Angels select Tyler Bremner 2nd Overall
July 13, 2025 - Written by Alex Sukyas & Isaias Acosta
Photo Credit: @SleeperAngels - X
Who the Angels would pick was a highly anticipated and debated topic amongst Angels fans since the news hit that the franchise was to have the 2nd overall pick in the draft back in December 2024. Fans were popping up names such as Ethan Holliday, Kade Anderson, Jamie Arnold, and Seth Hernandez, but the name the franchise chose surprised people.
Who is Bremner?
Tyler Bremner, a 21 year old RHP out of UC Santa Barbara, isn't a talent you would expect at pick #2, But that doesn’t mean he isn't talented. Bremner has a fastball that goes mid to upper 90s, and a work in progress slider, but that isn't his main weapon. His main weapon is his changeup, which might just be the best in this year’s draft class. Another thing I noticed while researching Bremner was his mechanics which I personally liked. His mechanics allow him to get the velocity he does.
The Upsides
To start, money. Bremner will be significantly cheaper than the likes of Kade Anderson or Jamie Arnold because he did not submit medicals at the Draft Combine. As reported by @BeyondTheHalo on Twitter, if Bremner did submit his physical at the combine, he's guaranteed 75% of the slot value of Pick 2, which is $10.25M. That means he's guaranteed $7.69M, but if he didn’t the Angels could sign him for way less. Second upside, his changeup that I mentioned before. His changeup definitely separates him from other pitchers Sure, his fastball isn't special compared to other pitchers in the draft, same goes for his slider. But I feel his changeup compensates for that partially. Third upside, really high strikeout and low walk pitcher. With him getting 5 Ks for every 1 walk. Now a concern i've been seeing from some Angel fans was his stats. In Bremner’s best college season(2024), he had a 11-1 record, 2.54 ERA, and 104 Ks. Definitely an impressive statline considering his 2023 season saw him have a 5-4 record with a 5.37 ERA. Now with his 2025 season, he didn’t continue improving as was expected, as he had a 5-4 record, 3.49 ERA, and 111 Ks. However, there is a reason behind it. Bremner’s mother did pass away due to cancer about a month ago, and that cancer likely had affected Bremner throughout his 2025 season. (Rhett Bollinger via X)
The Downsides
The big downside of this pick is obviously that there were multiple better names on the board. Kade Anderson (Drafted by Mariners at 3), Seth Hernandez (Pirates at 6), and Jamie Arnold (A’s at 11) were the three standout pitchers for me. Sure, they may have cost more, but we also don't know how much Bremner will sign for. Thats the main downside for bremner though. His only other downside is his slider, which as I mentioned earlier, is still a huge work in progress. If he can figure that slider out, I will feel way more confident in this pick. One last downside I see is the schools hes faced in 2025. There arent many big name programs that he faced, with the only super talented program I see is Cal State Fullerton. But the previously mentioned reason for 2025 struggles may explain it.
Final Resolutions
With all considered, Bremners best case scenario is he finds his way into the Angels rotation come opening day 2026 or 2027 and he eventually becomes a great SP2, kind of like the Royal’s Michael Wacha, which many are drawing comparisons between the two. Worst case scenario is he struggles in the majors and becomes a flat out bust.
InsideHalos Writer, Isaias Acosta’s Take…
The Angels have selected Tyler Bremner with the 2nd pick in this year’s draft and have stirred up some controversy while doing so. The first two picks of this year’s draft were wild and unexpected to say the least. The Washington Nationals held the first pick and took SS Eli Willits, sending shockwaves around the league immediately. The Angels then decided to join the party of sending shockwaves around the league and decided to take Tyler Bremner from UCSB. Before we get into talking about Tyler Bremner himself, first we must discuss the pick. As mentioned before, the Nationals controversially took Willits over guys like Seth Hernandez, Kade Anderson, and Ethan Holliday. The Angels ended up passing on those same three. Many mock drafts had the Angels taking one of the top three rated pitchers but with Holliday surprisingly being passed on, the Angels absolutely fumbled it. This is no knock on Tyler Bremner but when you have generational talents like Holliday and Hernandez on the board waiting for you to pick them, you cannot mess it up like this. The only explanation that there could be for the Angels making this pick is that they believe he has the most maturity and is naturally ready to quickly get to the majors, possibly as soon as this year. Bremner carried a 3.49 ERA this season, a regression from his 2.54 from the year before. Bremner struck out 111 batters in 77.1 innings pitched. This was his first year as a full-time starter so it was a different situation than what he was used to and with that there will be bumps on the road. Bremner has a solid fastball that sits around the mid-90’s with an elite changeup and solid slider to finish off batters. This pick is not what many halo fans wanted but at this point all there is to do is wait and see. The organization clearly sees something in him to take him over guys like Hernandez and Holliday. Only time will tell if this pick was the right one. Fans should definitely keep their eyes on Bremner though because as I mentioned earlier, its possible that he could get called up as soon as this year depending on where the team is record wise come September.
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