Five Of Angels Top-30 Prospects Highlight Bees Early Season Roster

SALT LAKE CITY – Los Angeles Angels announced five top-30 prospects will begin the season on the Salt Lake Bees Opening Day roster.

The Bees announced their roster prior to opening the season on the road against the Tacoma Rainiers on Tuesday, April 5.

Starters Janson Junk (No. 11), Davis Daniel (No. 13), Ryan Smith (No. 26), reliever Elvis Peguero (No. 28) and infielder Brendon Davis (No. 22) all made the MLBpipeline.com top-30 list.

2022 Opening Day Roster🐝 #saltlakebees #happyopeningday pic.twitter.com/okM1Vp0QDU

— Salt Lake Bees (@SaltLakeBees) April 5, 2022

No. 11 prospect- Starting Pitcher: Janson Junk

Junk got a cup of coffee with the Angels late in 2021 when he made four starts, ending the season with an 0-1 record. He finished with a 3.86 earned run average across 16.1 innings pitched. He allowed 20 hits and seven earned runs but was plagued by five home runs allowed.

A 5.40 earned run average in five innings of action in Spring Training made it clear that Junk was not in the Angels early season plans.

As the Bees Opening Day starter, he allowed five hits and two runs in just 3.2 innings pitched against the Rainiers.

No. 13 prospect- Starting Pitcher: Davis Daniel

Daniel has been drafted three times in his career, finally beginning his professional career after the Angels selected him in the seventh round of the 2019 MLB draft out of Auburn University.

Here's where @Angels Top 30 prospects are starting the season: https://t.co/MujtZQC9PQ pic.twitter.com/1FX6KMEfgR

— MLB Pipeline (@MLBPipeline) April 8, 2022

After not pitching during the 2020 season, Daniel began 2021 at Class-A+ Tri City and progressed to making five appearances and starting four games for the Bees at the end of the season. He finished with a 10.29 earned run average due mainly to struggles with keeping the ball in the ball park. Daniel gave up seven home runs with the Bees and 15 home runs for the season.

No. 22 prospect- Infielder: Brendon Davis

Brendon Davis with an RBI single to give AAA Salt Lake a 13-1 lead pic.twitter.com/CvWwgHM537

— Angels MiLB (@AngelsMiLB) April 8, 2022

The only position player on the list, Davis was a 2015 fifth-round pick of the Los Angeles Dodgers. Now with the crosstown Angels, Davis advance from the A+ Tri-City level to Triple-A where he saw 117 at-bats with the Bees.

In 31 games with Salt Lake, Davis hit for a .333 average with eight home runs and eight doubles to go along with 25 runs batted in.

Playing third base in 2022, Davis already has two runs batted in while going five for 12 at the plate.

No. 26 prospect- Starting Pitcher: Ryan Smith

Drafted by the Angels in the 18th round of the 2019 MLB draft out of Princeton, Smith is returning to the Bees after starting five games for Salt Lake in 2021.

A fast riser in the Angels system, Smith began 2021 with the Angels Class-A Inland Empire 66ers and saw action across four levels of minor league baseball in less than five months. With the Bees, Smith saw his earned run average jump to 8.46 in 22.1 innings as he struggled with command by allowing 11 walks.

Smith (0-1) was knocked around a bit in his first start of the season as he allowed four runs on five hits while striking out five and walking two in 4.1 innings.

No 28 prospect- Relief Pitcher: Elvis Peguero

Elvis is bringing the 🔥🔥🔥 pic.twitter.com/OBmhEdUD9W

— Salt Lake Bees (@SaltLakeBees) April 7, 2022

A new addition to the Angels top-30 list, Peguero became the 22,500th player in major league history when he debuted for Los Angeles in August of 2021. Similar to Smith, Peguero never had time to get comfortable in the 2021 season as he say playing time at four different levels.

Peguero pitched in three games for the Angels. In 2.1 innings, he allowed seven hits and three walks while giving up seven earned runs.

In a single two-inning appearance, Peguero (1-0) got the win after allowing one run while striking out five hitters.

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