Angels Top 10 Prospects

Baseball America, the leading trade magazine in the industry, recently announced its annual Top 10 prospects within the Los Angeles Angels of Anaheim farm system and three members of the 2008 Pacific North Division Champion Salt Lake Bees appeared on the prestigious list. RHP Nick Adenhart appeared as the no. 1 prospect within the organization while RHP Kevin Jepsen ranked no. 6, followed up by RHP Anthony Ortega as the no. 9 prospect.

Adenhart began the 2008 season going 4-0 with the Bees before making his major league debut on May 1 against the Oakland Athletics. The youngest active roster pitcher in the Majors at the time, Adenhart earned his first big league win on May 12 over the White Sox. The Maryland native rejoined the Bees to pitch a shutout performance against the Portland Beavers on August 27, clinching the division for Salt Lake.

Jepsen, a 2008 Olympic bronze medalist with Team USA, joined the Bees on June 10 from Double-A Arkansas where he recorded 11 saves in 25 games. He was named to the 2008 MLB Futures Games roster and made four appearances with Team USA in Beijing, allowing no runs off three hits with five strikeouts. He owned a 2.45 ERA with 21 strikeouts and two saves in 15 games for the Bees in 2008.

Ortega was called up to the Bees from Arkansas on August 4 and quickly earned a 5-0 record in six starts for Salt Lake. The native Venezuelan went 9-7 with a 3.73 ERA with Arkansas in 2008.

Other potential Bees farmhands for the 2009 PCL season include no. 2 RHP Jordan Walden, no. 3 OF Peter Bourjos, and no. 7 C Hank Conger.

1. Nick Adenhart, RHP

2. Jordan Walden, RHP

3. Peter Bourjos, OF

4. Trevor Reckling, LHP

5. Sean O'Sullivan, RHP

6. Kevin Jepsen, RHP

7. Hank Conger, C

8. Mark Trumbo, 1B

9. Anthony Ortega, RHP

10. Mason Tobin, RHP