Angels Elite Pitching Prospect Named as Player to Watch in Camp
Your Los Angeles Angels are a week away from their first spring training game against their freeway rivals, the Los Angeles Dodgers.
Baseball is in the air, and we can't wait for the Halos to hit the diamond again. Although their offseason has been a little underwhelming, there are still many players to look forward to.
One player certain MLB insiders will have their eye on is their right-handed pitcher, Ben Joyce. Joyce got his first crack at the big leagues in 2023, and with a tremendous spring training, we could see him regularly in 2024.
Three MLB writers picked one prospect they'll watch for each team and chose the 23-year-old in this category.
Angels: Ben Joyce, RHP
We all know how quickly the Angels like to get their prospects to the big leagues. Joyce was no different, making his debut in 2023 less than a year after being drafted in the third round. The fastball is elite – he averaged over 100 mph with it between Double-A and the big leagues last year – and his slider misses bats. The biggest questions are if he can throw enough strikes (combined 7.5 BB/9 in 2023) and if he can handle a big league reliever workload. A strong camp could help him impact the big league bullpen and answer those questions.
The right-handed flame thrower made his debut in late May 2023 and pitched in one inning of relief with two strikeouts. There is more good than bad with Joyce now, and he'll have an opportunity to debunk skeptics with an excellent spring training.
His fastball and slider are his bread and butter. His heater features good rise and is delivered from a lower arm slot. As we all know by now, he recorded the fastest pitch in college baseball history, throwing a 105.5 MPH fastball.
Joyce spent most of his 2023 season on the mend. However, he finished with a 1-1 record, 5.40 ERA, ten strikeouts and a 1.80 WHIP in 10 innings.
Joyce is way more experienced than last season, and hopefully, it translates to great outings in spring training.
