The Los Angeles Angels currently possess what is viewed as one of, if not the weakest, farm systems in all of baseball. There are a few reasons for this, one of course being a lack of success in the draft by the Halos, with another being how early the club calls up its top prospects in hopes of making a real change on the major league roster.

In a recent ranking by Bleacher Report’s Kerry Miller, the Angels were ranked at No. 21 in terms of successful first-round picks. The list was determined by the average WAR produced by each signed first-round pick of every team in the MLB since 2010. The Angels’ placement in the bottom third of the league comes with little surprise.

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Looking at the names drafted by the Angels since 2010, some catch your eye. C.J. Cron and Taylor Ward stand out as a couple of names that found success at the major league level with the Angels, but the list doesn’t go very deep.

Shortstop Zach Neto was listed as the “crown jewel” of the Angels’ first round selections since 2010, posting an 11.8 WAR over his first three seasons in the big leagues. The Angels hit big on Neto, who looks like the future of the club as Mike Trout’s reign comes closer to an end.

Neto was one of many recent Angels’ first-round picks who saw MLB action soon after being drafted. Pitchers Reid Detmers and Sam Bachman, and infielders Nolan Schanuel and Christian Moore have all gotten a taste of the major leagues shortly after joining the organization. The Halos’ emphasis on drafting MLB-ready players says more about their desperation for talent than anything else. So far, that strategy hasn’t worked out too well for the Angels, who are still looking to finish with a winning record for the first time in a decade.

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Outfielder Jo Adell was labeled as the team’s biggest first-round bust since 2010 by Miller. Although his 2025 campaign saw Adell finally have his breakout season that fans have been waiting for years, he has failed to be the player the Angels hoped for when they selected him in 2017. In six seasons at the major league level, Adell has only accumulated a 0.6 WAR. Hopefully, Adell can build off his 2025 campaign and make up for his lost time in his early career.

Despite a decade of losing baseball and therefore picking high in the draft, the Angels have little to show for it. Set to select at No. 12 in next year’s draft, Angels fans are hoping for a much different story than what has been over the last 15 years.