2024 Sleepers and Busts: Los Angeles Angels

[Second Base]

https://pitcherlist.com/2024-fantasy-baseball-sleepers-busts-los-angeles-angels/

I really like their take on Silseth. And I do think Rendon would be greatly valuable with health, I'm just not willing to make any bets on him being healthy.

But Silseth, I get the feeling is about to make the leap from being a back end or swing starter to something quite a bit more. 

[Second Base]

And in terms of fantasy specific criteria, depending on the league, Schanuel could prove to carry some value. Last season, he was likely running on fumes and still managed to post an OBP over .400 coming straight from college. 

It's not a leap to think that Schanuel could have more power when he's fresh, plus he was only 21, chances are he's only going to have more and more power every year for the next half decade at least. And if his OBP continues to climb, as you can assume it would beyond age 21 with no prior professional experience then Schanuel could develop into a Freddie Freeman type in time. 

[tdawg87]

I like Silseth. Definitely needs to stay in the rotation the whole year, barring some absurd circumstances.

[cals]

Silseth looks like he bullied you guys in high school.

[Angelsjunky]

I agree with both their sleepers and busts.

 

 

[REDneck]

I love your enthusiasm for Silseth, he will be a productive contributing pitcher at some point for someone.

I can't share your tempered enthusiasm for Rendon, even with your disclaimer.

He's going to fall out by June if he even makes it through ST, much less April and May.

It's just what he is!

[Angels 1961]

Adell and Suarez are my sleepers

[Vlad27Trout27]

I think Sandy will rebound this upcoming season. whatever the pitching staff, analytics department  and coaches were trying it flat out did not work and everyone regressed. Going forward I think We'll get a guy that has an ERA between 3.60 to 3.90 while giving you a solid 140 to 150ish innings. 

Next up I have Detmer, he just to good to be over 4 ERA guy in my books. His stuff is that good !he has no hit stuff, and a hammer curve that he needs to use more. Personally I believes he just needs to alter his pitch usage. Last year he threw 43% fastball, 31% sliders, and 19% curves. basically 74% of his pitcher were the hard stuff and hitter will adjust. I feel like bringing that FB usage  down to 35%, and Curve up to 25% with a few more changes could help him. Next, I think instead of mostly going up and down in the zone, he needs to work all for 4 corners of the strike-zone. I think he has the stuff to be 3.20 to 3.50 ERA guy. 

 

[Stradling]

I have no stats to support this but I see no reason why Sandoval can’t bounce back and be a low 3 ERA guy. He has to limit the walks. 

[Angel Oracle]

1 hour ago, Vlad27Trout27 said:

I think Sandy will rebound this upcoming season. whatever the pitching staff, analytics department  and coaches were trying it flat out did not work and everyone regressed. Going forward I think We'll get a guy that has an ERA between 3.60 to 3.90 while giving you a solid 140 to 150ish innings. 

Next up I have Detmer, he just to good to be over 4 ERA guy in my books. His stuff is that good !he has no hit stuff, and a hammer curve that he needs to use more. Personally I believes he just needs to alter his pitch usage. Last year he threw 43% fastball, 31% sliders, and 19% curves. basically 74% of his pitcher were the hard stuff and hitter will adjust. I feel like bringing that FB usage  down to 35%, and Curve up to 25% with a few more changes could help him. Next, I think instead of mostly going up and down in the zone, he needs to work all for 4 corners of the strike-zone. I think he has the stuff to be 3.20 to 3.50 ERA guy. 

 

Detmers’ heater up in the zone plays solidly enough, hitting as much as 97 and averaging 94.3 in 2023.

Edited January 14 by Angel Oracle

[Vlad27Trout27]

10 minutes ago, Angel Oracle said:

Detmers’ heater up in the zone plays solidly enough, hitting as much as 97 and averaging 94.3 in 2023.

There no doubt that he has a good fastball with high spin that can hit 96/97. But most of the time it'll be in the 92-95 range and hitters adjust. I feels like he needs to pitch in the entire strike zone, move his pitches around and throw more of that plus-plus curve to offset his Fastball and Slider. 

[UndertheHalo]

lol the “sleeper” is the guy that barely stays on the field and is getting 35 million a year.  Things are looking up fellas! 

[Inside Pitch]

LOL at this only because of my recent exchanges in the Rendon interview thread.

As far as Detmers goes, he isn't as reliant on his FB as most -- it's his lowest Whiff% pitch and the one hitters have the most success against.  He's at his best when he can throw all his breaking pitches, basically he will routinely use his slider to set up his curve and the other way around.  He had success with the sweeper too in very limited use

Barring injuries he's going to pitch for a long long time.

 

[Docwaukee]

I consider the entire rotation to be a sleeper really.   They all have really good stuff outside of Anderson.  And even though I don't like him, I think he's better than he showed last year.  

Whatever combo of pitch selection and sequencing they employed last year was an absolute dumpster fire and seems the main reason why so many people lost their jobs.  

I don't know this for sure but after playing and being around the game for a long time, I think so much of pitching and in particular starting pitching is between the ears.  Mostly because they've got control of the ball.  Offense and defense are a lot more reactive.  

A spreadsheet or coach may not be wrong to ask a pitcher to throw a certain pitch in a certain situation, and the pitcher might actually agree that it's probably the best pitch for that spot.  The problem, though, is when they're aren't confident they can execute it the way it needs to be executed.  

I am hoping there will be a lot more consideration of what that pitcher is capable of that day.  To me, there is a reason why our starters ended up with the second most walks in all of baseball last year.  I think you're better off using the second or even third best option and executing it really well than a poorly executed first option.  

[Second Base]

43 minutes ago, Docwaukee said:

I consider the entire rotation to be a sleeper really.   They all have really good stuff outside of Anderson.  And even though I don't like him, I think he's better than he showed last year.  

Whatever combo of pitch selection and sequencing they employed last year was an absolute dumpster fire and seems the main reason why so many people lost their jobs.  

I don't know this for sure but after playing and being around the game for a long time, I think so much of pitching and in particular starting pitching is between the ears.  Mostly because they've got control of the ball.  Offense and defense are a lot more reactive.  

A spreadsheet or coach may not be wrong to ask a pitcher to throw a certain pitch in a certain situation, and the pitcher might actually agree that it's probably the best pitch for that spot.  The problem, though, is when they're aren't confident they can execute it the way it needs to be executed.  

I am hoping there will be a lot more consideration of what that pitcher is capable of that day.  To me, there is a reason why our starters ended up with the second most walks in all of baseball last year.  I think you're better off using the second or even third best option and executing it really well than a poorly executed first option.  

And to your point, Shohei calls his own game and I think when a pitcher gets to do that, they naturally feel a greater degree of ownership over the outcome of those pitches, be it a ball, strike, hit, out... Whatever it is. And with that mentality, I think it allows pitchers to compete, and not just pitch. 

I'd like to see a return to that. The catcher calls the game, and he and the pitcher are a team. The pitcher can shake off the catcher but doing so comes with natural consequences, be it good or bad. 

[Swordsman78]

Any article that factors Rendon into any hopes of Angel success will miss the mark on multiple levels

[Angels 1961]

The bust has yet to be signed.

[Pancake Bear]

4 hours ago, Swordsman78 said:

Any article that factors Rendon into any hopes of Angel success will miss the mark on multiple levels

Any fans who think the Angels have the slightest chance at competing without Rendon being healthy are kidding themselves. 

[cgoldangel]

I think Detmers has the best chance to be a sleeper for this team. The pure stuff is there and now just has to put it together with the experience he has gotten. I really think Adell is going to break out this season. Not maybe like a superstar season but one where he is at least an average player. I just really like the reports of how hard he hard he works and just feel like everything comes together.

[Second Base]

I think it's difficult to classify Reid Detmers as a sleeper. 2022 he really broke out and regardless of results, his FIP has remained high 3's, more 4's with an improving K/9. It's pretty evident something was off all of July and August before he righted the ship in September. 

So I think unless you're predicting a front of the rotation leap for guys like Detmers and Sandoval, I'd say they aren't necessarily sleepers as much as they're bounce back candidates. 

[Angelsjunky]

On 1/13/2024 at 7:19 PM, tdawg87 said:

I like Silseth. Definitely needs to stay in the rotation the whole year, barring some absurd circumstances.

[Stax]

• Griffin Alexander Canning is my sleeper. back of the rotation to top of the rotation

[totdprods]

It didn't happen last year like I had hoped, but I still would not be surprised if Detmers became an ace overnight. I feel it'll happen, just a matter of when.

[Angel Oracle]

2 hours ago, Stax said:

• Griffin Alexander Canning is my sleeper. back of the rotation to top of the rotation

His Ks/BBs ratio was good in 2023.

Averaged around 5 1/2 innings per start.

Only real ding was HRs (22 in 127 innings).

If healthy, he’s a #3 starter.

[jsnpritchett]

2 hours ago, totdprods said:

It didn't happen last year like I had hoped, but I still would not be surprised if Detmers became an ace overnight. I feel it'll happen, just a matter of when.

I don't think you understand the term "overnight".