Dana wraps up Year 2 with Angels a more confident starter

ANAHEIM -- When the Angels recalled Caden Dana at the beginning of September, interim manager Ray Montgomery saw things finally start to click for the organization’s No. 5 prospect.

“This feels like if I was pitching at Don Bosco. This feels like if I was pitching in Double-A, this feels like pitching,” Montgomery remembers Dana telling him during the team’s road trip in Kansas City. “That to me, is a very big statement for a young starter to make and understand where he is.”

A year after making his Major League debut, Dana carries himself differently. More maturely. He trusts himself more.

“Guys in this locker room have helped tremendously with that,” Dana said. “Bouncing ideas off each other and just seeing how certain people carry themselves, and being up here every day. Every day it’s something new to learn.”

It’s still a work in progress, as evidenced by Dana giving up five earned runs in the first four innings of Saturday’s 6-1 loss to the Astros at Angel Stadium in their penultimate game of the season. But the growth Dana’s gone through also shows; he finished his outing with three scoreless innings, settling in and pitching into the seventh for the first time in his career.

“It's important, in today's game, especially,” Montgomery said of Dana giving them length. “Guys getting later in games, they don't feel those innings, they don't feel those ups, they don't feel it on their bodies. And mentally, too, you have to be able to push through some things even when it's not going your way. To finish strong like that, it's good to see.”

According to Dana, it came down to his mentality. After getting hit around early in the game, he finally stopped second guessing and started to trust himself and his pitches. That’s when he started getting ahead on batters.

Montgomery has reminded Dana that he would be in his junior year of college right now. Instead, he’s pitching in the big leagues. And now, Dana feels like he belongs. He’s gotten to the point where his outings are just another day.

It’s a level of confidence that Dana, who entered 2025 as the Angels’ top-ranked pitching prospect, built up over 18 starts at Triple-A this season. He’s reading swings. He’s taking the time to understand his stuff, working all four of his pitches instead of relying mainly on his four-seamer and slider like he did when he made his debut a year ago, and learning how his repertoire might play in the future.

“The comfort in his skin being here,” Montgomery said. “This is very daunting. We forget what this is for guys at a young age, because when you have a taste of success, it doesn't guarantee you the next day of success. It doesn't even guarantee you the next day, period. So it's really hard for guys to put their feet planted on the ground firmly and feel like they belong.”

Dana’s conquered that. He understands what comes with being a Major League pitcher. Now, it’s about the finer points -- the things he has to do as a starting pitcher to command his spot in the Angels’ rotation and be ready to go for 2026.

Montgomery wants to focus on Dana’s strengths, the progress he made this year, and carry that momentum into the offseason. He’s planning on keeping Dana leaner and more fluid to get his body in position to take the next steps.

“Going into Spring Training, his offseason will be completely different, given the fact that he doesn't feel like he is striving to get somewhere. He is somewhere,” Montgomery said. “And now he’s gonna just get better.”