Halos draft Canadian OF, Long Beach St. lefty

After taking University of Louisville left-hander Reid Detmers with the No. 10 overall pick in the MLB Draft on Wednesday, the Angels followed that up by taking two athletic high school position players and another polished college lefty with their three selections on Thursday.

The Angels, who didn’t have a second-round pick after signing Anthony Rendon as a free agent, made Canadian prep center fielder David Calabrese their first pick of the day with the No. 82 overall selection in the third round. They followed that up by picking high school shortstop Werner Blakely with the No. 111 overall selection in the fourth round and capped their Draft by taking Long Beach University left-hander Adam Seminaris with the No. 141 selection in the fifth round.

? 'Strong fit': Halos draft Louisville lefty Detmers

It fit a recent trend for the Angels, who have taken toolsy up-the-middle position players in recent years and also added two much-needed left-handed starters into their system with Detmers already considered close to reaching the Majors.

“It’s pretty exciting to get two really high-upside up-the-middle players in David and Werner, and then obviously a little more college polish in Adam [and Reid],” Angels director of amateur scouting Matt Swanson said. “We were really thrilled with the four picks we were able to make.”

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Round 3, No. 82 overall: David Calabrese, OF, St. Elizabeth Catholic High School, Ontario, Canada

The Angels love toolsy up-the-middle position players and Calabrese fits the bill, although he’s built more for speed and contact than power at 5-foot-11 and 160 pounds. But the left-handed-hitting Calabrese -- a University of Arkansas commit -- is already considered a solid defender and could grow into more power as he matures.

The Angels have a plethora of talented outfielders in their system such as Jo Adell, Brandon Marsh, Jeremiah Jackson, Jordyn Adams and D’Shawn Knowles, but the organization drafts based on the best player available and not need. Calabrese is the type of player the organization clearly covets and his pick carries a slot value of $744,200.

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Canadian players have seen their stock rise in recent years, as evidenced by the fact that this was the sixth straight Draft that featured a player from Ontario selected in the first three rounds.

“The Canadian team does a phenomenal job,” Swanson said. “Their program up there is incredible about getting their players stateside and have them play against Minor League teams in Arizona and Florida. We did everything we could as far as scouting and behind the scenes. For him, he’s a high-upside, up-the-middle talent. We were very excited he was available for us in the third round.”

Round 4, 111th overall: Werner Blakely, SS, Detroit Edison Public School Academy

Blakely, 18, is another selection who fits the Angels' mold, as he's an athletic high school shortstop from the Detroit area with plenty of tools. The 6-foot-3, 185-pounder is a high-risk, high-reward pick and has experience in Major League Baseball's RBI (Reviving Baseball in Inner Cities) program. Blakely also increased his stock by playing in a summer league with the East Coast Sox in Mississippi last year, playing alongside fellow shortstop Bobby Witt Jr., who was the No. 2 overall selection by the Royals in the 2019 Draft. With his wiry frame, Werner is expected to add strength and power as he develops. The selection carries a slot value of $522,600.

“I think the exciting thing with Werner, I wouldn't classify him as raw, he has a lot of tools and ability," Swanson said. "I actually just talked to him about a half hour ago and he said he’s ready to work. That, to me, embodies him. The athleticism speaks for itself and so do all the tools, but this kid wants to get after it and be really good."

Round 5, 141st overall: Adam Seminaris, LHP, Long Beach State

Seminaris, ranked as the No. 162 Draft prospect by MLB Pipeline, is another classic lefty in a similar mold to Detmers, but Seminaris' best pitch is his changeup, while Detmers possesses a plus curveball. Seminaris doesn't light up the radar gun but projects as a back-of-the-rotation starter because of his ability to throw strikes and his four-pitch mix. He's also a local product from nearby Chino Hills and attended Ayala High School before playing at Long Beach State. In his three years as a Dirtbag, Seminaris, 21, posted a 3.58 ERA with 154 strikeouts and 43 walks in 173 2/3 innings, including a 1.23 ERA and 36 strikeouts in 22 innings as a junior before the coronavirus pandemic forced the season to end early. His pick carries a slot value of $390,400.

“His coach, Eric Valenzuela, and I have had a relationship for a number of years, and he gave a very strong vote of confidence on Adam,” Angels general manager Billy Eppler said. “We’re excited to get him in the fold. He was off to a really strong season before it got cut short. It’s exciting to get a guy with that kind of feel into the organization. And it’s also good to draft a local kid and so a lot of people feel good about that as well.”