Angels sign Atlantic League slugger Jake Thompson to minor league deal

The Angels kept mining the Atlantic League for help, signing outfielder Jake Thompson to a minor league deal after the 28-year-old posted a .395/.478/.687 line with eight home runs in 38 games. That kind of production, built on power and strike-zone control, is exactly what forced Los Angeles to act now.

Thompson’s latest loud swing came against High Point, when he hit a solo homer off starter David Hess to tie the game. High Point is a South Division club in Atlantic League Pro Baseball, and Thompson has been producing in a league that began its 2026 season in April and continues to serve as a proving ground for players trying to push back into affiliated ball.

MLB.com lists Thompson at 6-foot-0 and 207 pounds, with a left-handed bat and right-handed arm. The former Marlins organization player gives the Angels another look at a left-handed hitter who has combined impact contact with enough patience to keep his on-base percentage near .480, a profile that stood out in a month when the club was already adding arms and bats to shore up organizational depth.

Los Angeles has stacked up several June moves on the transaction log, including minor league contracts for right-hander Shaun Anderson, catcher Logan Porter and right-hander Taijuan Walker. The big-league side of the roster has not been quiet either, with Jack Kochanowicz going on the injured list with elbow inflammation as the Angels continued to juggle health issues and pitching depth during the month.

That context matters because Thompson was not signed as a curiosity or a one-game hot hand. He was signed because an Atlantic League line like his, with real power, consistent production and enough discipline to keep traffic off the bases, still commands attention from a big-league organization looking for immediate help. For the Angels, and for the Atlantic League, it is another clean example of independent baseball feeding a club that is willing to reward performance where it finds it.