A few thoughts (after taking 3 of 4 in Texas)

[Angelsjunky]

• I'm not sure that I'm starting to believe, but I definitely think it moved.
• I'm starting to think that Moniak is legit. Not the first week or two legit, but a good ballplayer. He killed the ball early, struggled a bit, and is doing well again...that's a very good sign, and makes me think he's not a fluke. I have no idea what sort of numbers we can expect from him, but I think he's an above average major league starter.
• Shohei...what to say? He's now hitting .301/.382/.620 with 22 HR and a 169 wRC+, the best numbers of his MLB career. He's at 4.3 fWAR total - easily in first place, and on pace for around 9 WAR.
• Trout is now batting below .250. Something's seriously wrong. He walked a bunch of times in the last few games, then proceeded to go 0-4 tonight, dropping his season line down to .248/.354/.460, with a 124 wRC+. .460!  I'm very worried. Oh: 2 hits in his last 7 games, both singles. Think of it this way. 
• My biggest concern is the starting pitching, which has been pretty poor the last month or two. Hopefully Shohei is settling back in again, and Detmers is getting better and better. Barria has been solid, but Sandoval is not pitching well, Canning is mediocre at best, and Anderson is really bad. If things get serious and things don't get better, a starting pitcher would be the #1--and perhaps only--big target at the trade deadline.

[HanfordGuy]

2 minutes ago, Angelsjunky said:

I'm not sure that I'm starting to believe, but I definitely think it moved.

[HanfordGuy]

6 minutes ago, Angelsjunky said:

Trout is now batting below .250. Something's seriously wrong.

Maybe his back issue from last year is flaring up again.

[totdprods]

Chad Wallach is a badass btw. We thought we were screwed when O’Hoppe went down, and not to push aside anything Thaiss has done, but Wallach has basically been matching them both offensively every step of the way. 

I don’t know that he’s hit many decisive or clutch home runs, but they’ve consistently been much needed insurance HRs.

Edited June 16, 2023 by totdprods

[IheartLA]

Definitely time to start worrying about Trout I agree with pretty much everything you wrote.

[totdprods]

I too am starting to believe in Moniak, though the BB:K ratio is still frightening. I thought he was getting a little lucky jumping on unsuspecting pitchers but he’s putting together good at-bats, still showing power, and making good contact. 

[TroutField]

Trout is looking awful. It’s really weird, he looked like MVP trout for the first month of the season and then went down the drain ..

 

it has to be an injury. I mean I hope…

[full circle]

Trout is pure fucking garbage 

[totdprods]

Trout still seems to be *this* close to clicking.

[Jason]

This series has to fell great for the team since they gained significant ground on them. Hopefully they can carry this momentum. Sit Trout for a few games too 

[Jason]

Just now, totdprods said:

Trout still seems to be *this* close to clicking.

But he isn’t clicking and that is a problem 

[happybat4]

1 minute ago, Jason said:

But he isn’t clicking and that is a problem 

Time for left field 

[totdprods]

It has to be an injury, a mental block, pressing…depending on the IL situation maybe bringing Adell back and sitting Trout for a bulk of the KC games would reset him some. 

[TroutField]

1 minute ago, Jason said:

But he isn’t clicking and that is a problem 

I’m surprised they haven’t tried a DL stint. It has to be coming 

[Stradling]

5 minutes ago, full circle said:

Trout is pure fucking garbage 

Ok Twitter. 

[oldguy]

4 minutes ago, totdprods said:

It has to be an injury, a mental block, pressing…depending on the IL situation maybe bringing Adell back and sitting Trout for a bulk of the KC games would reset him some. 

Trout has never done well when he's "pressing."  I think he's been pressing the entire year because he doesn't want Shohei to walk.  

[ten ocho recon scout]

I've been one of the earliest Trout "alarmists" here. And I mentioned several times the past few years everyone needs to prepare for this.

That said, I'm not super worried. Whatever it is sucks, but I'm not convinced it's a "sign" of anything. (Yet).

Guys have bad years. And Trout is way overdue for one. (Not injury, but just a year that he struggled).

I won't be surprised if he gets back to normal this year. I also won't be surprised if he ends the year "merely" a 4 WAR guy, then bounces back to a lesser normal next year.

The only "worry" long term I have for him is that he's shuffling bad in thr most important year in years. The hest team we've had in years in the shohei walk year.

If he drags the team down this year and we miss October, then bounces back next year, it's not "good news"...

[Angels 1961]

I look at Moniak as getting a chance to play. Late inn he has been clutch. Trout is a mystery, and I would bat him lower in lineup. 

[ten ocho recon scout]

1 minute ago, oldguy said:

Trout has never done well when he's "pressing."  I think he's been pressing the entire year because he doesn't want Shohei to walk.  

He needs to bat in front of Shohei, then.

Wait...

[IheartLA]

1 minute ago, oldguy said:

Trout has never done well when he's "pressing."  I think he's been pressing the entire year because he doesn't want Shohei to walk.  

No..

[totdprods]

I still think a lot of this is Trout simply experiencing his first real challenge in the second half of his career. What worked for him when he went through this in his 20’s isn’t gonna work in his 30’s. 

There was a great interview in the Athletic a few weeks back about Verlander, talking with Randy Johnson, Glavine, Maddux…they spoke at length about how they were able to sustain success by recognizing how to train, approach, rest, etc. differently, how it took a little time to make those changes because it went against what they had been doing their whole careers. I think Trout is going through exactly that same test. This is the point in most hitter’s careers where they start to fall off. Trout is just going through that now. I think he will rebound. But the slump may look a lot worse than before, it may take longer, the rebound may not be as great, but there’s still some evidence supporting that. I recall Salmon having a tough time before eventually returning to a similar form for his final years. 

Hurts to watch and is frustrating, but I do think patience is the best approach here. 

Edited June 16, 2023 by totdprods

[Jason]

10 minutes ago, Stradling said:

Ok Twitter. 

Yankee and Dodger Twitter 

[Swordsman78]

Halos go 8-2 over the last 3 Series including 3 of 4 in Texas and a Sweep of the Cubs.  (all this even with Trout not hardly contributing offensively at all)

Definitely survived tonight with all the injuries and suspension in the infield.

The difference this year is that so many guys are producing in clutch situations, both offensively and defensively (Trout doing well here).

Bullpen has been awesome for the most part during this stretch.

Texas is definitely reeling now, losing two series back to back, and their big lead in shambles.

Time for the halos to make their move now.

[UndertheHalo]

22 minutes ago, Jason said:

But he isn’t clicking and that is a problem 

The clicking will come sir

[totdprods]

I don’t know a goddamn thing about hitting at the MLB level but I would suspect that it’s possible Trout was able to avoid these in the past in part because pitchers were afraid enough and his eye was good enough that they worked around him. Might just be as easy as the fact that MLB pitchers are realizing they can attack him and he will swing, and they’re not being as careful. He probably hasn’t felt this level of sustained attack from arms since his rookie year or so. It’s a brand new adjustment for him probably. Pitchers have been afraid of him and working around him for a decade. It’s got to be a little hard to make a huge adjustment in-season after you have thousands of PA where your usual approach worked.

Patience, hard as that may be for us, is what’s needed most right now. 

Edited June 16, 2023 by totdprods