First 5 rounds: Jordyn Adams (1-17), Jeremiah Jackson (2-57), Aaron Hernandez (3-93), Kyle Bradish (4-121), William English (5-151)
Also notable: Cristian Reyes (21-631), Isaiah Campbell (24-721), Jared Janczak (32-961)
The Angels took an interesting draft strategy this year, going exclusively for upside early in the draft. After taking two athletic high schoolers, they switched over to pitchers, grabbing mostly guys with very good stuff but with little chance at starting. In fact, they leaned extremely heavily on pitchers, taking eleven straight from the third to the thirteenth rounds and 26 total in the 30 rounds from 3-32.
1-17: OF Jordyn Adams (my rank: 33)
Last year, the Angels took a powerful, athletic high school outfielder with the tenth overall pick, and with all the success Jo Adell has had in the minors, they took another one with a similar name this year. Jordyn Adams was actually more well known as a football player than as a baseball player heading into the spring, as he was a four star recruit to play wide receiver at UNC, but an excellent showing at the National High School Invitational in March and subsequent great play pushed him all the way up draft boards. The Cary, North Carolina product is a high risk player, with the Angels banking on his tools translating to pro success. Those tools are as loud as it gets, as he shows excellent speed that can change games on both sides of the ball. His bat has come along, and though his swing is long, it's smooth and he should be able to add loft and therefore power in the future. Teams were increasingly liking his hit tool as the spring progressed, and he has the ceiling of a regular center fielder with good power and on-base abilities to go along with top of the scale speed. He signed for $4.1 million, which is $627,100 above slot.
2-57: SS Jeremiah Jackson (my rank: 53)
Jackson, out of Mobile, Alabama, is another high ceiling high schooler. Like Adams, he was also a late bloomer, showing well on the showcase circuit but really taking off once he got glasses for the spring season. He has a bit of a choppy swing, but he has already shown a well above average hit tool and some power potential, so mechanical changes could make him a very competent major league hitter. He has the ability to stick in the infield, though it's not clear where, as he could be a mediocre to decent shortstop but probably fits better at second or third base. At best, the Angels have an impact bat from an infield spot. He signed for just under $1.2 million, which ended up being just $2,500 below slot. It's way too early to make any conclusions whatsoever, but he homered in his pro debut and went 2-3 in his next game in the rookie level Arizona League.
3-93: RHP Aaron Hernandez (my rank: 62)
No, not the former Patriots tight end who was famous for some other stuff. This Aaron Hernandez was the first of the Angels' long line of pitchers, and he's one of the more interesting picks in the draft. Hernandez pitched for Texas A&M-Corpus Christi, but sat out his entire sophomore season after being ruled academically ineligible to play. As a junior this year for the Islanders, Hernandez put up mediocre numbers by going 3-5 with a 4.55 ERA, a 1.37 WHIP, and a 102/41 strikeout to walk ratio in 83 innings against more or less average competition in the Southland Conference. So what's the big deal with the skinny 6'1" right hander? Hernandez has excellent stuff, throwing his sinking fastball in the low to mid 90's with a curve, a slider, and a changeup, all grading out as average or better. Despite his slight frame and leg-heavy delivery, he maintains his stuff late into games, giving him a better chance to start than you'd expect. He runs into trouble for two reasons, though; one is that he often struggles to throw strikes and has to pitch from behind in the count, and the other is that his stuff sometimes plays down due to his mechanics. That leg bend when he drives off the mound brings him fairly low to the ground, and he loses deception that way. Mechanical changes will be needed, but he could be a mid-rotation starter or better if everything comes together right. I like him, and he signed for $547,500, which is $56,600 below slot.
4-121: RHP Kyle Bradish (my rank: 95)
Bradish had some eye popping numbers at hitter-friendly New Mexico State this year, going 9-3 with a 2.67 ERA, a 1.26 WHIP, and a 140/55 strikeout to walk ratio in 101 innings. He's a 6'4" righty with a wild delivery that gives him excellent stuff and poor command, somewhat similar to Hernandez, though he does not maintain his stuff into his starts. His fastball sits in the low to mid 90's, while his hammer curveball is a great secondary pitch. His slider and changeup are good as well, and together he proved to be too much for Western Athletic Conference hitters. He's likely a reliever, where he can focus on the fastball and curveball as well as on channeling the effort in his pitches into a few batters. If he can improve his command at all, he'll be a high leverage reliever. He signed for $397,500, which is $58,200 below slot.
21-631: RHP Cristian Reyes (unranked)
Sit back, because if Aaron Hernandez was one of the most interesting players in the draft, Cristian Reyes might be the most interesting. Not a well known prospect out of high school, he headed to JuCo and promptly blew out his shoulder. That was in 2014. Without health insurance to help him rehab, he tried to do it himself, but never quite got it right. For years. He ran out of NCAA eligibility and his shoulder didn't feel right, but he pitched in a Sunday league just to keep his dream alive. Somehow, he managed to build his arm strength back up, and the Angels found him in that Sunday league throwing 98 miles per hour. That's no joke. The Angels took a chance on him and now he has a chance to play pro ball despite pitching just 6.1 innings of JuCo ball in five years. He signed for $50,000. Here's an interesting article on him: https://www.mlb.com/news/how-cristian-reyes-became-an-underdog-draftee/c-280910286
Others: 24th rounder Isaiah Campbell, who is still playing in the College World Series for Arkansas, probably won't sign, but he's a high upside arm like just about everybody else in the Angels' draft. He was 4-6 with a 4.19 ERA, a 1.46 WHIP, and a 65/28 strikeout to walk ratio in 62 innings, showcasing great stuff but poor consistency. He's a 6'4" righty who consistently puts his fastball in the mid 90's, and his slider and changeup are pretty good as well, but he has a history of injuries and often struggles to throw strikes. 32nd rounder Jared Janczak was a well known pitcher at TCU for three years, going 17-7 with a 2.56 ERA, a 1.08 WHIP, and a 223/62 strikeout to walk ratio in 217.1 innings over his career. He's already 23 and likely profiles as a reliever.
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