Any hope that the Angels would change their draft strategy in 2026 may already be dead

The Los Angeles Angels have a pretty predictable playbook when it comes to the MLB Draft. Seemingly every year, they draft a player who they can sign for a relatively cheap price who can conceivably be rushed up to the big leagues. Despite the team’s poor results year after year, it does not seem like the Angels are deviating from that strategy this year.

Basically all of the major draft publications expect the Halos to go with some sort of college player who can be moved quickly through the minors. MLB Pipeline has them going with left-handed pitcher Cole Carlon out of Arizona State and other mock drafts have them taking Cameron Flukey, another college arm.

At some point, one would think the Angels might shake up their approach. The team has been in the gutter for years now and hasn’t had a winning season since 2015. Why not select a high upside player straight out of high school just to see if he can become something big a few years down the road?

That just does not seem like it’s going to happen. The Angels clearly do not care about winning above all else. Owner Arte Moreno’s comments have reflected that and the “tarps off” movement can at least give fans a voice but it seems doubtful the team will be sold as long as Moreno is making money.

The Angels know that the way they are operating is one of the cheapest ways to run a ball club. If they pick players who can be rushed up to the big leagues, no matter whether they’re ready or not, then they can be perpetually playing the youngsters which means they feel they don’t have to spend big money on free agents.

Sure, every now and then, they’ll throw down a little bit of money so they have some plausible deniability, but that hasn’t really worked out. The Anthony Rendon signing was a disaster and the Yusei Kikuchi signing isn’t exactly aging well either.

Angels have hit on some players in MLB Draft but not enough to warrant inaction

To be fair, the Angels haven’t completely whiffed in the draft with their stale approach. Zach Neto was a good pick back in 2022, Nolan Schanuel has done good things in the big leagues, and even 2020 pick Reid Detmers is finally showing some signs of being a solid big league starter.

Still, when something isn’t working and the product at the big league level clearly isn’t cutting it, maybe a course-correction is in order. Aiming for a prospect who can make an impact three years down the road rather than next year is the sort of longer-term thinking the Angels should be employing.

Alas, with general manager Perry Minasian still in power he may stick to his guns until the bitter end. It may take both a change in ownership and in the front office for the Angels to change their stale old approach.

Add us as a preferred source on Google

Follow