The Los Angeles Angels leaned on a number of rookies during the 2022 season, but the youth in their rotation became one of the brightest spots on the roster. Chase Silseth debuted for the club shortly after the year began, providing general manager Perry Minasian with a lot of confidence moving forward.
The 22-year-old was drafted in the 11th round of the 2021 Major League Baseball Draft, and after just five starts with the Double-A Rocket City Trash Pandas, he was already showing flashes of potential. Through his short time in the Minor Leagues, the righty posted a 1.73 ERA with 37 strikeouts across 26 innings.
On May 13 against the Oakland Athletics, the Angels called Silseth up to make his Major League debut. His performance was nothing short of historic for the franchise as he became the second pitcher in club history to throw at least six innings and just one hit during an MLB debut, joining Rudy Max who went nine innings of one-hit ball in 1965.
His debut garnered praise from former Angels manager Joe Maddon, and he went far enough to cite Silseth’s mound presence and in-game attitude. His only blemish through his first few starts was his inability to limit hard contact. Through five starts in MLB, he allowed a 53.1% hard-hit rate.
There were rumblings that Silseth would stay in the rotation for an extended look, but after he allowed 16 earned runs over four starts from June 3-July 30, he was sent down to Double-A for the remainder of the season.
Silseth went on to post a 2.53 ERA over 42.2 innings pitched after his demotion. His taste of Major League action certainly helped the right-hander, and his 56 strikeouts in those seven starts showed a solid level of consistency.
Chase Silseth 2022 highlight
Aside from his historic Angels Major League debut, on Aug. 28 against Tennessee Smokies he carried a perfect game into the fourth inning prior to allowing two solo shots and one walk. Over six innings of work, he notched a season-high 11 strikeouts.
2023 outlook
Heading into 2023 Silseth ranks as the Angels’ seventh-ranked prospect, but Minasian shored up the starting staff with some veteran depth in Tyler Anderson, so barring injuries, the rotation won’t be a weak point for the club. Patrick Sandoval, Reid Detmers, and José Suarez line up behind Shohei Ohtani and Anderson, which projects as a formidable unit.
Silseth won’t be pushed to see time in MLB during the 2023 season which bodes well for his development long-term. However, it would not be surprising to see him earn another shot in the Show at some point during the season.
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