One potential dark-horse candidate for the second rotation spot is right-hander Caden Dana, the Los Angeles Angels top-ranked prospect. After losing left-handed pitcher Patrick Sandoval to the Boston Red Sox just two weeks ago, and reliable middle-of-the-rotation starter Griffin Canning to the Braves in the Jorge Soler trade, the Angels’ rotation has several gaps as the 2025 season approaches.
General manager Perry Minasian, who recently received a contract extension, attempted to address these issues in late November by signing left-hander Yusei Kikuchi to a three-year deal worth $63 million. However, there are still many uncertainties regarding the second through fifth spots in the rotation.
While Dana’s numbers, including a 9.58 ERA in his first career starts, are not impressive at the moment, several factors should give Angels fans hope for his return to the mound in 2025.
The Angels Should Be Excited About Caden Dana
First, his 6’4″ frame is extremely projectable. Dana’s pre-draft scouting report provided by MLB.com compared him to the likes of Noah Syndergaard. He’s also a stocky, muscular 215 pounds which should help his arm maintain the velocity he’s capable of throwing to prevent any arm injuries in the future.
One notable positive is that he is only 21 years old. Dana was an 11th round draft pick 2022. Over the past two years, he has experienced little stability, quickly advancing through both Low-A and Double-A, which meant he never lived in the same area for more than nine months since being drafted. In fact, he became the Angels’ youngest starting pitcher since 1973 when he debuted on September 1.
After reaching Double-A, Dana developed a polished slider to accompany his electric fastball, curveball and changeup mix. His best pitch is undoubtably his fastball, that sits between 94-96 mph and showed signs of ticking up close to triple-digits in his MLB debut. Having three dominant secondary pitches that move across each tunnel behind his electric fastball should be very entertaining for Angels’ fans to watch.
Dana also won the Angels’ Minor League Player of the Year award in 2024. He posted 2.52 ERA in 23 starts, striking out 147 batters in 135 innings. He’s proven he can pitch at the highest level against the best prospects in the game.
Changes Dana Needs to Make
Dana needs to improve his pitch counts plain and simple. He walked seven batters while only striking out eight in his first three starts. That ratio isn’t ideal and doesn’t reflect his true potential as a pitcher.
Most of this can likely be attributed to nerves or the growing pains of transitioning to the major leagues. Last season in Double-A, he walked just 39 batters over 135 innings.
He must find a better balance with his pitches. Doing so can allow him to use his slider more frequently in early counts to succeed. Three of the five home runs he gave up were fastballs that were hit hard early in the at-bat. Although his velocity remains impressive, his pitch sequencing has become too predictable.
Lastly, Dana needs to regain his confidence. He was a dominant presence at Don Bosco Prep in high school, earning the Gatorade Player of the Year award in New Jersey. Similarly, during the 2024 season with the Double-A Trash Pandas, he was nearly untouchable. Establishing momentum and building on it will be crucial for his success.
Case in point, Dana’s stuff is electric- he needs some time to get comfortable at the major league level. As the 2025 season approaches, Angels’ fans should be as confident in Dana as their manager Ron Washington is.
“I think he knows he can pitch in the big leagues,” Washington said. “There’s a lot of growth left.”
Main Photo: © Kiyoshi Mio-Imagn Images
The post Angels Young Gun Looks to Make Impact in Starting Rotation appeared first on Last Word On Baseball.