TEMPE, Ariz. -- The Angels’ Minor League system might be deeper than many believe, especially considering the incredible showings so far in the World Baseball Classic by unheralded prospects such as outfielder Lucas Ramirez, right-hander Najer Victor and lefty Sam Aldegheri.
Ramirez, the son of 12-time All-Star Manny Ramirez, and Victor aren’t ranked among the club’s Top 30 prospects by MLB Pipeline, but have turned heads with their performances. Playing for Team Brazil, Ramirez homered three times last week off notable pitchers Jacob deGrom, Logan Webb and Gabe Speier, while Victor struck out Aaron Judge, Bryce Harper and Gunnar Henderson in the fourth inning for Team Great Britain on Saturday. And Aldegheri is ranked as their No. 17 prospect, but pitched like an ace for Team Italy with eight strikeouts over 4 2/3 scoreless innings against Brazil.
“We’ve got a lot of players and pitchers that nobody was talking about with a lot of ability to put themselves on the map,” manager Kurt Suzuki said. “I know Aldegheri has already been in the big leagues, but a guy like Victor, nobody talks about him. And same with Ramirez. These are young guys with a lot of ability, and they’ve shown it.”
Ramirez, a 17th-round pick in the 2024 Draft out of American Heritage High School in Plantation, Fla., was the first to make a splash in the Classic after previously homering in an exhibition game against the Rangers on Wednesday. The left-handed hitter took Webb deep for a leadoff homer on the second pitch of the game on Friday and followed it up with a homer off lefty reliever Gabe Speier in the eighth to become the youngest player to ever have a multi-homer game in the Classic at 20 years old.
Ramirez hit .282/.374/.454 with three homers, seven doubles and 28 RBIs in 49 games in the Arizona Complex League last year before a brief promotion to High-A Tri-City, and he called it the best day of his life. He’s only played 11 games at High-A, so he still needs plenty of time in the Minors, but Suzuki believes he’s an underrated talent.
“I know he’s playing really well right now, and just watching him go about his work, whether it’s the outfield drills, batting practice, live BPs, you can see the talent in there,” Suzuki said. “For me, just watching the way he moves and everything, I feel he’s going to be a great player.”
Aldegheri, a native of Verona, Italy, was the next to open some eyes around the globe, as the 24-year-old had the most dominant start of the tournament so far by allowing just one hit with two walks over 4 2/3 innings against Brazil on Saturday. He's struggled in his time in the Majors, with a 6.41 ERA, 22 strikeouts and 20 walks in 26 2/3 innings over the last two seasons, but he learned a new changeup grip from veteran Kyle Hendricks.
Aldegheri's fastball/changeup combo was unhittable against Brazil, as he registered 10 swings and misses with the changeup and six with his four-seamer. He’s likely to start the year at Triple-A Salt Lake but gives the Angels some starting depth with upside.
“He looks like he’s in great shape,” Suzuki said. “He’s throwing the ball really well. He’s got a good changeup and he’s throwing strikes. I think it’s more just getting familiar, just getting more comfortable as a young player.”
Victor, a native of St. Thomas, U.S. Virgin Islands, was the latest to make his mark against Team USA, striking out the trio of All-Stars in a scoreless fourth before opening the fifth by striking out Roman Anthony. He exited after Ernie Clement reached on a throwing error.
But the 6-foot-1 Victor surprised many against some of the best hitters in the world, as his 85-mph slider generated seven whiffs on 11 swings and he paired it with a fastball that averaged 96.9 mph. The 24-year-old was a 14th-rounder out of the University of Central Florida in ’24 and posted a 4.87 ERA with 65 strikeouts in 40 2/3 innings across Single-A and High-A last year.
Like Ramirez, he isn’t listed among the club’s Top 30 prospects and wasn’t invited to big league camp, but now can be considered on the rise. He’s likely to start the year at High-A but could move quickly if he pitches like he did against Team USA.
“I saw him pitch a few times already this spring before he left, but this guy was electric last night,” Suzuki said. “Just wow. I thought it was awesome.”