Angels Prospects

December 13, 2024 - Written by Isaias Acosta

Angels Awarded the 2nd Overall Pick

The MLB draft lottery has concluded and the Angels were very close to getting the 1st overall pick in the 2025 MLB Draft that will be held on July 13, 2025. They entered the lottery with the second best odds at 18 percent. The Marlins and Rockies were the only two teams with better odds, both having a 22.5 percent at the 1st pick. Even though it’s disappointing not getting the number one pick, it’s still a big win for this franchise. This is the third time they will be picking in the top 3 in franchise history and highest they'll be picking since taking Troy Glaus number three back in 1997. No matter what direction they go with this pick, it’ll surely boost the farm system and give Halo fans a future to look forward to. One thing to note is things can change now until July. Just because players are ranked where they are now, doesn’t mean they will be ranked that way when Draft Day comes along. Now the fun begins. It's time to see who it is that they could be targeting and who they should ultimately pick if the draft were today.

Team Needs & Possible Candidates

The first thing that any Angel fan would say is that they need pitching. That counts for both the starting rotation and the bullpen. When it comes to the field, the big hole that needs to be plugged is the one at third base. The signing of Anthony Rendon has been nothing short of an atrocity and embarrassment for the franchise. Rendon has two years left on his deal but it isn't a guarantee that he finishes the contract in an Angel uniform, which means the hot corner is up for grabs.

Now the obvious top dog in this year's draft is SS/3B Ethan Holliday, the son of former major leaguer Matt Holliday. His brother Jackson was drafted 1st overall back in 2022 and was the overall best prospect in all of baseball until his call up this year. But with the Nationals winning the lottery, the expectation is that they take Ethan with that pick. There's many different routes the Angels could take when it comes to who they should select.

The next best prospect on the list is OF Jace LaViolette from Texas A&M. He’s a lefty power bat who possesses a solid arm in the outfield. Coming in at 6’6” and 230 pounds, he's a natural born power hitter with a nice stride. The only downside to his game is that he does tend to whiff at pitches in the strike zone. With some maturity and coaching, he can get that sorted out and possibly be the successor to Mike Trout at center field, although many predict for him to play right field.

The other obvious route they can take is the pitcher route. There are currently three pitchers considered to be in the top five of MLB.com’s top 100. Those names are Jamie Arnold, Tyler Bremner, and Seth Hernandez. Jamie Arnold is a LHP from Florida State. Coming in at 6’1” and 181 pounds, Arnold is coming off a season where he made 18 starts and boasted a 2.98 ERA. He struck out 159 batters in 105.2 innings pitched. He operates with a fast ball that sits at 95 along with a wide slider and a changeup. His funky arm slot and delivery make him a tough pitcher to hit anything off of.

Tyler Bremner is the next pitcher on the list. Bremner is a RHP from UC Santa Barbara who stands at 6’2” and comes in at 190 pounds. He utilizes a fastball, changeup, and a slider. His fastball sits 95 mph and can reach up to 98 and utilizes his deceptive changeup as his finisher. He's coming off a season where he made 11 appearances with 3 of those being starts. He finished with a 2.23 ERA in 44.1 innings pitched while striking out 58.

The last pitcher on this list is high school phenom Seth Hernandez. Seth attends Corona High School in Corona, California, which makes taking him with this pick very intriguing. Hernandez stands 6’4” and weighs 190 pounds. He has a commanding fastball that clocks in at 95 and can reach up to 98. Along with his fastball, Hernandez also uses a changeup, a curveball, and a slider.

Who Should They Pick?

If we're being honest, the easy pick would be to take a pitcher. The Angels don't typically go after high end starters in free agency and when they do, they come up short. It doesn't matter if it's a SoCal native in Gerrit Cole or a former C.Y. Young winner in Blake Snell, they tend to come up short when it comes to the starting pitcher sweepstakes. Now which of the previously mentioned pitchers should be the one to put on that Angels jersey? When you take into consideration the way the Angels operate, with their ways of fast call-ups, they should go after the pitcher that is most polished and has the most experience when it comes to being a starter. With that being the current situation, then the best pick would be Jamie Arnold. The Angels fast paced development style automatically rules out Seth Hernandez. Tyler Bremner does not have much experience when it comes to being a starter. He's only made 11 starts across 28 appearances in college. Jamie Arnold would fit perfectly and with his deceptive release, it makes an intriguing prospect for the Angels to pursue.

What Does This Pick Mean For The Organization?

No matter who the team selects, it will be a franchise changing move to say the least. This draft class is loaded with talent from both high school and college talent. Every Angel fan should be excited for what the future holds in Anaheim. The fans and organization just have to be patient. Development is key when it comes to prospects and that's what they have to do. They have to develop whoever it is they decide to take. The Angels are notorious for bringing up talent fairly quickly to the big leagues. Nolan Schanuel is the prime example of this. Schanuel was drafted 11th overall by the Angels back in 2023 and was in the majors just 40 days after being drafted. Even though it isn't in the club’s DNA to give prospects time to develop in the minors, they have to be patient and let this one play out. Not every young player can handle pressure like that and it could hurt their development significantly. Angel fans should be patient but very excited for what the future holds. If the front office and management play their cards right, the future in Anaheim will be looking very bright.

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