Angels draft shortstops Wilson, Paris on Day 1

ANAHEIM -- The Angels selected a collegiate position player with their first pick for the first time under scouting director Matt Swanson, as they took shortstop Will Wilson from North Carolina State with the No. 15 overall pick in the MLB Draft on Monday night.

But with their second selection, they went more with a high ceiling, selecting prep shortstop Kyren Paris from Freedom High School in Oakley, Calif. Paris, 17, fits in more with the Angels' propensity to select athletic players with upside early in the Draft under Swanson. Swanson, though, said he still believes Wilson has plenty of upside, especially offensively.

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“Sometimes upside and impact manifest themselves in different ways,” Swanson said. “I think Will is athletic and has that upside in his own right. Sometimes it comes in different packages. He emulates what we are looking for offensively and his character."

The Angels had previously taken high-upside prep outfielders in their previous two Drafts under Swanson, selecting Jo Adell with the No. 10 pick in 2017 and Jordyn Adams with the No. 17 selection in ‘18. But this time they went with a player with a higher floor with their first-rounder, as Wilson is considered a safe selection because of his advanced hitting tool and ability to remain in the middle of the diamond defensively. He was ranked as the No. 21 overall Draft prospect by MLB Pipeline.

Wilson, who turns 22 on July 21, has surprising power for a middle infielder, as he hit .335/.425/.661 with 16 homers, 20 doubles and 57 RBIs in 55 games with N.C. State as a junior this year. The right-handed batter also hit 15 homers and 16 doubles in '18 and was one of only four players to hit 10 homers in Atlantic Coast Conference play. An aggressive hitter, Wilson has worked to improve his eye at the plate and drew 33 walks against 46 strikeouts in 261 plate appearances this season.

"I think the performance in a major conference speaks for itself,” Swanson said. “I think sometimes it gets lost in the shuffle, but he has makeup and character. He's a really exciting kid."

Wilson, though, has below-average speed for a middle infielder and has just four career stolen bases in his three seasons with the Wolfpack. His lack of speed has scouts divided on whether he can stick at shortstop, but his bat would still profile with a move to second base. The 6-foot, 184-pounder been compared to Brian Dozier, a power-hitting second baseman who was moved off shortstop early in his career, but has more speed than Wilson. The Angels, however, plan to keep him at shortstop, Swanson said.

"I'd say I bring a gritty attitude to the field and a grinder's mentality," Wilson said on MLB Network. "I model myself after Trea Turner after going to N.C. State and watching how all the coaches built him up. I try to model my game after him."

Wilson hails from Kings Mountain, N.C., and was one of five finalists for the Brooks Wallace Award, which is given to the best college shortstop. He was named First Team All-ACC and tabbed as the ACC Defensive Player of the Year after making just six errors at short.

"Our intention is to develop him as a shortstop,” Swanson said. “Allow his career to dictate where it goes. We evaluated him as a shortstop. We value him as a really good blend of defense and high-end upside as a hitter."

The Angels have $3,885,800 to spend on their first selection and a total bonus pool of $7,608,700 to spend in the first 10 rounds.

Paris, meanwhile, is one of the younger prospects in the Draft, as the 6-foot, 165-pounder doesn't turn 18 until Nov. 11. Like Wilson, he swings from the right side, but his approach is more contact-oriented, as he doesn’t offer much power just yet.

Paris, ranked as the No. 50 Draft prospect by MLB Pipeline, is considered a plus runner and has the tools to stick at shortstop defensively, including soft hands, above-average range and a solid arm. He's committed to Cal, but signability isn't likely to be an issue. The pick carries a slot value of $1,310,000.

"He's a very special young man at a very young age,” Swanson said. “He's just an awesome athlete. A really high-end shortstop. I think long-term, a lot of offense upside as he grows and matures. He's a 17-year-old kid growing into his body. As we watched him down the stretch hit with wood, our scouting staff was impressed by his strength. There's going to be power in there someday."

The Draft continues on Tuesday with Rounds 3-10. The MLB.com preview show begins at 9:30 a.m. PT, with exclusive coverage beginning at 10 a.m. PT. Go to MLB.com/Draft for complete coverage, including every pick on Draft Tracker, coverage and analysis from MLB Pipeline’s Jim Callis and Jonathan Mayo, the complete order of selection and more. And follow @MLBDraft and @MLBDraftTracker on Twitter.