This story was excerpted from Rhett Bollinger’s Angels Beat newsletter. To read the full newsletter, click here. And subscribe to get it regularly in your inbox.
ANAHEIM -- Given how aggressive the Angels have been with their recent draftees, it wouldn’t be a shock to see any of their players taken in this year’s Draft reach the Majors by next season.
The Angels have had three players from the 2022 Draft reach the big leagues this year in shortstop Zach Neto (No. 13 overall pick) and relievers Ben Joyce (third-rounder) and Victor Mederos (sixth-rounder). And 2021 11th-rounder Chase Silseth debuted last season, while 2021 first-rounder Sam Bachman is currently in the Angels’ bullpen.
“We're trying to put the best team on the field,” Angels general manager Perry Minasian said of his aggressiveness with prospects. “I've said that since Day 1 when I walked through the door. We'll take some chances and give some guys some opportunities.”
The 2023 MLB Draft is a three-day event that begins on Sunday in Seattle at 4 p.m. PT. The Angels have just one pick on Day 1 of the Draft with the No. 11 overall selection. They forfeited their second-round Draft pick after signing free agent left-hander Tyler Anderson to a three-year deal last offseason.
Their second pick isn’t until the No. 79 overall selection in the third round on Monday. The second day of the Draft is Rounds 3 through 10, while the third day is Rounds 11 through 20.
The Angels also have a bonus pool of $8,328,900, which ranks as the eighth-lowest total among the 30 clubs. Their first-round selection carries a bonus pool of $5,253,000, which is more than half of their total pool.
The Angels have been creative in recent years by signing their first pick to an under-slot deal and using their savings later in the Draft. They did it last year, signing Neto for nearly $1 million under-slot and used some of that money to sign 11th-round selection Caden Dana for almost $1.5 million. And they did it with Bachman in ’21 and used their savings to sign 12th-rounder Mason Albright for $1.25 million.
They could do something similar this year and they’ve again been linked to college players with their first-round selection.
MLB.com Draft expert Jim Callis has the Angels taking Virginia catcher Kyle Teel with the No. 11 overall pick, but noted they've also been linked to Grand Canyon shortstop Jacob Wilson, Ole Miss shortstop Jacob Gonzalez and high school outfielder Bryce Eldridge.
Fellow MLB.com Draft expert Jonathan Mayo has the Angels selecting Wilson in his mock draft, but noted that they also have interest in college arms such as Tennessee right-hander Chase Dollander and Florida right-hander Hurston Waldrep. He also mentions Stanford shortstop Tommy Troy and Maryland shortstop Matt Shaw as potential options.