RANCHO CUCAMONGA, Calif. — The Rancho Cucamonga Quakes opened Media Day with a strong sense of optimism, as several of the Los Angeles Angels\u2019 top prospects detailed their offseason progress and readiness for the 2026 season.<\/p>\n
Right-hander Dylan Jordan (No. 11 prospect) made it clear that his approach on the mound is rooted in consistency and intent. \u201cI think the biggest thing is just having intention with every throw and every pitch,\u201d Jordan said. \u201cI don\u2019t take any throw off\u2026 everything is done with a purpose.\u201d That mindset has played a major role in his ability to throw strikes, something he continues to emphasize in every aspect of his preparation.<\/p>\n
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As he transitions into a full season with Rancho Cucamonga, Jordan is focused on refining his secondary pitches. \u201cMy fastball is in a good place right now, but just being consistent with throwing strikes with all my off-speed pitches\u2026 that\u2019s the biggest thing for me,\u201d he said. He added that developing his changeup has required a more aggressive in-game approach: \u201cThe main goal is to just be throwing it a lot in games\u2026 so they can respect that pitch.\u201d<\/p>\n
Jordan also pointed to his experience with Spring Training as a key stepping stone. \u201cFacing those type of hitters\u2026 I think it gets me well prepared to throw in regular-season games,\u201d he said. With Opening Day approaching, his excitement is evident: \u201cI can\u2019t be more excited to start the season.\u201d<\/p>\n
Trey Gregory-Alford (No. 10 prospect) brings a unique perspective, having developed as a pitcher in Colorado. \u201cBeing in Colorado\u2026 it was definitely different growing up,\u201d he said, noting how the high elevation impacted pitch movement. Now pitching in California, he\u2019s already seeing a difference: \u201cThere is some noticeable differences in the off-speed\u2026 it\u2019s a lot more sharper. You get better break.\u201d<\/p>\n
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Gregory-Alford emphasized that his offseason was centered on durability and preparation. \u201cThis whole offseason was more about\u2026 getting my body prepared,\u201d he explained. \u201cWhat you do in the offseason\u2026 really determines how far you\u2019re going to make it in the season.\u201d He also stressed attacking hitters early, adding that nearly every bullpen session focused on getting ahead in counts.<\/p>\n
Like Jordan, Gregory-Alford is eager to begin the year. \u201cI can\u2019t wait\u2026 we get to be out here, play the game we love,\u201d he said. \u201cIt should be a fun year.\u201d<\/p>\n
Outfielder Lucas Ramirez, fresh off competing for Team Brazil in the World Baseball Classic, enters the season with confidence and gratitude. \u201cI\u2019m feeling great\u2026 I feel ready. I can\u2019t wait to start playing games,\u201d Ramirez said. His WBC experience served as a major milestone: \u201cI felt amazing\u2026 all my hard work was paying off, so I got to go show my abilities.\u201d<\/p>\n
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After advancing through multiple levels last season, Ramirez believes adversity helped shape his development. \u201cI got faced with adversity\u2026 and I think it helped me become a better hitter,\u201d he said. Looking ahead, he has clear goals in mind: \u201cHopefully\u2026 steal 20 bags, 20 bombs\u2026 but I\u2019m just trying to get better at the little things.\u201d<\/p>\n
He also reflected on the impact of representing Brazil on the international stage. \u201cThe experience was just amazing\u2026 they got a lot of talent. They got a lot of love for the game,\u201d Ramirez said.<\/p>\n
As the Quakes prepare for the season, the message from their young core is consistent – intentional work, steady development, and a deep excitement to compete.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"RANCHO CUCAMONGA, Calif. — The Rancho Cucamonga Quakes opened Media Day with a strong sense of optimism, as…\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":653542,"comment_status":"","ping_status":"","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[2390],"tags":[40216,291,71241,5,167,39,83594,527,1165,446,3223,774,56,3224,3222,78495,19693,4,39945,39136],"class_list":{"0":"post-653541","1":"post","2":"type-post","3":"status-publish","4":"format-standard","5":"has-post-thumbnail","7":"category-los-angeles-angels","8":"tag-2026-season","9":"tag-angels","10":"tag-anthony-arroyo","11":"tag-baseball","12":"tag-colorado","13":"tag-dodgers","14":"tag-dylan-jordan","15":"tag-jordan","16":"tag-la","17":"tag-la-angels","18":"tag-laangels","19":"tag-los-angeles","20":"tag-los-angeles-angels","21":"tag-losangeles","22":"tag-losangelesangels","23":"tag-lucas-ramirez","24":"tag-media-day","25":"tag-mlb","26":"tag-rancho-cucamonga","27":"tag-rancho-cucamonga-quakes"},"share_on_mastodon":{"url":"https:\/\/channels.im\/@mlb\/116321043585276003","error":""},"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.rawchili.com\/mlb\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/653541","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.rawchili.com\/mlb\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.rawchili.com\/mlb\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.rawchili.com\/mlb\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/2"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.rawchili.com\/mlb\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=653541"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.rawchili.com\/mlb\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/653541\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.rawchili.com\/mlb\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/653542"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.rawchili.com\/mlb\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=653541"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.rawchili.com\/mlb\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=653541"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.rawchili.com\/mlb\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=653541"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}