23-year old righty starting pitcher Garrett Richards came into this season as the Angels’ #3 prospect according to Baseball America. Richards had a rough into to the majors last year when he pitched in 7 games (3 starts) in which he was 0-2 with a 5.79 ERA and a 1.64 WHIP. But, he looks pretty good so far in AAA ball this year. He has pitched in 3 games (all starts) in AAA-ball so far this year and he is 2-0 with a 2.14 ERA and a 0.76 WHIP. He has only given up 12 hits and 4 walks while whiffing 21 batters in his first 21 innings so far this year. Whether Richards gets another shot at the rotation this year will likely depend on how well Jerome Williams pitches as he is the #5 starter for the Angels right now. I think Richards will pitch better in 2012 for the Angels, if he gets that chance at some point in the year.

20-year old righty swinging outfielder Mike Trout came into this season as the Angels’ #1 prospect according to Baseball America. He has a rough time in his first taste of the majors last year when he played in 40 games in which he was 27 for 123 (.220 avg, .671 OPS) with 20 runs scored, 5 homers, 16 RBIs and 4 stolen bases. Trout is trying to get back to the majors in 2012, but he will need an injury to one of the Angels’ starting outfielders to likely get than chance. Trout has played in 12 games in AAA-ball so far this year and he is 21 of 50 (.420 avg, 1.094 OPS) with 12 runs scored, 3 triples, 1 homer, 6 RBIs and 4 stolen bases. I think Trout will be much better the next time around in the majors, especially if he gets consistent playing time.