The Los Angeles Angels are officially entering a critical offseason in the midst of both an ownership change and a roster rebuild. The best way to assess the team’s needs is to take inventory of the team’s assets. To kick off our position-by-position organizational inventory, we look behind the dish.
Catching is arguably the most fascinating position in the entire Angels system right now. It features a high upside young starter, an urgent free-agent mandate to sign a veteran backup, and two fast rising prospects at Double A Rocket City.
The Present: Moisés Ballesteros Takes the Reins
Following a busy trade deadline and a heavy developmental push down the stretch of the 2026 season, Moises Ballesteros has firmly established himself as the Angels’ primary starter behind the plate. A consensus Top 100 prospect the past two off seasons, Ballesteros brings the type of offensive upside the Angels have not developed internally in years.
The Skillset: Ballesteros brings elite bat-to-ball skills and high end exit velocity from the left side of the plate. His plus rated bat has produced a notable .286/.364/.457 slash line in over 1800 minor league at bats. With a consistent walk rate and enough power to pop 61 homers in the Cubs minor league system, Ballesteros represents a major offensive upgrade for a position that has lacked firepower for years.
The Question Mark: At just 23 years old, “Mo Baller” is still a work in progress defensively. The coaching staff has openly expressed a desire to keep refining his receiving skills so he can handle a true starter’s heavy catching workload. If the hefty youngster is unable to stick behind the plate, a move to first base is possible but his bat, while great for a catcher, is not great for a first baseman.
The Urgent Offseason Need: Signing a Backup is Vital
As I noted in a previous piece, the front office cannot simply hand Ballesteros the keys and expect him to catch 120 games next season. He only caught about 34% of team games down the stretch after arriving in Anaheim, often splitting time at DH.
The Reality: The Angels absolutely must go into the free agent or trade market this winter to secure a veteran, defensive minded backup catcher.
The Goal: Bringing in an experienced partner protects Ballesteros from early-career burnout, provides an extension of the coaching staff for the young pitching rotation, and ensures the team has stability on days the starter acts as the designated hitter. It would also likely form a natural platoon partner meaning the Angels could still have a solid bat in the catcher’s spot of the lineup on days Ballesteros gets a rest. Fortunately for the Halos both Austin Hedges and Kyle Higoshioka are available on short term, inexpensive deals as free agents and have solid numbers against southpaws.
The Future: Double-A Rocket City is Booming
While the Major League roster requires immediate patchwork, the horizon is incredibly bright. The Double-A Rocket City Trash Pandas boasted two of the most intriguing catching prospects in the system.
Jacob Cozart: Acquired from Cleveland in the Jo Adell trade, the former NC State standout is a mountain of a catcher (6’3″) who stands out for his elite catching skills. He is praised heavily by minor league pitchers for his game planning, framing, and leadership behind the dish. His power hitting from the left side (7 HRs in 28 Double-A games post-trade) and minor league on base percentage of .334 make him a legitimate future option.
Juan Flores: At just 20 years old, Flores showed impressive raw power, swatting 16 home runs across High-A and Double-A in 2026. Initially thought of primarily for his receiving skills behind the plate, he took a big step forward offensively last year at High A before being promoted and struggling a bit at the AA level. Still young for AA, Flores glove work and raw power are his calling cards and if he shows a second year jump in contact rate at Rocket City, he will be on the big league club’s short list.
The Next Wave: 2026 Draft Additions
While pre-draft rumors heavily linked the Angels to top 10 catching prospects like Arkansas’ Ryder Helfrick, the front office opted for local outfielder Jared Grindlinger at the top of the draft. They then spent the following rounds loading up on SEC and ACC tested position players. However, the organization still aggressively injected fresh, highly rated collegiate talent into the lower minors during the middle rounds.
Garrett Wright (8th Round): Selected out of the University of Tennessee, Wright is a unique, and incredibly athletic prospect. He possesses sub-4.4 speed and actually split time between catcher and center field for the Volunteers. He brings an incredibly high defensive ceiling, highly rated arm strength, and a dynamic athletic profile rarely seen behind the dish.
Wright missed some time early for the Vols after undergoing hand surgery but then lit up the competition. His .348/.439/.594 slash line with 17 doubles, 9 home runs, 13 walks, and an unreal 19 hit by pitches is doubly impressive when most of his 49 games played came in the super tough SEC.
Adam Agresti (11th Round): Drafted out of St. John’s University, Agresti is a pure power hitting addition. He is coming off a massive breakout collegiate campaign where he smacked 20 home runs and earned NCAA Regional Most Outstanding Player honors. He serves as an intriguing, high-ceiling developmental bat who can easily slide into a first base or DH role if needed.
Agresti put up a very impressive .297/.441/.639 slash line while starting all 62 games for the Red Storm. And while he did not face the same level of competition as Wright, scouts praise his plus power and good batting eye.
The Bottom Line
The Angels have the luxury of knowing their future catcher of record is likely already in the building. However, the team needs to complement Ballesteros now and make sure to fully develop the talent in the minor leagues.
By coupling the offensive potential of Moises Ballesteros with a stabilizing free agent veteran, the Angels can give Jacob Cozart and Juan Flores the necessary time to fully develop in the upper minors before the Trash Pandas wave of talent makes it to Anaheim.
By continuing to draft polished college receivers, the Angels hope to establish multiple waves of talent at the game’s most taxing position. Look for Wright and Agresti to play most of 2027 at High A, setting them right behind Flores at AA and Cozart either joining him in Alabama or being promoted to AAA Salt Lake City. From top to bottom, this is the best the Angels catching situation has looked in quite some time.
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