The Angels No. 5 prospect made his MLB debut that same day, going hitless in two at-bats against the Oakland Athletics.
It wouldn’t take him long to record his first MLB hit. On September 2, Paris launched a single to right field in the fifth inning. It was a moment that Paris will always remember. And what’s even better is that his family was there in attendance.
Kyren Paris takes a single the other way for his first MLB hit, and his family is THRILLED!
“It was a special moment; one that I’ve dreamed of,” Paris said in an mlb.com article. “And for it to come true — it’s special.”
He also stole a base in that game. So Paris got his first hit and stolen base in one game.
Angels manager Phil Nevin is really looking forward to seeing how the young players perform as the season is nearing an end.
“That’s what this is all about,” Nevin said. “We have some players up here getting some opportunities and being able to evaluate at this level for this length of a time, is not only great for us, but it’s valuable for them to get these at-bats and see these pitches and get these innings to see where they stand. Where we’re going with our future and the young core of players we have, we really like.”
Paris can now show the MLB world that he means business, and he has what it takes to play with other big leaguers.
“Just showing that I’m capable of playing here and making an impact, that’s my goal,” Paris said. “And helping the team win.”
The 21-year-old can have a promising future with the Angels at the shortstop position. There’s no question that Los Angeles sees something in Paris that they like. And he’s a player who can provide value to a big league team.
Paris was drafted back in 2019, and four years later he found himself playing in the majors. For some players, it takes much longer than four years to reach the league. But not for Paris.
His professional career started in 2019 with the Angels rookie team. He only played three games and hit .300. The California native would then play five games with the rookie team in 2021 and he hit .357 with a home run.
He was then called up to the single-A affiliate, Inland Empire and hit .274 with 18 RBI. After his time with Inland Empire, he played for high-A affiliate, Tri-City.
During the 2022 season, he was promoted to the double-A affiliate, Rocket City, who he would continue to play for this season before being called up to the big leagues.
In 268 minor league games, Paris has a .252 average with 30 home runs, 114 RBI and 99 stolen bases.
While the Angels playoff hopes may be out of reach this season, this is the perfect time to focus on the young prospects.
You better believe that Paris will leave it all out there on the field and he will look to give the Angels a good reason to keep him around going into the new season and in the future.
On Saturday, July 8 at 7:00 p.m. ET the next generation of MLB superstars will take the field at Seattle’s T-Mobile Park for the 2023 SiriusXM All-Star Futures Game.
This game has always been a showcase of the top young talent in baseball, and many participants have gone on to superstardom.
This year’s roster is loaded with young MLBbros waiting to burst onto the major league scene.
Here is a list of some Black players participating in Saturday’s showcase.
Harry Ford – C, Seattle Mariners
The 12th overall pick in the 2021 MLB draft, Ford is the top prospect in the Mariners’ farm system. He is currently ranked as the 48th prospect in baseball by MLB pipeline and No. 64 by Baseball America. He began to turn heads when he represented Great Britain in the World Baseball Classic and will look to join fellow black backstop Bo Naylor in the Bigs soon.
A 6th round pick in the 2021 MLB draft, third baseman Justyn-Henry Mallory was in line to join several other players who were born or played their college ball in Georgia to don a Braves uniform, but with Austin Riley signed long term he was eventually shipped to the Tigers.
He has an .844 OPS with 76 hits, 13 home runs and 50 RBI on the season and is expected to join the major league squad before the season is over.
Kyren Paris – SS/2B, Los Angeles Angels
A 2nd round pick in the 2019 MLB draft, Paris is hitting .234 with 11 home runs, 29 RBI, 20 stolen bases, 39 runs scored and 42 walks so far this season for the Angels minor league affiliate. A staple in the top third of the lineup, many have projected Paris to be a second baseman by the time he is ready for the majors.
While all the talk out of Oakland has been about their pending move to Sin City, Lawrence Butler has begun to turn heads as the latest young Athletics prospect to flash big league potential. He has risen to top 10 in their farm system after posting a .829 OPS with 10 home runs, 43 RBI and 50 runs scored so far this season.
Hence recently received the call up to Double-A after posting a 2-1 record with a 2.81 ERA this season in Peoria, Illinois. Last year he posted a 1.38 ERA in 16 starts with their then Single-A affiliate out in Palm Beach. The 63rd pick in the 2020 MLB Draft, Hence will be one of nine pitchers to represent the National League on Saturday.
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Massey is another future Black ace looking to put his talents on display in Seattle. A 7th round pick in the 2022 Mob draft, Opponents have struggled to make contact against the Chicago native this season, hitting just .221 against the righty.
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Bliss may be one of the smallest prospects in stature (He’s listed at 5’ 6, 165) but he has been prolific at the plate this season for the Diamondbacks Double-A affiliate. Bliss is slashing .349/.400/.586 with 12 home runs, 22 doubles and 4 triples and 163 total bases so far. He is expected to make his MLB debut in 2024.
BJ Murray, 3B, Chicago Cubs
Known by many as simply BJ, Bertram Gerard Alfonzo Murray Jr. could potentially add to the legacy of Bahamian MLBbros like current big leaguer Jazz Chisholm Jr. has done. Murray has hit 7 home runs and 17 doubles on the season while switch hitting for the Cubs Double-A affiliate.
Justin Crawford – OF, Philadelphia Phillies
The number 3 prospect in the Phillies pipeline, Crawford has flashed that same speed that helped his father Carl become a four-time MLB All Star and Gold Glove winner. The 19-year-old is currently hitting .338 with a .388 OBP and 33 stolen bases on the season. He has yet to hit a home run but has still managed to collect 10 doubles and 88 total bases.
Victor Scott II – CF, St Louis Cardinals
Victor Scott II is another young Black prospect in the Cardinals farm system looking to make a name for himself on the biggest stage. His numbers at the plate won’t blow you away, but his 52 stolen bases this season are certainly something that will catch your attention. With the rise of stolen bases given the new rules, a player with Scott’s speed could add another threat to the Cardinals lineup.
The Los Angeles Angels are looking to finally make a splash behind superstar outfielder Mike Trout. With the team sending a whopping 18 players (10 MLB, 8 minor league) including Trout and Japan’s Shohei Ohtani to this year’s World Baseball Classic, the team had to do something to fill out their spring training roster.
One of the players who benefitted from the shortage of manpower and was invited tup for the spring is highly-regarded 2019 second-round pick, Kyren Paris.
Drafted to be the Angels future shortstop or second baseman, the 21-year-old is right on track to reach his ceiling, and an opportunity like this is huge for his development. Paris has battled injuries, which caused some struggles early on in his development. But in August he was promoted to the Double-A Rocket City Trash Pandas after spending the entire 2021 and 2022 season with the High-A Tri-City Dust Devils.
Angels are inviting a bunch of prospects to MLB spring training.
Among the most notable: – Sam Bachman – Zach Neto – Jordyn Adams – Jeremiah Jackson – Edgar Quero (hadn’t played above Low A) – Kyren Paris – Ben Joyce – Luke Murphy – Eric Torres – Mason Erla – Victor Mederos https://t.co/uRnyp4pIhg
Paris Has Taken Advantage Of Spring Training Opportunity
Paris, a .250 hitter in three seasons of minor league ball, has hit at that same clip through spring training. But in a breakout five RBI performance, Paris brought his bat, going 2-4 with a two-run triple, a bases loaded walk and two-run double in the ninth. Paris’ bat accounted for five of the Angels 11 runs that day, and further proved why the franchise is so high on him being one of their best future infielders. He’s a potentially-explosive player with multiple tools.
Also possessing a great glove, and with the innate ability to wreak havoc on the base paths, the only thing holding Paris back is experience and more contact, which will come with that experience and seeing more MLB-level pitching daily.
As the Angels 10th-ranked prospect, if Paris continues on his trajectory, he’s expected to make his MLB debut in 2024. He and rising shortstop/second baseman Livan Soto will form a dynamic duo for the Angels. Soto got the call up last September, and Paris should be the next Angels infielder to receive that life-changing call.
Back in 2019, when the Angels chose Paris, it was as if his entire family, especially mom, Kimberly and dad LeJon had made it. All those sacrifices they made as parents paid off.
When his mother heard Kyren’s name called in the MLB Draft, mom told reporters this:
“It was a sense of complete bliss!” said his mother, Kimberly. “I was very happy that he had reached one of his lifelong goals. He has worked very hard to get to where he is today.”
“The biggest adjustment for the family is Kyren not being at home anymore,” mom added. He’s away doing what he loves to do. However, we get to talk to him every day via group chat and FaceTime.”
“The feeling was immense joy and excitement! He and I had worked very hard together to make this dream become a reality,” said LeJon.
Now that dream is becoming a reality and probably quicker than they thought. Paris’ spring performance has definitely placed him on the radar and possibly bolted him into contention to become an immediate part of the LA Angels’ future.
With young MLBbros such as Jo Adell and Paris, the Angles are looking to bring some Bros to the show, sooner than later.
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