Spring training is one of the best times to get a sense of what a team has coming. If you’re paying close attention, you can spot a player long before the rest of the baseball world catches on.
Every team has a prospect or two worth watching. The Angels, for example, were pretty rough in 2025, but that comes with some nice pieces in the pipeline. It’s not hard for fans to look ahead a year or two and find a reason for optimism.
Spring is also when teams focus more on process than results. The game results don’t matter, and nobody is worried about giving anything away. It’s a chance to evaluate the bigger picture. If something isn’t working, there’s time to dig into the why, not just the what.
So if you’re looking for the next breakout arm, here are some AL West pitching prospects to watch this spring.
Tyler Bremner, Los Angeles Angels
Given how much the Angels invested in Bremner, they need this pick to pay off. He was expected to go later than No. 2 overall in the 2025 draft, mainly because he hasn’t developed a breaking pitch yet. Bremner was projected as a first-round talent, but his development didn’t quite match that draft slot. His fastball and changeup are major-league ready, but he’ll be working on adding a breaking ball this spring.
How quickly he develops that pitch will determine how soon he reaches Anaheim. The Angels could use quality pitching, but they don’t want to rush him when they’re not in a competitive window anyway. Spring will show what Bremner needs to refine and how long that process might take. Fortunately for the Angels, in a tough division, time is the one thing they have.
Gage Jump, Athletics
For all of their off-field turmoil, the Athletics have positioned themselves well for the future. They have a pair of left-handed pitching prospects in Gage Jump and Jamie Arnold who could find themselves in whatever city the A’s are calling home by the end of 2027.
Jump is likely to arrive first, as he has already reached Double-A. He’s worth tracking now and profiles as a bat-misser. He averaged a strikeout per inning at Double-A Midland last year and has built a solid four-pitch mix.
He’ll most likely open the season in Triple-A, but a strong spring could accelerate that timetable.
Hudson Leach, Houston Astros
With the Astros in win-now mode, there isn’t much in the pipeline. But Leach offers something different, the ability to change speeds, which hasn’t always been a strength for Houston’s pitchers. He hit 98 on the radar gun in his most recent outing, and his rapid rise through the system shows how highly the organization views him.
Leach finished last season with Triple-A Sugar Land, and the fact he’s still in the organization is a strong sign the Astros have plans for him. Houston hasn’t hesitated to move prospects if it helps the major league club, so his presence says something. Leach looks like a good bet to either break camp with the big-league team or join it by early summer.
Kade Anderson, Seattle Mariners
The Mariners’ top pick in the 2025 draft has Seattle fans excited about what could be coming in 2026. Anderson didn’t pitch in the minors last year after leading LSU to a national title, so the organization may choose to be cautious with him.
That said, the 21-year-old already looks like a future frontline arm. He brings four strong pitches and emerged as the top college pitcher in the country as a sophomore. His presence in big-league camp shows the Mariners are at least willing to evaluate whether he can help them take the next step.
Most likely, he opens the season in the minors and arrives later in the year if he performs as expected.
Caden Scarborough, Texas Rangers
Another high-strikeout starter, Scarborough is likely one pitch away from making the jump to the majors. That said, he turns just 21 in April, so the Rangers have plenty of time to let him develop.
He fanned 114 hitters in 88 innings last season at High-A Hub City, and the Rangers will likely challenge him at Double-A or Triple-A before considering a call-up. The key areas to watch are whether he can add another pitch and whether he can be more consistent with his fastball.
When Scarborough misses bats, he’s dominant. When hitters make contact, he runs into trouble. Opponents hit over .300 against him on balls in play, something he’ll need to clean up in a division with plenty of power.
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