In a rather shocking turn of events, the Los Angeles Angels decided to select 20 pitchers with their 20 draft picks in the 2021 MLB Draft.
The Angels had 20 draft picks.
The Angels drafted 20 pitchers. pic.twitter.com/tjAIGIhMuf
— B/R Walk-Off (@BRWalkoff) July 13, 2021
However, as incredible as it may sound or appear, it was a necessary move for the franchise.
They have outfielder Mike Trout, widely considered the best player of his generation and one of the best in history, playing regularly since 2011, but they haven’t been able to win a World Series in his MLB tenure.
In fact, the last time the Angels were in the postseason was in 2014.
A lack of quality pitching has held the organization back for years, so they decided it was time to make a statement.
The Angels Made Quite The Statement
And what a statement it was.
Los Angeles is, for one year, sacrificing offensive players with the intention of shoring up their pitching in the farm.
They selected 19 college pitchers and one high school hurler, 12th-round pick Mason Albright.
Their first-round selection was Miami University right-hander Sam Bachman.
Angels scouting director Matt Swanson said, according to ESPN, that the team didn’t necessarily rule out picking a position player, but they got to a point during the final 10 rounds on Tuesday that they just “let it ride.”
“Today was really targeting pitching. It’s obvious. We took 20 pitchers. That was a strong focus for us today. There were so many valuable pitchers to bring into the organization, so just go all out and play the hot hand.”
It’s not a secret that pitching is an organizational need for the Angels, a team trying not to waste many more years of Trout (and now Shohei Ohtani’s) prime.
It’s not the first time, however, that the club prioritized pitchers over hitters under Swanson.
They used 13 of their first 20 picks on pitchers back in 2017, and a year later, they selected hurlers with 16 of their first 20.
In 2019, Los Angeles used 17 of their first 20 picks on pitchers, as well.
According to Swanson, position players in the minor league system are a strength, and some of the best prospects are offensive players: Brandon Marsh and Jo Adell, for example.
A Bottom-Tier Pitching Staff
For a team that ranks 18th in pitching fWAR (Wins Above Replacement, the FanGraphs version) with 7.1, and 26th in ERA with 4.90 (the fifth-worst in the league), pitching should be a priority.
The Angels are also fourth in BB/9 with 4.11.
BB/9 means walks per nine innings.
Angels pitchers allow too many runs, in part because they put too many people on base for free.
The organization as a whole is clearly aiming to overpopulate the available pitching pool with talented players, which is smart because that’s the team’s biggest flaw.
Everybody: The Angels need pitching.
The Angels: DRAFTING ONLY PITCHERS WITH ALL 20 PICKS.
— Alden González (@Alden_Gonzalez) July 13, 2021
However, at some point the Angels will need to correctly develop these guys and give them all the tools they need to have successful major league careers.
Ohtani has been the ace this year, with a 3.49 ERA in 67 innings, but after him, nobody has stepped up.
Injuries and ineffectiveness have plagued the organization’s top pitching prospect Griffin Canning, who has struggled with a 5.60 ERA.
Only Alex Cobb and Patrick Sandoval have been decent besides Ohtani, but to make the leap and qualify to the playoffs, the Angels need more than just ‘decent’.
NEXT: Grading Shohei Ohtani’s MLB All-Star Game Performance