2021 MLB Draft: Angels can build towards future with these pitchers

For the third year in a row, the Angels have addressed their rotation issues by taking one-year flyers on reclamation projects. Again focusing on the short term, it is time to continue building for the long-term through the 2021 MLB Draft.

As we get closer near to meaningful baseball, the reality begins to set in–the Angels are done making changes to their rotation, especially with the Astros recent signing of Jake Odorizzi.

The biggest question mark next to Shohei Ohtani’s health was the performance of the newcomers, Alex Cobb and Jose Quintana. Admittedly there was some disappointment that this was the extent of general manager Perry Minasian’s moves as far as addressing the rotation. Early returns have been good in a small sample size as Quintana and Cobb have pitched well in spring camp.

Angels used short-term solutions for the rotation this season.

The team’s newly announced ace, Dylan Bundy, has thrown 6.2 scoreless innings, Griffin Canning has dazzled with his curveball, and Andrew Heaney has continued his trend of having mixed results after a relatively successful spring debut.

While the focus has mainly been to the six pitchers most likely to make up the rotation, all eyes have been on the next wave of arms in Reid Detmers and Chris Rodriguez. Baseball mostly acts as a ‘what have you done for me lately’ game, but it is important to always have an eye on the future. People have been clamoring to make the team good enough to get Mike Trout more playoff at-bats, and these two young Angels pitchers bring optimism that this team will be set up for the long run to win.

MLB Pipeline recently released their 2021 top-30 prospects for each team. Detmers and Rodriguez represent the teams No.2 and No.4 prospects respectively, with the former sitting at No.74 in the leagues top-100. While both are young and have a lot of promise, scouts see both as possible mid-tier starters rather than aces of the staff.

Detmers should be able to continue to fill up the strike zone thanks to a delivery he repeats consistently. His pitchability helped him strike out 47 batters in 30 innings at the alternate camp and that feel for his craft should allow him to move fairly quickly through the Angels system to a career as a durable mid-rotation starter in the big leagues.

While it is always great to have superstars, the Angels are a classic example of why depth is important to an organization. The upcoming draft is loaded with talented college arms that Perry Minasian should be chomping at the bit for. While high school prospects can have a higher upside, bringing in guys who have played in the NCAA for three to four years have the opportunity to contribute sooner.

Two of the Angels top-5 prospects in 2021 are Chirs Rodriguez and Reid Detmers.

While the results have not been there, every year the Angels are a team that always enter the season to compete and push for the playoffs. While high school draft picks such as Jo Adell, Brandon Marsh, and Jordyn Adams provide great depth in the prospect pool, the team’s focus should be on college-level players who can contribute sooner while Trout and Rendon are in their primes.

This article will look at different groups of college pitchers that Minasian should look towards at this year’s draft. Most of the information that will be referenced is from MLB.com Top-100 Prospects and Prospects Live Top 350 Prospects along with their 2021 Mock Draft 2.0. While these are all highly rated players, due to COVID shutting down the 2020 college season and the 2021 campaign just starting, these will all be very small sample sizes.

When the calendar flipped to September 2020, the Angels were 12-24, tied with Boston, and only a game and a half ahead of Pittsburgh in the Major-League basement. All of a sudden, the team got hot. Jared Walsh added another element to the teams offense, Justin Upton found his power swing, the rotation saw consistency from Griffin Canning and Andrew Heaney, and Mike Mayers became a revelation in the bullpen. The team that was vying for the first overall pick in the 2021 draft ended up three games out of the playoffs with a 26-34 record.

As much of a fan, I was of the expanded playoff format for the sake of seeing more teams and more baseball, a team that is eight games under .500 has no purpose being in the playoffs. Had the Angels made the playoffs, they would have been likely knocked out in the first series by a much better team, and while the run was exciting, they lost valuable draft position. While at the ninth selection, there will likely be a good share of talent, there is a slim chance they will get either of the top two pitching prospects in the draft.

That valuable position could have helped the Angels pick one of the two studs from Vanderbilt, Kumar Rocker or Jack Leiter.

Kumar Rocker-Vanderbilt (No.1 MLB.com, No.1 Prospects Live)

• 2019: (19 appearances) 99.2 IP, 3.25 ERA 1.094 WHIP, 10.3 K/9
• 2020: (4 appearances) 15.0 IP, 1.80 ERA, 0.933 WHIP, 16.8 K/9
• 2021: (4 appearances) 23.0 IP, 0.00 ERA, 0.696 WHIP, 13.3 K/9

Sorry Angels fans, but I believe the team’s odds to win the World Series this year is better than Kumar falling all the way to them at No.9 in the draft. The consensus number one pick in 2021 is the complete package on the mound, mixing in a mid-high 90s fastball with a nasty slider. Both pitches received a 65 grade on MLB.com’s 20-80 grade, while Rocker has focused on improving his changeup as a quality third pitch.

Angles: Vanderbilt continues to produce top pitching prospects

The Angels may have had a chance in acquiring Rocker had they not gone on that great run in September last season. While they probably still would have finished ahead of Pittsburgh in the standings, the Pirates are currently in full-rebuild and could still commit to the No.2 overall prospect Jordan Lawler as a high school Shortstop. Do not expect Rocker to be available at No.9.

Jack Leiter-Vanderbilt (No.7 MLB.com, No.3 Prospects Live)

• 2020: (4 appearances) 15.2 IP, 1.72 ERA, 0.830 WHIP, 12.6 K/9
• 2021: (4 appearances) 20.0 IP, 0.45 ERA, 0.850 WHIP, 14.9 K/9

The son of former Major League All-Star Al Leiter, Jack has been lights out in his very small sample size since joining Vandy. Pairing with teammate Rocker, Leiter creates a great 1-2 punch for the Commodores every weekend/series during the college baseball season. While MLB.com has him ranked at No.7 on their list, the mix of the pedigree and talent makes it hard to believe Leiter will fall, let alone No.9 to the Halos.

Both Vandy starters have continued to dominant since the start of the NCAA season as they put on what will be their encore performances before entering the 2021 draft. Both are, of course uber-talented, and realistically could be ready to help their future squads during the 2022 season. While most of the league’s bottom feeders are in the midst of rebuilds, the immediate turnaround could easily help the Angels compete in the coming years.

While Rocker and Leiter will likely be selected within the top-5 once the draft begins, it does not mean that there are not solid options to look at once the pick arrives. Last year the team added Detmers with the No.10 overall selection, potentially giving them a reliable lefty as a mid-top rotation starter for the future. Seeing as he was a 2020 pick and already knocking on the door to join the team as soon as this season, it is important to hit on this Top-10 pick as well.

The likely candidates the Angels can select withat No.9 in the 2021 MLB Draft.

Jaden Hill-LSU (No.5 MLB.com, No.14 Prospects Live)

• 2019: (2 appearances) 10.0 IP, 1.80 ERA 0.900 WHIP, 9.9 K/9
• 2020: (4 appearances) 11.2 IP, 0.00 ERA, 0.514 WHIP, 13.1 K/9
• 2021: (4 appearances) 17.0 IP, 4.24 ERA, 1.000 WHIP, 7.9 K/9

I will admit that I have been on the Jaden Hill hype train since the season has ended, and after Prospects Live dropped their latest Mock Draft that has the Angels picking the 21-year out of LSU, I am fully hoping that this lines up for the team.

While he has had a tough start in 2021 and suffered an elbow injury that cost him all but two starts in 2019, Hill is still arguably the most electric arm after Rocker in this draft. At 6’4” and over 230 pounds, Hill tosses a 65 graded fastball in the high 90s, making him an intimidating presence on the mound. Mixing up a 60 graded changeup and 55 slider, Hill has a great amount of talent but will have to show he has the durability to be a long-time big league starter.

Ryan Cusick-Wake Forest (No.33 MLB.com, No.11 Prospects Live)

• 2019: (19 appearances) 65.2 IP, 6.44 ERA 1.736 WHIP, 7.5 K/9
• 2020: (4 appearances) 22.1 IP, 3.22 ERA, 1.836 WHIP, 17.3 K/9
• 2021: (2 appearances) 11.1 IP, 5.56 ERA, 1.412 WHIP, 16.7 K/9

Another big-bodied presence on the mound, Cusick has seen mixed results since joining Wake Forest back in 2019. A hard thrower with a mid-high 90s fastball, the 21-year old has a nice mix with a slider, changeup, and curveball with 12-6 movement. The biggest area of improvement for Cusick will be improving his control, as he has struggled to keep batters off base.

There isn’t much effort in Cusick’s delivery and his arm works well, but he has yet to provide consistent strikes. He averaged 4.8 walks per nine innings in his first two college seasons and will have to be more efficient to succeed as a starter at higher levels.

Cusick may be a guy who could fall in the draft. While he would be a solid option for the Angels to look at with the No.9 pick, his development may be longer than others on this list.

Ty Madden-University of Texas (No.10 MLB.com, No.35 Prospects Live)

• 2019: (15 appearances) 42.1 IP, 3.40 ERA 1.465 WHIP, 7.9 K/9
• 2020: (4 appearances) 25.0 IP, 1.80 ERA, 0.880 WHIP, 9.4 K/9
• 2021: (4 appearances) 20.0 IP, 1.33 ERA, 0.704 WHIP, 11.7 K/9

Another guy with a solid fastball-slider mix (both graded out at 60), Madden is an intriguing pick at No.9 for the Angels. Improvement has been important for the Texas right-hander as he improved in his small 2020 sample from his freshman season. So far this season leading to the draft, Madden has pitched well and shown the ability to keep guys off base.

Velocity and control are two of the most important pitching areas, and Madden has made this a focus throughout his collegiate career.

Madden has added 35 pounds to his 6-foot-3 frame in college and the extra strength has helped him not only to improve his pitches but also to repeat his sound delivery more consistently. He walked just four batters in four starts last spring and scouts love the way he attacks hitters. If he can maintain the stuff he showed during the summer and fall, he can become a frontline starter.

Out of this group of players, the Angels and GM Perry Minasian should be over the moon if they can select either Hill or Madden in the first round. While the collegiate season is still early on and 2020 was a small sample size, both players have flashed their ace-potential repertoires and could help the Angels as soon as late 2022, early 2023.