Angels? minor league system is getting deeper

The Angels’ development of impact position players still lags far behind the progress shown by pitching prospects, but there appears to be hope on the horizon for the team’s farm system. Rated 26th in Baseball America’s 2010 organizational rankings and 25th in 2009, the Angels moved up to 16th in the magazine’s 2011 rankings, which will be published Wednesday. Two other news outlets think even more highly of the Angels, who did not have a first-round pick in three of the four drafts from 2005 to 2008 but restocked their system with six of the top 100 picks in each of the last two drafts. AOL FanHouse recently ranked the Angels sixth among the 30 major league teams, and ESPN.com ranked them eighth. The emergence of 19-year-old center fielder Mike Trout, rated baseball’s top overall prospect by several websites, has helped push the Angels up the charts. A glance at the Angels’ top prospects after Trout:

Bats

Hank Conger (C): The 23-year-old switch-hitter, slowed by shoulder injuries in his first three years, hit .300 with 11 home runs and 49 runs batted in for triple-A Salt Lake in 2010. The Angels love his power, but he probably will need another year behind the plate at Salt Lake before he challenges for the starting job.

Jean Segura (2B): Scouts describe the speedy 20-year-old as a Howie Kendrick type -- good size, very physical, good power with a compact swing and good bat control -- and he is strong enough defensively that he might move to shortstop. He hit .313 with 10 homers and 79 RBIs for Class-A Cedar Rapids in 2010.

Mark Trumbo (1B): The 25-year-old’s path to the big leagues is blocked by Kendry Morales, but Trumbo’s power -- he hit .301 with 36 homers and 122 RBIs at Salt Lake in 2010 -- could force the Angels to find a spot for him by next season. He had one hit in 15 at-bats after a September call-up last season.

Kaleb Cowart (3B): Chosen 18th overall in last June’s draft, the 18-year-old, who signed for $2.3 million, has excellent bat speed and power potential. After playing only 26 games last summer, Baseball America tabbed the switch-hitter as having the best infield arm in the Angels’ system.

Arms

Jordan Walden (RH): The 23-year-old, whose fastball hits 99 mph regularly, rebounded from a 2009 season marred by a strained elbow ligament and reached the big leagues in late August. A 2.35 earned-run average, 23 strikeouts and seven walks in 151/3 innings should earn him a big league job this season.

Tyler Chatwood (RH): The 21-year-old, who went a combined 12-9 with a 2.71 ERA, 106 strikeouts and 63 walks at Class-A Rancho Cucamonga and double-A Arkansas in 2010, has a low-90s fastball, a sharp curveball, a two-seam fastball with good sinking action and an improved changeup.

Garrett Richards (RH): The 22-year-old had a 6.57 ERA in three seasons at Oklahoma but has improved his command drastically as a pro, going a combined 12-5 with a 3.52 ERA, 149 strikeouts and 43 walks for Cedar Rapids and Rancho Cucamonga in 2010. He has a low-90s fastball, slider and overhand curveball.

Cam Bedrosian (RH): The 19-year-old son of 1987 National League Cy Young Award winner Steve Bedrosian was a first-round pick last June, and he was shut down in August because of a sore elbow. His fastball sits in the 94-mph range and, like his dad, he has a power slider.

mike.digiovanna@latimes.com