The Angels have two intriguing names working in their Arizona bridge league right now, and one of them made a much louder impression than the other.
Hayden Alvarez and Jared Grindlinger are both getting run in the Arizona Complex League at the Tempe Diablo complex, where the look-and-feel of the evaluation process can be a challenge in itself. As one veteran scout put it, “Scouting the complex is a different animal,” a veteran scout said. “If you aren’t paying close attention, it’s really easy to miss something, and that might be your only shot.”
Jason Pennini of Baseball America was there in person, and he walked away with stronger notes on Alvarez than on Grindlinger. The heat in Phoenix can make the whole exercise tricky, and the action can be uneven, but Alvarez still flashed the kind of profile that gets attention.
“I love the body, the athleticism, and the hands,” Pennini wrote about Alvarez. “He is a well-proportioned quick-twitch mover who looks smooth at everything on a baseball field. It’s a special profile because he is likely to stick in center and also has big offensive upside.”
That’s the kind of report that jumps off the page. Pennini also noted that Alvarez is a plus runner who gets out of the box well, and he pointed to solid arm strength and a strong play in the gap where Alvarez showed impressive closing speed.
At the plate, Alvarez showed he can work with pitches and still drive the ball hard, using a medium leg kick for timing. He’s not trying to force power into the profile, either, and Pennini’s takeaway was overwhelmingly positive.
“He lived up to prospect hype and then some,” the writer added.
That lines up with the broader view of Alvarez, who is ranked No. 3 in the Angels’ Top 30 and looked to Pennini like a Top 100 prospect.
Grindlinger is still a different kind of project. He won’t turn 18 until next April, and the Angels listed the two-way player as an outfielder even though he was throwing 95 mph as a left-hander. Pennini saw a quick, compact offensive swing, but also a bat path that needs more loft if the bat is going to fully play.
“Grindlinger has quick hands and a short, efficient swing without a lot of moving parts,” Pennini added. “The bat path is flat, and he will need to elevate more consistently to reach his offensive potential.”
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