MLB.com sees a pair of Angels rookies with real runway ahead, and both names come with some encouraging evidence from 2026.
Starting pitcher Walbert Urena and catcher/DH Moises Ballesteros both landed on the outlet’s list of the 40 rookies projected to provide the most future value, a reminder that even in a rough season there were a few building blocks worth noticing in Anaheim.
Urena checked in at No. 37 after turning in one of the few bright spots in the Angels’ 100-loss 2026 season. He broke camp on the Opening Day roster, made his first two big-league appearances in relief, then slid into the rotation in mid-April and stayed there.
From that point on, he gave the Angels exactly what they needed: innings, consistency and production. In 27 starts, he posted a 2.97 ERA with a 3.8 WAR, 142 strikeouts in 148.1 innings, a 1.23 WHIP and a 9-11 record.
He also became one of the club’s most dependable arms, taking the ball every fifth game since his starting debut on April 19. That kind of workload, paired with the numbers, is why he looks like a possible fixture in the rotation going forward.
The season was good enough to earn Urena a spot on MLB.com’s 2026 All-Debut Team, which is reserved for players making their true major-league debut in 2026 with no previous cups of coffee.
Ballesteros came to the Angels in August as part of the return for reliever Ryan Zeferjahn, who was dealt to the Chicago Cubs at the trade deadline. His first month in Anaheim was rough, as he hit .163 with a .410 OPS across 24 games. But he finished with a much better stretch once September arrived, putting together a .708 OPS in 21 games with three homers and eight RBIs.
MLB.com ranked Ballesteros 35th on its future-value list, and the bat is the reason. No matter where he ends up playing, that’s the tool that’s supposed to carry him. Baseball Reference is already projecting a 2027 line of 13 doubles, 11 homers, 44 RBIs and a .696 OPS in 90 to 100 games.
It’s a small sample, sure. MLB.com said as much by noting how tricky it can be to project long-term value off a rookie season. But the Angels at least have two young players who gave enough in 2026 to make the future look a little less bleak.
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