MINNEAPOLIS -- The Angels selected a player with a last name familiar to fans with their first pick on the second day of the MLB Draft, picking shortstop Jaxon Willits with the No. 141 overall pick in the fifth round on Sunday.
Willits is the son of Reggie Willits, who played six seasons with the Angels from 2006-11, and the older brother of Eli, who was the No. 1 overall pick by the Nationals in last year’s Draft and is currently MLB Pipeline’s No. 3 overall prospect. Jaxon, ranked as the No. 117 Draft prospect, was named the College World Series Most Outstanding Player after leading the University of Oklahoma to its third College World Series title.
The 6-foot, 203-pounder doesn't have a standout tool but is a switch-hitter with impressive contact and on-base skills. He hit .313/.407/.515 with seven homers, six stolen bases and 55 RBIs in 64 games with the Sooners last year and hit .500 with one home run, four doubles, and seven RBIs in the College World Series.
The 21-year-old doesn’t offer much power and there’s a debate if he can handle shortstop defensively at the next level and could profile more as a second baseman. But he has a tremendous baseball IQ, which is evident both at the plate and in the field.
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His father Reggie, who serves as an associate coach at Oklahoma, hit .258/.356/.302 in 414 games with the Angels and finished fifth in the balloting for the AL Rookie of the Year in '07, when he slashed .293/.391/.344 in 136 games while playing solid defense in center. He was also on the club's playoff roster in '07, '08 and '09, but he went 0-for-4 at the plate and mostly served as a pinch-runner.