Angels scouting director Tim Mcllvaine had the freedom to run the scouting office the way he prefers and left his mark on the 2026 draft. Not only did Mcllvaine help the Angels reverse their trend of selecting low ceiling college players in the first round, he fundamentally changed the Angels approach to drafting talent.
Instead of focusing on tools or light tower power that rarely connects, Mcllvaine said he really prioritized contact rate.
“I think that is a great foundation,” he said after the draft.
Jared Grindlinger led a contact oriented first day.
Whjen speaking about Grindlinger, Mcllvaine noted the advanced contact rate for a 17 year old hitter. Gringlinger’s approach at the plate is advanced well beyond a normal 17 year old. His power is already adequate, but could improve as his body matures and gets stronger.
Grindlinger’s selection highlighted a first day full of contact hitters.
Round 2, Pick 45: Jarren Advincula, 2B (Georgia Tech) — A high-contact infielder who led Division I with a .434 batting average and 111 hits. Advincula offers elite bat-to-ball skills and speed and was the fire starter to a very potent Georgia Tech offense, getting on base and scoring runs. He will not put the ball in the stands often but he will make consistent contact, get on base, and use his speed to come around to score.
Round 3, Pick 81: Gavin Grahovac, 3B/1B (Texas A&M) — Another local SoCal product (Orange, CA) who brings serious raw power to the class. Grahovac blasted 22 home runs with a 1.150 OPS for the Aggies in 2026. In his three college seasons at Texas A&M he cut down on his strike out rate each year without losing any of his power production. A shoulder injury limited him to first base last season but the Angels will develop him at third base.
Round 4, Pick 109: Rylan Lujo, OF (University of Georgia) — Lujo is a patience-and-speed threat coming off a strong All-SEC season where he posted a 1.056 OPS and stole 13 bases. Rylan is a spray hitter who uses the entire field with speed to turn any gapper into extra bases. His speed should allow him to be an elite base runner as well. He has the ability and athleticism to stay in center field as a professional.
Jaxon Willits is a big get on day two.
Mcllvaine praised Willits not only as a player but also as a person and a competitor. Jaxon’s dad Reggie played for the Angels and his brother was the first overall selection in last year’s draft.
“He’s another we’ve watched for quite a while,” said Mcllvaine. “He tends to win everywhere he goes.”
Willits earned College World Series Most Outstanding Player honors after leading the Sooners to a national title and is known for his competitiveness and baseball IQ.
Other day two highlights include a lot of SEC talent:
Tennessee’s Garrett Wright (5) rounds third base during a baseball game between Tennessee and Wright State in Lindsey Nelson Stadium in Knoxville, Tennessee, March 6, 2026. | USA TODAY Network via Reuters Connect
Round 6, Pick 170: Justin Byrd, RHP (University of Georgia) — A high-leverage college reliever with a mid-90s fastball who posted a dominant 0.79 ERA during the Bulldogs’ 2026 postseason run. Byrd was Georgia’s highest leverage reliever in the toughest conference in the country.
Round 7, Pick 199: Ryan Hetzler, RHP (Auburn) — A local Corona, CA native who served as a high-strikeout relief arm for Auburn, registering a 2.43 ERA and 38 strikeouts in 37 innings. The Angels will keep him in the bullpen.
Round 8, Pick 229: Garrett Wright, C (University of Tennessee) — An athletic catcher out of the SEC who batted .348 with 9 home runs despite battling late-season injuries. Wright also played some outfield and Mcllvaine stated the Angels will try him in both positions.
Round 9, Pick 259: Trevor Hansen, RHP (UC Irvine) — A durable starter who compiled 265 strikeouts over his three-year college career with the Anteaters. Playing in the shadow of the Big A, the Angels local scouts saw plenty of Hansen and the team will keep him as a starter as he climbs the ladder.
Round 10, Pick 289: Luc Rising, RHP (Northeastern) — An All-CAA starter who went 5-5 with a 3.54 ERA and 84 strikeouts in 2026. Rising is a pitcher who throws a ton of strikes and possesses elite vertical movement on his fastball. Developing his other pitches will be the focus for the Angels.
For the full list of Angels draft picks, click here.
Time will tell but the thought process was correct.
Grading a draft class within the first four years of any draft is foolish at best. But what can be discussed is the methodology of the draft and in this case the Angels had a major shift for the better.
Selecting the best overall player available at each slot is far different from finding guys you pray can patch up your Major League roster in short order. Jared Grindlinger, in the scouts opinion, offered the Angels the best chance at a middle of the order bat not just a patch over a lineup hole.
Also, Mcllvaine and crew did not try to save money in early rounds in order to pay over slot for high school arms in later rounds. That strategy only leads taking lesser talents early then overpaying for highly volatile high school arms later. Bad on both fronts.
For the Angels to balance out the upside of Grindlinger with contact machines like Advincula and Lujo is a solid strategy. Mixing in a local boy whose dream is to bring a title back to Anahiem in Grahovac to provide some thump is also a good selection.
Hopefully this is the beginning of a new era in Anaheim. One in which talent is the most important component in drafting a player with personal make up also a big consideration. Getting players from winning organizations such as Oklahoma and Georgia is big as well.
Now comes the business side of things and getting these players all signed and ready for professional baseball. But when the Angels minor league affiliates open play in 2027 (and they will even if the big leagues are locked out) there is a nice influx of new talent for Angels fans to follow.
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