Scouting Report

Scouting grades: Fastball: 55 | Curveball: 45 | Slider: 45 | Changeup: 55 | Control: 45 | Overall: 40

Costeiu’s work in relief at Arkansas in 2021 -- transferring there after two years at Sacramento City JC -- helped him land in the seventh round of the Angels’ all-pitching Draft. After a solid debut missing a ton of bats out of the bullpen after signing, he was given the chance to start with High-A Tri-City in his first full season, but his early success was cut short by an elbow injury in July that required Tommy John surgery, knocking him out for all of the 2023 season.

Though he’s a bit undersized, the 6-foot right-hander’s combination of stuff and feel for the strike zone has some evaluators thinking he has the chance to start. When he was stretched out, he was throwing his fastball in the 92-94 mph range, with good life and carry up in the zone thanks to high spin rates. His low-80s changeup flashes plus, a pitch that misses bats and gets weak contact. He entered pro ball with a big upper-70s curve, but he had started working on a slider that might be a better option long-term.

In his brief time starting, Costeiu did a very nice job of throwing his arsenal for strikes, leading to an impressive 4.26 K/BB ratio, which makes it tempting to exhaust the starting pitcher possibilities. But between his size and the elbow surgery, there are a lot of reliever profile signs here, and his stuff would tick up in shorter stints.

Scouting grades: Fastball: 55 | Curveball: 45 | Slider: 45 | Changeup: 50 | Control: 45 | Overall: 40

After two years at Sacramento City Junior College, Costeiu moved on to the University of Arkansas and missed a ton of bats pitching out of the Razorbacks bullpen. His arm strength was enough to land him in the seventh round of the 2021 Draft with the Angels. He struck out close to 16 per nine innings in his pro debut that summer, then got the chance to start with a move to High-A for his first full season. He pitched effectively, though his season ended prematurely in July due to an elbow issue and he didn’t throw a pitch in 2023 because of the injury.

As a starter, Costeiu’s stuff did back up a bit. His fastball was more in the 92-94 mph range with Tri-City in 2022. There could be more consistent velocity for him to rediscover, especially if he eventually ends up with shorter stints again. The fastball plays up because of its high spin and carry up in the zone. His low-80s changeup can miss bats and get weak contact on the ground, and he brought an upper-70s big curve with him from college. He’s also worked on adding a slider this offseason.

Because of the chance to have a complete repertoire and the fact he’s generally around the zone, Costeiu could keep getting the opportunity to start. But the 6-footer does have more of a reliever profile, where the stuff would likely tick back up once he returns to full strength.

Scouting Grades: Fastball: 55 | Curveball: 45 | Changeup: 50 | Control: 45 | Overall: 40

Costeiu began his college career with two years at Sacramento City Junior College in California before heading to the University of Arkansas. He largely pitched well out of the bullpen for the Razorbacks, missing a ton of bats. The Angels liked what they saw enough to include him in their all-pitching 2021 Draft class, taking him in the seventh round and signing him for $222,500, just a bit under slot. After a solid pro debut last summer that saw him touch High-A, Costeiu has returned to Tri-City and been a very effective reliever out of the gate in 2022.

While Costeiu definitely fits a reliever-only profile, he does have three pitches he can use. He’ll throw his fastball in the 92-95 mph range and it plays up because of good spin rates and life up in the zone. His 80-83 mph changeup is his best secondary offering, one that gets swings-and-misses as well as weak contact. His 78-81 mph curve is behind the other two pitches, but it’s gotten better as he’s committed to throwing it more.

The 6-foot right-hander struggled with his command at Arkansas. That’s improved as a pro, but it’s far from pinpoint, a big reason why his future lies in shorter stints out of the pen. Right-handed hitters particularly have trouble against him, and he likely has a ceiling as a middle reliever or setup type.

Transactions

Team	Date	Transaction
	05/14/2024	Tri-City Dust Devils activated RHP Ryan Costeiu from the 7-day injured list.
	05/14/2024	Tri-City Dust Devils activated RHP Ryan Costeiu from the 7-day injured list.
	05/06/2024	Tri-City Dust Devils sent RHP Ryan Costeiu on a rehab assignment to ACL Angels.
	04/05/2024	RHP Ryan Costeiu assigned to Tri-City Dust Devils from Angels Organization.
	04/02/2024	RHP Ryan Costeiu assigned to Angels Organization from Tri-City Dust Devils.
	11/07/2023	Tri-City Dust Devils activated RHP Ryan Costeiu.
	04/06/2023	RHP Ryan Costeiu roster status changed by Tri-City Dust Devils.
	09/23/2022	Tri-City Dust Devils activated RHP Ryan Costeiu from the 7-day injured list.
	09/23/2022	Tri-City Dust Devils activated RHP Ryan Costeiu from the 7-day injured list.
	07/29/2022	Tri-City Dust Devils placed RHP Ryan Costeiu on the 7-day injured list.
	09/14/2021	RHP Ryan Costeiu assigned to Tri-City Dust Devils from Inland Empire 66ers.
	08/07/2021	RHP Ryan Costeiu assigned to Inland Empire 66ers.
	07/18/2021	Los Angeles Angels signed RHP Ryan Costeiu.
	02/02/2021	RHP Ryan Costeiu assigned to Arkansas Razorbacks.
	02/02/2021	RHP Ryan Costeiu assigned to Arkansas Razorbacks.