TEMPE, Ariz. -- Despite being just 20 years old, center field prospect Nelson Rada turned heads at Angels camp with his on-base ability, baserunning prowess and plus defense before he was reassigned to Minor League camp on Saturday.
Rada, ranked as the club’s No. 3 prospect by MLB Pipeline, looks primed to be the club’s leadoff hitter and center fielder of the future. He reached Triple-A Salt Lake for the first time last year, which is where he’s expected to start the season, and could make his Major League debut at some point this season.
Manager Kurt Suzuki wouldn’t rule out Rada getting to the big leagues this year, but wants to see him continue to develop a consistent routine. It’s the third straight year in big league camp for Rada, but this time he was sent down earlier than last season to get more at-bats in Minor League games instead of sporadically playing in Cactus League games.
“Trust me, I'm a huge Nelson Rada fan, as is everyone else in this organization,” Suzuki said. “It’s just consistency for a younger player, right? It's getting their work done off the field. It’s early work, it's extra work. Sometimes with a young player it's not always about the stuff on the field. It's the stuff off the field with the preparation.”
Rada made the most of opportunities when he played, hitting .294 (5-for-17) with two RBIs, four stolen bases and four walks in 10 games. He's shown a flair for getting on base and stealing bases over the past three Spring Trainings with a .429 on-base percentage and nine stolen bases in 33 career Cactus League games.
Last year, he started the season at Double-A Rocket City despite being five years younger than the average competition and hit .277/.380/.332 with a homer, 13 doubles, 22 RBIs and 34 stolen bases in 93 games to earn a promotion to Triple-A Salt Lake. He excelled there, batting .323/.433/.416 with a homer, six doubles, three triples and 20 stolen bases in 42 games.
His power remains a work in progress and he didn’t record an extra-base hit this spring, but Suzuki said that’s something that could come as Rada gets older. But he doesn’t have a big frame at 5-foot-9 and 185 pounds, so speed and his instincts will always be more of his calling card. Rada, though, needs to get the ball in the air more, as he had a high groundball rate of 56.4 percent last year.
So there are some things Rada needs to work on in the Minors, but once he’s ready he’d be a perfect fit on the roster as a left-handed center fielder who can work counts and draw walks. Mike Trout is aiming to return to the position this year after moving to right last year, but Rada is waiting in the wings.
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“He’s just 20 so you don't know how much power he's going to develop,” Suzuki said. “But for me, he's already a great hitter. So when the power comes, who knows? This guy could be unbelievable. It's just a matter of putting in the work consistently.”
Bremner, Sandlin face hitters
Right-hander Tyler Bremner, the club’s No. 1 prospect and No. 81 overall by MLB Pipeline, and right-handed reliever Nick Sandlin, who is coming off arthroscopic elbow surgery, both faced hitters in a live session on a practice field before Saturday’s game against the Brewers.
It was the second time facing hitters for Bremner, who is now expected to see action in at least one Cactus League game and is also likely to pitch in Spring Breakout against Guardians prospects on March 19. Bremner, the No. 2 overall pick in last year’s Draft, could get to the big leagues in a hurry if he can continue to develop his slider to go along with his 98 mph fastball and plus-plus changeup.
“We’re potentially going to get him into a game soon,” Suzuki said. “We’ll come up with a plan and go from there.”
Sandlin, meanwhile, faced hitters for the first time and expects to have a similar session before he gets into a Cactus League game. But Sandlin, who signed with the Angels on a Minor League deal, believes he has enough time to get ready for Opening Day on March 26 in Houston. Sandlin, 29, has a career 3.19 ERA with 239 strikeouts in 211 2/3 innings in five seasons in the Majors.
“I feel pretty good about it,” Sandlin said. “It’s been getting better every time. So I think as long as I keep doing that, I’ve got a good chance.”