The Angels’ top draft pick is already at the center of a decision that could shape how the organization handles his development under new leadership.
Jared Grindlinger, the 17-year-old two-way player selected by Los Angeles in July, is now in a strange holding pattern as the club prepares for changes in its front office. Interim GM John Mozeliak is set to be gone at the end of December when his contract expires, and Mozeliak has also said the Angels will look outside the organization for a new farm director.
That puts a spotlight on Grindlinger more than on any other prospect from the summer class.
The pick signaled a different path for the Angels. Before that, the organization had leaned heavily toward selecting top college talent that was seen as closer to the majors. That approach produced some short-term results, with nearly all of the club’s No. 1 picks on the field together late in 2025, but it also left the system thin and helped keep the Halos stuck in the basement of the AL West.
For now, Grindlinger is just starting life as a pro, and the early returns in instructional league have been rough. He’s being used as a hitter at the moment, and the contact ability that stood out so much as an amateur has not shown up yet.
That’s hardly unusual for someone his age. Young prospects often struggle when they first start seeing professional pitching, and instructional league is designed exactly for that kind of transition before a player moves on to Low-A, the DSL or his next stop.
What makes Grindlinger more complicated is the two-way label. According to Baseball America’s scouting report, his fastball sits in the 90-94 mph range and has reached 96, which stands out for a high school arm still carrying plenty of projection in his 6’3”, 185 frame.
Two-way players always create a development puzzle because their paths can split in two. A prospect can stall on one side of the ball, and that naturally raises the question of whether the other skill set should take over.
The Angels are not at that point with Grindlinger yet, but his future will be one of the more interesting issues facing the organization once new ownership and leadership settle in. The GM meetings begin on Nov. 9, and it will be especially worth watching if the Angels have their new leadership group in place under owner Stan Kroenke.
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