BREAKING: The Angels land the number 1 pick in the 2025 MLB Draft
The Los Angeles Angels entered the 2025 MLB Draft Lottery with the third-best odds of securing the number one overall pick. They ended up with the second pick, leapfrogging the Rockies and Marlins but getting overtaken by the Washington Nationals, who will select first.
Possible targets for the Angels at #2 include Jace LaViolette, Ethan Holliday, Jamie Arnold, and Tyler Bremner. The final draft order will depend on performances in the upcoming college and high school baseball seasons. This draft class is reportedly heavy on high school talent, though the Angels tend to favor college players with immediate potential, such as LaViolette. It remains to be seen whether they will stick with this strategy or opt for an over-slot selection at #2, given their history of under-slot picks in the first round to spend more aggressively later, as seen with Ben Joyce. This marks the Angels’ highest draft pick since selecting Darin Erstad first overall in 1995.
Recent Angels drafts have focused on high-upside talent like Christian Moore, Nolan Schanuel, and Zach Neto. Their 2021 pitcher-only draft strategy yielded mixed results, with only Sam Bachman and Chase Silseth making limited impacts. David Haynes, one of the team’s new Assistant General Managers, represented the Angels during the Draft Lottery.
Meanwhile, division rivals the Seattle Mariners made a surprising jump to the third pick, reminiscent of the Cleveland Guardians’ improbable Lottery win in 2024 despite only a 2% chance. The Rockies and Marlins, who had the best odds this year, will pick fourth and seventh, respectively.