Angels continue to load up on bats
Starting with shortstop Fletcher, four of five picks from Rounds 6-10 are position players
ANAHEIM -- The Angels entered the 2015 Draft targeting bats and have stuck to the script through the first two days, taking a position player with eight of their first 10 picks after wrapping up Day 2 on Tuesday.
The Draft concludes Wednesday, with exclusive coverage of Rounds 11-40 beginning on MLB.com at 9 a.m. PT. The Angels took Texas A&M right-hander Grayson Long, Florida Atlantic University right fielder Brendon Sanger and Louisiana State University right fielder Jared Foster in Rounds 3-5 earlier on Tuesday, respectively.
Angels scouting director Ric Wilson said he doesn't expect any issues with regards to signability on any of the first 10 picks.
Below is a look at their picks from Rounds 6-10:
Round 6 (195): Loyola Marymount University SS David Fletcher
Fletcher, a 5-foot-10 sophomore, is undersized but is considered a plus defensive player who makes a lot of contact, can get on base and could eventually become a utility infielder in the Major Leagues. The 21-year-old right-handed hitter batted .308/.385/.416 with two homers, 27 RBIs and 14 stolen bases in 55 games. Wilson called him "a grinder who's got tremendous makeup and is going to get every bit out of his ability."
Round 7 (225): Pepperdine University 2B Hutton Moyer
Son of longtime starting pitcher Jamie Moyer and brother of Dodgers farmhand Dillon Moyer, Hutton is a junior who learned to switch-hit early in his high-school career and saw a huge rise in power this past season. Hutton batted .295/.413/.564 and hit 14 homers, after not hitting any as a sophomore.
"He can run, he's got an above-average arm, he can play several positions, he's athletic, he moves around free and easy and he's got some positional versatility to him," Wilson said. "You combine all those things together, and that's a pretty good look for us."
Round 8 (255): University of Houston CF Kyle Survance
A left-handed hitter who's listed at 6-foot-1 and 190 pounds, Survance has plus speed that should allow him to stick in center field. But he still has improvements to make, both offensively and defensively. The 21-year-old batted .297 with a .385 on-base percentage in his junior year, with eight doubles, six triples, two homers and, for the second year in a row, 31 stolen bases. Wilson said he's more of a singles and doubles hitter and can play all three outfield positions.
Round 9 (285): University of Nebraska-Lincoln C Tanner Lubach
Lubach is the second catcher taken within the Angels' first eight picks, joining 26th overall selection Taylor Ward. The 22-year-old Lubach is a right-handed-hitting senior who finished his collegiate career batting .312/.375/.441 with four homers and 26 RBIs in 51 games (49 starts).
"We've been on the lookout for catching over the last few years and it might be the hardest thing to get in the Draft," Wilson said. "Some of our guys really, really liked [Lubach]. What we liked about him was his catch-and-throw skills, which is going to allow some of the young pitchers that we've drafted over the last four years to help develop."
Round 10 (315): California Baptist University RHP Adam Hofacket
Hofacket, a junior, is a consistent strike-thrower with a deceptive delivery and could wind up in the rotation or the bullpen. The 21-year-old went 7-5 with a 2.26 ERA in 14 starts this past season, striking out 98 batters and walking only 20 in 103 1/3 innings. Hofacket came to a workout at Angel Stadium a week ago and the organization took a liking to him.
"Not only what he brings on the mound," Wilson said, "but just his personality and his work ethic and his drive, and his passion to play the game he loves."