Middle of the Pack

[Troll Daddy]

Through all the horrible hitting and injuries the Angels are playing .500 baseball. Second in our division and 1.5 back of the wild card.

My question is ... have we seen the worst or is the best yet to come? 

The pitching is starting to get healthy and I don't believe the players can hit any worse than what we've seen thus far. 

This isn't a championship team but it can compete for a playoff spot imo. 

[eligrba]

Considering the teams the Angels have played, I am not sure how it could be worse.

I can see this team going 0-10 on a stretch playing top tier teams.

[Troll Daddy]

11 minutes ago, eligrba said:

Considering the teams the Angels have played, I am not sure how it could be worse.

I can see this team going 0-10 on a stretch playing top tier teams.

Do you think we've seen their best baseball?

[eligrba]

1 minute ago, Troll Daddy said:

Do you think we've seen their best baseball?

No, but their best baseball may not be enough to change their current mediocre performance.  If their best baseball comes against top tier teams, the results may stay the same.  This offense has not demonstrated the ability to score runs against a top of the rotation pitcher, yet. 

[tdawg87]

29 minutes ago, Troll Daddy said:

The pitching is starting to get healthy

I agree with everything else you posted, but....what?

[Ace-Of-Diamonds]

22 minutes ago, Troll Daddy said:

The pitching is starting to get healthy and I don't believe the players can hit any worse than what we've seen thus far.

Only one person could possible hit worse and they're is little reason to believe Trout will forget how to hit. Sure he may not be able to keep up the pace he's been on for the entire season but a prolonged slump isn't probable going to happen either based on his history. Maybin was ice cold for much of the first 5 or 6 weeks, he has suddenly turned that corner. Some of our players are bound to return from the DL. It just doesn't seem possible that our string of bad luck on the injury front can continue forever.

We have a real shot at a Wild Card based on how badly some of other contenders are playing at the moment. As bad as our offense has been and still being in the running has given me a reason to be optimistic for the fist time in over a year. Our defense and pitching has been above average and has given us a chance to win a lot of games.

[TroutCron]

I believe the only team the Angels have played with an above .500 record is Houston. There  is a stretch next month that has the Yankees for 6, the Red Sox for 3 and the Dodgers for 4. That will be a big test of our mediocrity. 

[Homebrewer]

I'm afraid, as up and down as it has been, the starting pitching has been performing way over it's ability. When it comes back to it's real talent level, things could get pretty ugly.

[jordan]

Just remember the 2006 Pujols led Cardinals snuck in the playoffs 5 games over and won it all.  Anything can happen if a team gets hot at the right time.  

[Glen]

1 hour ago, Ace-Of-Diamonds said:

Only one person could possible hit worse and they're is little reason to believe Trout will forget how to hit. 

Simmons, Maybin, Maldonado, and Pujols could all hit worse than they are.

[Angelsjunky]

1 hour ago, Homebrewer said:

I'm afraid, as up and down as it has been, the starting pitching has been performing way over it's ability. When it comes back to it's real talent level, things could get pretty ugly.

Gotta disagree here. Look at their ERAs:

Ramirez 3.38

Chavez 5.09

Nolasco 4.37

Shoemaker 3.97

Meyer 5.79

Skaggs 3.99

I don't see any that looks "way over" that player's ability. Ramirez is the big surprise, but his peripherals (14 walks, 47 strikeouts) point to a legit breakthrough. Chavez is actually worse than expected. Nolasco is exactly as expected. Shoe, Skaggs, and Meyer have all shown signs of improvement they more they pitch.

 

[Second Base]

40 minutes ago, Angelsjunky said:

Gotta disagree here. Look at their ERAs:

Ramirez 3.38

Chavez 5.09

Nolasco 4.37

Shoemaker 3.97

Meyer 5.79

Skaggs 3.99

I don't see any that looks "way over" that player's ability. Ramirez is the big surprise, but his peripherals (14 walks, 47 strikeouts) point to a legit breakthrough. Chavez is actually worse than expected. Nolasco is exactly as expected. Shoe, Skaggs, and Meyer have all shown signs of improvement they more they pitch.

 

I'm with you on this one. Shoemaker is better than this, as is Chavez. The peripherals suggest Ramirez performance in legitimate. Even if he regresses, there will still come a time this season when Skaggs and/or Richards will return. Meyer looked like he was breaking free on the control-chains that binded him.

[stormngt]

3 hours ago, eligrba said:

No, but their best baseball may not be enough to change their current mediocre performance.  If their best baseball comes against top tier teams, the results may stay the same.  This offense has not demonstrated the ability to score runs against a top of the rotation pitcher, yet. 

Haven't we played 7 games against the best team in baseball?

[eligrba]

19 hours ago, stormngt said:

Haven't we played 7 games against the best team in baseball?

You are correct...I forgot.

The Angels are 2-5 against the Astros.

[zenmaster]

We will win 72 games max. 

[Stradling]

13 minutes ago, zenmaster said:

We will win 72 games max. 

And when they win more?

[fan_since79]

Right now everything hinges on Trout's thumb.

Torn ligaments could bury this team. Hoping it's just a sprain.

 

[zenmaster]

1 hour ago, Stradling said:

And when they win more?

I'll say I'm wrong. Whoops.