Top collegiate pitcher linked to Angels in MLB Draft

As the Angels and general manager are less than a month away from selecting their new top prospect, it is becoming clearer and clearer to many in the industry where the Halos might go with their second overall selection. This is the Halos' best chance at adding top end talent to their dire farm system, and many expect one of the best pitchers in all of college baseball to be headed for Anaheim when the MLB Draft commences.

Liam Doyle has been an electric pitcher this season for the Tennessee Volunteers. The left-handed ace has been consistently dominant all season, posting a 2.84 ERA over the course of 2025. His strikeout numbers have been ridiculous as well, posting 158 in just 92 innings pitched.

Doyle has taken his pitching to a new level in the NCAA tournament, where he has gone viral for his aggression and antics on the mound. Similar to Angels' reliever Ryan Johnson, Doyle is somewhat of a freak on the mound, with his eyes always locked onto his target.

This week, the Angels have been linked to Doyle in every major mock draft. MLB.com suggests Doyle could be the selection not only because he is the most dominant arm from the 2025 season, but because the Angels would likely be able to sign him for less than slot value, giving them more room later in the draft to select high impact players.

Bleacher Report also mentions that Doyle is one of the most MLB-ready pitchers in the draft this year. The Angels have obviously been eager to promote their top prospects as quickly as possible - even if it may hurt their development in the long run - and Doyle would be another candidate to be in the big league rotation by 2026.

Baseball America and ESPN both had mocked Doyle to the Angels in their most recent mock drafts as well, and it seems Minasian's intents are very clear at the top of the draft. And if he is swinging for the fences, Doyle makes the most sense. If he sticks as a starter, there is genuinely no college pitcher who offers the same top-of-the-rotation/ace potential that Doyle can. And while Sam Bachman's trajectory may leave Halo fans nervous, Doyle's stuff is among the best in college baseball, where Bachman never quite had this level of arsenal.

There are a variety of organization-changing prospects available to the Angels at #2. They could opt for a position player or a different top arm. However, when every mock draft in the business is mocking a player to a team, it is worth monitoring. And if the Angels do wind up selecting Doyle, they'll be adding a genuine chance at an ace that they likely do not have in their organization.

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