Los Angeles Angels 2026 MLB Mock Draft Review: Who Experts Predict at No. 12 Overall

With the 2026 MLB Draft just around the corner, plenty of eyes are on the Los Angeles Angels at No. 12 overall. Under the new leadership John Mozeliak but with holdover scouting director Tim McIlvaine, this draft marks a critical turning point for the franchise's rebuilding efforts.

Will the Angels stick to their historic trend of taking fast-tracking college talent, or will they swing for a high-upside high school phenom? To find out, we rounded up the final first-round predictions from top industry insiders to see exactly who the experts expect the Halos to take in the first round.

Chris Hacopian 2B Texas A&M

Stop me if this sounds familiar. Hacopian is a truly advanced bat who projects to be a doubles machine. He comes from an SEC powerhouse, hit well in college's toughest conference, but might have to move to the grass as a professional.

If that sounds a lot like Christian Moore there are plenty of good reasons. Both Sports Illustrated and Yahoo have Hacopian mocked to the Angels at 12th overall because he definitely fits the mold of recent Angels draft picks. In a well run organization Moore would have been developed before being fed to the Major League wolves. That said, Moore is crushing it in AAA and the Angels need bats.

Hacopian is his own man and is rated highly for a reason: he rakes. The righty slashed .319/.405/.578 with 10 doubles and 11 home runs in only 195 plate appearances. Chris walked 25 times and only struck out 21. A true contact hitter would be a nice addition to an organization with a massive strikeout problem.

With a hit tool graded 60 (plus-plus) and power graded 55 (above average), Hacopian's bat is expected to play at the MLB level. The question is his defensive home.

Derek Curiel OF LSU

Curiel played high school baseball at Orange Lutheran and entered 2024 as a highly rated prospect. A rough senior year led to his stock dropping so he headed to LSU and once again played himself into first round territory.

A draft eligible sophomore, Curiel hit an impressive .349/.452/.522 in 126 games for LSU. It is not common for a freshman to earn a starting spot on a powerhouse like LSU, but Curiel did.

A contact over power approach works for Curiel whose hit tool is rated a 60. He also has the range to stick in center field. Probably more of 10-15 home run threat while providing plenty of doubles and adequate defense, Curiel is MLB.com's predicted pick for the Angels.

Justin Lebron SS Alabama

Prior to SEC conference play it was unthinkable that Lebron would be available at 12. But he struggled to hit in the nation's best conference and some other prospects climbed ahead of him.

Lebron's highlight reel is more than enough to get fans excited and ESPN thinks the Angels will bet on the upside and select him in the first round.

Defensively there is no doubt Justin can stick at shortstop. His lateral range and quickness are easy to see and his arm is rated plus. On the basepaths he can burn as well. The questions surround his hit tool, which is rated as low as 40 to 45 by some evaluators.

The Angels have not prioritized defense enough in recent years and rank near the bottom of the league in defensive efficiency. If they think they can coax a little out of Lebron's bat, he could be their selection.

Liam Peterson RHP Florida

Liam Peterson has a plus-plus slider, a plus fastball, an above average curveball, and an average change up. Most college pitchers have one or two good pitches and teams draft them hoping to add a third quality pitch. Petersen already has a full starter's arsenal he just needs to get better command and consistency.

Taylor Blake Ward at The Sporting Tribune thinks the Angels will select Peterson and bank on the right hander's stuff improving in their new pitching lab. Getting some help from pitching guru Mike Maddux could help as well.

Peterson's stuff should be getting better results than he is getting right now, not that his results are bad. 111 K's in 84.1 innings proves he dominant he can be at times. Only 36 walks is fine as well. But the 11 home runs allowed is a clear sign Peterson lives too often in the middle of the zone and needs to locate his pitches better.

With a fastball that lives 95-96 MPH and a nasty slider that hitters whiffed on over half the time, though, it would be interesting to add Peterson to the young mix of arms the Angels have in Tyler Bremner, George Klassen, Walbert Urena, and Caden Dana.

Angels on SI Pick: Liam Peterson RHP Florida

John Mozeliak is in a tough position. He is leading the draft but taking input from Perry Minasian's scouting team. If that team was good at evaluating players, Mozeliak would not be here. So what to do when faced with data you can't trust? Take a safe pick early.

As mentioned above, Peterson comes with a limited development curve which is good considering the Angels minor league development is far from stellar. The righty already throws four quality pitches. He does not need to learn a new pitch, just how to harness his already plus stuff better.

The Peterson fit makes so much sense I highlighted him as the NCAA Tournament started. I am not on the same level of prospect hound as the experts mentioned above, but do see a solid fit.

Given the extreme limitations Mozeliak is currently facing in both scouting and development, Peterson makes a ton of sense.

A wild card is Ace Reese. The Angels organization is devoid of power at all levels and Reese has it in spades. Perhaps Reese is athletic enough to stick at third base but the bat is his calling card. Adding a true 30+ home run potential bat is also tempting. Reese barrels the ball well and has some chase concerns but would be the best bat in the Angels system by a good measure.

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