2026 MLB Draft Day Two Favorites
July 11, 2026 - Written by Jacob Firmage
Blake Bowen (Calif.) with one of the loudest BP rounds amongst prep bats so far. Current Oregon State commit has tons of physicality and pull side power. Likely lands in the 30-40 range on draft day. #MLBDraft pic.twitter.com/Br8SaNZGHC
— Conor Dorney (@cdorney) June 23, 2026
The Angels came out of the first day of the draft adding some quality talent with different strengths, but definite upside. From Jared Gridlinger, who offers some upside either at the plate or on the mound, to the incredible contact ability that Jarren Advincula carries. Maybe it is the power in a potential long-term third base solution, something that has eluded the Angels for years, in Gavin Grahovac, or the consistency in all facets of Rylan Lujo's game.
John Mozeliak gave Tim McIlvaine the freedom to dictate this draft and so far, the results have been positive. With Rounds 5-20 taking place on Sunday, let's take a look at a group of names the Angels could, and maybe will, target to wrap up the draft, in no particular order.
Bo Rhudy, RHP (No.219)
Rhudy, a junior, works with a two-pitch mix. One being a heavy fastball and the other being a tight slider. He fills up the zone consistently and with his lower arm slot he gets a lot of swings and misses from opposing hitters. He may be about as safe a pick as you can find and could become a quick-moving reliever for the Angels if selected in the middle rounds.
Blake Bowen, OF (No.63)
While Rhudy may be a near sure thing as a college relief option, Blake Bowen offers serious upside coming out of JSerra Catholic High School. The tools are undeniable. Plus speed and well above-average raw power stand out immediately. The only remaining question is whether he will continue to hit enough to move up the ranks.
He would very likely require an above-slot deal to keep him from attending Oregon State, but he offers extreme upside a little later than he could have gone had his sole focus been baseball. A former football player, he is currently using the athleticism scouts love to further refine his talents on the diamond.
Bo Holloway, LHP (No.82)
Similar to the previous name, Holloway is a projection piece. He could fit in very well with the new regime allowing prospects the proper amount of time to develop. He possesses an elite fastball that comes with very little effort, though he does not yet have a standout offspeed pitch.
The changeup offers the most upside currently, and he likely benefits if he goes to Vanderbilt for a handful of years, but the Angels should consider taking a chance here on adding real upside to an already growing group of young pitchers they are beginning to develop.
Will Gasparino, OF (No.72)
Will has a similar toolset to the Angels' third-round pick in Grahovac. Big power is the calling card, although he does have some defensive upside in the outfield, while the Angels' third-rounder is likely an average third baseman at best with more of a chance at first base long term.
Gasparino will need to continue improving the swing-and-miss aspects of his game, but at worst he projects as a potential fourth outfielder with some power.
Camden Johnson, 3B (No.116)
For all the names with set positions drafted today, and those that will be drafted tomorrow, Johnson feels like the type of utility player good teams always seem to have. He hits well enough with limited power but uses his speed to his advantage while providing a decent glove around the field.
The Angels have not had a true super utility player in several years, and perhaps Johnson could become that in the future.
Daniel Cuvet, 3B (No.120)
Cuvet has been right in the middle of the lineup in South Beach during his time in college. He possesses big power and a strong arm, but offers limited range defensively.
The Angels seem to be looking to fill the minors with upside bats, and taking a chance on one of the best power bats available is never a bad decision, especially when you can try him at third base, even if he likely ends up moving to first base in the future. Keep taking these upside swings.
Gunner Skelton, 3B (No.130)
Next up is Gunner Skelton, who is not necessarily a speed threat but has at least average tools across the board and plenty of time to continue developing. He played well with a wood bat recently and will likely take the college route before heading to professional baseball, but he is perhaps a name to watch this year or again in 2028.
Ty Beard, LHP (No.134)
Ty Beard is going to eat innings at the professional level while offering plenty of upside. He comes with at least average offerings for his fastball, curveball, and slider, while also possessing one of the better left-handed changeups in the draft.
He will be, or at least should be, a quick mover through a system. He will not wow with any one offering, but keep an eye on him as a safe pick option.
Graham Schlicht, RHP (No.142)
Graham is more than likely heading to Stanford, but his makeup and tools are all very positive and with room to grow he is going to be a much earlier pick when he becomes draft eligible again.
Competitive and athletic, there is a lot of upside here and he is a name to watch in the college ranks should he stick with his commitment.
Nathan Aceves, RHP (No.244)
Nathan Aceves is part of the recent UC Santa Barbara rotation pipeline that saw Bremner drafted second overall last season and Flora selected in the fourth round this year.
He features a decent fastball sitting 93-94 mph with a little more in the tank on occasion. He also has a solid curveball and slider that, like most college pitchers, will need further refinement, along with a well above-average changeup similar to his fellow Gaucho pitchers.
He will need some work on his delivery and offspeed pitches to reach his full potential, but he could be an option for the Angels to further bolster their lower-level minor league pitching depth.
Wrap Up
The Angels showed a healthy mix today of serious upside and some well-rounded players who offer more certainty in their futures as major leaguers in some capacity. I expect we will see more of that tomorrow, with perhaps a bit more emphasis placed on upside.
The amount of high-end positional talent in the organization has been lacking and we could see a heavily position-player focused draft continue throughout Day 2. I do expect most of the arms selected to lean toward college players who offer a higher floor.
What names are you hoping the Angels target on Day 2? How do you feel about the draft so far? Let us know in the comments!
Disclaimer : (1) Links of players are property of MLB, MiLB, and Baseball Reference. (2) InsideHalos is a fan-made site not affiliated with Angels Baseball.
