Fall League youngster Flores, Angels No. 17 prospect, sees big opportunity

If you like young catching talent, the Arizona Fall League might be the place for you.

Two of the four youngest players in the circuit -- all just 19 -- are backstops, with Reds’ teenager Alfredo Duno coming in at No. 4 on that list. Juan Flores, the Angels’ No. 17 prospect, was born about a month after Duno, meaning only the Rays’ Brailer Guerrero and Rangers phenom Sebastian Walcott are younger than he is. It’s something Flores, who signed with the Angels for $280,000 in January 2023, is aware of, but he sees what a great opportunity it might be for him.

“It feels great to be here and also to be around people who have more experience here,” said Flores, who got off to a 3-for-9 start – all extra-base hits – for the Salt River Rafters. “Everything here is a learning lesson, so I’m looking forward to learning from other teammates and other coaches.”

Being young for his level is nothing new for Flores. After making his debut in the Dominican Summer League after signing, the Angels skipped him over the Arizona Complex League and sent him straight to full-season ball in 2024. He spent this last season with High-A Tri City, more than three years younger than the average hitter in the Northwest League, and it might have felt like he was drinking out of a fire hose at first. He hit .159 with a .479 OPS through the end of June, but things got better after that. From July until the end of the year, the right-handed hitter posted a .780 OPS with eight homers in 40 games.

“In the beginning it was obviously a little tough for me,” Flores said. “But thankfully, I was able to adjust and learn from my mistakes to get better.”

One of Flores’ issues is that he swings. A lot. He carried a 6.0 percent career walk rate with him into AFL action and his strikeout rate climbed to 27.5 percent this past season. Even when he was doing more damage late in the year, he had a 47/5 K/BB ratio over those last 40 games.

“I’m aggressive at the plate because I examine the pitcher and have an idea of what he’s going to throw, and make the adjustments,” he said.

One of the main reasons the Angels have felt comfortable challenging their young catcher is because of his defensive ceiling. He has a plus arm (31 percent career caught-stealing rate) and looks like he has all the tools to be an outstanding receiver. It gives him a high floor and he takes pride in that being his calling card.

“It feels great to be a defensive player like that,” Flores said. “That’s what I’ve worked my whole life for and I’m going to keep working at it.”

Angels hitters in the Fall League

Raudi Rodriguez, OF: After attending Georgia Premier Academy, Rodriguez was taken by the Angels in the 19th round of the '23 Draft and signed for $100,000. He spent two summers in the Arizona Complex League but took a nice step forward with the move to full-season ball in 2025, finishing with an .842 OPS, 14 homers and 38 steals. He’s an athletic outfielder who probably lands in right field with a power over hit approach and impressive exit velocities to go along with some swing-and-miss.

David Mershon, SS/2B: Signed to an over-slot $405,000 bonus as an 18th-rounder in 2024 out of Mississippi State, Mershon went straight to Double-A for his pro debut after signing and then to the AFL. He’s back again this year, having missed the first month and a half of the season due to a shoulder impingement. He never got going, with a .559 OPS between Double-A Rocket City and Triple-A Salt Lake, so this is an opportunity for the infielder to get his groove back.

Angels pitchers in the Fall League

Ryan Costeiu, RHP: A one-time member of the Angels’ Top 30, Costeiu broke out of the gate as a starter pretty well in 2022, but then missed all of 2023 following Tommy John surgery. His 2024 return was solid, but his ERA ballooned to 5.23 in 2025, though he still misses bats (10.3 K/9 in his career), particularly with his low-80s changeup.

Brandon Dufault, RHP: A 16th-rounder in the 2021 Draft out of Northeastern University, Dufault had Tommy John surgery in June of 2023 and made his return to the mound in last year’s AFL. This year, he made 22 appearances, 14 starts, spanning 70 innings, mostly with Single-A Inland Empire, missing fewer bats than when he pitched in relief earlier in his career. He ran his fastball up to 95 mph in his Salt River debut this go-round

Fulton Lockhart, RHP: Taken in Round 13 of the 2024 Draft out of the junior college ranks in Florida, Lockhart is a hard-throwing reliever who can crank his fastball into the upper-90s and back it up with a low-80s slider. Throwing them for strikes thus far has been a challenge, with a 10.8 BB/9 rate (and a 13.1 K/9 rate) over 40 Minor League innings since being drafted.

Benny Thompson, RHP: After two years at John A. Logan Junior College, Thompson spent a year at Troy University before signing with the Angels as a nondrafted free agent in 2023. He’s coming off a solid year pitching in Single-A Inland Empire’s bullpen, where he saved 11 games and finished with a 1.91 ERA, 14.7 K/9 and a .149 BAA, albeit with a 6.3 BB/9 rate. He can miss bats with his fastball and favors his changeup as his No. 1 secondary offering.

Najer Victor, RHP: A round after the Angels took Lockhart in 2024, they got Victor from the University of Central Florida. He pitched across both levels of A-ball, exclusively in relief, during his first full season as a pro, finishing with a 14.2 K/9 rate (vs. 5.2 B/9). He has premium velocity in a fastball that reaches the upper-90s to go along with a slider.