The Angels’ 2026 draft looked a lot different from the old Anaheim script.
With scouting director Tim Mcllvaine given room to shape the board his way, the organization moved away from the familiar habit of chasing low-ceiling college bats in the first round. This time, the emphasis was clear: contact mattered most.
“I think that is a great foundation,” he said after the draft.
That philosophy showed up immediately with Jared Grindlinger, the first-day headliner and a 17-year-old hitter whose advanced contact rate stood out to Mcllvaine. The Angels believed his approach at the plate was already well ahead of what you’d normally expect from someone that age. His power is already adequate, and the expectation is that it can grow as he gets stronger.
From there, the class kept leaning into bat-to-ball ability and athleticism.
Jarren Advincula came off the board in Round 2 at Pick 45 after leading Division I with a .434 batting average and 111 hits at Georgia Tech. He brings speed, elite contact skills and the kind of table-setting profile that helped fuel a dangerous Yellow Jackets offense. The home run total won’t jump off the page, but the Angels are betting on consistent contact, on-base ability and his speed turning into runs.
Round 3 brought Gavin Grahovac, a local product from Orange, CA, who adds real thump. The Texas A&M infielder hit 22 home runs and posted a 1.150 OPS in 2026.
Over three college seasons, he cut down his strikeout rate every year without sacrificing power. A shoulder injury limited him to first base last season, but the Angels plan to develop him at third.
The next pick, Rylan Lujo in Round 4 at No. 109, added another layer to the same theme. The Georgia outfielder posted a 1.056 OPS in All-SEC play and stole 13 bases. He’s a spray hitter who uses the whole field, runs well enough to turn gaps into extra bases and has the athleticism to stay in center field.
Mcllvaine also made clear how much the organization valued Jaxon Willits, praising him as both a player and a person. Willits, whose dad Reggie played for the Angels and whose brother was the first overall pick in last year’s draft, has been on the club’s radar for a while.
“He's another we've watched for quite a while,” said Mcllvaine. “He tends to win everywhere he goes.”
Willits earned College World Series Most Outstanding Player honors after leading Oklahoma to a national title, and his competitiveness and baseball IQ were part of the appeal.
The pitching side of the class followed a similar pattern of defined roles. In Round 6 at Pick 170, the Angels took Justin Byrd, a high-leverage reliever from Georgia with a mid-90s fastball and a 0.79 ERA during the Bulldogs’ 2026 postseason run.
Round 7 brought Ryan Hetzler, a Corona, CA native who worked as a strikeout-heavy bullpen arm for Auburn, putting up a 2.43 ERA and 38 strikeouts in 37 innings. The Angels plan to keep him in relief.
Round 8 added catcher Garrett Wright from Tennessee, an athletic SEC backstop who hit .348 with nine home runs despite late-season injuries. He also saw time in the outfield, and Mcllvaine said the Angels will try him at both catcher and outfield.
Round 9 went to Trevor Hansen of UC Irvine, a durable starter who piled up 265 strikeouts over three college seasons. The Angels’ local scouts saw plenty of him, and the club intends to keep him in the rotation as he moves up.
The final listed pick, Round 10’s Luc Rising from Northeastern, was an All-CAA starter who went 5-5 with a 3.54 ERA and 84 strikeouts in 2026. He throws strikes, gets elite vertical movement on his fastball and will need development on the rest of his arsenal.
It’s too early to grade a draft class in any meaningful way, but the direction here is hard to miss. The Angels weren’t trying to patch holes with quick fixes. They were taking the best player available, slot by slot, and building around contact, athleticism and players who have already won in big programs.
That’s a real shift. No early-round money games.
No reaching for volatile arms later just to make the math work. Instead, the Angels mixed upside with dependable bats, added a local power source in Grahovac and kept stacking players from winning environments like Oklahoma and Georgia.
Now the focus turns to signing the class and getting everyone into pro ball. When the Angels’ minor league affiliates open in 2027, there should be a fresh wave of talent for fans to track - even if the big leagues are locked out.
In Other News...
Angels Just Let A Productive Infielder Slip Away
The Angels latest roster move ended up helping a division rival, as the Athletics used an open 40-man spot to claim an infielder off waivers and add some much-needed depth. It was a notable turn for Los Angeles, which had designated him for assignment even after he put together a strong season at the plate.
For Oakland, the timing made sense with the infield banged up and both Nick Kurtz and Zack Gelof sidelined. The As see the new addition as a possible fit in a platoon role at third base alongside Joshua Kuroda-Grauer, giving them another option while they try to patch together the lineup. [Read more 🡒]
Angels Fans May Not Like What Jo Adell Trade Buzz Means
The Phillies are already looking well ahead to the 2026 trade deadline, and their shopping list is pretty clear: starting pitching depth, a left-handed reliever and a right-handed bat who can handle right field. In that kind of market, even a hypothetical fit can start to feel like a real conversation, especially when a national name like Jim Bowden of The Athletic floats a package built around Dante Nori, Gabe Craig and Ramon Marquez.
For the Angels, that sort of buzz is the part worth watching. Jo Adell has been part of the discussion because of the power he brings against left-handed pitching, and because right-handed outfield help tends to come at a premium. Whether a deal like that ever gets traction, or simply stays in the category of speculative winter talk, is the question that could matter most for an Angels club trying to decide how much value it wants to place on his upside. [Read more 🡒]
Angels Just Sent A Clear Draft Message To Frustrated Fans
The Angels used the opening day of the 2025 MLB Draft to make a point about where they think the organization needs to go next. With interim general manager John Mozeliak and scouting director Tim McIlvaine steering the board, the club mixed youth and college experience across its first four picks, starting with Jared Grindlinger and then adding Jarren Advincula, Gavin Grahovac and Rylan Lujo. It was a draft class built to balance upside with players who can move quickly, a combination that fits a team trying to reshape its talent base without leaning too far in one direction.
For Angels fans, the most interesting part may be the message behind the choices as much as the names themselves. The front office did not treat the first day like a one-track search for immediate help, and it also did not ignore the appeal of college bats who have already shown they can handle advanced competition. What comes next is how the organization develops that mix, especially after a draft that seemed designed to answer frustration with a broader plan rather than a single splash. [Read more 🡒]