Angels News: Can Top Pitching Prospect Ben Joyce Make the Opening Day Roster?

Angels prospect Ben Joyce, drafted last summer out of Tennessee, is turning heads in spring training and making a push for the Opening Day roster.

Last summer, the Angels drafted Tennessee relief pitcher Ben Joyce in the third round. Prior to the draft, RJ Anderson had listed Joyce as the most polarizing player available, with "polarizing" being defined as "that there's not a consensus on when they should be selected due to some facet (or facets) of their game." For Joyce, the polarizing facet was that he's a relief pitcher, and "there's never been a consensus on how early is too early to take a reliever."

Immediately after the draft, Joyce joined the Double-A Rocket City Trash Pandas in Madison, Alabama, where he pitched 13 innings and struck out 20 with just four walks, posting a 2.08 ERA in his pro debut. Now, as spring training gets rolling, the question surrounding Joyce has morphed into a new one: Will he make the Halos' Opening Day roster?

As Jeff Fletcher reports in the Orange County Register, that is a real possibility. Infielder Andrew Velazquez took live batting practice against Joyce on Monday, and he came away impressed.

“He’s ready for The Show right now,” Velazquez said. “That’s some of the nastiest stuff you’re going to see. Not only that, but he knows where it’s going, knows how to use it. He’s throwing 100 in his first live (batting practice). What does that tell you? What would he do in a big-league stadium to close out a game, or in a big inning?”

That command Velazquez alludes to was noted by Los Angeles manager Phil Nevin, too.

“Yesterday was pretty electric,” Nevin said of Joyce’s live BP. “Not sure he threw a fastball under 100. And he was locating. We moved him in and out and he hit the glove. (Catcher Max Stassi) came back raving about him.”

Without being asked, Nevin followed up by answering the next obvious question: Could he make the team?

“We’re going to take the best guys,” Nevin said. “We showed that last year. We were still in the hunt when we brought up (Chase) Silseth to make some starts. I’ve made that message clear to a lot of these guys that were either drafted last year the year before. We’re not afraid to bring somebody young and throw them right into the fire. And he’s certainly a guy that’s in that conversation.”

The 6-foot-5 righty is already 22 years old, so age and maturity aren't really an issue. And he's soaking up the big-league spring training experience.

Joyce said he’s been talking to as many coaches and veteran relievers as he can to try to soak up whatever knowledge they can impart.

“I feel like I’m learning something new every day,” he said. “I’m talking to analytical guys every chance I get. Just trying to get any edge I can. It’s a lot of information. And I’m here to take it all in.”

He told MLB.com's Rhett Bollinger that his goal is to get to the big leagues this season.

"That's a big goal of mine, just trying to make an impact as soon as possible," Joyce said. "Definitely the faster I can get up there, the better for me. I think I'm ready to try to make an impact this year."

Will we see Joyce at Angel Stadium when the season starts? It's looking more and more like a real possibility.