Angels' Tumble Into Last Place Comes With Hidden Perk

The Angels are now last in the AL West.

Robert Edwards-USA TODAY Sports

The Los Angeles Angels have lost six of their last seven games, including each of their last three, dropping them to last place in the American League West. They hold a 53-72 record, dropping below even the Oakland Athletics, who boast a 54-71 record.

While the Angels don't necessarily want to lose, there is one benefit that comes with them dropping to the cellar of the division — their draft position. After dropping to fifth in the AL West, the Angels rose to the third-highest odds to win the No. 1 pick in the 2025 MLB Draft.

The Angels currently have an 18.03 percent chance to earn the No. 1 pick. Only the Colorado Rockies and Miami Marlins, who are each 46-79 and each hold a 22.45 percent chance of getting the first overall pick, have better odds than the Angels. The Athletics and Chicago White Sox, two of MLB's best teams, are both ineligible for the No. 1 pick next year.

The Angels now hold significantly better odds than the two teams directly behind them. The Washington Nationals are fourth with 10.20 percent odds of getting the first pick, and the Texas Rangers are fifth, with 7.48 percent odds to get that first pick.

We’re down the homestretch of the 2024 MLB season.

Here are the current odds for the No. 1 pick in the 2025 MLB Draft. pic.twitter.com/YRpJXMrSU1

— Joe Doyle (@JoeDoyleMiLB) August 20, 2024

If the Angels were to get the No. 1 overall pick in next year's draft, it would be the first time they have held the pick in 30 years. When they had the top pick in 1995, they selected Darin Erstad. Erstad became a two-time All-Star and helped the Angels win their lone World Series in franchise history.

Having the top pick in the draft would of course give the Angels their choice of any prospect next season.

The Angels have made strong picks high in the draft recently, taking shortstop Zach Neto and first baseman Nolan Schanuel in the 2022 and 2023 MLB Drafts, respectively. Both players quickly moved up to the major leagues, and are forming a young core for the team. This season, the Angels drafted Christian Moore No. 8 overall, who appears to be another strong candidate to get promoted first in his class.

In the long run though, having the No. 1 overall pick won't matter much if the Angels aren't ever able to win. The Angels have not made the playoffs in a decade, even while drafting several of these MLB-ready prospects