How is this team worse than last year?

[Angelsjunky]

It is baffling. The Angels are now eight games under .500; they didn't fall eight games under last year until September 22, and finished eight games under (77-85), but with a better winning percentage than now.

The Angels are on a 73-89 record pace, almost as bad as 2019's 72-90. It would be their second worst record since the 90s.

And of course it gets really ugly if you just look at May 16 on: 13-32 (.289) in their last 45 games. Since the beginning of their losing streak they're 10-28 (.263). Since the end of their losing streak they're 10-14 (.417). If they keep that pace they finish 70-92, which would be their worst record since 1999, when they went 70-92.

All from the team with the supposed two best players in the game and the 9th highest payroll.

[PattyD22]

10 minutes ago, Angelsjunky said:

It is baffling. The Angels are now eight games under .500; they didn't fall eight games under last year until September 22, and finished eight games under (77-85), but with a better winning percentage than now.

The Angels are on a 73-89 record pace, almost as bad as 2019's 72-90. It would be their second worst record since the 90s.

And of course it gets really ugly if you just look at May 16 on: 13-32 (.289) in their last 45 games. Since the beginning of their losing streak they're 10-28 (.263). Since the end of their losing streak they're 10-14 (.417). If they keep that pace they finish 70-92, which would be their worst record since 1999, when they went 70-92.

All from the team with the supposed two best players in the game and the 9th highest payroll.

They can’t hit.

When they get decent pitching, they can’t hit.

When they get crappy pitching, they can’t hit AND they can’t pitch.

Its pretty much that simple right now @Angelsjunky.

This doesn’t even take into consideration the base running blunders, the mental lapses, and the defensive gaffes, all of which seem to happen all too regularly.  Good teams can overcome a few of these.  We can’t.

Edited July 6, 2022 by PattyD22

[T.G.]

No Jose Mota.

[DMVol]

1. Injuries (Rendon, Fletcher) 2. Budget allocation hasn't worked very well--bad bullpen decisions (taking up a bunch of the budget), going cheap on MI holes hasn't worked very well either. 3. Young guys who could have helped, haven't very much---Detmers in particular....

[Angelsjunky]

8 minutes ago, DMVol said:

1. Injuries (Rendon, Fletcher) 2. Budget allocation hasn't worked very well--bad bullpen decisions (taking up a bunch of the budget), going cheap on MI holes hasn't worked very well either. 3. Young guys who could have helped, haven't very much---Detmers in particular....

We have to stop blaming injuries. Your second factor is more important - well-run orgs have the depth to build better bullpens and plug holes (gross).

As for your third point, I think the disappointing performances of our homegrown talent is understated. In fact, look at our 2021 Angelswin top 4 prospects:

1. Jo Adell: Stuck in AAA, and just holding his own, with the same problems he's had for the last few years.
2. Brandon Marsh: Can't hit.
3. Chris Rodriguez: Injured again, possibly out for the whole year.
4. Reid Detmers: Throwing batting practice for the most part, back in AAA.

This year's #2 prospect, Sam Bachman, is hurt and has pitched all of 8 innings.

And it isn't like the above four are just a matter of us being overly fannish, at least with Adell and Marsh. Fangraphs had Adell in their top 5, and I think Marsh in the top 10. Detmers was a 50 FV prospect.

I know, I know, they're all young. Still, it is disappointing that none of them have performed as hoped. Even just one would soften the blow a bit.

[Taylor]

Poor scouting and development, resulting in a shockwave of negative morale at the big league level.

[Stradling]

It has to be the “Toxic Positivity”

[Lou]

Stupid cowboy hat.

[T.G.]

They aren't playing like it's 1985

[failos]

Just now, Lou said:

Stupid cowboy hat.

They need to stop with that. But at this point it would be more embarrassing if they stopped.

[Lou]

1 minute ago, failos said:

They need to stop with that. But at this point it would be more embarrassing if they stopped.

Maybe they could stop at the ASB.

Please.

[failos]

Just now, Lou said:

Maybe they could stop at the ASB.

Please.

Maybe @Tank can suggest it.

[T.G.]

1 minute ago, failos said:

Maybe @Tank can suggest it.

It was tank's idea.

[failos]

Just now, True Grich said:

It was tank's idea.

[tdawg87]

We had no depth to absorb the losses of Rendon and Fletcher. The "depth" we had simply could not hit. 

Adell is still a mess defensively, and Marsh has been total dogshit. We needed both of those guys to step up, and they've taken a big step back. 

Stassi has been pretty bad. Suzuki has been as expected.

We basically have/had a regular lineup of guys (Marsh, Wade, Mayfield, Velazquez, Lagares, Duffy, etc..). All of those guys have been worth a total -1.1 fWAR. That's impressive. 

Then there's the bullpen. The 3 guys Minasian spent on this offseason have been garbage. And they were supposed to be the anchors of the bullpen.

Trout's slump had a bigger impact than people are willing to admit. I think we lost SEVEN 1-run games during The Streak™. Trout hits a homer in one or two of those games and the team doesn't go into a complete nosedive. Btw I'm not blaming Trout for the losing streak, that's absurd. I'm just saying I think there's a correlation between the biggest slump of Trout's career, and the team losing 14 straight games.

I believe there's some kind of mental aspect that can't be quantified by stats. I know a lot of people think this is absurd but there's a ton of bizarre shit going on, like the ridiculous amount of strikeouts, Ward's "special" baserunning mistake, etc...The team ain't right, man. I'm telling you there's some fuckery afoot but unfortunately I have no way to back that up.

[mmc]

Not sure why people get so upset over the cowboy hat thing, lots of teams have a home run celebration they do in the dugout

[Lou]

1 minute ago, mmc said:

Not sure why people get so upset over the cowboy hat thing, lots of teams have a home run celebration they do in the dugout

Not upset, they're just dumb.

All of them.

[Stradling]

4 minutes ago, mmc said:

Not sure why people get so upset over the cowboy hat thing, lots of teams have a home run celebration they do in the dugout

I agree with this.  

[Stradling]

2 minutes ago, Lou said:

Not upset, they're just dumb.

All of them.

I don’t agree with this.

[halonatic13]

2 minutes ago, Lou said:

Not upset, they're just dumb.

All of them.

You seem like a blast at parties.

[Lou]

Nothing like celebrating a solo HR when you're down 6-1

[Lou]

Just now, halonatic13 said:

You seem like a blast at parties.

I am. 

[tdawg87]

1 minute ago, Lou said:

Nothing like celebrating a solo HR when you're down 6-1

Or when your team is 16.5 games out of 1st in early July.

[Docwaukee]

18 minutes ago, Lou said:

Stupid cowboy hat.

and Marsh's beard.  

[mmc]

I mean it's not like the whole team goes overboard lol.  The guy who hit the home run just wears a cowboy hat while he high fives his teammates.