September Could Be Interesting

[mulwin444]

Starting August 30th, this is the last 29 games:

4 @ Houston

3 @ Texas

3 @ White Sox

3 vs Texas

4 vs Seattle

3 @ Oakland

3 @ Houston

3 vs Texas

3 vs Oakland

While Angels may be out of their own playoff hunt, based on the schedule, they could still have a significant impact on the divisional and Wild Card race.

Right now, we are still the walking wounded but, by early to mid-September some depth could some into play.

 - Ohtani is ramping up his BPs for a return to the rotation likely in the next week or two.  He'll be on a 60-70 pitch limit at first every 6 days but that potentially gives you 4-5 quality innings that would go to Cole or Despaigne.  Let's say he comes back Sept 2nd against HOU, that would give 4 more potential starts after that for a total of 5 starts before the end of the season.

 - Shoemaker has been making steady progress towards coming back from the forearm surgery he had at the beginning of the season.  According to reports, this has been an injury that has affected him for the past two seasons as the actual cause of the issue was missed during the first surgery in 2017.  Like Ohtani,  Shoemaker will likely be on a limited pitch count but will benefit from the 6 man rotation since he ramping up his stamina.

 - Skaggs and Tropeano are both not on return timetables but their respective injuries have not been reported as prohibitive or season-ending.  Tropeano seems to be going through the same post-Tommy John Surgery adjustments that both Skaggs and Heaney experienced in terms of shoulder inflammation.  While Tropeano might benefit from 2-3 inning chunks instead of pushing for full-blown starts, Skaggs is already stretched out so, if his abductor allows it, he can counted on for at least 5-6 innings.

 - September call-ups and DL activations could swell the BP to include, in total, Blake Parker, Cam Bedrosian, Jose Alvarez, Jim Johnson, Noe Ramirez, Justin Anderson, Hansel Robles, Deck McGuire, Taylor Cole,  Ty Buttrey, Williams Jerez, Odrisamer Despaigne, Osmer Morales, and Eduardo Peredes.  While not all quality arms, they can divided up between ones used in "High Leverage" and ones used "Low Leverage/Mop Up/BP games" and spell a taxed BP.

 - Trout has been out since August 1st with a wrist injury and a family tragedy.  While the wrist is likely healed by now, the tragedy will obviously still be fresh in his mind so we will see how the rest of the season plays out.  Still, in his absence, the Angels went 9-10 and he is reportedly due back tonight to give the line-up a boost.

 - Upton has been out since August 19th with a cut finger and should be ready to come off in time for the Houston series at the end of the month.  After a sluggish 1st half of the season, Upton's last 28 days have looked All Star - .321 .369 .984 OPS 164 OPS+ - will provide needed thump to the line-up.

So, by early-to-mid September, we could have:

Rotation - Ohtani, Skaggs, Barria, Heaney, Shoemaker, Pena

Bullpen - Tropeano, Blake Parker, Cam Bedrosian, Jose Alvarez, Jim Johnson, Noe Ramirez, Justin Anderson, Hansel Robles, Deck McGuire, Taylor Cole,  Ty Buttrey, Williams Jerez, Odrisamer Despaigne, Osmer Morales, and Eduardo Peredes

Line-up:

1) Calhoun - RF

2) Fletcher - 2B

3) Trout - CF

4) Upton - LF

5) Pujols - 1B

6) Ohtani/Marte/JMF

7) Simmons SS

8 ) Ward 3B

9) Rivera/Briceno/Arcia C

This would be the most complete the team has been since September and just in time to challenge the best in the West.

 

[Troll Daddy]

Love to see Thaiss get some AB’s

[mulwin444]

9 minutes ago, Troll Daddy said:

Love to see Thaiss get some AB’s

I would too but he doesn't have to be added to the 40 man roster until next season and between Pujols, Marte, Cowart, and JMF they have the position covered.

[WeatherWonk]

Seventeen games against teams with a winning record. If the Angel MO from this year (and others) holds, we are losing games to those teams about 37% of the time, this year. That is probably 6-11 against those teams.

Against losers, we win at about a 65% rate. So, maybe 8-4? 14-15 to finish the season?

They play HOU and COL for these next five games before Aug 30. Both winning teams. Figure 2-3.

I think that leaves them 79-83.

Maybe better than the 10th pick? Probably not.

[Lou]

[mulwin444]

13 minutes ago, WeatherWonk said:

Seventeen games against teams with a winning record. If the Angel MO from this year (and others) holds, we are losing games to those teams about 37% of the time, this year. That is probably 6-11 against those teams.

Against losers, we win at about a 65% rate. So, maybe 8-4? 14-15 to finish the season?

They play HOU and COL for these next five games before Aug 30. Both winning teams. Figure 2-3.

I think that leaves them 79-83.

Maybe better than the 10th pick? Probably not.

IF all the players mentioned are available and contributing, we'll be better than that.

Instead of facing Deck McGuire you get Ohtani.

Instead of Oakland facing a tired Noe Ramirez or overmatched Paredez at a critical moment in the 7th they get a more rested Cole, Buttrey, Jerez, Anderson, or Robles.

Instead of a line-up consisting of Cowart, EYoung, and Blash, you get Trout, Upton,  and Fletcher.

[Dtwncbad]

September could be interesting?

Then why am I not interested?

Oh, I know why.  The Angels are out if it, the group of possible September callups are longshots to be significant in the long term (the talent to be excited about isn't ready yet so we won't see them in September), the ballpark experience is pretty flat with small crowds, I absolutely could not care less about Pujols chasing any milestones, the games mean nothing, and worst of all in the contemporary game of homer/strikeout, the game itself is just not exciting absent the context of chasing the postseason.

I apologize to my fellow fans, but the opportunity to study Hermosillo's approach with 2 strikes in the 5th inning of a random game in September is not giving me increased motivation to pay attention.

I may attempt to catch some Trout at bats when he comes back, or maybe watch Ohtani pitch if he gets back on the mound but other than that, just not that interested.

[WeatherWonk]

23 minutes ago, mulwin444 said:

IF all the players mentioned are available and contributing, we'll be better than that.

Instead of facing Deck McGuire you get Ohtani.

Instead of Oakland facing a tired Noe Ramirez or overmatched Paredez at a critical moment in the 7th they get a more rested Cole, Buttrey, Jerez, Anderson, or Robles.

Instead of a line-up consisting of Cowart, EYoung, and Blash, you get Trout, Upton,  and Fletcher.

I think Ohtani will have minimal impact. Maybe 2-3 starts and a severe pitch count. It will be almost like a bullpen game. If he isnt effective, that's EXACTLY what it will be.

The Angels have played most of the year with Trout, Fletcher and Upton. The percentages havent really changed. Without Trout, they were apparently 9-10. With Trout, about the same.

Yes, the bullpen will be more rested. Everyone's are in September. So, we will be FACING better rested relievers, too. How effective these new guys are, remains to be seen.

BTW, a big reason to make Sept call-ups is to put some of these young players in lineup, too. We have to see what we have. How will they do?

It's possible we might be better than that. I don't think it's probable, though. It is what it is, and has been all season. Poking along, around .500.

[mulwin444]

15 minutes ago, Vladdylonglegs said:

As previously mentioned, over half of those games are against better teams. I don't see how we will see anything different than what we have all season.

Angels lead season series to A's 7-6

Angels trail season series to Astros 4-5

Angels trail season series to Seatlle 7-8

18-19 so far against the main, .500+ main division rivals in front of us.

They haven't exactly dominated us

[mulwin444]

5 minutes ago, Dtwncbad said:

September could be interesting?

Then why am I not interested?

Oh, I know why.  The Angels are out if it, the group of possible September callups are longshots to be significant in the long term (the talent to be excited about isn't ready yet so we won't see them in September), the ballpark experience is pretty flat with small crowds, I absolutely could not care less about Pujols chasing any milestones, the games mean nothing, and worst of all in the contemporary game of homer/strikeout, the game itself is just not exciting absent the context of chasing the postseason.

I apologize to my fellow fans, but the opportunity to study Hermosillo's approach with 2 strikes in the 5th inning of a random game in September is not giving me increased motivation to pay attention.

I may attempt to catch some Trout at bats when he comes back, or maybe watch Ohtani pitch if he gets back on the mound but other than that, just not that interested.

[mulwin444]

6 minutes ago, WeatherWonk said:

BTW, a big reason to make Sept call-ups is to put some of these young players in lineup, too. We have to see what we have. How will they do?

Our "Call-ups"  - Ward, Jerez, and Buttrey - are up already.  Canning, Suarez, Rengifo, and Thaiss are either not ready or there is no room plus they would have to be added to the 40 man roster.

[Troll Daddy]

2 hours ago, mulwin444 said:

I would too but he doesn't have to be added to the 40 man roster until next season and between Pujols, Marte, Cowart, and JMF they have the position covered.

Don't try snuggling up to me by being nice ... I prefer you normal *dick self

[mulwin444]

19 minutes ago, Troll Daddy said:

Don't try snuggling up to me by being nice ... I prefer you normal *dick self

Not nice, just civil...I know you are still a troll but the response wasn't trollish

[T.G.]

It's still early.

[ten ocho recon scout]

2 hours ago, mulwin444 said:

Angels lead season series to A's 7-6

Angels trail season series to Astros 4-5

Angels trail season series to Seatlle 7-8

18-19 so far against the main, .500+ main division rivals in front of us.

They haven't exactly dominated us

Agreed. The only teams we have to feel like idiots against is Bos and NY (who have done a pretty good job beating everyone this year).

Maybe im making excuses, but I dont really get too depressed over the performance after the injuries derailed is.

We can get upset that were mediocre (again). But ohtani not pitching after april, richards dying, skaggs out, trop out, shoe, middleton, cozart, kinsler traded, maldonado etc etc etc etc etc etc, i cant really get too worked up.

If healthy this summer would have been a lot different.

[mulwin444]

2 minutes ago, ten ocho recon scout said:

Agreed. The only teams we have to feel like idiots against is Bos and NY (who have done a pretty good job beating everyone this year).

Maybe im making excuses, but I dont really get too depressed over the performance after the injuries derailed is.

We can get upset that were mediocre (again). But ohtani not pitching after april, richards dying, skaggs out, trop out, shoe, middleton, cozart, kinsler traded, maldonado etc etc etc etc etc etc, i cant really get too worked up.

If healthy this summer would have been a lot different.

Don't forget, against Tampa Bay, they are also 1-6...2-17 total against BOS, NYY, and TB, 61-48 against the rest of the league

[kevinb]

If there's no chance at a playoffs and there's really zero shot at it. I hope the Angels go 0 for the month while still having established Ward as the third baseman of the future, and getting a top pick in next years draft. 

[ten ocho recon scout]

38 minutes ago, mulwin444 said:

Don't forget, against Tampa Bay, they are also 1-6...2-17 total against BOS, NYY, and TB, 61-48 against the rest of the league

Yeah, good call. But if i recall TB didnt show up until later in the year, once the wheels fell off.

[Ray McKigney]

2 hours ago, Troll Daddy said:

Don't try snuggling up to me by being nice ... I prefer you normal *dick self

She's hot!

[WeatherWonk]

On 8/24/2018 at 2:26 PM, True Grich said:

It's still early.

Yeah, we're one eligrba, 20-game win streak from being back in this thing. No problem.

 

[WeatherWonk]

0-2 since this post was made. Now, an even 20 under .500 against "good" teams. A season-low four games under .500. 

Pittsburgh and SF just passed us with better overall records. Looks like if the season ended today, we would get the 12th pick overall.

But the percentages say the Angels should win tomorrow, to maintain their NOW 36% winning rate against "good" teams.

 

[arch stanton]

The rookies did rookie stuff today. Jerez throwing fastballs in the middle of the plate and Ward air mailing the throw. Still fun to watch and so much better than no baseball at all

[mulwin444]

1 hour ago, WeatherWonk said:

0-2 since this post was made. Now, an even 20 under .500 against "good" teams. A season-low four games under .500. 

Pittsburgh and SF just passed us with better overall records. Looks like if the season ended today, we would get the 12th pick overall.

But the percentages say the Angels should win tomorrow, to maintain their NOW 36% winning rate against "good" teams.

 

What's your point?

It's not even September...Upton is still out...Ohtani, Shoemaker, Tropeano, and Skaggs are not pitching yet.

I know you are among the bitchiest of the sour bitches here but the last two games haven't really changed the sentiment...go back and read and see if you can figure it out

[Lou]

3 hours ago, WeatherWonk said:

0-2 since this post was made. Now, an even 20 under .500 against "good" teams. A season-low four games under .500. 

Pittsburgh and SF just passed us with better overall records. Looks like if the season ended today, we would get the 12th pick overall.

But the percentages say the Angels should win tomorrow, to maintain their NOW 36% winning rate against "good" teams.

 

[nando714]

September = college football and nfl seasons are back

thank gawd. 

Let this 2018 Angels season end already.