2026 MLB Draft Review: Los Angeles Angels

The players

In a day and age where analytics are king, the Angels took some players who shine in that regard. And perhaps that’s embodied by Jared Grindlinger, a California high school product who was taken in the first round by the Angels in 2026.

Grindlinger is a fascinating player for several reasons. One, he was born in April 2009 and won’t turn 18 until 2027. A 17-year-old who reclassified into the 2026 MLB Draft, Grindlinger has a loose & easy swing, natural raw strength, and popped mid-90s velocity as a pitcher in high school.

He screams right fielder and could be a nice building block for an Angels club that needs plenty of them.

Los Angeles’ second-round pick was Jarren Advincula, the 2026 D1 hit king. Advincula hit .434 for Georgia Tech this season, part of what was an incredibly deep offense. Also tallied 10 home runs and rarely struck out (16 over 61 games). Advincula demonstrated aggressiveness in his approach, although that didn’t show up too much in the walk numbers.

The Angels continued the run on college players with Gavin Grahovac. Big power hitter from Texas A&M who hit 23 home runs in 2024 and 22 this past season. The hit tool is a bit of a question mark, as Grahovac struck out 95 times in his freshman season. But that number did come down this past season.

Two Georgia players were taken in Day 2 by the Angels: pitcher Justin Byrd and Rylan Lujo. Lujo was a fantastic hitter with Dayton and UGA, and does have MLB bloodlines (related to former Pirate Rennie Stinnett). He hit over .350 in his two college seasons in 2025 and 2026.

Byrd was a wizard for the Bulldogs out of the bullpen, as he struck out 77 over 62.2 IP. Fastball/slider pitcher.

It’s fitting that a Willits is back in the Angels organization. Jaxon Willits, the son of former Angels outfielder Reggie Willits, was picked in the fifth round. An incredibly patient hitter, and one who got down in the MLB Draft after he didn’t do that well in the regular season. But Willits made up for it and then some in the postseason for Oklahoma.

Ryan Hetzler was part of a deep Auburn team this past season. Fastball that ran up to 95 MPH this season.

Trevor Hansen struck out 96 batters over 78 innings. With UC Irvine, Hansen had a low-to-mid-90s fastball, coupled with a curveball and changeup.

The Angels also snagged two other intriguing college pitchers: Luc Rising and Tate McGuire. Rising didn’t throw too hard, and he worked with a low-90s fastball, along with a curveball. But he averaged over a strikeout per inning, and you never know how these Northeast pitchers can turn out. McGuire, meanwhile, flashed mid-90s velocity with Arkansas. Fastball had a lot of carry.

Another notable college player from this draft was St. John’s catcher Adam Agresti. Agresti hit 20 home runs, one of which was a grand slam that helped the Red Storm move to the 2026 Super Regionals in June. Big and long swing but there is some upside there.