You know the Los Angeles Angels want to do it. The organization craves having top prospects fly through the system and arrive in the big leagues. With the club’s long-standing inability to build a pitching staff, the temptation is even greater with last year’s first-round pick, Tyler Bremner.
To be fair, while the Angels have misguidedly fast-tracked lesser prospects in the past, Bremner has been making the case that he actually deserves the treatment. The experts are starting to take notice, too, with Bremner coming in at No. 36 on the updated top 100 list from Baseball America.
It’s rare to see Los Angeles have a prospect in the top 100, much less the top half. So the ranking the 22-year-old came away with would seem to confirm that he should, in fact, rise above his current perch down in High-A Tri City, where he currently owns a 1.37 ERA and 39% strikeout rate, and continue his ascension until he either hits a wall or makes the majors.
But in the praise for the prized right-handed, BA delivered some words of caution that the Halos should heed.
“[Bremner] could move quickly if the Angels want to go that route, though a slower development path, with an emphasis on refining his fastball and breaking ball, could pay off in the long run,” the report reads.
Holding Tyler Bremner back is best for the future of the Angels’ rotation
Presumably, other than the under-slot bonus, one of the benefits the Angels saw in drafting Bremner No. 2 overall was the fact that the youngster came equipped with a wealth of collegiate experience that could help put him on an accelerated path to the bigs.
The UC Santa Barbara product came in with three years of experience in Division-I ball and had logged 221⅓ innings to that point. The experience plus a downright nasty changeup were huge draws.
That changeup is the key for Bremner. It’s far and away his best pitch, and it’s his go-to to rack up the Ks. He pairs it with a fastball that can reach the upper 90s and a slider to round out his repertoire.
However, those two pitches pale in comparison to the changeup. The fastball velo is great, but working on the location and deception of the pitch will be key. The slider is more of an average offering at this point, and building it up as another weapon, especially one he can utilize against right-handed bats, is prudent.
It’s also worth noting that Bremner has already missed some time with fatigue stemming from an illness. He missed nearly a month after being pulled from his May 5 start and not returning until June 2, when he threw just 1⅔ frames. That’s some crucial development time if you’re planning to move him through at warp speed.
Adding to the Angels’ temptation is the fact that, somehow, against the odds, they’re starting to see the foundation of what could be a solid, young rotation.
Jose Soriano has taken a big step forward this year, and 22-year-old Walbert Ureña has come out of nowhere to appear like yet another building block for the starting staff. The temptation to add Bremner to the mix at some point in 2026 and have three real cornerstones is strong.
But if the cost is a half-baked arm that might be forced to relief work on the strength of having only one plus pitch, then it isn’t worth the potential reward. Best to let Bremner marinate slowly and look to some point in 2027 as the time he can join the big league starters. At that point, the Angels might have the three-headed monster they’ve long desired.
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