Angels casting a wide net to seize golden opportunity with No. 2 Draft pick

ANAHEIM -- The 2025 MLB Draft is set to be a big one for the Angels, who have four picks on the first day, including the No. 2 overall selection for the first time in franchise history.

They previously had the No. 1 overall pick twice, selecting Danny Goodwin in 1975 and Darin Erstad in ’95, but were awarded the second pick behind the Nationals via the Draft lottery last December. They also have second-round and third-round selections on Day 1 as well as a compensation pick after the third round after they didn’t sign 2024 third-rounder Ryan Prager. It sets the Angels up for a prime opportunity to add to their farm system.

The Angels are famous for getting their Draft picks to the Majors quickly such as Nolan Schanuel, Zach Neto, Reid Detmers, Sam Bachman, Chase Silseth and now Christian Moore. It’s clearly been a trend for the Angels to take polished college players and get them to the big leagues without much time in the Minors.

The Angels could go that way again with the No. 2 overall pick but there’s a lot of uncertainty at the top of the Draft, especially after Washington fired general manager Mike Rizzo (and manager Dave Martinez) on Sunday. It’s unclear whom the Nationals will take with the No. 1 overall pick and what they decide could change the Angels’ Draft strategy.

Ethan Holliday, the son of former All-Star Matt Holliday and brother of Orioles infielder Jackson Holiday, is ranked as the No. 1 prospect by MLB Pipeline. But LSU lefty Kade Anderson is also in the mix for the No. 1 pick.

Other notable players who have been mentioned as being the No. 1 or No. 2 selection including Tennessee lefty Liam Doyle, Florida State lefty Jamie Arnold, Oregon State shortstop Aiva Arquette, Corona (Calif.) High School right-hander Seth Hernandez and Fort Cobb-Broxton (Okla.) High School Eli Willits. Willits is the son of former Angels outfielder Reggie Willits, while Hernandez’s high school is less than 20 miles from Angel Stadium.

Anderson, Doyle and Arnold all fit the mold as a starting pitcher with the chance to reach the Majors in a hurry but the Angels could surprise and go with a high school player like Willits or Hernandez. They've also been linked to fellow prep shortstops JoJo Parker and Daniel Pierce.

Day 1 picks: 2, 47, 79, 105

Bonus pool allotment: $16,656,400, third in MLB

Last year’s top pick: Christian Moore, 2B, pick No. 8 ... Moore has already reached the Majors and had a few big moments, including a two-homer game that featured a walk-off in the 10th on June 24. But he’s currently out with a sprained left thumb sustained on a defensive play in the infield on July 2. He’s expected to be out until early August.

Breakout 2024 pick: Ryan Johnson, SP, pick 74 ... Johnson skipped the Minors and made the Angels as a member of the bullpen to open the season. But after he had a 7.36 ERA in 14 appearances, he was optioned in mid-May to High-A Tri-City to get stretched out as a starter. He's dominated there, posting a 1.99 ERA with 61 strikeouts in 54 1/3 innings. He turned in one of the best starts of the Minor League season on July 5, throwing a one-hit shutout with 12 strikeouts.

With such a large bonus pool, the Angels could get creative with the second pick and save money for later picks, especially after the 10th round. They’ve used that strategy in the past, including taking Silseth in the 11th round in ‘21, No. 2 prospect Caden Dana in the 11th round in ’22, and No. 15 prospect Trey Gregory-Alford in the 11th round last year.

Angels general manager Perry Minasian hasn’t ruled that out and also hasn’t ruled out bucking the trend and taking a high school player in the first round. This Draft seems difficult to predict and the Angels have cast a wide net as part of their process.

“There’s no specific blueprint,” Minasian said. “I don’t look at it that way. But if you end up saving money early, you know you're going to get a high school player later on. But it’s not necessarily a blueprint. We're going to look for the best talent, the best fit. There's some really good players in this Draft.”