From Tim Salmon to Mark Trumbo to Patrick Sandoval to (briefly) Kyle Hendricks, the Angels have had a fair number of local Orange County products star in the red and white (okay, Salmon grew up two miles over the border into LA County). They could have their next local star in Jared Grindlinger, a Huntington Beach native, heading off a draft chock full of Californians. In fact, eight Californians grace this class of nineteen signees (plus a ninth whose father played for the Angels), including seven from Southern California and four (Grindlinger, Gavin Grahovac of Orange, Ryan Hetzler of Corona, and Jack Salmon of Newport Beach) Orange County products. From a player perspective, the Angels played the draft very straight up, rarely going far above or below slot as they continued to bring in talent in the back half of the top ten rounds where other teams often save money on inexpensive seniors. The profiles here are pretty straightforward too, with many all-around profiles that project more as big league regulars than extreme profiles with outlier traits (save for second rounder Jarren Advincula with elite bat to ball).
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Note that the number before a player's name indicates their draft position. For example, "2-50" would indicate that a player was taken in the second round with the fiftieth overall pick.
1-12: OF Jared Grindlinger, Huntington Beach HS [CA]
Slot value: $5.89 million. Signing bonus: $5.89 million.
My rank: #12. MLB Pipeline: #16. ESPN: #11.
The headliner of this Angels class is a local legend himself, growing up less than a dozen miles from Angel Stadium in Huntington Beach. Jared Grindlinger comes from a baseball family as the younger brother of Tennessee star Trent Grindlinger, himself a potential first round pick in 2027, and appears poised to take off. Originally a member of the 2027 class, Jared reclassified to the 2026 class very late, announcing in February right at the start of his would-be junior season. He proceeded to put on a show during his now-senior season, showcasing first round skills both on the mound and at the plate. His hometown Angels pounced on him as a position player, where he has a chance to be an impact bat in a few years' time. Grindlinger is an advanced hitter well beyond his years, handling premium pitching from older competition with aplomb on the showcase circuit and again at home in Southern California. He makes a ton of contact and shows a heavy barrel from the left side, projecting for high batting averages and on-base percentages. At this point, the power is probably just average, but he has plenty of projection on his 6'3", 190 pound frame and given that he didn't even turn seventeen until April, he is a long way from physical maturity. His brother Trent is three years older and now carries 220 pounds on his 6'3" frame, coming off a freshman season in which he blasted eight home runs for Tennessee. Jared's bat is ahead of his athleticism, where his below average speed may limit his value in the outfield. He does have a plus arm, which makes right field the likely destination, though first base is a real possibility if he slows down any further. Grindlinger will be giving up pitching for now, but he's very talented in that regard as well with a low 90's fastball that touches 96 at peak coupled with an above average slider and changeup. It's a very advanced three pitch mix for a seventeen year old, and he repeats his delivery very well which helps him show very strong command for his age. Right now, the Angels would like to see Grindlinger develop into a 20 home run, .300 average bat, with a fallback option as a #3 starter. Not bad.
My rank: #12. MLB Pipeline: #16. ESPN: #11.
The headliner of this Angels class is a local legend himself, growing up less than a dozen miles from Angel Stadium in Huntington Beach. Jared Grindlinger comes from a baseball family as the younger brother of Tennessee star Trent Grindlinger, himself a potential first round pick in 2027, and appears poised to take off. Originally a member of the 2027 class, Jared reclassified to the 2026 class very late, announcing in February right at the start of his would-be junior season. He proceeded to put on a show during his now-senior season, showcasing first round skills both on the mound and at the plate. His hometown Angels pounced on him as a position player, where he has a chance to be an impact bat in a few years' time. Grindlinger is an advanced hitter well beyond his years, handling premium pitching from older competition with aplomb on the showcase circuit and again at home in Southern California. He makes a ton of contact and shows a heavy barrel from the left side, projecting for high batting averages and on-base percentages. At this point, the power is probably just average, but he has plenty of projection on his 6'3", 190 pound frame and given that he didn't even turn seventeen until April, he is a long way from physical maturity. His brother Trent is three years older and now carries 220 pounds on his 6'3" frame, coming off a freshman season in which he blasted eight home runs for Tennessee. Jared's bat is ahead of his athleticism, where his below average speed may limit his value in the outfield. He does have a plus arm, which makes right field the likely destination, though first base is a real possibility if he slows down any further. Grindlinger will be giving up pitching for now, but he's very talented in that regard as well with a low 90's fastball that touches 96 at peak coupled with an above average slider and changeup. It's a very advanced three pitch mix for a seventeen year old, and he repeats his delivery very well which helps him show very strong command for his age. Right now, the Angels would like to see Grindlinger develop into a 20 home run, .300 average bat, with a fallback option as a #3 starter. Not bad.
2-45: 2B Jarren Advincula, Georgia Tech
Slot value: $2.23 million. Signing bonus: $2.3 million ($71,700 above slot value).
My rank: #47. MLB Pipeline: #48. ESPN: #71.
If you like throwback players, Jarren Advincula may be your guy. Another California native, he grew up in Santa Clara and played high school ball at powerhouse Archbishop Mitty High School in San Jose, then stayed home to play college ball at Cal. After hitting .334 over two seasons in Berkeley, he transferred across the country to Georgia Tech and proceeded to go absolutely bonkers at the plate. In 61 games, he hit .434 with more runs scored (74) and RBI (66) than games played, leading the nation with 111 hits while his .434 batting average finished second only to Western Michigan's Tanner Mally at .446. What makes it even crazier, though, was that against top-flight arms in ACC play, he hit .477 with a .546 on-base percentage across 27 games. In ACC play, he led all conference bats in average, on-base percentage, and hits (53 in 27 games!), and it wasn't even close. Advincula works from a crouched setup at the plate, using a linear swing to shoot line drives around the field and rarely looks to turn on the ball. While he chases at a relatively high rate, he makes such elite contact that he still almost never strikes out and did so just 5.3% of the time in 2026 (16 times in 61 games), an absurdly low number. He's not looking for power, though the exit velocity data is not terribly weak and he did homer ten times in 2026. While he probably won't hit for double digit home run totals in pro ball, that's a nice indicator that he'll continue to collect base hits with wood bats and won't be purely a slap hitter. A plus runner, his wheels can help him turn singles into doubles and doubles into triples while giving him plenty of opportunities to steal bases when he's getting on half the time. That speed also helps him in the dirt, where he has the range to play anywhere in the infield. The arm strength may limit him to second base, where he should be an above average defender. The easy comparison is to Luis Arraez, though Advincula is a better runner who can do more with balls in play.
Slot value: $2.23 million. Signing bonus: $2.3 million ($71,700 above slot value).
My rank: #47. MLB Pipeline: #48. ESPN: #71.
If you like throwback players, Jarren Advincula may be your guy. Another California native, he grew up in Santa Clara and played high school ball at powerhouse Archbishop Mitty High School in San Jose, then stayed home to play college ball at Cal. After hitting .334 over two seasons in Berkeley, he transferred across the country to Georgia Tech and proceeded to go absolutely bonkers at the plate. In 61 games, he hit .434 with more runs scored (74) and RBI (66) than games played, leading the nation with 111 hits while his .434 batting average finished second only to Western Michigan's Tanner Mally at .446. What makes it even crazier, though, was that against top-flight arms in ACC play, he hit .477 with a .546 on-base percentage across 27 games. In ACC play, he led all conference bats in average, on-base percentage, and hits (53 in 27 games!), and it wasn't even close. Advincula works from a crouched setup at the plate, using a linear swing to shoot line drives around the field and rarely looks to turn on the ball. While he chases at a relatively high rate, he makes such elite contact that he still almost never strikes out and did so just 5.3% of the time in 2026 (16 times in 61 games), an absurdly low number. He's not looking for power, though the exit velocity data is not terribly weak and he did homer ten times in 2026. While he probably won't hit for double digit home run totals in pro ball, that's a nice indicator that he'll continue to collect base hits with wood bats and won't be purely a slap hitter. A plus runner, his wheels can help him turn singles into doubles and doubles into triples while giving him plenty of opportunities to steal bases when he's getting on half the time. That speed also helps him in the dirt, where he has the range to play anywhere in the infield. The arm strength may limit him to second base, where he should be an above average defender. The easy comparison is to Luis Arraez, though Advincula is a better runner who can do more with balls in play.
3-81: 1B Gavin Grahovac, Texas A&M
Slot value: $1.02 million. Signing bonus: $1.25 million ($229,000 above slot value).
My rank: #60. MLB Pipeline: #38. ESPN: #53.
Making it three straight Californians to start the draft, the Angels returned to Orange County to pull in Gavin Grahovac. Grahovac hails from Orange and attended Villa Park High School just four miles from Angel Stadium, where he was a highly regarded prep prospect and earned looks in the top handful of rounds in 2023. When he reached campus at Texas A&M, he immediately exploded into one of the best freshman bats in America by hitting .298/.390/.596 with an A&M freshman record 23 home runs across 67 games, earning SEC Freshman of the Year honors and finding his name on many freshman All-American lists in 2024. Having struck out at a 29% clip that year, contact was the next item on the to-do list, but unfortunately he missed almost all of the 2025 season with a labrum tear. Returning in 2026, he took the step forward with the bat that evaluators were hoping to see by slashing .339/.429/.722 with 22 home runs in 57 games, this time dropping his strikeout rate all the way to 16.5%. Grahovac is still power over hit, showing huge bat speed and ridiculous torque to create easily plus raw power from the right side. At 6'3", 230 pounds, he is built like a slugger and after homering 47 times in 130 college games, he will continue to tap that power with wood bats without question. The contact rates spiked in the right direction in 2026, and he hit a particularly impressive .344/.418/.754 with a very reasonably 17.7% strikeout rate against elite pitching in SEC play this year. He's an aggressive hitter that walked less than 10% of the time in 2026, making for a very simple game plan for opposing pitchers in pro ball given his already fringy bat to ball skills. In order to succeed against better and better pitching that will make fewer mistakes, he will need to further clean up his approach and focus on the pitches he can do damage on. Too much of his contact in 2026 was weak, still an improvement over missing those pitches completely in 2024, and the competition is only getting tougher. Defensively, Grahovac manned third base as a freshman but slid to first base as a junior and it looks like that's where he'll stay. He's not terribly slow in the field and has the arm strength for the hot corner, but the glovework has always been rocky and there's more to gain by focusing on his tremendous impact potential. He has the chance to hit 30+ home runs per season, albeit with lower batting averages. Mark Trumbo might make a good comp here.
Slot value: $1.02 million. Signing bonus: $1.25 million ($229,000 above slot value).
My rank: #60. MLB Pipeline: #38. ESPN: #53.
Making it three straight Californians to start the draft, the Angels returned to Orange County to pull in Gavin Grahovac. Grahovac hails from Orange and attended Villa Park High School just four miles from Angel Stadium, where he was a highly regarded prep prospect and earned looks in the top handful of rounds in 2023. When he reached campus at Texas A&M, he immediately exploded into one of the best freshman bats in America by hitting .298/.390/.596 with an A&M freshman record 23 home runs across 67 games, earning SEC Freshman of the Year honors and finding his name on many freshman All-American lists in 2024. Having struck out at a 29% clip that year, contact was the next item on the to-do list, but unfortunately he missed almost all of the 2025 season with a labrum tear. Returning in 2026, he took the step forward with the bat that evaluators were hoping to see by slashing .339/.429/.722 with 22 home runs in 57 games, this time dropping his strikeout rate all the way to 16.5%. Grahovac is still power over hit, showing huge bat speed and ridiculous torque to create easily plus raw power from the right side. At 6'3", 230 pounds, he is built like a slugger and after homering 47 times in 130 college games, he will continue to tap that power with wood bats without question. The contact rates spiked in the right direction in 2026, and he hit a particularly impressive .344/.418/.754 with a very reasonably 17.7% strikeout rate against elite pitching in SEC play this year. He's an aggressive hitter that walked less than 10% of the time in 2026, making for a very simple game plan for opposing pitchers in pro ball given his already fringy bat to ball skills. In order to succeed against better and better pitching that will make fewer mistakes, he will need to further clean up his approach and focus on the pitches he can do damage on. Too much of his contact in 2026 was weak, still an improvement over missing those pitches completely in 2024, and the competition is only getting tougher. Defensively, Grahovac manned third base as a freshman but slid to first base as a junior and it looks like that's where he'll stay. He's not terribly slow in the field and has the arm strength for the hot corner, but the glovework has always been rocky and there's more to gain by focusing on his tremendous impact potential. He has the chance to hit 30+ home runs per season, albeit with lower batting averages. Mark Trumbo might make a good comp here.
4-109: OF Rylan Lujo, Georgia
Slot value: $718,700. Signing bonus: $747,500 ($28,800 above slot value).
My rank: unranked. MLB Pipeline: #189. ESPN: #96.
Shifting to the opposite end of the spectrum, the Angels flipped coasts and flipped profiles with Rylan Lujo. Lujo starred at Dayton as a freshman then transferred to Georgia as a sophomore, where he consistently earned his spot in one of the most dangerous lineups in the country. He doesn't chase much, but aggressively attacks pitches in the zone and rarely misses. That helped him hit .361 at Dayton, .347 at Georgia, and even .394 in SEC play as he consistently met fastball after fastball and breaking ball after breaking ball for flush contact. His 8.8% overall strikeout rate and 10.6% rate in SEC play are both elite numbers, pointing to a hitter who will continue to hit for a high average in pro ball. While Lujo has some size at 6'2", 190 pounds and hit 17 home runs in 2026, he projects more as a fringy power hitter with a line drive swing and all-fields approach. The power is likely to play down a touch with wood and likely projects him for home run totals in the low teens, though that does pair nicely with his potential for high averages. The South Florida native also rarely walks, so the batting average will really drive the profile all-around. Formerly an infielder, he manned center field in Athens and performed admirably, where his above average speed gives him a chance to stick there. Lujo likely profiles as a fringe-everyday guy who can be a fringy defender in center or right field or an above average defender in left field. As a draft-eligible sophomore, he is younger than other Angels college draftees and only turned 21 a month before the draft. His grandfather was Rennie Stennett, a 1970's Pirates second baseman who played alongside Roberto Clemente and gathered over 1200 hits in an eleven year career.
Slot value: $718,700. Signing bonus: $747,500 ($28,800 above slot value).
My rank: unranked. MLB Pipeline: #189. ESPN: #96.
Shifting to the opposite end of the spectrum, the Angels flipped coasts and flipped profiles with Rylan Lujo. Lujo starred at Dayton as a freshman then transferred to Georgia as a sophomore, where he consistently earned his spot in one of the most dangerous lineups in the country. He doesn't chase much, but aggressively attacks pitches in the zone and rarely misses. That helped him hit .361 at Dayton, .347 at Georgia, and even .394 in SEC play as he consistently met fastball after fastball and breaking ball after breaking ball for flush contact. His 8.8% overall strikeout rate and 10.6% rate in SEC play are both elite numbers, pointing to a hitter who will continue to hit for a high average in pro ball. While Lujo has some size at 6'2", 190 pounds and hit 17 home runs in 2026, he projects more as a fringy power hitter with a line drive swing and all-fields approach. The power is likely to play down a touch with wood and likely projects him for home run totals in the low teens, though that does pair nicely with his potential for high averages. The South Florida native also rarely walks, so the batting average will really drive the profile all-around. Formerly an infielder, he manned center field in Athens and performed admirably, where his above average speed gives him a chance to stick there. Lujo likely profiles as a fringe-everyday guy who can be a fringy defender in center or right field or an above average defender in left field. As a draft-eligible sophomore, he is younger than other Angels college draftees and only turned 21 a month before the draft. His grandfather was Rennie Stennett, a 1970's Pirates second baseman who played alongside Roberto Clemente and gathered over 1200 hits in an eleven year career.
5-141: SS Jaxon Willits, Oklahoma
Slot value: $526,600. Signing bonus: $647,500 ($120,900 above slot value).
My rank: #114. MLB Pipeline: #117. ESPN: #104.
Continuing with the baseball bloodlines, Jaxon Willits at this point represents the third most famous baseball player in his family. His father Reggie played for the Angels from 2006-2011 and may best be remembered for his 2007 season in which he hit .293 and stole 27 bases in 136 games for the Halos. Jaxon's younger brother Eli was the first overall pick in the 2025 draft and is already flying through the Nationals system, and now Jaxon will have his turn to make a name for himself. Jaxon is a three year starter at Oklahoma, where he hit .307/.403/.521 with 25 home runs in 163 games during his career in Norman. He went out with a bang, picking up thirteen hits, including a home run, in six College World Series games to put the Sooners on his back and carry them to the National Championship. Like Rylan Lujo, he is a hit over power bat who excels at putting the ball in play. He rarely chases leading to that career OBP over .400 at Oklahoma, and makes good contact when pitchers do come into the zone. A switch hitter, his swings are geared to reach out and poke the ball into the gaps, where the natural strength in his 6' frame helps him pick up plenty of extra base hits. Willits really has to wind up and turn on the ball to tap his fringy power, so he likely won't threaten for more than 10-15 home runs per season. His approach has played very well in two seasons in the Cape Cod League, where he hit .318/.450/.409 with a strong 18.7% strikeout rate as even strong Cape pitching couldn't keep him off base. The Oklahoma native has a similar profile on defense, where he is more steady than flashy with average speed and arm strength. He'll likely be stretched at shortstop, but his high baseball IQ and consistent glove should make him an asset at second base. He could move through the minors quickly and become a solid part-time option in short order, with the chance to seize an every day role if he keeps getting on base at a high clip.
Slot value: $526,600. Signing bonus: $647,500 ($120,900 above slot value).
My rank: #114. MLB Pipeline: #117. ESPN: #104.
Continuing with the baseball bloodlines, Jaxon Willits at this point represents the third most famous baseball player in his family. His father Reggie played for the Angels from 2006-2011 and may best be remembered for his 2007 season in which he hit .293 and stole 27 bases in 136 games for the Halos. Jaxon's younger brother Eli was the first overall pick in the 2025 draft and is already flying through the Nationals system, and now Jaxon will have his turn to make a name for himself. Jaxon is a three year starter at Oklahoma, where he hit .307/.403/.521 with 25 home runs in 163 games during his career in Norman. He went out with a bang, picking up thirteen hits, including a home run, in six College World Series games to put the Sooners on his back and carry them to the National Championship. Like Rylan Lujo, he is a hit over power bat who excels at putting the ball in play. He rarely chases leading to that career OBP over .400 at Oklahoma, and makes good contact when pitchers do come into the zone. A switch hitter, his swings are geared to reach out and poke the ball into the gaps, where the natural strength in his 6' frame helps him pick up plenty of extra base hits. Willits really has to wind up and turn on the ball to tap his fringy power, so he likely won't threaten for more than 10-15 home runs per season. His approach has played very well in two seasons in the Cape Cod League, where he hit .318/.450/.409 with a strong 18.7% strikeout rate as even strong Cape pitching couldn't keep him off base. The Oklahoma native has a similar profile on defense, where he is more steady than flashy with average speed and arm strength. He'll likely be stretched at shortstop, but his high baseball IQ and consistent glove should make him an asset at second base. He could move through the minors quickly and become a solid part-time option in short order, with the chance to seize an every day role if he keeps getting on base at a high clip.
7-199: RHP Ryan Hetzler, Auburn
Slot value: $314,300. Signing bonus: $322,500 ($8,200 below slot value).
My rank: unranked. MLB Pipeline: unranked. ESPN: unranked.
The Angels' fourth Californian and third Southern Californian is Ryan Hetzler, who grew up in Corona about 25 miles east of Angel Stadium and played ball at Arlington High School in nearby Riverside. He began his career almost across the street at Cal Baptist, whose home plate sits less than two thirds of a mile from that of Arlington HS. After a successful freshman season as the Lancers' closer, he transferred across the country to Auburn where he continued to successfully serve in a closing capacity. Hetzler is an interesting one who does not have the typical late inning SEC fireballer profile. The fastball is still a good one, sitting in the low to mid 90's and touching 98 at peak, and he brings a full arsenal of secondary stuff. There is a short sweeping slider that can look like a cutter at times, while his curveball has more depth and gives hitters a different look. The changeup is inconsistent, but it looks like a potential above average pitch when he sells it right. Unlike most college relief picks, he pounds the strike zone with plus command and walked just nine batters in two seasons, just a minuscule 3.1% walk rate over 72 innings. Given that command and four pitch mix, it's not out of the question that Hetzler could have a chance to start at the next level. In fact, proponents of this pick could look to Hetzler's command, four pitch mix, and real velocity to say he has a much more well-rounded profile than you would expect in the seventh round. Detractors, however, would point to his size (5'11", 185 pounds), lack of a true putaway pitch, and the general poor track record of college relievers in pro ball as points against him. The Angels certainly fall into the believer category and it will be interesting to see how they choose to develop the local kid.
Slot value: $314,300. Signing bonus: $322,500 ($8,200 below slot value).
My rank: unranked. MLB Pipeline: unranked. ESPN: unranked.
The Angels' fourth Californian and third Southern Californian is Ryan Hetzler, who grew up in Corona about 25 miles east of Angel Stadium and played ball at Arlington High School in nearby Riverside. He began his career almost across the street at Cal Baptist, whose home plate sits less than two thirds of a mile from that of Arlington HS. After a successful freshman season as the Lancers' closer, he transferred across the country to Auburn where he continued to successfully serve in a closing capacity. Hetzler is an interesting one who does not have the typical late inning SEC fireballer profile. The fastball is still a good one, sitting in the low to mid 90's and touching 98 at peak, and he brings a full arsenal of secondary stuff. There is a short sweeping slider that can look like a cutter at times, while his curveball has more depth and gives hitters a different look. The changeup is inconsistent, but it looks like a potential above average pitch when he sells it right. Unlike most college relief picks, he pounds the strike zone with plus command and walked just nine batters in two seasons, just a minuscule 3.1% walk rate over 72 innings. Given that command and four pitch mix, it's not out of the question that Hetzler could have a chance to start at the next level. In fact, proponents of this pick could look to Hetzler's command, four pitch mix, and real velocity to say he has a much more well-rounded profile than you would expect in the seventh round. Detractors, however, would point to his size (5'11", 185 pounds), lack of a true putaway pitch, and the general poor track record of college relievers in pro ball as points against him. The Angels certainly fall into the believer category and it will be interesting to see how they choose to develop the local kid.
8-229: C Garrett Wright, Tennessee
Slot value: $249,300. Signing bonus: $397,500 ($148,200 above slot value).
Slot value: $249,300. Signing bonus: $397,500 ($148,200 above slot value).
My rank: #130. MLB Pipeline: #190. ESPN: #162.
The Angels went a bit above slot value to bring in Garrett Wright, who signed for roughly the value of their sixth round pick here in the eighth round. Wright played two years at Bowling Green, where he was MAC Freshman of the Year in 2024 and made the all-conference team again in 2025, overall slashing .396/.509/.631 with 14 home runs in 94 games and leaving town for a bigger challenge. He found that challenge at Tennessee, where he continued to be a menace at the plate when the Volunteers played lesser teams but put up just a pedestrian .254/.354/.426 line in SEC conference play. Wright has a pretty fun profile overall. While he lacks impressive top-end exit velocities, he whips the bat around well with strong wrists and great feel for the barrel to maximize his fringy raw power in games. He's a very aggressive hitter who walked just 5.9% of the time and chased over a third of the time in 2026, a trait which he offsets in two ways. One is solid bat to ball skills, which helps him run solid contact rates both inside and outside the zone. The other is almost an eager willingness to get hit by pitches, having taken 68 plunkings in his three seasons in college to run up his on-base percentage. In fact, he has been hit by significantly more pitches than he has drawn walks in each of his three seasons (21 vs 13, 28 vs 24, and 19 vs 13). Wright is the kind of player that will grind it out and outplay the sum of his parts offensively, hoping to put together a 15-20 home run projection with decent batting averages if he can maximize everything. The Angels are drafting him as a catcher, where he shined as a backstop at Bowling Green and was even named the MAC Defensive Player of the Year in 2025. The Northeast Ohio native is a great athlete behind the plate and has a strong arm to boot, giving him every shot to be a strong defensive catcher at the big league level. Unfortunately he broke his hamate bone and was relegated to the outfield in 2026, where his plus speed makes him a potential center fielder. The value is of course much higher behind the plate, and that's where the Angels will invest their effort. He's reminiscent of Daulton Varsho in that sense that he can play both catcher and center field, though he's right handed and a bit taller than his Astros counterpart. The offensive profile could be somewhat similar too.
The Angels went a bit above slot value to bring in Garrett Wright, who signed for roughly the value of their sixth round pick here in the eighth round. Wright played two years at Bowling Green, where he was MAC Freshman of the Year in 2024 and made the all-conference team again in 2025, overall slashing .396/.509/.631 with 14 home runs in 94 games and leaving town for a bigger challenge. He found that challenge at Tennessee, where he continued to be a menace at the plate when the Volunteers played lesser teams but put up just a pedestrian .254/.354/.426 line in SEC conference play. Wright has a pretty fun profile overall. While he lacks impressive top-end exit velocities, he whips the bat around well with strong wrists and great feel for the barrel to maximize his fringy raw power in games. He's a very aggressive hitter who walked just 5.9% of the time and chased over a third of the time in 2026, a trait which he offsets in two ways. One is solid bat to ball skills, which helps him run solid contact rates both inside and outside the zone. The other is almost an eager willingness to get hit by pitches, having taken 68 plunkings in his three seasons in college to run up his on-base percentage. In fact, he has been hit by significantly more pitches than he has drawn walks in each of his three seasons (21 vs 13, 28 vs 24, and 19 vs 13). Wright is the kind of player that will grind it out and outplay the sum of his parts offensively, hoping to put together a 15-20 home run projection with decent batting averages if he can maximize everything. The Angels are drafting him as a catcher, where he shined as a backstop at Bowling Green and was even named the MAC Defensive Player of the Year in 2025. The Northeast Ohio native is a great athlete behind the plate and has a strong arm to boot, giving him every shot to be a strong defensive catcher at the big league level. Unfortunately he broke his hamate bone and was relegated to the outfield in 2026, where his plus speed makes him a potential center fielder. The value is of course much higher behind the plate, and that's where the Angels will invest their effort. He's reminiscent of Daulton Varsho in that sense that he can play both catcher and center field, though he's right handed and a bit taller than his Astros counterpart. The offensive profile could be somewhat similar too.
9-259: RHP Trevor Hansen, UC Irvine
Slot value: $213,900. Signing bonus: $197,500 ($16,400 below slot value).
My rank: unranked. MLB Pipeline: #179. ESPN: unranked.
If you've been to a game or two down at UC Irvine lately, you probably saw Trevor Hansen pitch. A graduate of Royal High School out in Simi Valley about sixty miles northeast of Angel Stadium. In three years in Irvine, he made 46 starts and pitched 248 innings as perhaps the Anteaters' most relied-upon arm. While his best season was 2025, when he went 9-3 with a 3.30 ERA and a 95/31 strikeout to walk ratio over 95.1 innings, he set a new career high in strikeouts (96) and strikeout rate (27.5%) as his stuff took a step forward. The fastball now sits in the low 90's and touches 95 at peak, not overwhelming velocity but a step above where he had been and perfectly playable in pro ball. The fastball plays up a tad with big riding action as well, making it an effective pitch at the top of the zone. He shows a power curveball in the low 80's with nice late snap, while his changeup has come along and gives him a third quality offering. The command isn't pinpoint, but it's reliable and he has run a sub-10% walk rate in all three of his seasons in Irvine including 8% in 2026. The 6'2" righty repeats his delivery well, even with a bit of head whack, and looks the part of a big league starter. His ceiling may be limited, but with a lack of glaring flaws in the profile as well, he has a shot to pitch his way up as a back-end, innings eating starter.
Slot value: $213,900. Signing bonus: $197,500 ($16,400 below slot value).
My rank: unranked. MLB Pipeline: #179. ESPN: unranked.
If you've been to a game or two down at UC Irvine lately, you probably saw Trevor Hansen pitch. A graduate of Royal High School out in Simi Valley about sixty miles northeast of Angel Stadium. In three years in Irvine, he made 46 starts and pitched 248 innings as perhaps the Anteaters' most relied-upon arm. While his best season was 2025, when he went 9-3 with a 3.30 ERA and a 95/31 strikeout to walk ratio over 95.1 innings, he set a new career high in strikeouts (96) and strikeout rate (27.5%) as his stuff took a step forward. The fastball now sits in the low 90's and touches 95 at peak, not overwhelming velocity but a step above where he had been and perfectly playable in pro ball. The fastball plays up a tad with big riding action as well, making it an effective pitch at the top of the zone. He shows a power curveball in the low 80's with nice late snap, while his changeup has come along and gives him a third quality offering. The command isn't pinpoint, but it's reliable and he has run a sub-10% walk rate in all three of his seasons in Irvine including 8% in 2026. The 6'2" righty repeats his delivery well, even with a bit of head whack, and looks the part of a big league starter. His ceiling may be limited, but with a lack of glaring flaws in the profile as well, he has a shot to pitch his way up as a back-end, innings eating starter.
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