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While there have been some bright spots this season, the Los Angeles Angels are back at the bottom of the division. Going into Thursday's games, they hold a 34-48 record, seven games out of first place.
So, some of the fans are looking forward to the upcoming MLB Draft. It's again part of the All-Star weekend, and the Halos have been awarded the No. 12 pick.
The question is, which way is the front office leaning? Are they going with another pitcher like they did last year or a bat as they did in 2024?
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Mock draft sends a mountain of a left-handed pitcher to the Angels at No. 12
Picking at No. 12, the Angels will have a few players in mind because you never know how the previous picks are going to go before you. Luckily, there's a good crop of talent this year.
Bleacher Report's Joel Reuter came out with a mock after the College World Series went down, and in it, he has the Angels taking another pitcher in the first round, this time being University of Arkansas LHP Hunter Dietz.
"With a 6'6", 235-pound frame and four 60-grade offerings among his five-pitch arsenal, Dietz has a compelling case to be the second pitcher off the board after Jackson Flora. He racked up 83 strikeouts in 59.2 innings during SEC play to move comfortably into the first-round conversation. The only hesitation is that injuries limited him to just 1.2 innings of work as a freshman and sophomore, so there is little track record to back up his strong 2026 numbers."
Now, this pick doesn't come without some risk. He had a minor procedure done on his elbow as a freshman, and during his sophomore year, a band broke during warmups, and it hit him above the eye, causing facial trauma, and he needed 10 stitches.
He didn't need Tommy John or anything like that, but it's still something that will be on every interested team's mind.
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