Glaus Gives Team Glimpse of the Future

Manager Terry Collins peered into the future Sunday and had no complaints about the view.

Troy Glaus, who could be the Angels’ third baseman as early as next year, obliterated a Mark Brownson fastball in the fourth inning, smashing a 420-foot home run over the left-field wall during the Angels’ 6-4 exhibition victory over the Colorado Rockies at Hi Corbett Field.

It was the first of what the Angels believe will be many home runs for Glaus, the 6-foot-5, 225-pounder who was the third overall pick in the 1997 draft out of UCLA.

“That was a bomb, a legitimate home run,” Collins said. “He’s a good-looking player with good reactions at third base. He’ll get stronger, but he creates back spin on the ball and has a natural lift for great power.”

Glaus has been tabbed as another can’t-miss prospect, a label that comes with a certain degree of pressure, but you’d hardly know it talking to the 21- year old.

“I probably have the least amount of pressure of anyone here,” said Glaus, who also impressed Collins with a 4.3-second time to first base on a grounder. “A lot of these guys are trying to make this team. I know I’m not going to make the team, so I just want to show the coaches what I can do.”

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Omar Olivares, whose role may be limited to long relief after the Jack McDowell signing, threw two hitless innings, striking out one and walking one.

“I know it’s early in the spring, but he had good life on his pitches, he hit his spots and moved the ball around well,” Collins said. “That’s why we got him. He throws the ball over the plate.”

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The Angels moved first baseman Chris Pritchett to the outfield this spring, believing the ability to play another position, along with his potent left-handed bat, would increase his chances of making the team.

Pritchett had a rocky day in left Sunday, dropping Neifi Perez’s third-inning drive to the wall and then bobbling it as he tried to pick it up for two errors. He also failed to make the play on Ellis Burks’ catchable fourth-inning triple.

But at least Pritchett had a healthy outlook on his performance. “I have nowhere to go but up after that start,” he said. “I appreciate this opportunity, but I’ve got to keep improving and show by the end of spring that I’m an adequate outfielder.”

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McDowell, signed as a free agent last week, will throw a simulated game Wednesday and is scheduled to make his Angel debut next Sunday against the Arizona Diamondbacks in Tempe.