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Gameday Thread: Astros @ Angels (4/10/22)

Gameday Thread: Astros @ Angels (4/9/22): Syndergaard vs Verlander, no Fletcher or Adell

Gameday Thread: Astros @ Angels (4/8/22): Detmers on the mound, Rojas in RF

Opening Day Gameday Thread: Astros vs. Angels (4-7-2022)

Title says it all. Looking forward to Ohtani and Trout going back-to-back in the bottom of the first. 

https://www.mlb.com/angels/roster/transactions

By @Hubs, AngelsWin.com Contributor

For the 2022 Season, most pundits put the Angels somewhere in the 82-88 win range, second or third in the division, with the Astros universally the pick across the board to repeat as division winners. If they’re healthy, if they can get enough pitching, if things all work, then… maybe the Angels contend for the division but mainly if they’re picked for the post season, then they are picked as a wild card. 

They’re wrong.

Every team in the league is dependent on their core players, their stars, and hope for little to no injuries. Every team has pitching questions, or lineup questions, and that is why they play the games. So why the Universal prediction of the Astros, and doubting the Angels (or Mariners) chances at the division?

I’ll save my deep thoughts on the Astros cheating scandal, as that usually gets me in trouble, but I’ll just say that the new PitchCom devices are going to be bad for the Astros. I bet more teams use it against them than don’t and I love that the league waited until two days before opening day before announcing that this was going to be used in the 2022 season. Even if teams knew that this was possible, because they clearly knew it was being used in the Spring, but I don’t think teams expected to be able to use this tech in the regular season this year. With a team that has been proven to steal signs during their lone World Series win in 2017, and lets just say suspected of continued stealing, the lack of signs to be stolen will be terrible for their overall offensive output.

But that aside, let’s run through the 5 AL West teams and see how they stack up position group by position group, and see how close or how far they truly are.

According to @Chuckster70, the winner will receive a Los Angeles Angels Shohei Ohtani Fanatics Authentic 2021 AL MVP Framed 20" x 24" Collage with Pieces of Game-Used Dirt, Baseball and Base - Limited Edition of 217. $249 Retail. 


I'll start....

827 Angelsjunky

Chris Rodriguez (a 4th round pick out of Miami, the one in Florida) suffered through non-arm injuries to start his career, but still managed to climb the minor league ladder with minimal appearances. Scouts were split. He has the arsenal, arm angle and stamina to be a starter but his delivery can be violent at times, suggesting a future in relief. He looked incredible out of the bullpen last year, and then was sent down to get stretched out into a starting role. As you might expect, C-Rod looked great as a starter too! Then a shoulder injury, and subsequent surgery and rehab. Maybe he comes back as a starter and fulfills that TOR upside. Maybe he comes back as a late inning reliever. Rumor has it he's ahead of schedule in his rehab. 

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Sam Bachman (1st round pick out of Miami, the one in Ohio) was dominant in his final year in college, touching as high as 102 on the radar gun, but mostly sitting 95-97. No real arm injuries to speak of but a case can be made for his future as a starter or as a reliever. He seemed to handle going 5 innings just fine in college and the Angels are comfortable with that, but 5 innings leaves a lot of pressure on the bullpen. His fastball and slider are deadly, but the real surprise here is the development of a legitimate change up that can also be a weapon, though he never used it in college. His arm angle suggests relief though. Not too many major league starters can short arm the ball for extended appearances the way he does. Then again, not too many major league hitters short arm their swings the way Mike Trout does. Not comparing the two, just saying that just because it isn't common doesn't mean it can't be done (Shohei). Still, Bachman has some development needed before he's a weapon in a major league rotation, but clearly the arsenal to pull it off. 

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So who do you like more? We already know Rodriguez can get major league hitters out, but he also has a more extensive injury history. Bachman's arsenal is somehow even better than Rodriguez, but he's still a couple years out. Both can be lethal major league weapons in relief right now, and both have about an equal likelihood making it as a starter, which is becoming a more frequent career path for guys that begin in relief (CJ Wilson, Chris Sale, Michael Kopech, Aaron Ashby to make a few). 

What's your prediction on their outcomes?

 

 

Hate to be one to pry into personal lives, but....

 

I was just thinking about Upton and Moreno's necessary endorsement to "eat" the last year of his salary. Some of us call him "cheap" and question his dedication to winning and I'm one of those questioners. But with the release of Pujols and now Upton for significant dollars, it must be admitted that through these actions he must trust his upper management and is willing to make such substantial moves in the hopes of bettering the team. I'll try to remember these actions even when I'm upset that he hasn't signed a starting pitcher to a long contract, meaning at least 3 years or so. I'll try to remember that he bit the ultimate bullet to improve the team other than signing a free agent. 

Gameday Thread: Dodgers vs. Angels (April 3rd, 2022) - Syndergaard vs. Buehler

Gameday Thread: Reds @ Angels (4/1/22)

Gameday Thread: Angels @ Brewers (3/31/22): Ohtani pitching and hitting

Basic rules: Make five predictions that aren't obvious or diverge from conventional wisdom. They don't have to be truly wild (e.g. Magneuris Sierra breaks Rickey Henderson's SB record), but just something that diverges from what the general consensus seems to be.

1. Jared Walsh will take another step forward. Walsh's 2021 was two peaks with a long valley between them. For the first two months, or through May 26 and 47 games played, he hit .321/.385/.583, and then for the last month plus, or from August 28 on, his last 31 games, he hit .342/.400/.595 - almost exactly the same over 78 games total. But the in-between two months (May 27-August 27) he hit a Mayfieldian .219/.282/.422 in 66 games.The half-empty version is that he's just streaky, and his true talent level is his overall line, which is still pretty good if not great (.277/.340/.509, 127 wRC+, 2.8 WAR). Or to put that another way, for a bit more than half the season he was Nolan Arenado, for a bit less than half he was Jack Mayfield.

I don't think he's either, but I'm going with "Arenado Minus" (with the bat, that is). Meaning, he's closer to the half-full than the half-empty version, but he's still going to be streaky - just not as much as last year. I'm going with .280/.350/.530 with 35 HR.

2. Luis Rengifo will break out. But maybe not with the Angels, and definitely not until the second half. My worry is that they trade him for pitching help to some crappy team, they commit to giving him a shot, and he becomes Damion Easley - the good Detroit version. It is a weird thing, because Rengifo never seems to show more than flashes, but I'm not the only one that has "that feeling" for him. But I think at some point this year--again, probably in the second half and maybe not with the Angels--he starts putting it together. Maybe something like .250/.330/.420 this year, and upwards from there.

3. Max Stassi will be top 5 in WAR among catchers. OK, he was 8th last year, but who would have thought? After the Big Three (Smith, Realmuto, Grandal), Stassi is right there with the second tier. He's going to be health, or healthier, and hit 20 HR and maybe even win a Gold Glove.

4. Trout, Ohtani, and Rendon will combine for 22+ WAR. If you add up their last full years, you get 8.4 for Trout (2019), 8.1 for Ohtani (2021), and 7.0 for Rendon (2019) - that's 23.5, which would be the best team trio since the 2011 Red Sox (Ellsbury, Pedroia, A Gonzalez). Maybe it is too much to ask that they are all healthy and all in peak form, which is why I'm saying 22+. But they're going to be the best trio in the majors this year, and in Angels history (surpassing the 2000 trio of Erstad, Glaus, and Salmon with 21.4 WAR). 

5. The Angels are going to make the playoffs (or at least win 90 games). I know, the AJ jinx...but really, I assure you, I don't have that much power. This is a good team with high-end talent and depth. It is going to be a fun season.

Going to baseball games is a rite of summer. It’s a place to be. Along with what’s happening on the field, the sounds, the smells, the energy is a strong part of the experience. So, too, is the experience of the pregame. When it comes to games at Major League Baseball parks, much of the fun is done before the ticket is scanned.

Bookies.com has compiled a comprehensive list of the top MLB pregame destinations. The list is born from an algorithm based on multiple factors. Among them:

Miles From City Center: Close to the action, accessible to fans
Tailgating: The ability to park and enjoy a summer day with a beverage and grill.
Entertainment Around Stadium: A vibrant bar and restaurant scene within walking distance to your seat.
Fan Sentiment: Is the area safe and entertaining for kids and those with kids?

Here are all 30 MLB pregame destinations, ranked.


 

Ok, we know with health this team is going to hit.  Give us your top 5 Angel home run leaders for 2022, with your projection of how many.  
 

Trout: 46

Ohtani: 42

Adell: 31

Walsh: 28

Rendon: 21

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BASEBALL IS BACK!!