Scouting Report

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Scouting grades: Hit: 50 | Power: 55 | Run: 50 | Arm: 50 | Field: 50 | Overall: 50

Lugo, the younger brother of former big league infielder Dawel, could outgrow shortstop in the near future, but he’ll start his professional career in the middle of the diamond. Should he switch positions, his strong arm would help in the transfer to the hot corner. He also has the soft hands, footwork and body control to excel in both spots.

In the meantime, though, Lugo has been using his large frame to his advantage and projects as a right-handed power hitter. He already shows gap power with consistent hard contact and is expected to tap into his raw power as he continues to mature and his body develops. He already shows good discipline at the plate and rarely swings and misses.

Lugo trains in the Dominican Republic with Jaime Ramos, a member of MLB’s Trainer Partnership Program.

Scouting grades: Hit: 50 | Power: 55 | Run: 50 | Arm: 55 | Field: 50 | Overall: 45

Ranked as one of the better infielders in the 2024 international class, Lugo received a $2.3 million bonus to sign with the Angels. The younger brother of former big leaguer Dawel Lugo, Joswa made a strong first impression during his pro debut in the Dominican Summer League, slashing .301/.370/.466 with five homers and 18 steals, raising the excitement bar for his arrival stateside in 2025.

A right-handed hitter with easy raw power, Lugo can make hard contact with the ability to drive the ball to all fields, even if most of his thump is showing up to his pull side thus far. The strikeout rate was a little higher than expected, just over 23 percent, coming mostly from his tendency to chase. He can get to a lot of pitches that he shouldn’t be swinging at, and that will be an area of focus in his development. He has as much offensive upside as any hitter in the system.

An average runner right now, Lugo will play shortstop -- where he played exclusively in the DSL -- for as long as he can. While he has a strong arm and good hands, there’s a chance he outgrows the premium position and has to slide over to third base. The good news is he has the instincts to be really strong at the hot corner and could very well have the hitting profile to match.

Scouting grades: Hit: 50 | Power: 55 | Run: 50 | Arm: 50 | Field: 50 | Overall: 45

Dawel Lugo went to the Futures Game and spent parts of three seasons in the big leagues with the Tigers. Now it’s his younger brother Joswa’s turn after he signed with the Angels at the start of the 2024 international signing period for $2.3 million. The No. 37 prospect on MLB Pipeline’s Top 50 International prospects list for this year’s class, he brings a lot of offensive potential in a bigger infielder’s frame to the organization.

Lugo’s tools have reminded some scouts of those of Reds infielder Noelvi Marte when he first entered pro ball. Lugo flashes easy raw power, but not at the expense of contact. There isn’t a ton of swing-and-miss in his game so far, showing an ability to make consistent hard contact with confidence that gap power will reach the seats as he matures.

How much he physically matures will determine if he can stick at shortstop. The Angels will send him out at the premium position for the time being, and he has good hands and footwork to go along with enough arm to play there. It’s possible that as he fills out his 6-foot-3 frame, he’ll lose a tick from his average speed, in which case moving to third (much like Marte has done for the Reds) might make sense. The good news is he might have the run-producing power profile teams like at the hot corner.

Awards

DSL Mid-Season All-Star

Year	Team
2024

Transactions

Team	Date	Transaction
	05/01/2025	SS Joswa Lugo assigned to ACL Angels from DSL Angels.
	03/06/2025	activated SS Joswa Lugo.
	02/28/2025	SS Joswa Lugo assigned to Los Angeles Angels.
	02/28/2025	SS Joswa Lugo roster status changed by Los Angeles Angels.
	07/20/2024	SS Joswa Lugo assigned to DSL AL All-Stars.
	06/01/2024	DSL Angels activated SS Joswa Lugo.
	01/15/2024	SS Joswa Lugo assigned to DSL Angels.
	01/15/2024	Los Angeles Angels signed free agent SS Joswa Lugo to a minor league contract.