First 5 rounds: Jo Adell (1-10), Griffin Canning (2-47), Jacob Pearson (3-85), John Swanda (4-115), Joseph Booker (5-145).
Also notable: Jonah Todd (6-175), Brett Hanewich (9-265), Keith Rogalla (12-355), Mitchell Traver (20-595).
The Angels took two exact-opposite players with their first two picks, nabbing a high-upside, high-risk, toolsy high schooler with their first pick before drafting a high-floor, safe bet college starter with their second. While the Angels farm system has dramatically improved from "literally empty" to "well, at least they're not the Marlins or Diamondbacks," there is still plenty of work to be done in making it into something respectable, and they did a decent job of that with this draft. Nothing really stands out, though they did take six right handed pitchers in seven picks from the fourth through the tenth rounds.
1-10: CF Jo Adell (my rank: 12)
Upon signing, Adell immediately became the Angels' top prospect since either Mike Trout, which probably says more about the state of the Angels' farm system than it does about Adell, who is just 18. Adell is raw and toolsy, showing the combination of plus power and plus speed that teams love. He led all high schoolers with 25 home runs this year, but whether those tools can translate up remains to be seen. He has some significant swing and miss in his game, and he'll take a fairly long time to reach the majors, but the upside is tremendous. He signed an at-slot deal of just under $4.4 million.
2-47: RHP Griffin Canning (my rank: 18)
Canning was viewed as a potential top-20 pick right up until the weekend before the draft, when something apparently was wrong with his physical and pushed him down the draft. It's not publicly known exactly what the injury is/could be, but it apparently stemmed from his MRI, which could mean any range of things. The UCLA ace, who grew up just south of Anaheim in Rancho Santa Margarita, will join his hometown team after a very successful three year career for the Bruins. He had his best season yet as a junior this year, going 7-4 with a 2.34 ERA and a 1.05 WHIP, striking out 140 batters in 119 innings while walking just 32. At 6'2", he's not a big guy but not quite undersized, and he has a three pitch mix that he commands well. The fastball sits in the low 90's, the curveball has big break, and the changeup seems to disappear as it gets to the plate, giving him close to a major league arsenal already. The upside here isn't great, as he likely will never be more than a mid-rotation starter, but he has one of the highest floors in this draft (aside from injury concerns). He signed an at-slot deal of just under $1.5 million.
3-85: OF Jacob Pearson (my rank: 80)
Pearson is another toolsy high school outfielder, though he lacks Adell's upside. He generates good bat speed and power from the left side, but the swing is a little bit long and could lead to contact concerns. He's fast, too, but unlike Adell, his arm is below average. If Pearson's hit tool can come along, he could be a solid starting option in the big league outfield, but right now he looks more like a fourth outfielder. He has not signed.
12-355: RHP Keith Rogalla (unranked)
Rogalla just finished a solid if unspectacular three year career at Creighton, where he went 11-10 overall with a 3.81 ERA and a 1.25 WHIP primarily as a starter, but most see him as a reliever going forward. There, his low to mid 90's fastball could sit in the mid 90's, and his curveball could tighten into an above average pitch. He walked 35 batters in 71.1 innings this year, so he'll need to improve his command to advance. Rogalla has not signed.
Others: 4th rounder John Swanda has a lot of upside, but the package is incomplete at this point for the high school pitcher out of Des Moines. He has an average three pitch arsenal, but he commands it well and could turn into a mid-rotation starter when all is said and done. 6th rounder Jonah Todd played one year at Auburn after transferring from Marion Military Institute, where he showcased excellent on-base abilities and now power, slashing .376/.460/.471 with no home runs. He did knock 13 doubles and five triples while stealing nine bases and walking more (12.8%) than he struck out (9.7%). He's a fun success story, coming from that military background before working at a Walmart over the summer so he could afford to play at Auburn, where he made the team as a walk-on. 9th rounder Brett Hanewich, out of Stanford, is a bit of a wild card, as he has been a major part of the Cardinal pitching staff when healthy, but that has been less and less often as his career has progressed. He has touched 96 before, but more often sits in the low 90's, and he doesn't have great command, and his slider is just as inconsistent. There is still hope for him as a starter, but he would probably be best off as a reliever in pro ball. 20th rounder Mitchell Traver, one of the more recognizable named in college baseball after being a part of the TCU pitching staff for what seems like forever, is already 23 but can provide value in the 20th round. A redshirt senior who came to school way back in 2013, he has pitched in 37 games (33 starts) over the years, going 14-6 with a 2.98 ERA and a 1.12 WHIP for the Horned Frogs. He has a long medical history that has caused him to miss time for elbow, shoulder, and back injuries, but his potentially plus fastball/slider combo makes him a solid prospect as a reliever. This is the fourth time (!) he's been drafted, having gone in the 39th round in 2012, the 28th round in 2015, the 17th round in 2016, and the 20th round this year. No matter how his career turns out, he won't be the redshirt senior out of TCU to make an MLB impact; Cardinals third baseman Matt Carpenter was drafted as a fifth year Horned Frog as well.
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