We're just two weeks away from the 2006 Top 150 Prospects list. Featured this week are the prospects of the AL West. The divisional rundowns will conclude with the NL next week.

American League West

Los Angeles Angels of Anaheim

1. Brandon Wood - 3B/SS - DOB: 03/02/85 - ETA: April 2009
.272/.338/.497, 23 HR, 77 RBI, 120/45 K/BB, 10 SB in 437 AB (AAA Salt Lake)
.152/.152/.273, 1 HR, 3 RBI, 12/0 K/BB, 0 SB in 33 AB (AL Los Angeles)

Wood's .321/.383/.672 season in the California League in 2005 really stands out now after he hit right around .270 with 25 homers for a second straight season last year. He did go from 149 strikeouts in Double-A in 2006 to 120 in about the same number of plate appearances last season, but he fanned in more than a third of his major league at-bats and didn't work a single walk. Wood may already be at a crossroads, at least as far as his Angels career goes. With Orlando Cabrera gone, the team is planning on shifting him back to shortstop, putting him in a position to land a starting job if Erick Aybar struggles. There's still good reason to think he'll be a 30-homer guy in the majors someday, and if he is something close to an average shortstop – as it appeared he would be before the logjam resulted in his move -- he won't need to put up very good OBPs to be a quality regular. As a third baseman, more would be expected of him offensively. He'd be a regular anyway, but he'd be a Joe Crede-type, not a star. Considering that he doesn't quite fit the Angels' mold, there's a good chance he'll be traded if he doesn't step up this year.

2. Nick Adenhart - RHP - DOB: 08/24/86 - ETA: May 2009
10-8, 3.65 ERA, 158 H, 116/65 K/BB in 153 IP (AA Arkansas)

Even though he had just nine starts in high-A ball under his belt, it didn't take Adenhart any time to adjust to Double-A last year, as he went 3-1 with a 0.80 ERA in his first five starts. He was inconsistent most of the rest of the season, and the way his stuff came and went suggested he wasn't always completely healthy. He ended up striking out 116 batters, down from 145 in 158 1/3 innings in 2006. When he's on, Adenhart is consistently in the low-90s with his fastball and shows a great hard curve. His changeup has turned into a very respectable third pitch. His velocity might be more of a constant if he did a better job of repeating his delivery. He'll open this season at Triple-A Salt Lake, and he projects as a long-term No. 2 starter for the Angels.

3. Hank Conger - C - DOB: 01/29/88 - ETA: 2011
.267/.267/.333, 0 HR, 3 RBI, 3/0 K/BB, 0 SB in 15 AB (R AZL Angels)
.290/.336/.472, 11 HR, 48 RBI, 48/21 K/BB, 9 SB in 290 AB (A- Cedar Rapids)

Hyun Choi "Hank" Conger has one of the most intriguing bats in the minors and would be just as well regarded as a prospect had the Angels decided to develop him as a first baseman, rather than as a catcher. He still might end up there, though he does have the raw tools, including a very strong arm, to remain behind the plate. Had the team made him a first baseman from the start, he'd have been more likely to reach his ceiling as a potential .300-hitting, 25-homer guy. It's possible he'll get there, but catchers have been known to stagnate offensively as they climb through the minors. The Angels just watched it happen to Jeff Mathis.

4. Sean Rodriguez – 2B/SS - DOB: 04/26/85 - ETA: May 2009
.254/.345/.423, 17 HR, 132/54 K/BB, 15 SB in 508 AB (AA Arkansas)
.217/.298/.398, 3 HR, 10 RBI, 29/8 K/BB, 1 SB in 83 AB (AFL Surprise)

Like Brandon Wood a year previously, Rodriguez lost about 150 points of OPS after moving from the extremely friendly hitting environment at Single-A Rancho Cucamonga to Double-A Arkansas. Since he's no natural shortstop, the decline really stings, though it happened at a young enough age that he still has plenty of time to recover. Rodriguez combines very good power for a middle infielder with a patient approach. Unfortunately, his tendency to wait for his pitch until he gets to two strikes hasn't led to nearly as many walks as strikeouts the last two years, mostly because he's been too willing to chase breaking balls. Rodriguez will finally move off shortstop this year and is expected to be Wood's double-play partner at Salt Lake. He has the tools to be an average second baseman, and he might turn out to be a capable center fielder if given the chance. If he doesn't quite cut as a regular, his skills should at least lead to a fine career as a super utilityman.

5. Jordan Walden - RHP - DOB: 11/16/87 - ETA: 2011
1-1, 3.08 ERA, 49 H, 63/17 K/BB in 64 1/3 IP (R Orem)

Walden most likely would have been a first-rounder last year had he went back into the draft, but the Angels retained his rights after selecting him in the 12th round in 2006 and got him to sign for $1 million. With the rule now gone, he could be one of the last great draft-and-follows. The 6-foot-6 Walden can get his fastball in the high-90s, and while his slider needs to be tightened up some, it has the potential to be a plus pitch. His changeup remains a ways away. The Angels figure to be extra careful with him, so even though he appears ready for full-season ball, he could be held back at the start of the year. He has No. 2-starter upside.

6. Stephen Marek - RHP - DOB: 09/03/83 - ETA: June 2009
8-10, 4.30 ERA, 133 H, 106/49 K/BB in 134 IP (A+ Rancho Cucamonga)

Marek was just as successful as Adenhart in 2006 and is the older of the two pitchers by three years, but the Angels didn't push him up to Double-A, even after he started off with a 3.62 ERA through the end of May. It was the right decision, since Marek remains a project. His fastball peaks at 95 mph and his curveball is an above average second pitch, but he doesn't have much of a changeup yet and he struggles to work inside to righties. If he was a couple of inches shorter or 30 pounds lighter, there'd already be talk of making him a reliever. However, he has the build of a workhorse starter and figures to get every chance to stay in the rotation.

7. Jose Arredondo - RHP - DOB: 03/30/84 - ETA: May 2009
2-4, 4 Sv, 6.43 ERA, 46 H, 34/11 K/BB in 35 IP (A+ Rancho Cucamonga)
0-1, 10 Sv, 2.52 ERA, 16 H, 28/12 K/BB in 25 IP (AA Arkansas)
0-0, 0 Sv, 0.00 ERA, 2 H, 1/2 K/BB in 3 IP (AAA Salt Lake)

A 163/57 K/BB ratio in 150 2/3 IP between Rancho Cucamonga and Arkansas in 2006 didn't keep the Angels from turning Arredondo into a reliever prior to last season. He started off well as the closer at Arkansas, racking up 10 saves and a 2.52 ERA in 25 innings, but an on-field incident led to a suspension and a demotion and he didn't react well afterwards. Arredondo has never lacked for potential. Now that he's a reliever, he's often in the mid-90s with his fastball, and he has a splitter that suffices as a strikeout pitch. The ability is there for him to be a long-term closer for an Angels team that could lose Francisco Rodriguez after 2008. However, last year was hardly a step in the right direction.

8. Sean O'Sullivan - RHP - DOB: 09/01/87 - ETA: 2010
10-7, 2.22 ERA, 136 H, 125/40 K/BB in 158 1/3 IP (A- Cedar Rapids)

O'Sullivan, the Midwest League's top pitcher last year, has a 2.19 ERA in 230 innings since being signed in 2006. He shows very good command of a pretty standard arsenal that includes an 89-92 mph fastball, a slider, a curve and a changeup. The slider is the better of the two breaking balls, but both should prove useful going forward. He's going to start giving up more homers in the hitter's parks he'll run into as he climbs through the Angels system, but if he keeps his walk total and continues to show the ability to keep left-handers off balance, he could be a fourth starter.

9. Chris Pettit - OF - DOB: 08/15/84 - ETA: 2010
.346/.429/.579, 9 HR, 41 RBI, 41/23 K/BB, 17 SB in 228 AB (A- Cedar Rapids)
.309/.395/.502, 9 HR, 54 RBI, 48/36 K/BB, 13 SB in 265 AB (A+ Rancho Cucamonga)
.182/.333/.364, 0 HR, 3 RBI, 8/4 K/BB, 1 SB in 22 AB (AFL Surprise)

A 19th-round find out of Loyola Marymount in 2006, all Pettit has done is hit .330/.422/.547 with 35 steals in 719 at-bats as a pro. Nothing stands out about Pettit besides the numbers. He has an average build and an average arm in the outfield. Although he's a fine basestealer, he's not going to have the range to play center in the majors. His power figures to result in many more doubles than homers if he makes it to Anaheim. His on-base skills should hold up better, but he still might be more of a fourth outfielder than a regular. Double-A will be a good test for him, and he appears ready for the challenge now.

10. Matt Sweeney - 3B - DOB: 04/04/88 - ETA: 2011
.260/.324/.458, 18 HR, 72 RBI, 88/38 K/BB, 7 SB in 439 AB (A- Cedar Rapids)

Sweeney's vast power potential got him a spot on last year's list just a half-year after he was drafted in the eighth round. His 2007 numbers don't stand out, but they were fine for a 19-year-old in the Midwest League. The bigger problem was that he showed nothing to suggest that he'll last at third base. Sweeney figures to be a 30-homer guy someday, but he'll need better on-base skills if he's going to make it as a first baseman. That his strikeout-to-walk ratio went from nearly 1/1 to more than 2/1 isn't a good sign.


Next five: OF Peter Bourjos, RHP Young-Il Jung, RHP Jon Bachanov, RHP Nick Green, INF Hainley Statia

Even though the Angels have been awfully stingy when it comes to trading prospects, their system doesn't rank as highly as it used to, as they've struggled to bring in potential impact bats the last few years. … Bourjos is toolsier than Pettit and hardly completely hopeless with the bat, but he doesn't yet make enough hard contact. … Jung was limited to three starts last year by elbow troubles. … Bachanov, a 2007 supplemental first-rounder, projects better as a reliever than as a starter. … Green is fifth starter/middle relief material. … Statia's bat is nothing special, but as a quality defender and a switch-hitter, he figures to have a career as a reserve.


2007 top 15: Brandon Wood, Nick Adenhart, Hank Conger, Jeff Mathis, Sean Rodriguez, Jose Arredondo, Stephen Marek, Tommy Mendoza, Matt Sweeney, Kenneth Herndon, Young-Il Jung, Reggie Willits, Terry Evans, Hainley Statia, Peter Bourjos

2006 top 15: Brandon Wood, Howie Kendrick, Jered Weaver, Jeff Mathis, Kendry Morales, Erick Aybar, Nick Adenhart, Alberto Callaspo, Steven Shell, Sean Rodriguez, Joe Saunders, Thomas Mendoza, Mike Napoli, Trevor Bell, Rafael Rodriguez

2005 top 10: Casey Kotchman, Dallas McPherson, Kendry Morales, Ervin Santana, Jeff Mathis, Steven Shell, Erick Aybar, Brandon Wood, Alberto Callaspo, Howie Kendrick

2004 top 10: Jeff Mathis, Ervin Santana, Casey Kotchman, Bobby Jenks, Dallas McPherson, Alberto Callaspo, Rafael Rodriguez, Brandon Wood, Derrick Turnbow, Steven Shell

2003 top 10: Francisco Rodriguez, Casey Kotchman, Bobby Jenks, Jeff Mathis, Joe Torres, Joe Saunders, Ervin Santana, Chris Bootcheck, Dallas McPherson, Alberto Callaspo

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