Angels getting great spring results from ex-Phillies flamethrowing prospect

While the Los Angeles Angels might not be the AL West favorites, and the team might need a lot of work going into the future, there are still some reasons to be optimistic.

Mike Trout's return could be fun, as could the prospects making their mark in the Majors. But for now, seeing what some of these young players can do this Spring Training is a great time of the year.

And for the Angels, and MLB.com writer Rhett Bollinger, the top Angels prospect who's making some noise this spring is the former Philadelphia Phillies prospect they got in return for Carlos Esteves. George Klassen is impressing so far this Spring.

Angels' George Klassen impressing in 2026 Spring Training

"Klassen, the Angels' No. 3 prospect at the end of 2025, faced a lineup full of Padres regulars in his spring debut on Wednesday and responded by throwing two scoreless innings," Bollinger writes. "... He could find his way into the rotation early this season if he continues to improve his command."

In that 2026 Spring Training debut against the San Diego Padres, Klassen struck out Manny Machado, Jackson Merrill, and Ty France.

As Bollinger noted, he averaged a blistering 97.8 mph on his fastball, and with his quality secondary pitches, a curveball, slider, and changeup, he had a great debut this spring.

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He gave up one hit and hit one batter, which is representative of where the righty pitching prospect stands. Klassen has great stuff; he just needs better control.

Last season in the minor leagues, Klassen had a 5.22 ERA in 25 starts across 108.2 innings with 234 strikeouts and 47 walks.

He might have a bit of a way to go before making an impact in the Majors, but the promise he's shown in his one start has Bollinger, and likely the Angels excited about his status for the 2026 season.

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