The Angels completed the MLB draft on Sunday, filling out their 20 selections with 12 position players and eight pitchers. They didn’t take a pitcher until the sixth round.
The Angels’ farm system is considered much deeper in pitching, but scouting director Tim McIlvaine said it was not an intentional focus, but a product of what was available in this year’s crop of players.
“We thought one of the strengths was the depth of the hitters,” McIlvaine said. “The pitchers were a little bit lighter, so we felt like if we went hitters and got as many of those as we could, we could supplement with some pitchers a little bit later, which is kind of how it shook out.”
The Angels’ first pick on Sunday was fifth-rounder Jaxon Willits, a switch-hitting middle infielder from Oklahoma. He is the son of former Angel Reggie Willits and the older brother of 2025 No. 1 overall pick Eli Willits. Willits was the MVP of the College World Series after leading Oklahoma to the title.
Willits and second-round pick Jarren Advincula, from Georgia Tech, are both known as elite contact hitters, McIlvaine said. That was a focus throughout the draft.
“I just think it’s a great foundation to start with,” McIlvaine said. “If you can put the ball in play and you can make contact and you’re not striking out, you’ve got a better chance, you know? If you’re not a huge power guy and you’re not driving the ball out of the yard with every swing, if you can be a contact guy and put the ball in play and make things happen, I think it’s a better foundation to start with. So I’ve kind of put a little bit of an emphasis on that over just the the big slugging corner guys.”
The Angels did get one slugging corner guy, with third-round pick Gavin Grahovac, a third baseman from Texas A&M. Grahovac is a product of Villa Park High, and McIlvaine said he grew up an Angels fan.
“I sat with him in the combine and you know, we looked each other right in the eye and he sat there and told me, ‘Hey look, I want to bring a World Series championship to Anaheim,’” McIlvaine said. “‘This is my dream. This is what I want to do.’”
Grahovac played first base for most of this season because of a shoulder injury, but McIlvaine said he’s going back to third with the Angels.
The Angels ended up with only three high school players among their picks, including first-round pick Jared Gridlinger, an outfielder/pitcher from Huntington Beach.
Jacob Sammis, a two-way player from Georgia with a commitment to Western Carolina, was drafted as a pitcher in the 12th round. The Angels used their 15th-round pick on Cameron Jackson, a shortstop with a commitment to Oklahoma. McIlvaine said he’s expecting them both to sign.
The Angels also took UNLV outfielder Jack Salmon in the 19th round. He is the nephew of former Angels star Tim Salmon.