

Left-handed hitting Dominican shortstop Yilver de Paula is next in line for the Angels with an expected bonus near seven digits. He has quick hands at the plate and has shown a disciplined approach against amateur talent.

Arizona Complex League

The Arizona Complex League affiliate for the Angels had a dramatic final half hour of their season.

With both the Angels and Giants affiliates tied in the standings at 32-27 on the final day of the regular season, and San Francisco holding the tiebreaker (4-2), the Angels needed a victory over the Rockies, and Giants loss against the Cubs to gain a wildcard spot in the CPX Playoffs.

From around 9:15pm MST onward, everything took a sideways turn.

The Angels were trailing 6-4 heading into the ninth, while the Giants were trailing 7-6 after a three-run seventh by the Cubs.

A walk, a double, and two wild pitches later, the Angels tied the game at six in the bottom of the ninth in Tempe, and head to extras. Shortly after, a two-run home run in the top of the ninth in Mesa puts the Giants up 8-7.

In the top of the 10th in Tempe, the Rockies hang a two spot that the Angels can't match and they fall 8-6 in extras at 9:43pm.

In the bottom of the 9th in Mesa, the Giants lock down the victory and seal a wildcard berth.

The CPX Angels season ends at 9:48pm with a 32-28 record.

That may have been a dramatic way to express the CPX Angels season, but on paper, that was the bulk of the eventful part(s) of their year with just a handful of strong performances, limited playing time due to 26 rehabbing players and shortened games (look to the introduction for this) and mostly middling run production and prevention across the board.

One player made good use of his low-level development in the likes of 21-year-old outfielder Rio Foster. A 16th-round pick from 2023, Foster led the CPX Angels in almost every major offensive category with 51 hits, 14 doubles, four home runs, 35 runs batted in, while holding down a 119 wRC+.

The six-foot-three, 205-pound Foster stands out for his athleticism and strength at the plate. It is, for lack of a better term, an athletic swing from the right side that allows him to tap into his natural strength and produce near elite exit velocities (115+ EV). Steadily simplifying his approach, he cut his chase rates after being promoted to Low-A Inland Empire after the conclusion of the CPX season, where he hit .377 with a .987 OPS in 19 games, though the swing-and-miss may not allow him to hit enough to profile as more than a bench player at the highest levels without more refinement. An above-average runner underway, he is a serviceable defender in the corner outfield.

The top prospect of the bunch, 18-year-old Dominican shortstop Felix Morrobel put together a solid, albeit small, performance in his first trip stateside. Due to an upper body injury sustained while diving for a ball, it was a short 15-game stint for the Angels top international signee from 2023 who signed for $900K. In those 15 games, Morrobel hit .308 while walking as often as he struck out. He was near returning to action by the end of the season, and did play in the Bridge League while expected to be full go during instructional league play.

Morrobel is a smooth defender at shortstop, who makes the simple and challenging plays with ease and little flash, which can make him "boring yet solid" for evaluators, with few questions on his ability to stick at the premium defensive position long term. A switch-hitter who is more natural from the left side, he loves to swing and put the game in motion. He has a flat plane line drive swing and makes plenty of contact with minimal swing-and-miss. He will have to show more patience as he climbs up the ladder and add some muscle (20/30 grade power at current) to have a chance at an everyday future, but he is solidly one of the top position players in the system.

Another playing making his stateside debut came in the likes of 18-year-old Dominican Edwardo Espinal who impressed at the end of the 2023 DSL season and instructional league play. Signing originally for $250K, a broken thumb in extended spring limited his playing time in his first pro season, making 2024 his first real introduction to pro ball. It was a streaky season for the toolsy outfielder who finished the year with a .217/.387/.306 slash line. More approach-over-hit, he is a patient hitter who provides good at bats and draws his fair share of walks, while showcasing his athleticism in the outfield and a fine chance at staying in center field long term.

Sticking with patience at the plate, switch-hitting Cuban catcher Jonathan Linares had an up-and-down year as well finishing the year hitting .200, but also having 25 walks to 23 strikeouts and holding down a .423 on-base percentage (.460 over his final 20 games). He has a simple operation at the plate with a quiet load and barrel drive when swinging, but may not hit for enough average to profile more as a future upper level backstop. It's nothing flashy behind the plate, and mostly a catch-and-throw guy, but enough positional value with a projectable bat to entertain the idea of something down the road.

Moving from a swing/rotation role, 20-year-old Yendy Gomez put together his best season that earned him a trip to San Bernardino after the CPX concluded. Limiting runs in relief near the back of the bullpen, Gomez posted a 2.84 ERA in 31 2/3 innings, which was fifth best across the league, while his 3.92 xFIP was second best across the CPX.

Harnessing a bit of his control issues from the past, Gomez has some relief projection as a two-pitch arm. He'll sit 93-95 with his fastball and utilize a solid slurve blend breaking ball for swing-and-miss. It's a long arm action which hinders both his ability to start and locate and will need to find the zone more consistently to profile as a prospect while going into his Rule-5 eligible season in 2025.

Signed with Jesus Martinez as a duo of young Mexican pitchers direct from the Mexican League, Victor Garcia went from long man to the end of season head of the rotation for the CPX Angels in 2024. With streaks of run prevention, the 20-year-old right-hander finished the year with a 3.86 ERA over his final 11 outings (30.1 IP). He works mostly in the upper 80's with a sweeping slider from a lower slot that has made him an intriguing low-level strike-throwing long relief option.

It was an odd season for 20-year-old Venezuelan right-hander Keythel Key, who had made noise as a project arm in 2023. Beginning the year with Low-A Inland Empire, Key struggled to find the strike zone and limit runs which landed him a trip back to Arizona where it stayed consistent on both fronts. He then got a promotion to High-A Tri-City where he finished 2023, and found great success excluding one poor outing, posting a 3.41 ERA in six starts (29 IP) and ended with a quick spot start in Double-A Rocket City that ended after two outs and three runs allowed.

Key is an intriguing arm due to his six-foot-three, 180-pound frame, simple mechanics, and quality fastball velocity. He can sit 94-95 through a workload and touch 97 early in outings, while his curveball shows glimpses of being an average offering. It is mostly a relief outlook with no third pitch