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Ranking the positions the LA Angels should focus on in 2022 MLB Draft

By Mason Troyanek |
Oakland Athletics v Los Angeles Angels
Oakland Athletics v Los Angeles Angels / Ronald Martinez/GettyImages
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The MLB Draft is coming up and it is time to start looking at what positions each team is going to need to fill to help the future of their franchise. Last season we saw the LA Angels use every single pick they had on pitching, but this year won't be the same. These are the rankings of what positions the LA Angels should focus on and some prospects the organization could look to draft.

(First Round Draft Order)

No. 1 position the LA Angels should focus on in 2022 MLB Draft: Pitching

Obviously, pitching has been a weakness for this team for most of the last decade and still needs to show it can compete against top tier teams. The LA Angels won't use every single pick on pitching like they did last season, but they still need to continue to funnel top pitching prospects into the minor league system that could possibly produce MLB stars. Regardless of if those pitchers end up playing for the LA Angels in the future, or end up somewhere else, the value good pitching prospects bring to the organization is always a positive since they come by so rarely.

Reid Detmers, 10th pick in 2020 Draft
Reid Detmers, 10th pick in 2020 Draft / Ron Jenkins/GettyImages

With the 13th pick in the MLB Draft, the LA Angels should look for more pitching prospects because of all the position players expected to go in the top 10 picks. Look for them to possibly get Jackson Ferris, Connor Prielipp, or Brandon Barriera.

No. 2 position the LA Angels should focus on in 2022 MLB Draft: Corner Infield (First Base, Third Base)

Just looking at the LA Angels top MLB prospects, it is clear they don't have many high potential prospects at third base or first base. This will be a clear need because the organization will need a future option for the organization if Jared Walsh decides to leave, or Anthony Rendon isn't working out.

These hypotheticals are things that could happen five-plus years down the line, but that is when the LA Angels could be looking at needing to have these replacements ready on the MLB roster. With that being said it should be of major importance to ensure we have potential prospects that could fill those roles just in case these things do happen. If so, having MLB ready prospects at first and third base will allow the team to stay in contention without the possibility of a rebuild.

Washington Nationals v Los Angeles Angels
Washington Nationals v Los Angeles Angels / Rob Leiter/GettyImages

The LA Angels could definitely take Cam Collier if he is there at the 13th pick or for some reason Jacob Berry falls outside the top 10. Otherwise expect the Angels to wait until the 2nd, 3rd, or 4th round to add their first corner infielder.

No. 3 position the LA Angels should focus on in 2022 MLB Draft: Middle Infielder (Second Base, Shortstop)

Similar to the argument about why the LA Angels are going to need to prioritize pitching, the LA Angels should target middle infielders because they haven't had a solid franchise shortstop or second baseman for a while.

The only reason why middle infielders wouldn't be higher on the list is because they already have a fair amount of them in the Halos' top list of minor league prospects, so the organization should look to see how those players perform before shifting their focus to other options. There are also a lot of good early and late 1st round middle infielders that could potentially land with the LA Angels.

Again, look for the Angels to possibly take a middle infielder at 13 if one of the top prospects fall, otherwise look for them to add a couple middle infielders throughout the draft.

No. 4 position the LA Angels should focus on in 2022 MLB Draft: Outfield

Outfield isn't going to be the most important priority for the LA Angels in this year's draft due to the organization having already a really good outfield. With Trout here long term, Ward under contract until 2026, and Marsh until 2028, the future of LAA's outfield looks very bright.

The team shouldn't prioritize outfielders because there are just other needs that should be addressed first, but they should still look to add some guys that could become good trade pieces later down the line. A good example of this is the current situation with Jo Adell. Adell, being a great prospect that unfortunately due to great depth isn't going to get much of a chance to play, will most likely get traded or have to wait years to get a real shot in the major leagues.

Baltimore Orioles v Los Angeles Angels
Baltimore Orioles v Los Angeles Angels / Denis Poroy/GettyImages

Don't expect the Angels to take a lot of outfielders, but for the sake of the draft class they might add three or four of them sometime during the draft. They should look at different positions to fill for their 13th pick in the first round.

No. 5 position the LA Angels should focus on in 2022 MLB Draft: Catcher

Catching is going to be a lesser concern for the LA Angels because it is hard to find generational talents at the position. That is why Adley Rutschman was the number 1 pick in the draft a few years ago. A guy who was not only a great defensive catcher, but could hit for average and power on both sides of the plate. That is unheard of and doesn't come around often, which is why his talents were valued. Luckily he was obviously very ready to play at the major league level and was drafted by a team where he could easily make that jump within a couple years of him being drafted.

In terms of this year's draft there are a few good prospects in the first round, but it is hard to project good catchers because of the physical stress of the position. The window for a catcher's prime is usually very short. That is why you end up seeing catchers end up moving to different positions to help lengthen their careers.

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With that being said it's hard to imagine the LA Angels prioritizing catching in this year's draft. The organization shouldn't look to add a catcher in this year's draft until the middle or late rounds unless a catcher is the best player available at the time the LA Angels are up.

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