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MLB Draft 2026: 3 NCAA Tournament Pitchers the Angels Are Scouting


Welcome to the first day of the NCAA baseball tournament. College baseball has improved dramatically in recent years and a ton of talent will be on display.

Jeff Joiner|
Jun 13, 2025; Omaha, Neb, USA; Coastal Carolina Chanticleers pitcher Cameron Flukey (2) throws against the Arizona Wildcats during the ninth inning at Charles Schwab Field. Mandatory Credit: Steven Branscombe-Imagn Images
Jun 13, 2025; Omaha, Neb, USA; Coastal Carolina Chanticleers pitcher Cameron Flukey (2) throws against the Arizona Wildcats during the ninth inning at Charles Schwab Field. Mandatory Credit: Steven Branscombe-Imagn Images | Steven Branscombe-Imagn Images

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Los Angeles Angels

Welcome to the first day of the NCAA baseball tournament. College baseball has improved dramatically in recent years and a ton of talent will be on display. Now is a perfect time for baseball fans to both watch great games and put on their GM hats to scout future MLB stars.

MIxed in amongst the parents and fans is a large group of Major League scouts. With the Angels drafting 12th overall they need to cast a wide net. The board in front of them could break a number of ways. In almost any scenario, though, a very talented college arm should be available at twelve.

Here are three the Angels will be scouting in the regionals.

Cameron Flukey, Coastal Carolina RHP

It seems almost unreal to write about Flukey in the number 12 spot. The 6 foot 6 righty just oozes with upside thanks to four quality pitches highlighted by a plus slider.

Last year Flukey started the first game of the College World Serie final against LSU. Heading into this year he looked to be among the first college pitchers drafted. However, a rib fracture sidelined Flukey just at the season was getting started. He has only thrown 20.2 innings this season but is looking a bit sharper each time out.

In a much larger sample size, Flukey pitched to a 3.19 ERA with 118 strikeouts in 101.2 innings last season. He only issued 22 walks, so he attacks the strike zone.

The lack of recent activity is expected to drop Flukey's stock to the middle of the first round. Or the Angels could choose to see it as one less year of mileage on his arm and trust the overall track record.

Liam Peterson, Florida RHP

Peterson is another talented righty with four solid pitches. He looks MLB ready now in flashes but like many young hurlers needs to become more consistent.

Pitching in the toughest conference in the nation, the SEC, Peterson has a 3.86 ERA in 15 starts. That is a total of 79.1 innings in which Peterson has struck out 107 batters but walked 35. The free passes will need to drop as he enters the professional ranks.

Along with his K's increasing, his ability to avoid the longball has improved each season. As a freshman he gave up 2.1 home runs per 9 innings. Last year it was 1.2 and now as a junior that number is 0.8. Three of the 7 dingers he surrendered this season were in one bad game against Texas A&M.

There is a lot to like about Peterson but the walks will likely keep him out of the top 10. He has been mocked to the Angels in other publications as well.

Hunter Dietz, Arkansas LHP

Another 6 foot 6 hurler, Dietz has the raw stuff to be a top of the draft board pick. However, a stress fracture in his throwing elbow in the Fall of 2023 kept Dietz pretty much out of action his first two years at Arkansas. He totaled a meager 1.2 innings over that time.

A high school teammate of Liam Petersen, Dietz has four pitches that are rated 60 (plus) by some scouts to go along with command rated a 55 (above average). On the mound, Hunter Dietz has every appearance of a top of the rotation starter. At times he is the most impressive pitcher in the SEC.

His three quarters slot and setup on the mound combine to give hitters a really unique look. That deception combined with mid 90s heater that has touched 99 reduces hitters reaction times to nearly zero. Once he gets ahead with the fastball, Dietz has a slider, curve, and cutter rated plus and a developing change up.

Playing against the best competition in the country, Dietz has 117 strikeouts in 79.1 innings against only 24 walks. His 13.3 K/9 ratio and 4.03 K/BB ratio are both great. His 4.08 ERA is not stellar but the draft is about upside.

Will the Angels pick one of these guys at #12?

Baseball drafts are incredibly difficult to predict but the odds are at least one of them will be available to draft.

Would Perry Minasian double dip on college pitchers after taking Tyler Bremner second overall last year? Most definitely. As the adage goes you can never have enough pitching. The Angels are quietly developing some good pitching in the organization and adding another top tier prospect is always a good idea.

Any of the three would likely slide behind Bremner as the Angels second best prospect on the farm. Flukey and Petersen would need to get in the lab and work on some grip and/or mechanical tweaks. With Dietz it is more of a question of staying healthy and buiding up endurance.

There are reasons each of these guys are early to mid first round picks. There are also reasons why none are top 5 picks. As a team that will likely have an opportunity to draft at least one of these guys, you can bet the Angels will be watching all three as they perform on the big stage.

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Jeff Joiner
JEFF JOINER

I'm a lifelong Angels fan who majored in journalism at CSU, Bakersfield and has previously covered the team at Halos Heaven and Crashing the Pearly Gates. Life gets no better than a day at the ballpark with family and friends.