MLB Draft 2021: Angels projected to take RHP Ty Madden in first round

The latest mock draft from Carlos Colazzo at Baseball America is out, and he projects the Los Angeles Angels to select Texas right-hander Ty Madden with the No. 9 overall pick in the first round.

The 6’3 redshirt sophomore has a 1.68 ERA in 10 starts for the Longhorns this season, with 77 strikeouts, a 30.6-percent strikeout rate, and 22 walks in 64⅓ innings this season. Madden struck out 12 in his last start against Oklahoma State, and earlier this season struck out 14 in a shutout of Houston and whiffed 11 against BYU.

“His fastball seems to have bat-missing traits on top of velocity that sits in the mid 90s and touches 98-99 mph,” Colazzo wrote. “His slider is the sort of plus breaking ball that teams typically want to see from the elite college arms in the class; and his changeup could become a solid third offering when he actually begins to use it more frequently at the next level.”

Madden was drafted out of high school in Cypress, Texas by the Royals in the 18th round in 2018, but he opted instead for college at Texas, where he has a 2.26 ERA and 140 strikeouts in 131⅔ innings in seasons in Austin.

When the Angels selected left-hander Reid Detmers out of Louisville at 10th overall in 2020, he was the first pitcher drafted by the Angels in the first round since Sean Newcomb in 2014.

The only player out of the university of Texas drafted and signed by the Angels to play in the majors was infielder Dave Chalk, picked in the first round in 1972.

The 2021 MLB Draft will be held over three days beginning Sunday, July 11, concurrent with the timing of this year’s All-Star Game.