Angels’ gamble on this high-ceiling 2025 draft prospect arm looks very wise right now

The Los Angeles Angels under Perry Minasian have been understandably criticized for how they have handled their drafts. They tried drafting all pitchers back in 2021 after essentially ignoring pitching for years, and that was a spectacular failure. Since then, the Angels have prioritized players that they felt they could blast through the minor leagues the quickest at the expense of maximizing the talent they were bringing into the organization. However, it does look like they may have stumbled into a 2025 draft pick that could become a true contributor.

It was surprising to see the Angels be so aggressive in drafting LHP Johnny Slawinski in the third round of the 2025 MLB Draft. While he was highly regarded as a prospect, it was also well known that he had a college commitment to Texas A&M that would be expensive to sign him away from. However, the Angels spent most of their spare draft bonus pool to sign Slawinski for $2.5 million, which is more than twice the slot value for where he was picked.

While it was jarring to see the Angels actually push their chips in on a high school pitching prospect, that bet seems to have worked out exceedingly well.

Johnny Slawinski is making the Angels look like geniuses for a change

There was a lot to like in Slawinski right off the rip. A 6'3, sturdy-framed lefty pitcher is already intriguing, but Slawinski brings a fastball that plays up due to elite extension, a pair of breaking balls that at least flash plus, and a changeup that plays very well off his fastball tunnel in addition to those physical attributes.

However, we usually see drafted prep arms struggle early on as they get their footing as a professional and adjust to the massive jump in the quality of hitters. Instead, Slawinski has gone out in his first two starts and posted a combined 2.57 ERA with nine strikeouts and zero walks in seven innings in rookie ball.

Slawinski is still a long way off, and the real test will be when he is in full-season ball and having to throw 5+ innings in each start. That transition has claimed more than a few pitching prospects over the years, as it is a lot harder to get professional hitters out once they have seen you more than once in a game. That said, Slawinski looks like the type of arm that Angels fans have been hoping for and that the team probably should have been targeting all along instead of...whatever it is they were doing before.

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