Brandon Marsh

Marsh (6-foot-4, 215 pounds) looks like he should hit for power, but that has been a struggle for him in pro ball. He hit nine home runs in 115 games at Double-A and the Arizona Fall League during his age-21 season. His 26.5 Hard% and 52.6 GB% in the Southern League point to why this has been an issue. There is still a lot to like: he used the whole field and hit .304 with an 11.1 BB% and 22.0 K% across those two stops. He also put his plus speed to work and stole 22 bases on 29 attempts. With the speed for center and the arm for right, he will provide the Angels with valuable defensive versatility. Even without any swing changes, he may lead off for the big-league club in a year or two, thanks to his command of the strike zone. The decks are clear for Jo Adell to take one outfield spot early this season, and when Marsh is ready in 2020 or 2021, he should push Justin Upton to a part-time role.

A tooled up outfielder who missed time due to injuries early in his career, Marsh came into 2018 poised for significant upward momentum. Everything went according to plan at Low-A, where he displayed his plus power (.174 ISO) and above-average speed (4-for-4 on SB attempts). His .400 BABIP at that level warrants mentioning, but that's not an outrageous mark for a player at Low-A who hits the ball as hard as he does. Marsh earned a promotion to the Cal League in mid-May, where he struggled for much of the summer. He salvaged his High-A slash line late in the season, hitting .294/.368/.461 over his final 24 games, although he was still striking out at a 25.4% clip. The Angels will send him to Double-A for his age-21 season, where he will likely go through another adjustment period. Marsh can play all three outfield spots, and has 25-15 potential, but he is a better bet in OBP leagues, and will eventually slow down (already 6-foot-4, 210 pounds).

The only knock on Marsh is that he has just 39 games under his belt entering his age-20 season. Injuries have limited him, but he has legitimate five-category potential. The Angels gave him a little over $1 million in 2016 and he went on to miss the whole season with a stress fracture in his back. He also missed a month last season with a thumb injury. However, when healthy, his tools have really stood out. At 6-foot-4, 210 pounds, Marsh is very physical in the box, on the bases and in the field. He has the speed for center and the arm for right. An above average runner, Marsh's speed plays up on the bases due to his aggressive style and base-stealing acumen (10-for-12 in 2017). He displayed plus raw power in his pro debut, and could eventually be a 30-homer threat. Given the lost developmental time, the most impressive aspect of his season was his exceptional all-fields approach and 18.2 percent strikeout rate. Marsh has the polish and impact potential to move quickly through the lower levels.