Angels Prospect Nate Smith: A Talented Southpaw On The Rise

Southpaw Nate Smith has posted a 5-0 record over his last seven starts, managing a 1.21 ERA during that stretch. Smith leads the Texas League in both ERA (2.54) and WHIP.

Prior to his recent return to the Arkansas Travelers squad, in which he fired seven scoreless innings for the Travs, Smith appeared in three games for the US National Team with two starts.  He was the winning pitcher in all three contests.  He tallied a cumulative 13.2 innings striking out 18 and posting an ERA of 1.97.  In his last win, a 4-1 decision over Canada, he worked 5.2 innings, allowing one earned run and striking out 10.

Here's your chance to get to know the talented southpaw even better. Below is our interview with Nate Smith almost two years while a member of the Orem Owlz. Enjoy! 

Nate Smith 08-23-2013 from AngelsWin.com on Vimeo.

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Jered Weaver To Pitch For 66ers Thursday

San Bernardino, CA- Los Angeles Angels starting pitcher Jered Weaver is scheduled to appear at San Manuel Stadium on Thursday, July 30th as part of a Major League injury-rehabilitation assignment. The Angels ace will start for the Inland Empire 66ers as they host the Bakersfield Blaze, California League affiliate of the Seattle Mariners.

Weaver, the Angels 2004 first-round pick (12th overall) out Long Beach State, has been sidelined since late-June with inflammation in his left hip. The three-time American League All-Star has amassed a career record of 135-77 with a 3.36 ERA and 1,454 strikeouts. In 2015, the righty has a 4-8 mark with a 4.75 ERA. Last season, the Northridge, CA native led the league in games started (34) and wins (18) and eclipsed the 210.0 IP plateau for the fourth time in his nine seasons of major league service time. Weaver was a 20-game winner in 2012 and led the league with 233 strikeouts in 2010.

“We are thrilled for our fans that they will get to witness an elite, long-time Angel veteran work here at San Manuel Stadium,” Inland Empire 66ers General Manager Joe Hudson said. “This is an exciting part of minor league baseball and we couldn’t be happier that the Angels are sending one of the best players to ever wear a Halo uniform to the Inland Empire.”

Tickets for Jered Weaver’s start are available for advance purchase at 66ers.com (You can proceed to the tickets page by clicking here)or in person at the San Manuel Stadium box office. Groups of 20-or-more fans should call the 66ers front office at (909) 888-9922. The evening’s promotion is “Thirsty Thursday” with discounts on Hangar 24 pints as well as other domestic beers and soda.

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Recently Inducted Hall of Fame Pitcher Randy Johnson on ex-Angel Nolan Ryan

By Rob Goldman, AngelsWin.com Historical Writer - 

Nolan Ryan sought every edge in competition, and showed little sympathy for anyone who stood 60 feet, six inches in front of him. But if you happened to be a struggling young pitcher with unlimited potential, he didn’t hesitate to display a kinder, nurturing side. Twenty-eight-year-old Randy Johnson of the Mariners was a mess when the Rangers rolled into Seattle on August 7, 1992. A typical performance for him was the one he had given on June 10 in Arlington: four innings, 92 pitches, five earned runs, six walks, and two hit batters. To Nolan Ryan, the spectacle of a talented young pitcher getting trounced like that was appalling. Johnson was like him—a power pitcher with uncommon gifts—and it irked Ryan to see someone with that kind of ability self-destruct.

By the time the Rangers arrived in Seattle, things had gotten even worse for Johnson. He was 7–12 and led the league in walks, wild pitches, and hit batsman. After 26 years in the game, Ryan could readily detect a pitcher’s weaknesses and flaws, and he saw several in Johnson. In addition to being very emotional, he’d been landing wrong after each pitch, which jarred his body and caused all sorts of problems. Watching Johnson get pounded yet again, Ryan said to House, “Enough is enough. When a guy with a 98-mph fastball beats himself up every five days, it’s time to make a change.”

The following day, Johnson was walking near the Rangers dugout for a bullpen session when House pulled him aside.  “Nolan and me have seen you pitch long enough to realize there are some mechanical things that haven’t been cleared up yet,” House told him. “We’d like to give you a little input.” Johnson was shocked.

“At the time, all I knew about power pitching was, give me the ball and I’ll throw it really hard,” recalls Johnson. “But after three seasons under my belt with not much success, I was willing to listen to anybody.” Especially if that anybody Nolan Ryan. Their initial meeting took place in the tunnel between clubhouses. Ryan showed Johnson how his hard landing was disrupting his delivery and explained how excessive emotion affected his concentration.

“Nolan said I was opening up too quickly,” recalls Johnson. “By landing on the heel of my foot instead of the ball, it would spin and my knee and body would follow, throwing all my momentum toward third base. He and Tom basically straightened me out, enabling me to correct my arm angle, make me consistent, and have all my momentum going toward home plate.” Putting what he learned from Ryan and House into practice, Johnson recorded 34 strikeouts in his next three starts, then 45 Ks in three consecutive starts a month later—the second-highest total in baseball history after Ryan’s 47 in 1974.

On September 27 in Arlington, teacher and pupil finally squared off. “It was one of my biggest games up to that time,” recalls Johnson. “I struck out 18 on 160 pitches in eight innings. What was really neat, though, was after Nolan came out of the game in the seventh, he didn’t go upstairs but continued to watch me from the dugout.”

The intervention of Ryan and House, says Johnson, “is something I never forget. I was surprised someone playing in a different organization would actually take me aside and try and help me. It’s not very often the opposing pitcher and pitching coach will take a player from another team and actually mentor them.” 

Leading up to 1992, Johnson never knew what would happen when he pitched. He might strike out 10 and walk 8. As good as his pitching coaches were up to then, for some reason they were never able to impart the information needed to turn his mechanics around. That all changed when he connected with Ryan and House.  “Without a doubt, Nolan and Tom had the biggest impact on me in such a short period of time,” Johnson declares. “It was the big turning point of my career. From that point on, I became more of a consistent pitcher.” And a more intimidating one, according to Gene Coleman, who got to know the “Big Unit” when Johnson played in Houston.

“Nolan told him, ‘Randy, big as you are, you should be intimidating. When you go out there and they get a hit off you or you make a bad pitch and you show all that emotion, those guys in the other dugout are saying, ‘Hey, we got him now!’” Coleman said. “‘You’re just building up their confidence when you show emotion. You don’t ever want to show a chink in your armor.’ And so you look at Randy and he covers his face with his glove, because Nolan told him. That’s where that came from. It’s from part of that week he spent with Nolan. Roger [Clemens] got that too, and Andy Pettitte got it from Roger.” Ryan calls helping Johnson just part of the process of “passing on” to the next generation.

“Through watching, discussions, or instruction, I had benefited from being around certain pitchers,” he says, “and if I can help further someone’s career, I want to do that. So if somebody ever calls me or wants me to talk or watch ’em, I’m open to that.” His friends say Ryan’s greatest attribute is his respect for others. He calls it “treating people the way you want to be treated.” “I think people know when someone is sincere, and I think people understand that I try to be straightforward and sincere with them,” says Ryan. “It’s the same working with players and pitchers. If somebody wants to learn something from me and is willing to listen and work on it, I’m very supportive of that. But if they’re just wasting everybody’s time, we need to move on, and they need to go about their business and do something else, and I need to get back to whatever’s important to me.” Ruth Ryan marvels at her husband’s ability to listen and learn. She thinks it’s rooted in the dyslexia that forced Nolan to process and absorb things differently from a young age.

“Some people are auditory learners, and because Nolan had dyslexia he had to listen,” she says. “That is how he learned. He struggled with reading and writing, but he could listen and retain anything, and still does. That has been a huge asset. He is good at reading between the lines and very good at deciphering things. He rarely offers information on himself, choosing to let the other person talk while he listens. He lets people prove their true colors, good or bad. He’ll tell you that people tell a lot about themselves and their character by the things they say.”

© Nolan Ryan the Making of a Pitcher, by Rob Goldman, Triumph Books, 2014

www.makingofapitcher.com

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Sean Newcomb Interviews with AngelsWin.com

Photograph by Fernando Gutierrez Jr. at FGJPhotography

Interview by David Saltzer, AngelsWin.com Senior Writer - 

Since being drafted by the Angels in the first round of the 2014 Major League draft (15th overall), Sean Newcomb has sat atop all Angels Minor League prospect lists. And, in the year after being drafted, Newcomb has shown exactly why he has deserved such praise. Sporting a 93-96 mph fastball, a dominating curve, and plus changeup, Newcomb has racked up 139 strikeouts in 108.1 innings pitched. That amounts to an 11.5 SO: 9 IP ratio!

Standing on the mound, Newcomb has a presence. His 6'5" and 245 lbs frame is imposing. He attacks hitters low and inside, often making them look foolish chasing pitches.

Personally, Newcomb is well-liked by his teammates. His coaches praise him for his hard work, his poise, and his coachability. Speaking with Newcomb, I found him to be very humble, articulate, intelligent, and mature. I can easily see him being a top of the rotation pitcher for the Angels and a go-to guy for the media.

In a wide-ranging interview, we spoke about his roots as a baseball player, his time in college, and his time in the Majors so far. Angels fans, you really need to make the drive to see him pitch at San Manuel Stadium for the IE 66ers while you can. Out there, it's a lot easier to get an autograph, grab a picture, and even meet a player out there than it is in Anaheim. Newcomb is the kind of player you will want to know, so take the time to see him while he's still pitching in the Cal League.

Please click below to watch our interview with this rising star.

AngelsWin.com would like to specifically thank Steve Wendt and Matt Kowallis from the IE 66ers for all their efforts in arranging this interview.

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Mike Trout Leads ALL MLB Players in WAR - Surpassed Grich & Salmon Lifetime

After yesterday's 4-4, 2 home run (one Grand Slam), 6 RBI day, Mike Trout has surpassed Bryce Harper in WAR (Wins Above Replacement) stat. A stat many baseball statisticians believe describes the best all-around player in the league.

 

As AngelsWin.com's Jonathan Northrop explained last week, Mike Trout has already passed Tim Salmon and Bobby Grich on the all-time Angels WAR leaderboards and now is just behind Fregosi and Downing for the top spot for the organization.

1. Fregosi 42.6

2. Downing 36.5

3. Trout 35.7

4. Grich 35.6

5. Salmon 35.5

This is crazy! Trout has already surpassed Salmon's career WAR at an age younger than Mr. Angel was when he played his first major league game. 

Yes, we are lucky to have him on our team.

Stay tuned for more Trout P0rn coming soon! 

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Some Crazy Mike Trout Porn

By Jonathan Northrop, AngelsWin.com Contributor - 

I thought this was worth sharing. My favorite player of the 90s, and the player that up until a few years ago could be considered "Mr Angel" and arguably the best outfielder they've ever had, is none other than Tim Salmon (Edmonds was as good, and better as a Cardinal, but I'm talking total career as an Angel). Salmon accrued a total of 35.5 fWAR in 1672 games played - a solid career that puts him in the Hall of the Very Good.

Now here is where it gets crazy. Salmon made his major league debut on August 21, three days shy of his 24th birthday. Keep that in mind.

Let's move on to Mr. Trout. On August 7 he will turn 24 years old. On August 4, Trout will be the same age that Salmon was when he played his first major league game. Digest that.

Hold onto your seats. Trout currently has 35.0 fWAR, 0.5 fWAR less than Salmon's entire career. Yes, that's right - Trout is about a two-homer game away from equaling Salmon's career output. Unless he slumps terribly, Mike Trout should surpass Tim Salmon's career total in fWAR before the age that Salmon played his first major league game, which would be August 4. Right now, Trout's played 583 games - a bit more than a third of Salmon's career (34.9%, to be exact).

Let me put it another way, and more succinctly:

Mike Trout has already provided as much total value to his team in his 583 games of play, as Tim Salmon did for his entire career of 1672 games, and all before the age that Salmon played his first major league game.

I don't know about you, but that just blows my mind.

p.s. I nominate my own post for Trout Porn Post of the Year

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Kaleb Cowart Back On Top - Prospect Hotlist (July 13- July 19th, 2015)

By Adrian Noche, AngelsWin.com Minor League Reporter - 

1.) Kaleb Cowart, Third Baseman, Salt Lake Bees

Past 10 games: .438 AVG  14 H  2 Doubles  1 Triple  2 HR  0 SB

Overall: .273/.356/.442

After his struggles in the lower minors, Kaleb Cowart is making a mockery out of the PCL. In 51 games for the Inland Empire 66ers, Cowart batted .242 with an OPS of .712. Now, in 35 games with the Salt Lake Bees, Cowart has an OPS of .941 and a batting average of .325. In his past 10 games, Cowart is hitting .438 with 2 doubles, 1 triple and 2 home runs. Of those 10 games, Cowart collected multiple hits in 6 of them. 

2.) Sean Newcomb, Starting Pitcher, Inland Empire 66ers

Last two starts: 2-0  11.0 IP  0.82 ERA  8 H  7 BB 13  SO  1.36 WHIP

Overall: 6-1 88.1 IP  2.34 ERA  70 H  47 BB  114 SO  1.32 WHIP  .216 BAA

A looming promotion should be on the horizon for the Angels' current number 1 prospect, Sean Newcomb. It’s been more of the same for Newcomb; few hits, few runs and high strikeouts (and fairly high walks). Ever since his outing in which Newcomb gave up 5 earned runs, the southpaw has allowed just 2 earned runs over 21.0 IP to go along with 16 hits, 11 walks and 27 strikeouts. Overall, Newcomb has struck out 114 batters over 88.1 innings and was said to be clocked at 100 mph on the gun twice in his last start against Lancaster.

3.) Nick Tropeano, Starting Pitcher, Salt Lake Bees

Last two starts: 1-1  12.0 IP  3.00 ERA  11 H  2 BB  16 SO  1.08 WHIP

Overall: 3-4  68.0 IP  4.24 ERA  65 H  21 BB  71 SO  1.26 WHIP  .246 BAA

Despite a great debut with the Angels, Tropeano has been feeling the struggles of the Pacific Coast League hitting paradise. However, it appears that Tropeano has turned the corner in a big way. Since returning from the disabled list, Tropeano has allowed just 7 earned runs in 24.0 innings pitched (2.63 ERA). In those 24.0 innings pitched, Tropeano has given up 21 hits, just 6 walks and struck out 28 batters.

Minor League Affiliate Report

Triple-A Salt-Lake Bees

The Bees started off the second half of the season with a 4-game sweep of Reno. The Bees are still sitting in last place with an overall record of 38-57 (17.5 GB). Jett Bandy is starting to get hot again. The catcher is batting .361 in his last 10 games with 5 doubles and 1 home run. Josh Rutledge raised his average up to .270 on the season after a 3-hit performance against Reno on Sunday. Alfredo Marte continued to hit the ball extremely well, with a batting average of .421 in his last 10 games (.367 overall AVG).

Double-A Arkansas Travelers

The Travelers went 4-2 this week and own a second half record of 12-11 which is good for first place in their division. Relief pitcher, Austin Adams, lowered his ERA down to 1.90 and has 34 strikeouts in 23.2 innings pitched since being called up. Greg Mahle’s ERA since being called up sits at 1.93 and has 17 strikeouts in 14.0 innings pitched. Nate Smith was brilliant in his start against Canada in the Pan-Am games. Smith struck out 10 batters over 5.2 innings pitched on Saturday, handing Canada their first loss.

High-A Inland Empire 66ers

Due to rain, the 66ers only played 4 games this week and won 3 of them. Jeremy Rhoades made his High-A debut on Wednesday. Rhoades surrendered just 1 hit and 2 earned runs while walking 2 and striking out 6. Roberto Baldoquin has been swinging the bat better as of late, with 3 multi-hit performances in his last 4 games (.600) with 5 RBI’s. Eric Aguilera has 2 home runs in his last 4 games, bringing his season total up to 11 on the season. Aguilera now has a slash line if .315/.365/.505 on the season.

Low-A Burlington Bees

The Burlington Bees split 6 games with 3 wins and 3 losses this week and sit 12.0 games behind first place with a second half record of 9-15. Austin Robichaux pitched well on Wednesday, allowing just 1 earned run in 5.0 innings pitched with 6 hits, no walks and 1 strikeout. Zachary Houchins hit his 10th home run of the season on Sunday.  It was announced on July 16th that prospect, Jonah Wesely, will miss the remainder of the season with Tommy John surgery.

Class-A Short Season Orem Owlz

The Owlz went 4-3 this week and sit atop their division with an overall record of 19-12. Joe Gatto gave up just one earned run on Sunday in 5.1 innings pitched ( 4 H  1 BB  2 SO). Taylor Ward went hitless just once this week, and his average sits at .373 on the season. Third baseman, Michael Pierson, continued his hot start and is batting .375 in his past 10 games. His season slash line is .380/.475/.550. Outfielder, Alex Abbott has 3 home runs in his last 10 games.

AZL Angels

The AZL Angels went 2-2 this week and sit atop the top of their division with a record of 14-9. 2nd round draft pick, Jahmai Jones, has been picking it up with a .282 average and 2 doubles in his last 10 games. 17th round draft pick, Samuel Pastrone, has given up just 1 earned run in his first 11.0 innings pitched with no walks and 8 strikeouts.

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Austin Robichaux Tops This Week’s Prospect Hotlist (June 29 - July 5th, 2015)

By Adrian Noche, AngelsWin.com Minor League Reporter - 

1.) Austin Robichaux, Starting Pitcher, Burlington Bees

Last two starts: 1-0  13.0 IP  0.00 ERA  10 H  2 BB  6 SO  0.92 WHIP

Overall: 7-2  80.1 IP  3.02 ERA  71 H  23 BB  56 SO  1.17 WHIP  .237 BAA

In Robichaux’s last 4 starts, he has only allowed 1 earned run in 25.2 innings pitched (0.35 ERA). You can stretch that two more games and his ERA is still a solid 1.72 in 36.2 innings pitched. Robichaux has thrown 19.2 consecutive scoreless innings. He continued that stretch in his start on Wednesday. Austin threw 7 shutout innings and only gave up 6 hits and 1 walk while striking out 6 batters. Overall, Robichaux lowered his ERA to 3.02 with a WHIP of 1.17 in 80.1 innings pitched this season.

2.) Nate Smith, Starting Pitcher, Arkansas Travelers

Last two starts: 2-0  14.0 IP  0.64 ERA  6 H  3 BB  9 SO  0.64 WHIP

Overall: 7-4  88.2 IP  2.74 ERA  73 H  25 BB  71 SO  1.11 WHIP  .221 BAA

Although Nate Smith did not have a start this week, he has been on a strong stretch of starts dating back to May 27th. In 6 starts since then (37.2 IP), Smith has an ERA of 1.43 to go along with 25 strikeouts, 9 walks and just 25 hits allowed. Smith’s last start on the 25th saw him go 7.0 shutout innings, allowing only 3 hits and 2 walks with 5 strikeouts. Smith has posted great numbers so far this season. His ERA stands at 2.74 with a 1.11 WHIP. He has also posted solid strikeout and walk numbers with a BB9 of 2.5 and SO9 of 7.2. Nate Smith was placed on the temporary inactive list as he will be a part of the USA baseball team in the 2015 Pan-American Games.

3.) Andrew Daniel, 2nd Baseman, Inland Empire 66ers

Past 10 games: .350 AVG  14 H  5 Doubles  1 Triple  2 HR  0 SB

Overall: .273/.335/.460

Andrew Daniel got a fresh start to the week with a new team. The 2nd baseman from the University of San Diego was promoted from Low-A Burlington to High-A Inland Empire on Monday. Since then, Daniel has been on an absolute tear. In 26 at-bats, Daniel has 9 hits (.346 AVG) with 6 of them going for extra bases ( 4 doubles, 1 triple and a home run). Although Daniel is listed as a second baseman, 5 of Daniels 6 starts with the 66ers came at 3rd base.

4.) Eric Aguilera, 1st Baseman, Inland Empire 66ers

Past 10 games: .400 AVG  14 H  2 Doubles  0 Triple  1 HR  1 SB

Overall: .314/.368/.491

Eric Aguilera continued to be the best hitter for the 66ers. Aguilera logged 5 multi-hit games this week (.454 AVG) and also slugged 2 doubles (19) and his 9th home run of the season. In 71 games played, Aguilera has a .314/.368/.491 slash line with 20 BBs and 67 SOs in 283 at-bats.

Minor League Affiliate Report

Triple-A Salt-Lake Bees

The Bees went 1-5 since our last prospect report and now have an overall record of 33-51 (14.0 GB). Tyler DeLoach gave up 1 earned run in 6.0 innings (4 H  5 BB  5 SO) on his start Friday before being placed on the temporary inactive list. Drew Rucinski tossed his 6th straight quality start on Wednesday, with 5.0 shutout innings with 7 hits, no walks and 4 strikeouts. Josh Rutledge has a home run in back-to-back games on Saturday and Sunday, with the latter being a part of a 4-hit game. Outfielder, Alfredo Marte, posted his 5th straight multi-hit performance and is batting .442 in his last 10 games (.364 season average).

Double-A Arkansas Travelers

The Travelers opened up the second half of their with a split of a 4-game series with Midland. Chris Ellis pitched a quality start on Saturday, going 5.2 innings with 3 earned runs and 7 strikeouts (8 H  2 BB). 1st baseman, Wade Hinkle, hit 2 home runs this week and has 3 in his last 10 games. His season total stands at 6.

High-A Inland Empire 66ers

The 66ers are 4-2 to since our last prospect hotlist and boast a second-half record of 5-5 (1.0 GB). Victor Alcanta threw 6.0 of 2-run ball on Saturday and only allowed 4 hits and no walks with 7 strikeouts. Sean Newcomb only allowed 1 earned run in his start on Sunday. The southpaw struck out 5 batters while allowing 4 hits, 4 walks and hasn't allowed more than a run in each of his last three starts. Roberto Baldoquin had himself a 4-hit game with 2 doubles on Thursday. Kody Eaves hit his 6th home run of the season this week, and is batting .333 in his past 10 games. Caleb Adams hit his first home run as a 66er on Tuesday.

Low-A Burlington Bees

The Bees of Burlington are currently 4-7 in the second half of their season and sit 6.0 GB first place. Jeremy Rhoades had a two-start week this week. He pitched a total of 12.0 innings and gave up a combined 3 earned runs, 8 hits, 1 walk and struck out 5 batters. 34th round draft pick, Nick Flair, hit his professional home run on Sunday and is currently batting .318 in his first 6 games with the Bees. Zachary Houchins hit his 7th home run of the season on Thursday.

Class-A Short Season Orem Owlz

The Orem Owlz went 5-1 since our last prospect hotlist and currently sit in 1st place with an overall record of 13-5. 3rd round draft pick, Grayson Long, threw 3.0 shutout innings on Thursday and allowed 1 hit and 2 walks with 2 strikeouts. Joe Gatto gave up 3 earned runs, 6 hits and 2 walks with 3 strikeouts in his start on Friday. Taylor Ward hit his second homer of the year on Wednesday. 5th round draft pick, Jared Foster (2nd baseman), is batting .371 with 10 RBIs and 3 stolen bases in his first 8 games of professional baseball. 7th round draft pick, Hutton Moyer (2nd baseman), hit his 2nd home run of the season on Sunday in a 3-hit effort that raised his batting average to .274.

AZL Angels

The AZL Angels are currently in first place with a record of 7-6. 39th round draft pick, Jared Walsh, currently leads the team in batting average at .429 to go along with 2 doubles, 2 triples, 1 home run and 11 RBIs. Connor Lillis-White is off to a strong start to the season. The 32nd round draft pick has allowed 2 earned runs, 9 hits and 1 walk with 11 strikeouts in 9.0 innings pitched.

Book flights to Anaheim through Hipmunk.com to see the Trout and the Angels in person. With most major airlines available, a destination baseball getaway is a few clicks away, including three Anaheim hotel reservations starting from under $80 that can be made through Hipmunk as well.

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Ric Wilson's Post 2015 Draft Chat with AngelsWin.com

Now that the 2015 Draft is complete, AngelsWin,com is thrilled to catch up with Ric Wilson, the Angels Director of Scouting, to gain greater insights into the most recent group of players to don the Halos uniform. 

Chuck Richter: First off, how do you and your team feel you did in the draft?

Ric Wilson: Well, we feel like we got just what we were looking for.

Chuck Richter: Were you guys zeroing in on Taylor Ward or just a catcher in general for your first pick in the draft?

Ric Wilson: We liked Taylor since last summer. We saw a majority of his games this year.

Chuck Richter: Who do you think was the steal of the draft for you guys?

Ric Wilson: Well, we have a number of guys we are excited about, but Jared Foster from LSU we feel has a chance to impact a game on both sides of the ball.

Chuck Richter: Very good! Who do you feel is the closest to the majors from this draft?

Ric Wilson: Taylor Ward I believe will take off and maneuver through our system fairly quickly. Grayson Long could advance fairly quickly as well.

Chuck Richter: Many question the Angels selection of Ward since they see him as being an all glove, no bat type of guy. He's off to a nice start in Orem with the bat however. Your thoughts on those critics?

Ric Wilson: Everyone is entitled to their opinion. And we have ours. We did our work on him, scouted him well we do believe he will hit some and with some power—he controls the zone well. Doesn't punch out a lot. There is more to an offensive player than his batting average. I guess we just look at them a little different than others

Chuck Richter: Kyle Survance Jr. is also off to a nice start in Orem. What can you tell us about this kid?

Ric Wilson: He is very athletic a good combination of speed, hit ability and defense. We do feel he will grow into some power as he matures. He is versatile in the outfield with the ability to play all 3 positions. And he can steal bases.

SlappyUtilityGuy: Hey Ric, I've got a question. I watched the entire draft and wondered if you could advise us on the process with so many young players available. How do you go through your board and say this is our guy at this round with so much talent available? Do you add in the additional background information after the 5-9th rounds by your area scouts? Or, is it by feel and the players you like as a group?

Ric Wilson: We have a process that we use throughout the draft. What we are trying to do is separate players. We use evaluations, medical, psychological, make-up, statistical analysis—it all comes into play as well as the feel that the scout has. It's a long process.

SlappyUtilityGuy: Awesome Thanks!

Ric Wilson: Good question

Chuck Richter: Ric, how close is Dipoto and Scioscia to the decision making during the draft or even prior to the draft in wanting certain kinds of players? Or do they just let you and your staff draft and are hands off?

Ric Wilson: Jerry is in all of our meetings listening to all of our scouts. Mike is a little busy that time of the year and doesn't get involved, but I do speak to him periodically. We have developed the type of player or pitcher that we are looking for and everyone in the room has input, but Jerry ultimately trusts me to make the right decision.

Chuck Richter: Very good. Thank you for that inside info.

Chuck Richter: How excited were you to see Jahmai Jones where you were picking in the 2nd round? What type of player do you see him becoming down the road?

Ric Wilson: I am very excited to have Jam. He is an exciting young player with a huge upside. Strong tools on both sides of the ball. He is very young, 17 years old, and mature beyond his years. He comes from a great family and has tremendous make-up. It will be fun to watch him grow up. He plays very hard and has great energy.

Chuck Richter: How big of a role do analytics play in your draft process? Because it seems you targeted guys with specific tendencies.

Ric Wilson: We definitely use them like many other tools it just helps us separate the players, but it does give us some insight on what type of player we are getting. Most tend to bring whatever they do into the pro game.

Mancini79: How do you evaluate the psychology of a player? Is there a standard process like the NFL Wunderlic test or a formula unique to the Angels?

Ric Wilson: We use various techniques but nothing standard.

Chuck Richter: Ric, give us a few sleepers from this amateur draft. Players that weren't drafted high but you think have a good chance to become solid major leaguers.

Ric Wilson: Jimmy Barnes, Ryan Vega, Sam Pastrone, Kenny Towns, Aaron Rhoades.

Inside Pitch: Ric, what are you feelings on MLB creating a universal world draft? Would that make your work, easier . . . or harder . . . ?

Ric Wilson: I'm not really sure how I feel but if it did it would surely make my job tougher. The United States Canada and Puerto Rico are big enough I couldn't imagine the whole earth wow, but I'm sure we would figure it out.

Chuck Richter: Before we move on to a few questions aside from this past draft, let's get your picks for the following categories from this past 2015 amateur draft.

Chuck Richter: Best Power: Best Contact: Best On-Base Skills: Best Speed: Highest Upside: Best Defender: Best Throwing Arm:--Best Fastball: Best Curveball: Best Slider: Best Changeup: Best Command: Closest to the big leagues:

Ric Wilson: David Fletcher / Kyle Survance , Jared Foster / Jam Jones / Taylor Ward / Nic Flair..... ... Grayson Long, Sam Pastrone, Aaron Rhoades / Grayson Long, Adam Hofacket / Grayson Long and Taylor Ward and Grayson Long

Chuck Richter: Very good, thank you Ric!

Ric Wilson: Missed a few.

Chuck Richter: I can send it to you in email format and you send back. It'll be easier.

Ric Wilson: Nic Flair most power with Jared Foster / contact Fletcher

Ric Wilson: No problem

(Note: we will edit and reformat this with any updates from Ric Wilson)

Chuck Richter: Last draft question. What is your favorite story from the draft, whether this year or since you've been a scouting director that you can share with us? Funny story or heart warming story.

Ric Wilson: I have so many but one that stands out this year getting to know Jam Jones and his family this year and getting him into our system is very special. To know what he has overcome and his ability to deal with it is amazing. To add to that his little sister is 12 and was at the signing at the stadium, she is an equestrian jumper and the triple crown winning jockey was there and she got to me him and take pictures. She was in more awe of him than Trout or Pujols it was pretty funny.

Chuck Richter: Awesome!

Chuck Richter: Just a couple more questions and we'll wrap this up, Ric.

Ric Wilson: Sounds good.

Chuck Richter: Nate Smith -- what do you think of his upside and if the velocity he has shown will play out moving forward?

Ric Wilson: He has starting pitching qualities that are hard to find. Velocity helps but is not the end all. At the end of the day they need to throw multiple pitches for strikes and have the ability to execute them consistently.

Chuck Richter: Which player drafted last year or just in our system (not from this draft class) is one you've been getting great reports on from your scouting/coaching staff?

Ric Wilson: Obviously Newcomb but Chris Ellis RHP from last years draft has had a great year so far.

SlappyUtilityGuy: Ric, with Andrew Heaney stepping up and showing well over his first two major league starts, who else is close to making the jump as a starting pitcher if we were to trade a current starter for a bat?

Ric Wilson: We have some depth. Tropeano with Newcomb and Ellis coming pretty fast along with Nate Smith and Tyler Skaggs will be ready to go next year.

SlappyUtilityGuy: Thanks Ric!

Ric Wilson: You bet.

Chuck Richter: Last question.

Ric Wilson: Ok.

Chuck Richter: Ric, what adjustment has Kaleb Cowart made to have some success in the minors after his promotion to Triple-A? He's hitting exceptionally well there while struggling in High-A and Double-A over the last couple seasons. Was it a coaching change, what has clicked for the young man?

Chuck Richter: His current slash line in Triple-A over 18 games is .321/.409/.554.

Ric Wilson: I'm not sure you can pin it down to one thing—probably a combination of all those things along with maturity but it sure looks like it is starting to click for him. I am glad for him and very proud of him. He is a great young man and no one works harder than he does. We will all take that line. Trust is a big thing for Kaleb.

SlappyUtilityGuy: Very True Ric! That last sentence is huge!

Chuck Richter: Great! Well thank you so much for your time this evening Ric. It is greatly appreciated! We love this kind of first hand information.

SlappyUtilityGuy: Thanks Ric! Have a great evening!

Chuck Richter: Please tell Eddie Bane if you see him or talk to him that we at AngelsWin.com say hello. He's a great old friend of ours.

Ric Wilson: Thanks to you. I really like to share what we have going on in Halo land. Thanks to everyone, have a great rest of the evening.

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