The 2025 MLB Draft could be a gigantic turning point for the Los Angeles Angels organization. Narrowly missing out on the first pick in the draft stung a little bit, but this is not a draft class in which you had to land no. 1. After their respective seasons end in Stillwater, OK and College Station, TX, Ethan Holliday and Jace LaViolette will likely go in the top 2. Whoever falls to no. 2 could be a cornerstone for the Angels franchise for years to come, it's just a matter of who it is at this point.
The Angels will not be necessarily missing out on a Steven Strasburg, Paul Skenes, Álex Rodríguez, or Mickey Moniak (OK maybe he shouldn't be in that group), in the sense that those players were the consensus no.1 guys in their drafts in a tier all by themselves. This year's draft has a top two, not just a top one. The 2025 MLB Draft, the way it is shaping up at this point in time, more resembles the 2019 and 2015 MLB Drafts. The Royals missed out on Adley Rutschman at no. 1, but landed Bobby Witt Jr. at no. 2 in 2019. The Astros missed out of Dansby Swanson at no.1, but lucked out and landed Alex Bregman at no. 2 in 2015 (shoutout to Mark Appel). Either Holliday or LaViolette will be an amazing consolation prize for the Halos.
Holliday is the top prize by all accounts. The 17-year-old high schooler is already incredibly polished, given that he comes from an incredible family of baseball players. He is receiving comparisons to his father, Matt Holliday, in the sense that he is already physically built and has a 65 power tool on his scouting grade. He is a left-handed hitter, like his brother Jackson Holliday, but is a different type of player. Ethan projects as a third baseman, while his brother who was selected no. 1 overall in 2022, is a middle-infielder. Ethan, unlike Jackson, is a bona fide no. 1 pick while Jackson was originally billed as more of a second round talent.
LaViolette has slightly more holes in his game, and is four years older. Ethan Holliday has a slightly better hit tool than LaViolette, as the A&M outfielder racked up a 24.3 percent strikeout rate last season. Given the age difference and having slightly more to prove, LaViolette is billed as the second best prospect right now. While fans may want to see Holliday fall to them, as he could have the higher upside down-the-road, LaViolette could enter the organization and give the Angels a spark of life as early as this season.
The Angels have an extremely long track record of drafting MLB-ready prospects, so LaViolette falling to them at no. 2 would be just what the doctor ordered. They famously sped up the developments of their first rounders in Zach Neto, Nolan Schanuel, Reid Detmers, and non-first rounders like Caden Dana and Chase Silseth. Christian Moore was on track to make his MLB debut last season before he went down with a knee injury, and could easily break camp with the Angels in a couple months. They love fast-tracking guys, and should continue to take that approach as they try to get Mike Trout back into the playoffs for the second time in his career. If they land LaViolette, do not be surprised if you see him manning right field for them come late-August, early-September.