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Ranking each of the last 10 Angels first round draft picks from worst to best

With the MLB Draft beginning tonight, let's take a trip down memory lane at some recent Angels first-round draft picks

Zachary Rotman|
June 11, 2023; Anaheim, California, USA; Los Angeles Angels shortstop Zach Neto (9) is greeted by
June 11, 2023; Anaheim, California, USA; Los Angeles Angels shortstop Zach Neto (9) is greeted by | Gary A. Vasquez-USA TODAY Sports
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6) Sean Newcomb: 15th overall, 2014 MLB Draft

The Angels selected Sean Newcomb with midway through the first round in 2014 out of the University of Hartford, but he never played a game with them. At least not yet.

Newcomb was selected by Jerry Dipoto and wasn't available in trades but when Billy Eppler took over, he was perfectly fine with moving the top prospect. Newcomb was one of the only viable guys in a weak Angels system, but he was packaged along with Erick Aybar and Chris Ellis in the deal that brought Andrelton Simmons to Anaheim.

This trade ended up working out pretty well for the Angels as Simmons was a really solid shortstop for a while, Aybar didn't do much for the Braves, Ellis never played for the Braves, and Newcomb was only usable for three or four years.

Newcomb had a 4.04 ERA in his two seasons being used primarily as a starter for the Braves, but a high walk rate caused them to move him to the bullpen. He had a great year in 2019 with a 3.16 ERA in 55 appearances, but after that was pretty unusable.

From 2020-2022 he posted an ERA of 7.45 in 56 appearances and 73.2 innings pitched for the Braves and Cubs. He's currently in the Giants system pitching for AAA Sacramento.

Newcomb could've been a useful piece from 2017-2019, but Simmons was a good player for them in those seasons. Probably a win to have traded him.

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