LA Angels Tuesday News Crash: Designate Drew

Nate Snead had his best outing today since being called up to the AA Trash Pandas.

His first three starts, it was obvious that his approach of just filling up the strike zone and pitching to contact wasn’t going to play as easily with advanced AA hitters. When his sinker is well-located, he can get regular groundball outs, but mature hitters punish every hung breaker and lace line drives all over the field. It’s still plus command, but sequencing and placement become so much more critical with patient bats.

Today, Snead gave up a solo home run on his very first AB of the game, then proceeded to keep the Montgomery Biscuits hitless for six innings. A single walk in the fifth inning was the only baserunner they’d see. He threw only 69 pitches (43 strikes), showing some of the efficiency we saw in High-A, and which quickly earned him a promotion to Rocket City.

The Angels have had a good three year run in the Dominican Summer League, making the quarterfinals each year, and winning their division in 2024 and 2025. In 2024 they made it all the way to the finals, falling two games to one to the DSL Red Sox. There are 51 teams in the Dominican, so this is no small feat!

The 2026 season opened up two weeks ago, and the DSL Angels have taken up where they left off. The team lost their first game, but haven’t lost again since, rattling off ten straight victories for the longest streak in the league. And their 10-1 record is tied with KC’s club for the best mark in the 51 team league.

It’s been all offense on the island, but ironically, it hasn’t been driven by bonus baby Jeyson Horton, who has been slumping badly out of the gate. Instead it’s the top of the order on the DSL Angels. Their lefty leadoff threat Juan Cespedes is broadly known as arguably the fastest kid on the island, 70 grade wheels, and he’s already stolen FIFTEEN bags (in 45 plate appearances) to lead the league. Combine that with a .571 OBP and you can see why the club is top four in the league in runs and steals (#2 with 44).

Another follow is 3B Cesar Paredes, who at 18, in his second year, clearly wants off the island. He has roared to a big start this season, hitting .429/.564/.964, and currently leads all DSL hitters in OPS, with four HRs in his first nine appearances.

Can the Angels stretch their win streak to eleven today? Action starts at 8am Pacific.