Angels prospects do not always succeed; third baseman Dallas McPherson, a former can't-miss, is now at Class AAA with the Marlins. But Aybar, 24, is the latest success story for a franchise that mastered player development long before the Yankees and Red Sox adopted the same religion.

Remember the open competition between Aybar and Maicer Izturis at shortstop, which the Angels started in spring training, then carried into the season?

Suddenly, it might be over.

Aybar, who went 6-for-12 with three doubles in the Angels' most recent series at Fenway Park, raising his batting average to .358, appears nearly entrenched at short as the Angels visit the Tigers this weekend (MLB on Fox, Saturday, 3:55 p.m.)

"Erick is really off to a terrific start," Angels manager Mike Scioscia says. "He's playing very good defense. Offensively, he's feeling comfortable. If he keeps playing as well as he has, it will be tough to move him out."

Aybar, the younger brother of Rays infielder Willy Aybar, began starting every day at short after second baseman Howie Kendrick strained his left hamstring on April 13, forcing Izturis to take over at second.

Izturis, 27, is beginning to hit, raising his batting average from .109 to .194 in the past five games. But Aybar is separating himself both defensively and offensively.

"I thought out of spring training that Aybar was the better defender and that Izturis would hit more," says a rival scout who saw the Angels frequently in the spring. "Aybar has passed him in virtually every phase."

Asked for a comparison, the scout names Cardinals shortstop Cesar Izturis, Maicer's older half-brother, but with a disclaimer. Aybar, the scout says, is a more dynamic hitter than Cesar Izturis.

Angels general manager Tony Reagins goes one step further when talking about Aybar, invoking the Dodgers' Rafael Furcal and Giants' Omar Vizquel as comparable players. Aybar obviously isn't in either of their classes yet, but he can bunt and run like Furcal and his often-spectacular defense evokes Vizquel.

"I've always been impressed by the guy," Mariners manager John McLaren says. "It seems like he's getting the opportunity now and running with it. When you run that well and put the bat on the ball, some good things happen for you."

Scioscia mostly is batting Aybar ninth, but used him in the sixth spot Wednesday night and eventually could move him to the top of the order, perhaps the No. 2 spot. First, though, Aybar must improve his plate discipline; he has drawn only one walk in his first 68 plate appearances.

If anything, Aybar's defense has been more impressive than his offense, considering that he made 19 errors in 35 winter-league games, many on routine plays. Scioscia emphasizes defense in the middle of the diamond, and a poor defensive spring by Aybar would have put him immediately behind Maicer Izturis.

As it turned out, both Aybar and Izturis were impressive both offensively and defensively, and Aybar has continued his strong defensive play in the Angels' first 23 games, making four errors, but none in his last eight games.

Aybar's range and arm enable him to make plays that other shortstops can only imagine. Scioscia expects him to improve on routine plays with instruction from Angels first base coach Alfredo Griffin, a former major-league shortstop.

"(Aybar) has the potential to be a Gold Glove-caliber shortstop," Scioscia says. "Alfredo pays a lot of attention to this kid. He will clean some stuff up quickly on the defensive end."

With the Angels, expect nothing less. Scioscia's aggression on offense and devotion to defense are the team's hallmarks. Likewise, the Angels' approach to player development is as distinctive and consistent as any club's.

Perhaps no other high-revenue team would open the season not only with two relatively inexperienced shortstops, Aybar and Izturis, but also two relatively inexperienced catchers, Jeff Mathis and Mike Napoli — and for that matter, a first baseman who has played only one full season, Casey Kotchman.

The Angels would not do it any other way.

Of the five players mentioned above, all but Izturis are homegrown, and Izturis was not yet an established major leaguer when he arrived from the Nationals with outfielder Juan Rivera in a deal for outfielder Jose Guillen. The Angels determine each player's capabilities and trust their evaluations. Reagins, their first-year GM, is the team's former farm director.

Of course, the Angels nearly traded Aybar and right-hander Ervin Santana to the Orioles for shortstop Miguel Tejada in July 2006, but that move might have been the right one at the time. Besides, the mere concept drives home the larger point: The Angels excel at creating options.

Kendrick, some scouts believe, does not turn the double play well enough to remain at second; he could move to left after this season if the Angels decline Garret Anderson's $14 million option. Brandon Wood, playing shortstop at Class AAA, could take over at third if Chone Figgins departs as a free agent — or bring pitching in a trade if Figgins remains with the club.

Meanwhile, young players such as Aybar should only improve; Reagins mentions base stealing as one area in which Aybar still has room to grow. It helps that Scioscia is a bi-lingual manager with a knack for nurturing young talent. It also helps that the Angels play in a less intense market than the Yankees or Red Sox.

Still, the only way to develop a player such as Erick Aybar is to give him a chance. As Reagins says, neatly summarizing the Angels' philosophy, "The opportunity had to be there for him to show what he can do."

San Francisco Giants News News » Aybar is latest sign of Angels' player development
Aybar is latest sign of Angels' player development
The Angels aren't surprised by Erick Aybar's breathtaking start. How can they be? They have seen Aybar flash his potential ever since they signed him out of the Dominican Republic for a mere $100,000 in 2002. Electrifying speed. Acrobatic defense. Surprising power. Aybar offers all of that in his 5-foot-10, 170-pound, switch-hitting package, and if the Angels' rationale for trading shortstop Orlando Cabrera wasn't immediately clear, it surely is now. Gotta get going The Mets are growing concerned over the play of first baseman Carlos Delgado — so concerned, they soon might consider other options. The team's plan for now is to give Delgado every opportunity to emerge from his 4-for-44 slump. But Delgado, who turns 36 on June 25, is hurting the Mets defensively as well as offensively. One alternative for the Mets would be to move right fielder Ryan Church to first after left fielder Moises Alou comes off the disabled list, with Angel Pagan replacing Church in right. The Mets kicked around such an alignment as a contingency in spring training, but Church has never played first base and is not currently taking groundballs at the position. Another idea for the Mets would be to trade for a first baseman, preferably a right-handed hitting complement to Delgado such as the Orioles' Kevin Millar or the Tigers' Marcus Thames. Releasing Delgado would appear to be a longshot; he is earning $16 million this season, $4 million of which is being paid by his previous team, the Marlins. Delgado also is guaranteed a $4 million buyout once the season is over. Thus, even if the Mets waited until mid-season to release him, they would owe him approximately $10 million. And so, the Mets' wait continues. Delgado is batting .198 with only one home run in 81 at-bats. Manager Willie Randolph dropped him from fifth to sixth in the batting order on Wednesday. — Ken Rosenthal