The Angels lineup: stars and scrubs (so far)

[Angelsjunky]

Trout: .290/.362/.710, 7 HR, 200 wRC+

O'Hoppe: .364/.451/.523, 1 HR, 186 wRC+

Ward: .313/.333/.612, 6 HR, 169 wRC+

After those three, only Sano has a wRC+ over 100 (118, due to walks mainly). Rendon has come around of late; after going 0-for in his first five games, he's hitting .395/.442/.474 with a 168 wRC+ in his last 9 games and .480/.517/.580 in his last six, including five multi-hit games.

Thaiss's numbers look gaudy, but he's played in only 4 games. The worst offenders are Neto and Schanuel, both with 39 wRC+, as well as Hicks and Moniak both with 54. Rengifo (80), Drury (70), and Adell (99) are varying shades of mediocrity.

Obviously small sample size, but clearly a weirdly distributed offensive profile. The "big three" plus Thaiss account fo 2.9 WAR, with everyone else at -0.4.

[Inside Pitch]

5 minutes ago, Angelsjunky said:

Trout: .290/.362/.710, 7 HR, 200 wRC+

O'Hoppe: .364/.451/.523, 1 HR, 186 wRC+

Ward: .313/.333/.612, 6 HR, 169 wRC+

After those three, only Sano has a wRC+ over 100 (118, due to walks mainly). Rendon has come around of late; after going 0-for in his first five games, he's hitting .395/.442/.474 with a 168 wRC+ in his last 9 games and .480/.517/.580 in his last six, including five multi-hit games.

Thaiss's numbers look gaudy, but he's played in only 4 games. The worst offenders are Neto and Schanuel, both with 39 wRC+, as well as Hicks and Moniak both with 54. Rengifo (80), Drury (70), and Adell (99) are varying shades of mediocrity.

Obviously small sample size, but clearly a weirdly distributed offensive profile. The "big three" plus Thaiss account fo 2.9 WAR, with everyone else at -0.4.

The Angels early on have been a bunch of haves and a bunch of have nots, both on the mound and in the lineup.

[Blarg]

Adell has the second fewest PA but is still holding a 108 OPS+. That is over twice that of Moniak and Hicks and better than league average at this point. He is part of both the haves (good plate appearances) and haves not (fewest opportunities). 

[Chuck]

2 hours ago, Angelsjunky said:

Trout: .290/.362/.710, 7 HR, 200 wRC+

O'Hoppe: .364/.451/.523, 1 HR, 186 wRC+

Ward: .313/.333/.612, 6 HR, 169 wRC+

After those three, only Sano has a wRC+ over 100 (118, due to walks mainly). Rendon has come around of late; after going 0-for in his first five games, he's hitting .395/.442/.474 with a 168 wRC+ in his last 9 games and .480/.517/.580 in his last six, including five multi-hit games.

Thaiss's numbers look gaudy, but he's played in only 4 games. The worst offenders are Neto and Schanuel, both with 39 wRC+, as well as Hicks and Moniak both with 54. Rengifo (80), Drury (70), and Adell (99) are varying shades of mediocrity.

Obviously small sample size, but clearly a weirdly distributed offensive profile. The "big three" plus Thaiss account fo 2.9 WAR, with everyone else at -0.4.

Sometimes the best posts here make it to our @AngelsWin.com X account. 

Good stuff, @Angelsjunky!

 

[TroutField]

I guess it’s a rebuilding year but they should consider a DL stint for a random injury (the eppler special) or burning up their last option for Canning. Wantz has pitched well and in theory could keep the team in the game every 5th day. 
 

just a thought…. Canning has been atrocious. the pitching depth is equally as atrocious. We really couldn’t afford for Canning and Suarez to suck so bad 

 

[ScottM]

If you told me 4-5 years ago that Ward would end up being a Very Good #4 hitter, I would've thought you were insane. 

[Tank]

5 minutes ago, ScottM said:

If you told me 4-5 years ago that Ward would end up being a Very Good #4 hitter, I would've thought you were insane. 

i remember posting that he'd be out of the league by 2021.

glad i was wrong about him.

[ScottM]

30 minutes ago, Tank said:

i remember posting that he'd be out of the league by 2021.

glad i was wrong about him.

I was furious we took him in the 1st round in that draft

[Angelsjunky]

Ward remains one of the biggest surprises, and a mark in Dipoto's positive column. Of course it kind of reminds me of being right about something but just through sheer luck. Ward turned out to be a very different player than he was when he was drafted.

[T.G.]

38 minutes ago, Tank said:

i remember posting that he'd be out of the league by 2021.

Reported.

[Kendo36]

Love what Ward is doing but let’s cool it on calling him a success story for Dipoto & the org. Let’s finish a full season with above average production.

[fan_since79]

7 hours ago, Inside Pitch said:

The Angels early on have been a bunch of haves and a bunch of have nots, both on the mound and in the lineup.

The mark of a .500 team. I hope those slow starters can catch some fire and the team go on a nice streak, like winning 15 of 20 games, something like that.

I want a wild card, this year!!

Playoffs now. No 5-10 year rebuild! 

[TroutField]

5 minutes ago, Kendo36 said:

Love what Ward is doing but let’s cool it on calling him a success story for Dipoto & the org. Let’s finish a full season with above average production.

He already is a success story after the revolving door we had in Left field since Juan Rivera left…. 
 

OPS plus since 2021 of 107, 134, 105, 167!!

 

can’t hate on above league average offense with good defense… 

[Tank]

56 minutes ago, Kendo36 said:

Love what Ward is doing but let’s cool it on calling him a success story for Dipoto & the org. Let’s finish a full season with above average production.

he's a success based on what he's done over the last four years, not just the first two weeks of this season. he's handled changing positions from catcher to 3b to rf to lf. he's hit well. he's adjusted well from being beaned last season.

[Jason]

I feel like this is the team we knew they were. 

[Inside Pitch]

2 hours ago, Angelsjunky said:

Ward remains one of the biggest surprises, and a mark in Dipoto's positive column. Of course it kind of reminds me of being right about something but just through sheer luck. Ward turned out to be a very different player than he was when he was drafted.

As you said, he's a far different player than what Dipoto thought he was getting..  He deserves credit for drafting him, but everything about him currently was due to development that came after he was gone.  Even Ward's Dad credits Eppler with having "saved" his career. Truth is the real credit probably goes to those minor league coaches that worked him through those changes. 

Also, he's nowhere near the success story but I'd say Thaiss has "succeeded" in spite of everything they tried with him.  It's kind of funny.

2 hours ago, Kendo36 said:

Love what Ward is doing but let’s cool it on calling him a success story for Dipoto & the org. Let’s finish a full season with above average production.

He's got 1400 at bats of 112 OPS+.  That number rises to a 120 OPS+ since 2020.  I mean, if you just want to see him do it over more than 135 games in a season okay, but at this point I think it's fair to say he's an above league average player for his career.  Not a star, but pretty much Kole Calhoun through the same number of at bats.

[The Ghost of Bob Starr]

9 hours ago, Tank said:

i remember posting that he'd be out of the league by 2021.

glad i was wrong about him.

It’s been 3 weeks. You may hate him again in another month. 

[Slegnaac]

9 hours ago, TroutField said:

He already is a success story after the revolving door we had in Left field since Juan Rivera left  broke his leg…. 
 

OPS plus since 2021 of 107, 134, 105, 167!!

 

can’t hate on above league average offense with good defense… 

fify

[Angelsjunky]

14 hours ago, Inside Pitch said:

As you said, he's a far different player than what Dipoto thought he was getting..  He deserves credit for drafting him, but everything about him currently was due to development that came after he was gone.  Even Ward's Dad credits Eppler with having "saved" his career. Truth is the real credit probably goes to those minor league coaches that worked him through those changes. 

Also, he's nowhere near the success story but I'd say Thaiss has "succeeded" in spite of everything they tried with him.  It's kind of funny.

He's got 1400 at bats of 112 OPS+.  That number rises to a 120 OPS+ since 2020.  I mean, if you just want to see him do it over more than 135 games in a season okay, but at this point I think it's fair to say he's an above league average player for his career.  Not a star, but pretty much Kole Calhoun through the same number of at bats.

I like the Calhoun comp, although with a bit of reverse: Ward as a 1st rounder (albeit strangely so, at the time) who didn't really start blossoming until the high minors and really the majors, and Calhoun as a later pick who emerged in the low minors and just kept on improving. Ward also has higher upside with the bat, imo. If healthy he should be able to put up an .850-.900 OPS, or 140+ wRC.

Edited April 17 by Angelsjunky

[Inside Pitch]

5 hours ago, Angelsjunky said:

I like the Calhoun comp, although with a bit of reverse: Ward as a 1st rounder (albeit strangely so, at the time) who didn't really start blossoming until the high minors and really the majors, and Calhoun as a later pick who emerged in the low minors and just kept on improving. Ward also has higher upside with the bat, imo. If healthy he should be able to put up an .850-.900 OPS, or 140+ wRC.

Wait, let me clarify.  I wasn't so much making a direct comp tools or player wise so much as I was arguing their production through their first 1400 ABs was pretty similar.  I'd expect Ward's offensive upside to be higher and his peak performances to last longer.  I won't go so far as to say Calhoun was a max effort guy but I think he squeezed everything he could out of his tools.

Calhoun was an extremely easy guy to root for because he had a better career than most traditional scouts would have predicted, IMO.  Ward has way more wiggle room tools wise IMO.

[ThisismineScios]

The game yesterday (I definitely didn't scare my Dog with my yelling) was interesting. The top of the lineup--who has completely carried us--was 2-19. And we still manufactured some runs. If Trout or Ward have their ball fall in, like they have been doing, game's over. So I think in some ways it was a positive offensive game in that Moniak, Neto, and Sano were the ones that helped get runs across. I hate saying that. 

Yesterday was "Classic Jo Adell Game" Case no. 44. Crushes a 113 mph single, then gets the absolute latest start to 2nd, is out by 10 feet. Broadcast tried to call it a H&R, but here's the thing -- Jo has been awful on the bases, and Neto has been whiffing and chasing with the worst of them. You're going to call a H&R with those two involved? Don't buy it. I think Jo went on his own, was late on the jump and didn't bail. That's three straight awful, awful base running decisions the last 3 times he's been on base. And he clearly is just trying to make up for the last one each time. After this, he struck out 3 times in 3 really bad at bats. 

My point is I have no idea if he's going to be a positive or a negative, and as a huge Adell fan I am starting to think it will always be like this. Whereas guys like Drury, Rengifo, and even Neto we know are going to come around at least some. Moniak you can see starting to make better swing decisions. But Wash just gave Adell 3 straight starts. He went 2 - 10, got caught stealing twice, and K'd 4 times. He continues to be puzzling in his ability to crush the ball, show incredible speed...and then make a really awful play that hurts the team. 

. 

[Angelsjunky]

2 hours ago, Inside Pitch said:

Wait, let me clarify.  I wasn't so much making a direct comp tools or player wise so much as I was arguing their production through their first 1400 ABs was pretty similar.  I'd expect Ward's offensive upside to be higher and his peak performances to last longer.  I won't go do far as to say Calhoun was a max effort guy but I think he squeezed everything he could out of his tools.

Calhoun was an extremely easy guy to root for because he had a better career than most traditional scouts would have predicted, IMO.  Ward has way more wiggle room tools wise IMO.

Yes, agreed - and I got your point, was just riffing off of it.

[Angel Oracle]

20 hours ago, Inside Pitch said:

Also, he's nowhere near the success story but I'd say Thaiss has "succeeded" in spite of everything they tried with him.  It's kind of funny.

Move Thaiss to 1B/DH, and see if that transforms him into a solid enough hitter.     O’Hoppe is going to get 3/4 of the catching starts anyway.    Bring up Wallach to handle most of the other 1/4 starts.   Thaiss can still be a 3rd catcher in emergencies.

Schanuel meanwhile needs some more MiLB at bats, and settle on the best hitting style for him.

[redoctober2002]

2 hours ago, ThisismineScios said:

Moniak you can see starting to make better swing decisions.

Moniak has shown a huge improvement so far. His swing % outside of the zone has dropped about 20 points compared to last year.

 

2 hours ago, ThisismineScios said:

He continues to be puzzling in his ability to crush the ball, show incredible speed...and then make a really awful play that hurts the team. 

Adell is pretty much the poster child of what happens when you draft a guy with great tools but don't have the development system to refine those tools to make a great ballplayer. If anything, this is season to really try to refine everything and hope he figures it out with the help of MLB resources and coaching.