This Angels Breakout Prospect Had A Strange Season, But His Potential Remains

Most major league teams follow a consistent, well-defined approach when it comes to bringing their prospects up, but that’s not always how the Los Angeles Angels do things. The Angels have developed a reputation for rushing their prospects, and that definiltey happened with the player Jonathan Mayo, Jim Callis and Sam Dykstra of MLB.com identified as their breakout prospect.

Pitcher Ryan Johnson has been listed as the Angels number two prospect, and he’s 85th in MLB’s top 100. Johnson was taken 74th overall in 2024, and he made the roster as a reliever.

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That didn’t go so well, to say the least. Johnson had a 7.36 ERA in 14-2/3 inning, and opponents hit .364 against him, plus his WHIP was 1.98. He was clearly overmatched, so the Angels sent him backdown to High A to work as a starter.

This sort of development path, if you can call it that, is normally a great way to screw up a prospect, but in Johnson’s case, it worked. Matched up against more appropriate competition, he posted a 1.88 ERA with a 0.89 WHIP and a 9.8 K/9 rate, and opponents hit just .196 against him.

That got some attention, and many people now believe Johnson can be an effective stater if he’s able to continue his progress. He’ll likely start the year at Double A, and if Johnson can post similar numbers he could be in line for a promotion.

Another key aspect of Johnson’s development will be his innings buildup. He’ll need to holdup under a full season as a starter, and at the moment it doesn’t look like Johnson will be rushed. The Angels rotation consists of veteran starter Yusei Kikuchi, Jose Soriano, new trade acquisition Grayson Rodriguez and former reliever Reid Detmers who will be converted to a starter.

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The Angels have signed a lot of other pitchers, too. Pitcher Alek Manoah could make the back end of the rotation, and there are a slew of relievers who will be given a chance to make the staff. New pitching coach Mike Maddux has a reputation for reclamation projects, and he’s going to have his hands full this year.

It will be interesting to see what happens when Maddux gets his hands on Johnson. He’s known for developing excellent pitching programs, and for whittling down pitch selection to focus on what works. That’s exactly the kind of work Johnson needs, even if his immediate future doesn’t hold any appearances in Anaheim.