Angels' farm is winning at every level, and these are the prospects behind it

This story was excerpted from Rhett Bollinger’s Angels Beat newsletter. To read the full newsletter, click here. And subscribe to get it regularly in your inbox.

ANAHEIM -- While developing prospects who can help the Major League roster is the ultimate goal of the farm system, it’s also nice to see the affiliates playing winning baseball to instill that culture in the young players.

So far this year, the Angels’ affiliates have been winning at every level, as they’re just one of two teams to have all six of their Minor League organizations with a winning record, joining the Giants.

Entering Tuesday, all six are above .500: Triple-A Salt Lake (39-35), Double-A Rocket City (35-33), High-A Tri-City (37- 32), Single-A Rancho Cucamonga (37-32), Arizona Complex League Angels (23-16) and Dominican Summer League Angels (14-3).

Here’s a look at a standout Angels prospect at each of those levels:

Triple-A Salt Lake: CF Nelson Rada

Rada, ranked as the club’s No. 2 prospect by MLB Pipeline, slumped in May with a .198 average in 23 games but has bounced back by batting .350 in 16 games in June. He's still just 20 years old and seven years younger than his average competition but is slashing .270/.376/.344 with two homers, six doubles, 22 stolen bases and 23 RBIs in 64 games. At 5-foot-9 and 185 pounds, he’s never going to hit for power but he’s a strong defender in center, draws his share of walks and is a plus baserunner. If he stays hot at the plate, there’s a chance he could get his first taste of the Majors late this season.

Double-A Rocket City: OF Raudi Rodriguez

After a breakout campaign last season, the 22-year-old has kept it going, slashing .307/.425/.520 with 11 homers, 11 doubles, 37 RBIs and 21 stolen bases in 64 games. Rodriguez, ranked as their No. 15 prospect, blends power, patience and speed while mostly seeing time in center field this season with occasional action in the corners. His stock keeps improving, as he’s cut down on his strikeout rate and could play his way into a starting role next year.

High-A Tri-City: RHP Tyler Bremner

Bremner, the No. 2 overall pick in last year’s Draft, missed nearly a month due to illness and fatigue before returning to the rotation on June 2. Bremner, their No. 1 prospect, is slowly building back up and hasn’t thrown more than 61 pitches in any of his five starts in June but has impressive numbers on the season. He's posted a 2.57 ERA with 40 strikeouts and nine walks in 28 innings. The Angels are likely to be cautious with the 22-year-old and keep him at High-A this year but he’s a candidate to join the rotation in ’27.

Single-A Rancho Cucamonga: Hayden Alvarez

Much like Rodriguez, Alvarez possesses a combination of footspeed, on-base skills and power but at 6-foot-3, he’s four inches taller and is even more adept at stealing bases. Alvarez, their No. 11 prospect, has batted .310/.417/.500 with seven homers, 19 doubles, 36 RBIs and 38 stolen bases in 64 games. He hit just .221 in 21 games in April but .347 in 26 games in May and .368 in 17 in June so he’s trending in the right direction. He’s still just 19 so he’s not expected to debut until ’28.

ACL Angels: LHP Johnny Slawinski

Perhaps no Angels prospect has helped his stock more than Slawinski, who has posted a 3.47 ERA with 53 strikeouts and seven walks in 36 1/3 innings. The 19-year-old was a third-rounder in last year’s Draft and the early dividends look incredibly promising. He won ACL Pitcher of the Month honors in May after he struck out 31 batters without issuing a walk. Slawinski, ranked as their No. 3 prospect, is still considered years away from making his debut but his ability to command the strike zone for his age is impressive.

DSL Angels: CF Juan Cespedes

Cespedes put himself on the map by amazingly stealing eight bases in one game on Saturday, which was the most by a Minor League player in a single game since at least 2005. The 17-year-old isn’t among the club’s Top 30 prospects but is batting .370/.491/.435 with three doubles, eight RBIs and 26 stolen bases in 14 games. He has yet to homer but is averaging nearly two stolen bases per game. Signed by the Angels for a $300,000 bonus in the 2025-26 international class, he’s not related to former big leaguer Yoenis Céspedes.