TEMPE, Ariz. — When a player gets a “taste” of the big leagues for the first time, it’s often a mixed bag.
The player needs to gain the confidence that he can compete in the majors. Often, he also learns what he needs to improve in order to stay in the majors.
Caden Dana’s three-start cameo in the big leagues last September was all of the above. Dana, the Angels’ top pitching prospect, was just 20 years old when he shot from Double-A to the majors.
Dana won his first start, throwing six innings, and he was rocked in his next two.
This spring, Dana is still a significant piece of the Angels’ long-term plan, and he’s still well regarded enough that he’s still the consensus No. 1 prospect in the organization, and a top 100 prospect in the sport.
“Things didn’t go my way, but I took a lot of things from it,” Dana said, with a winter of reflection to put last September into perspective. “Like slowing the game down, not trying to get too sped up.”
Dana admitted that his confidence was shaken, but not broken.
“Getting hit around, definitely affected me and my confidence,” he said. “Not to where it was fully depleted. It’s still there.”
Little went wrong for Dana in his pro career up until that point. The Angels took him in the 11th round of the 2022 draft out a New Jersey high school. He signed for nearly $1.5 million, which was a record for an 11th-round pick.
Starting the 2024 season in Double-A before he was old enough to buy a beer, Dana posted a 3.05 ERA in 23 starts, with 147 strikeouts in 135 ⅔ innings.
He skipped Triple-A — as Angels top prospects often do — to get to the big leagues.
After his first start against the Seattle Mariners, in which he allowed two runs on two hits in six innings, Dana did not fare so well.
The Texas Rangers hammered him for three runs in the first inning, and two more in the second. He was pulled without recording an out in the second.
A week later, the first three innings against the Houston Astros went well, but he gave up four runs on four hits in the fourth.
“In the Houston start, I felt really good,” Dana said. “It was probably the best I felt in a long time. … In that fourth inning, I kind of let the game speed up on me.”
Dana said two of his points of emphasis this winter were to improve his changeup and throw more curveballs for strikes.
Early in the spring, he impressed manager Ron Washington with his ability to be around the zone in live batting practice. In his Cactus League debut on Saturday, Dana gave up three runs in 1 ⅔ innings. He walked two and hit a batter.
“He’s out there still learning,” Washington said after Saturday’s game. “You could see it today. He just didn’t have command like he did the first two times he threw in live BP. He’s learning. But what I like about him is he’s out there competing.”
Dana is in the mix for a rotation spot coming out of spring training, but he’s most likely behind right-hander Jack Kochanowicz, left-hander Reid Detmers and right-hander Chase Silseth. Even if he doesn’t open the season in the majors, he will continue to be a candidate to come up any time the Angels need a starter.
Washington said the evaluations for that spot will mostly be made after a couple outings.
“After they get to about the third start, you start paying attention to things, and then you start having them face more of a big time lineup, and start deciding things like that,” Washington said.
GOOD START
Left-hander Garrett McDaniels impressed Washington with his perfect inning in his spring debut on Saturday.
“He was sharp,” Washington said on Sunday. “Had a good sinker. Had a good breaking ball. He pounded the strike zone. He made good quick work of the guys he faced, and he faced some good hitters. So let’s see where it goes the next time he gets the ball.”
McDaniels is a Rule 5 pick from the Dodgers, so the Angels have to offer him back if they don’t want to keep him in the majors. Because of the importance of making a quick evaluation of him, the Angels are likely to use McDaniels early in spring training games, so he can face major league hitters.
McDaniels has only pitched two games above Class-A. He had a 3.19 ERA with 84 strikeouts and 29 walks in 73 ⅓ innings last season.
NOTES
Infielder Luis Rengifo has been slowed by an illness early this spring. He was participating in workouts on Sunday morning, but he won’t play in a game until Friday, Washington said. …
Mike Trout is still scheduled for his spring debut on Monday. He will play right field.