Los Angeles Angels No. 1 prospect Caden Dana was named a finalist for the 2024 Minor League Pitching Prospect of the Year Award. Dana, the No. 70 prospect in MLB, spent the majority of the season with the Double-A Rocket City Trash Pandas before getting a brief stint in the Majors with the Angels.
Dana was incredible in Double-A this season. He pitched 135.2 innings, posting a 2.52 ERA, a 0.943 WHIP and 147 strikeouts. He threw over 100 pitches in six games before making his MLB debut in September. The organization has high expectations and a high level of faith in their 20-year-old 11th-round draft pick from 2022.
The young right-hander struggled in the Majors, although he came away with significant learning lessons for 2025. He had too high of a walk rate — seven free passes in 10.1 innings — finishing with a 9.58 ERA and 2.032 WHIP in three starts.
He did, though, become the youngest pitcher in Angels history to win his Major League debut. And he showed some of his best stuff in his first outing. The two bad starts that followed were in no way a deterrent for Dana or the Angels, but they felt it was best for him to sit the rest of the season and regroup for an important 2025 campaign.
The second annual MiLB Award Show will take place on Monday, Sep. 30 at 6:00 p.m. PT on MLB Network, hosted by former Angels play-by-play announcer Matt Vasgersian. Several awards will be given out that night, but the two major ones are pitching and hitting prospect of the year.
It’s unclear at this point if Dana will begin the 2025 season on the Angels or in the minor leagues. Either way, he has a chance to look back on a phenomenal 2024 campaign that saw him ascend to become one of the best prospects in the sport.
Caden Dana and other prospect of the year finalists
MiLB Pitching Prospect of the Year
Caden Dana, RHP, Angels (No. 70 on Top 100)
Age: 20
Double-A: 9-7, 23 GS, 135 2/3 IP, 2.52 ERA, 147 K, 39 BB, .184 BAA, 0.94 WHIP, 2.6 BB/9, 9.8 K/9
Quinn Mathews, LHP, Cardinals (No. 80 on Top 100)
Age: 23
Single-A: 3-1, 6 GS, 30 2/3 IP, 1.47 ERA, 52 K, 11 BB, .133 BAA, 0.82 WHIP, 3.2 BB/9, 15.3 K/9
High-A: 3-1, 7 GS, 43 2/3 IP, 2.68 ERA, 58 K, 9 BB, .160 BAA, 0.76 WHIP, 1.9 BB/9, 12 K/9
Double-A: 2-1, 9 GS, 52 1/3 IP, 2.41 ERA, 70 K, 15 BB, .186 BAA, 0.96 WHIP, 2.6 BB/9, 12 K/9
Triple-A: 0-2, 4 GS, 16 2/3 IP, 6.48 ERA, 22 K, 14 BB, .281 BAA, 1.92 WHIP, 7.6 BB/9, 11.9 K/9
Total: 8-5, 26 GS, 143 1/3 IP, 2.76 ERA, 202 K, 49 BB, .179 BAA, 0.98 WHIP, 4.12 BB/9, 12.7 K/9
Travis Sykora, RHP, Nationals (No. 92 on Top 100)
Age: 20
Single-A: 5-3, 20 GS, 85 IP, 2.33 ERA, 129 K, 27 BB, .168 BAA, 0.91 WHIP, 2.9 BB/9, 13.7 K/9
MiLB Hitting Prospect of the Year
Kristian Campbell, 2B/3B/OF, Red Sox (BOS No. 5/MLB No. 74)
Age: 22
High-A: .306/.418/.558, 40 G, 8 HR, 13 2B, 25 RBIs, 26 BB, 47 SO, 3 SB
Double-A: .362/.463/.582, 56 G, 8 HR, 17 2B, 3 3Bs, 35 RBIs, 35 BB, 38 SO, 17 SB
Triple-A: .286/.412/.486, 19 G, 4 HR, 2 2B, 17 RBIs, 13 BB, 18 SO, 4 SB
Total: .330/.439/.558, 115 G, 20 HR, 32 2B, 3 3B, 77 RBIs, 74 BB, 103 SO, 24 SB
Deyvison De Los Santos, 1B/3B, Marlins (MIA No. 4)
Age: 21
Double-A: .372/.426/.696, 38 G, 14 HR, 37 RBIs, 4 2B, 1 3B, 12 BB, 36 SO, 1 SB
Triple-A: .264/.311/.523, 99 G, 26 HR, 21 2B, 1 3B, 83 RBIs, 22 BB, 108 SO
Total: .294/.343/.571, 137 G, 40 HR, 25 2B, 2 3B, 120 RBIs, 34 BB, 144 SO, 1 SB
Bryce Eldridge, 1B, Giants (SF No. 1/MLB No. 50)
Age: 19
Single-A: .263/.323/.478, 51 G, 10 HR, 14 2B, 45 RBIs, 17 BB 61 SO, 2 SB
High-A: .335/.442/.619, 48 G, 12 HR, 11 2B, 1 3B, 41 RBIs, 35 BB, 52 SO, 3 SB
Double-A: .270/.325/.460, 9 G, HR, 2 2B, 1 3B, 4 RBIs, 3 BB, 8 SO, 1 SB
Triple-A: .226/.314/.226, 8 G, 0 HR, 1 RBI, 4 BB, 11 SO
Total: .289/.372/.513, 116 G, 23 HR, 27 2B, 2 3B, 90 RBIs, 59 BB, 132 SO, 6 SB