MINNEAPOLIS -- With interim general manager John Mozeliak now in charge after he replaced Perry Minasian in late June, scouting director Tim McIlvaine was given more autonomy to run this year’s Draft to his preferences.
The Angels broke a seven-year streak of selecting a college player with their first overall selection, taking Huntington Beach High School outfielder Jared Grindlinger with the No. 12 pick. Grindlinger offers plenty of upside, as he’s just 17 years old and is also considered a potential two-way player because of his prowess as a left-handed pitcher.
They went with players considered closer to the Majors for the next three rounds, taking Georgia Tech second baseman Jarren Advincula with the No. 45 pick, Texas A&M third baseman Gavin Grahovac with selection No. 81 and Georgia outfielder Rylan Lujo with the No. 109 pick. So the Angels went with youth with their first pick, but college experience with their next three picks on Day 1. Overall, they went with 12 position players out of their 20 selections and mostly went the college route, taking 17 players from the collegiate ranks.
“It's fun,” McIlvaine said. “As scouting director, you want to be able to make picks and every general manager has the ability to run the room however they want to. And so the way Mo does, he came in and empowered me to do it, so I ran with it.”
The Angels also went with all position players on the first day and continued that theme on Day 2, which makes sense considering their system is considered heavy on arms but lighter on bats. But Mozeliak said before the Draft that their strategy would be to take the best player available with each selection.
“It's kind of how it worked out,” McIlvaine said. “Looking at the Draft from the beginning, we thought one of the strengths was the depth of the hitters. The pitchers were a little bit lighter, so we felt like if we went hitters and got as many of those as we could, we could supplement with some pitchers a little bit later, which is kind of how it shook out.”
So while Grindlinger might take some time to get to the big leagues, Advincula and Lujo are both considered to have elite contact skills while Grahovac offers tantalizing power. They’re closer to the mold of the Halos’ recent high Draft picks but also still offer plenty of upside. Contact skills were a priority for the Angels this year.
“It's a great foundation to start with,” McIlvaine said. “If you can put the ball in play and you can make contact and you're not striking out, you've got a better chance. I've kind of put a little bit of an emphasis on that over just the big slugging, corner guys. I would rather take some guys with some contact in the middle of the field and then see where that goes.”
Jarren Advincula, 2B
- Round 2, Pick 45
- Bats/throws: L/R
- School: Georgia Tech
- Calling Card: Advincula is known for his high contact rates, including leading NCAA Division I with 111 hits last season while batting .434/.503/.629 in 61 games in his lone season at Georgia Tech. He previously hit .334 with a nine percent strikeout rate during his first two seasons at Cal and is considered a solid baserunner and sure-handed second baseman.
- Quote: “He was the catalyst for that Georgia Tech team, which was an unbelievable offense this year. He was hitting at the top of the lineup, and he's got really great contact skills. Like it's elite contact skills, which was a lot of the appeal. He's just a hit collector, always has been, has hit everywhere. And he’ll be fine at second.” -- McIlvaine
Gavin Grahovac, 3B
- Round 3, Pick 81
- Bats/throws: R/R
- School: Texas A&M
- Calling Card: Grahovac, who grew up an Angels fan in nearby Orange, has some of the best bat speed and raw power in the Draft and is coming off a strong junior season that saw him slash .339/.429/.722 with 22 homers in 57 games. He’s cut down on his strikeout rate and a shoulder injury caused him to move from first to third base but they’re going to see if he can stick at third as a pro.
- Quote: “I sat with him at the Combine, and we looked each other right in the eye and he and he sat there and told me, 'Hey, look, I want to bring a World Series championship to Anaheim. Like this is my dream. This is what I want to do.'” -- McIlvaine
Rylan Lujo, OF
- Round 4, Pick 109
- Bats/throws: R/R
- School: Georgia
- Calling Card: Lujo, the grandson of two-time World Series champion Rennie Stennett, is another contact-oriented hitter who also offers patience at the plate and has plus speed on the bases and in the field. He had trouble defensively as a third baseman and will start out as a center fielder as a professional.
- Quote: “He's one of these rare college guys that's still evolving a little bit. I think he's still kind of finding himself and we think there's some body upside with him as well. Playing center field, his defense is getting better every time out there. He had a good year this year, especially in the SEC.” -- McIlvaine
Rounds 5-10
The Angels started the day with their selection of Jaxon Willits, later took highly regarded Tennessee catcher Garrett Wright in the eighth round and chose a local product in UC Irvine right-hander Trevor Hansen in the ninth. Wright is the No. 190 Draft prospect while Hansen is ranked No. 179.
Player to watch: Garrett Wright, C
- Round 8, Pick 229
- Bats/throws: R/R
- School: University of Tennessee
- Calling Card: The Angels hadn’t drafted a catcher since 2022 but went with the athletic Wright, who is coming off a huge season offensively with the Volunteers and can play center field, in addition to catching. Behind the plate, he’s considered an effective receiver and blocker with solid arm strength. He slashed .348/.439/.594 with nine homers, 17 doubles and 30 RBIs in 49 games last year after he sustained a hamate fracture early in the year.
Rounds 11-15
The Angels added another catcher in St. John’s Adam Agresti in the 11th round and also selected a pair of high schoolers in Glynn Academy right-hander Jacob Sammis in the 12th and Georgia Premier shortstop Cameron Jackson in the 15th.
Player to watch: Jake Long, OF
- Round 13, Pick 379
- Bats/throws: L/R
- School: Utah
- Calling Card: Long is another local player, as he prepped at La Serna High School in Whittier, Calif., before starting his college career at Santa Ana College, then serving as Utah’s left fielder the last two seasons. He's coming off a huge season that saw him slash .374/.445/.626 with 11 homers and 58 RBIs in 51 games and offers a blend of power and patience at the plate.
Rounds 16-20
The last five picks were all college players, including Texas-San Antonio right-hander Robert Orloski, Central Missouri right-hander Greyson Chappel and San Diego State outfielder Jake Jackson. They also took Jack Salmon in the 19th round.
Player to watch: TJ Grines
- Round 17, Pick 499
- Bats/throws: R/R
- School: Tennessee-Martin
- Calling Card: Grines is a burner who is coming off a record-setting junior campaign that saw him steal 66 bases in 55 games. But he's more than just a speedster, as he also slashed .386/.439/.622 with 10 homers, 21 doubles and 56 RBIs and has experience at second base and the outfield.