Dana already had a commit to the Univ. of Kentucky before 2022, his senior year at Don Bosco Prep High School in Ramsey, NJ.

Don Bosco Prep in New Jersey has had 11 players drafted in school history, but none have made it to the big leagues and no one from the high school program has been selected since 2012.

Caden, a big, strong, hard-throwing right-hander, hopes to change that after throwing well at summer showcase events like Perfect Game National and matching up against top high school pitching prospect Dylan Lesko at the 2022 National High School Invitational.

July 2022: The Angels chose Dana in the 11th round, out of Don Bosco Prep High in Ramsey, NJ. And he signed for $!.5 million, via scout Drew Dominguez. 

In 2023, the Baseball America Prospect Handbook rated Caden as the 13th-best prospect in the Angels' organization. He moved up to #3 early in 2024. And he was the Angels #1 prospect in the spring of 2025.

The Halos' No. 1 prospect has been exceptional this season, earning a spot as the only Angel to play in the Futures Game. He was the first man in relief on Saturday for the American League, entering in the top of the 3rd inning with no score.

Quickly, he surrendered a solo home run to Cam Collier, the Cincinnati Reds' No. 3 prospect. Collier's long ball was the eventual game-winning run, which handed Dana the loss.

Aug 9, 2024: Not many 11th-round picks sign seven-figure bonuses. Not many pitching prospects throw complete games before they can legally drink. But then again, Caden Dana isn’t like most prospects. And he’s spent much of this season showing why.

The latest example came when Dana’s latest strong start paved the way for Double-A Rocket City’s 7-5 win over Birmingham at Toyota Field. In his second consecutive scoreless outing since throwing a 10-strikeout, nine-inning complete game, the No. 1 Angels prospect struck out five over 6⅔ innings.

"Feeling good right now," Dana said. "I'm throwing pitches with conviction instead of just throwing them to throw them. There is actually meaning behind what I'm doing."

Those outings are just part of an impressive run of starts for MLB's No. 88 overall prospect stretching back to the beginning of last month. He sports a 1.87 ERA and a stellar 39-4 strikeout-to-walk ratio in his last five outings. All told, Dana is 7-7 with a 2.75 ERA and 127 strikeouts in 118 innings at Double-A, where he is more than four years younger than his average competition.

The Angels went tenfold over slot to sign Dana for $1.5 million in 2022 after he fell to the 11th round due to a commitment to Kentucky. They eased him into pro ball that summer and limited him to more traditional usage in his first full season.

This year, the gloves have come off. Dana threw 105 pitches, going over the 100-pitch mark for the fifth time this season. Unlike most 20-year-olds, he's spent the year learning how to maintain that level of success while keeping his body fresh and recovering properly in the time between long outings. "I'm just trying not to be stupid," he said. "I'm a big gym rat, and I can easily get carried away in the weight room and do something stupid. So I try not to sometimes. The whole recovery process is about being smart, knowing how your body handles things and taking it day by day."

Aug 30, 2024: What to expect from Angels' Dana when he makes his MLB Debut on Sept 1, 2024.

Los Angeles is promoting MLB Pipeline’s No. 73 overall prospect Caden Dana for his Major League debut against the Mariners.

The move comes only two years after the Halos selected Dana in the 11th round of the 2022 Draft out of a New Jersey high school. His $1.5 million signing bonus (well above the $125,000 assigned to picks beyond the 10th round in that year’s process) spoke more to Los Angeles’ belief in the right-hander, and that’s been backed up by his quick ascent to Anaheim.

Per the Angels, Dana, who will turn 21 on Dec. 17, will become the club’s youngest pitcher since Francisco Rodriguez in 2002 and the youngest pitcher to start a game since Frank Tanana in 1973. The hurler will also be the second-youngest active Major Leaguer upon his arrival; only Brewer Jackson Chourio is younger.

Dana has been arguably the most successful pitcher at Double-A this season over his 23-start run with Rocket City. He leads the level with 147 strikeouts and a 0.94 WHIP and ranks second with a 2.52 ERA, 135 2/3 innings and a .184 average-against. His 27.4 percent K rate sits seventh among 50 Double-A qualifiers. Like many Angels prospects, he skipped right over Triple-A Salt Lake and one of the game’s most hitter-friendly environments in the Pacific Coast League.

From a stuff perspective, Dana typically sits around 93-95 mph with his fastball and has touched as high as 97 this summer at Double-A. Thrown from a three-quarters delivery, the heater has some arm-side movement that will run in on righties. Dana relies heavily on the pitch, throwing it more than half the time.

His mid-80s slider has been his most-used secondary pitch -- an offering with depth that dips below bats and generates whiffs against batters from both sides. Per Synergy Sports, batters have whiffed on 41 percent of their swings against Dana sliders in 2024 and have swung at the pitch 40 percent of the time when it’s been outside the zone, strengthening the belief that it could be a plus pitch. However, some evaluators see promise in Dana’s mid-80s changeup as a pitch with adequate separation off the fastball and decent fade.

The cambio, which averages below 1,600 rpm of spin, partly explains why Dana has limited lefties to a .149 average and .164 slugging percentage over 229 plate appearances at Double-A this season. It could be a pitch that sees more usage in the Majors as the Angels work with Dana on becoming more than a fastball-slider type.

He also shows an upper-70s, 12-to-6 curveball that can get really loopy and often misses the zone, making it a fourth pitch in terms of quality.

Dana is efficient because of his willingness to go right after batters without putting too much effort or strain into his delivery. However, he can be prone to giving up flyball contact (45.5 percent of the time in ‘24), and he can be especially hittable when he catches too much of the zone. 

MLB debut (Sept. 1, 2024): Dana became the youngest player to pitch for the Angels since Francisco Rodriguez in 2002. He’s the youngest to start a game since Frank Tanana in 1973.

And he is the youngest pitcher in franchise history to win his MLB debut.

In 2024, Caden was the Angels Minor League Player of the Year.

Dana said he felt strong all season thanks to changes in his winter workout regimen, which he instituted with the help of Guardians reliever and family friend James Karinchak, and a modified diet.

Dana has stopped eating at restaurants. He travels with a portable grill and cooks for himself on the road, his diet consisting primarily of proteins like steak and ground beef, along with fruit.

“I’m stronger than ever,” Dana said. “Every day, I wake up and tell myself that I’m ready to take on anything they ask me to do.” (Mike DiGiovanna - Baseball America - Nov. 2024)

Dana has a 91-96 mph FASTBALL with heavy bore, a high spin rate and 55 grade. His 76-80 mph 12-to-6 CURVEBALL spins at 2,300 to 2,500 rpm. So it is an impressive 50 grade with its sharp break, depth and 12-to-6 drop from his high arm slot. There are times where it pops up out of his hand and it becomes easier for hitters to pick up, but it has tight rotation and projects as an out pitch.

Caden introduced a tight SLIDER into his mix. It's typically in the 83-87 mph range, grading 60. He shows an 86-87 mph CHANGEUP that is a tad below average 45 grade pitch, lacking consistency. His Control is 50 grade.

While Dana might look like Noah Syndergaard in terms of his frame and hair style, he doesn’t profile as the same kind of pure-power pitcher, though he has plenty of now stuff. His fastball sits at 94 mph, topping out at 96 mph, with good riding life to it. His slider has really taken off in pro ball and it’s now a plus pitch with depth that elicited a 41-percent miss rate in Double-A last year, according to Synergy. His changeup continues to make strides and could eventually be an average offering, and he still has the slower, upper-70s curve that he featured more in high school.

In his two years of pro ball, Dana has registered solid in-zone rates, but his strike-throwing took a very nice step forward in 2024 and his walk rate tumbled. He’s strong and athletic, so he should be able to keep trending upward in terms of repeating his delivery and commanding his arsenal, pointing to a long career as a No. 3 type starter. (MLB Pipeline - Spring 2025)

Caden has taken strides towards becoming a mid-rotation workhorse with a four-pitch arsenal. He pitches aggressively off his 93-96 mph fastball that he can backspin to create above-average carry—up to 18 inches of induced vertical break—with its natural spin characteristics. Dana added a slider to his arsenal in 2024, and he made it firmer over the summer to turn it into an above-average swing-and-miss weapon with depth and sweep that he can blend into a cutter in the mid 80s. He can miss bats against both righties and lefties with his slider.

He shows inconsistent feel for his mid-70s vertical curveball and mid-80s, low-action changeup, with the former being the better of the pair as a fringe breaker he throws to lefthanded hitters. Dana has a repeatable low-effort delivery with plus arm strength and a strong, durable frame which aid his strike-throwing and ability to hold velocity. He is an advanced strategist on the mound who can mix and command his fastball/slider combo, with the ability to regain his touch quickly after getting sporadic for a pitch or two. He will need to improve the life and feel of changeup and/or curveball to give him three average or better pitches and build faith in his mid rotation upside. (Taylor Ward - Baseball America Prospect Handbook - Spring, 2025)

Dana is polished for a high school pitcher, especially one from a cold-weather state, already showing that he has an idea of what he wants to do on the mound. He has the potential for a three, or maybe four, pitch mix. His fastball averaged around 94 mph and topped out at 96 in 2023 and it’s not hard to see his 6-foot-4 frame and dream of more consistent velocity to come. He entered pro ball as a curveball guy, and he still has it, but his focus has turned to a slider with depth which has the chance to be an above-average pitch. He’s still working on the changeup, and it’s clearly his fourth pitch coming off a year that was fastball-slider heavy.

He has elicited comps to Noah Syndergaard both for his frame and his hair. For someone his size, he does a decent job staying around the zone and strike-throwing shouldn’t be an obstacle in the future. The gloves could come off a bit in 2024, and especially if his stuff ticks up, he can reach his ceiling as a mid-rotation starter. (Spring 2024) 

Caden is a physical, 6-foot-4 righthander who has taken a step forward toward his midrotation upside. With an uncanny ability to backspin his fastball, he added carry to its natural high spin while sitting 93-95 mph and touching 97. It’s a swing-and-miss weapon for Dana, who improved his arm strength to hold velocity through outings.

He added a mid-80s slider in pro ball that is now his best off-speed offering with good sweep and depth that hitters from both sides of the plate swung through. He uses his curveball against lefthanders in lieu of his changeup. It is a high-spin breaker that he sometimes struggles to feel.

His fading changeup was believed to be his best future off-speed offering, though he barely used it in 2023. Dana has advanced ability to regain feel for his pitches when his command lapses. An easy operator on the mound, he works in and out of the zone well with a build and physicality for long-term rotation projection. Dana has the ingredients to be an innings-eating No. 4 starter. He needs to continue building his workload, adding touch to his repertoire and getting comfortable in different situations. (Taylor Ward - BA Prospect - Spring, 2024)

Dana has the chance to have a power arsenal, with a fastball that gets up to the mid-90s regularly and can touch a bit higher and velocity he’s shown he can hold deep into starts. His mid-70s curve is a hard downer that has the potential to be a plus pitch, especially if he can command it better. He’s shown a little feel for a changeup, but like with a lot of prep power arms, he didn’t need it much in high school.

For a big teenaged right-hander, Dana does a solid job of being around the zone, with decent fastball command, and when he stays on top of the breaking ball, it’s an out pitch. He needs reps and pro instruction to add polish to go along with his power arsenal and physicality. If it all clicks, he could pitch in the middle of a big league rotation in the future. (BA - Spring 2023)

Caden has a strong, 6-foot-4 frame and power stuff. He throws his high-spin fastball at 91-95 mph and holds his velocity and command deep into starts. His best secondary is a high-spin, downer curveball in the mid 70s with a high arc and late vertical drop. The pitch flashes plus potential, but he’ll need to locate it and stay on top of it better to make it more consistent. Dana rounds out his arsenal with a firm, mid-80s changeup with late fade that is fringy but improving and a developing slider that is below-average. Dana has a clean and repeatable delivery, but his control is inconsistent.

Dana needs to refine his general command and arsenal, but already has polish and the present frame of a potential back-of-the-rotation starter. (Taylor Blake Ward - Baseball America Prospect Handbook - Spring, 2023)

The two main things that stand out about Dana are his size and his arm strength. Dana has been up to 95 mph consistently this spring and touched higher than that in shorter stints last summer, showing the ability to hold his velocity deep into outings. His fastball can straighten out at times, and his ability to land his curve -- a hard downer thrown around 75-76 mph that flashes plus -- for strikes more consistently will keep hitters from cheating on the fastball. He does have a changeup, but it will need work at the next level.

Dana tends to command his fastball pretty well, and when he’s on top and out front with his breaking ball, it’s a real bat-misser. But like with a lot of young power pitchers, his command will need refinement.  (Spring 2022)

In 2022, Caden dropped his arm slot slightly to be less over the top. (BA - July 2022)

Caden's stuff just freezes hitters.

When Dana is landing his curveball, he’s plenty of trouble for hitters of either handedness, and his fastball racks up whiffs whether or not he is spotting the pitch with precision.

2023 Season: Dana, ranked as the club’s No. 2 prospect, posted a combined 3.56 ERA with 89 strikeouts in 68 1/3 innings across Single-A Inland Empire and High-A Tri-City. Dana, 19, has the look of a frontline starter and was one of the youngest players to reach the High-A level this season. But he made his final start of the season on July 15, when he was dealing with general fatigue and the organization was watching his workload. (Rhett Bollinger - Oct. 9, 2023)

Dana was impressive in his Sept. 1, 2024, MLB debut. "I think he knows he can pitch in the big leagues,” Washington said after Dana allowed two runs in six innings against the Mariners on Sept. 1, “and there’s a lot of growth left.”

That was clearly evident during Dana’s second start, when he grooved far too many pitches while allowing five runs and seven hits, including three home runs, in one inning against the Rangers.

The shellacking did little to detract from a season in which Dana established himself as one of baseball’s top pitching prospects.

Dana took a significant leap forward in 2024 thanks to the development of a mid-80s changeup and low-70s curveball that he added to his 94 mph fastball and 85 mph slider.

“Having command of all four pitches has been huge,” Dana said. “Last year, I used two pitches in most outings, maybe three some days, but now I have each one in the back pocket, and I can let the moment dictate what I throw.” (Mike DiGiovanna - Baseball America - Nov. 2024)

2024 Season:  MiLB Stats (AA): 135.2 IP | 2.52 ERA | 27.4 K% | 7.3 BB%

2024 MLB Stats: 10.1 IP | 9.58 ERA | 15.4 K% | 13.5 BB%

Caden Dana entered the 2022 draft with a strong commitment to the University of Kentucky that many felt was unbreakable. The Angels took him in the 11th round and convinced him to join the organization. Since, Dana has been (to the surprise of nobody) pushed aggressively through the minor leagues. Dana entered last year having never pitched above High-A but still managed to make his way to the major leagues.

He skipped Triple-A entirely, but it is fair to question whether all of this was best for his development. After pitching well in his major league debut, Dana was shelled in each of his other two starts. He struggled with command as he walked seven and gave up five home runs in just 10.1 innings of work.

Dana is primarily a two-pitch pitcher. He relies heavily on his four-seam fastball and slider while mixing in a changeup and curve on occasion. His fastball was the pitch that got him in trouble. Dana has good induced vertical break on the pitch, but lacks premier velocity. Four of the five homers he surrendered were off the fastball. His slider is a plus offering with good movement and dive down in the zone. He commands it well and gets plenty of whiffs on it.

Dana profiles as a back-end starter with some upside from his slider. He works deep into games creating a stable base. A lack of faith in the organization to successfully develop his command dampens the excitement surrounding him moving forward. (Matt Heckman - Jan. 2025 - Pitchers List)

2025 Season: Although the numbers don’t show much success for Caden Dana in his second stint as a major league starter, the way he handled himself gave Angels interim manager Ray Montgomery reason to believe the 21-year-old right-hander is going in the right direction.

“Number one, the comfort in his skin being here,” Montgomery said when asked about what has changed since he first reached the majors a year ago. “This is a very daunting thing. We forget what this is for guys at a young age, because when you have a taste of success, it doesn’t guarantee you the next day of success. It doesn’t even guarantee you the next day, period. It’s really hard for guys to put their feet planted on the ground firmly and feel like they belong.”

“I think I learned a lot, and I feel like I can take a lot away from it,” Dana said. “I think in the aspects of pitching and carrying myself, I’m a lot more mature this year than I was last year. Just learning the game, reading swings. You know, being up here has helped a lot, and it’s helped me grow in the right direction.”

“Talking to him in Kansas City, when he came back up, he had a sense of like, this feels like if I was pitching (in high school),” Montgomery said. “This feels like if I was pitching at Double-A. This feels like pitching. That, to me, is a very big statement for a young starter to make and understand where he is.”

Dana made three starts in September. The final two were so rough that he was sent back to the minors before the month ended. 

“Going into spring training and his offseason, it will be completely different,” Montgomery said. “He doesn’t feel like he’s striving to get somewhere. He is somewhere, and now it’s just going to get better.”  (Jeff Fletcher | jlfletcher@scng.com | Orange County Register - Sept 28, 2025)