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  1. Like
    AngelsWin.com reacted to FromJapan in It’s time we consider signing Trevor Bauer   
    Dbacks again?
     
  2. Like
    AngelsWin.com reacted to katie in AngelsWin.com Spring Training Gathering (March 7th-10th)   
    Yeah, last week it said it was going to be in the high 70s when we’re there. I just want to decide what to wear. I want to pack already, I’m just excited. It’s been 6 years. 
  3. Like
    AngelsWin.com got a reaction from Chitown27Fan in AngelsWin Today: My 2024 Predictions   
    By @CartiHalos, AngelsWin.com Columnist
    With pitchers and catchers having reported, I like to think of the 2024 season as officially underway. While the angels won't play a game for another 9 days, the wheels of baseball are finally churning and as such, I'd like to give my predictions for the Angels and their players. While I'm not the most optimistic person in the world for this specific season, I think it's another season of Angels baseball and I'll never be too mad at getting to watch my Halos.
    Starting with team predictions...
    Record: 75-87, 4th in AL West
    As much as I wanted to put us as a sneaky 80-85 win team, it's not realistic for a team that only won 73 games last year and lost the MVP.  While there's plenty of reason's to assume we'll be better than last year - primarily the ridiculously bad injury luck in 2023, the return of Trout/Rendon, and the further development of the young core of O'Hoppe/Schanuel/Neto/Moniak. Add on top of all of that Ron Washington taking the helm and I could see us propelled into the 80 win area. However, I think that an already faltering rotation that lost it's ace and an offense that would have to make a big jump to be elite makes it hard to project us in that range.
    Miguel Sano Cracks the Opening Day Roster: For a while I thought we'd pick up Urshela or another infielder that could cover first if Schanuel has some growing pains. While still possible, I think we end up rolling with what we have and the slugger has an impressive spring, leading to a Opening Day Roster spot and *maybe* even an opening day start at DH. 
    We Enter 2025 MUCH more confident: While this isn't exactly a hot take, this prediction is mostly that we have multiple major breakouts (you'll see who I think does in the next section), and the moves we made this offseason are supplemented well by moves next offseason that make our roster far more complete and make the Angels a competitive team next year. 
    Now onto individual player predictions, with a few stipulations  
    - I'm gonna be *mostly* optimistic, it's more fun that way.
    - I'm predicting for the 26 players on the Opening Day Roster, projected by me.
    - There's a good chance that a team that performed to my predictions would win more than 75 games, but I'm trying to predict each player, optimistically, in a vacuum. 
    - No Injuries. Don't want to speak anything into existence.
     
    Catchers:
    C Logan O'Hoppe - .245 AVG, 31 HR, 74 RBI, 122 wRC+, 2.4 fWar
    O'Hoppe puts his name out there in a big way with a 30 homer season and improves defensively, but his plate discipline and framing are still areas for improvement.
    C Matt Thaiss - .220 AVG, 7 HR, 24 RBI, 93 wRC+, 0.1 fWAR
    Thaiss gets less time to shine than hid did last year, but performs about the same in limited opportunity.
     
    Infielders:
    1B Nolan Schanuel - .278 AVG, 16 HR, 55 RBI, 130 wRC+, 2.1 fWAR
    Schanuel's elite eye shines and his power comes through as he proves why he got called up so quickly.
    1B Miguel Sano - .208 AVG, 5 HR, 13 RBI, 101 wRC+, 0.0 fWAR
    Sano shows off his pop in limited time, but is ultimately a non factor. 
    1B/2B/3B Brandon Drury - .258 AVG, 25 HR, 89 RBI, 110 wRC+, 2.4 fWAR
    Drury builds on his impressive 2022 and 2023 and maybe even gets moved to a contender at the deadline.
    SS Zach Neto - .250 AVG, 20 HR, 58 RBI, 105 wRC+ 2.7 fWAR
    Neto makes a big jump from last year, and poises himself for a monster age-24 breakout 2025.
    3B Anthony Rendon - .252 AVG, 17 HR, 74 RBI, 115 wRC+, 2.9 fWAR
    This may come as a shock, but truthfully the last time Rendon was healthy and not absolutely outstanding was 2015. Assuming he isn't missing time, he could still very well put in some work for us.
    2B/SS/3B Luis Rengifo - .243 AVG, 16 HR, 55 RBI, 98 wRC+, 1.4 fWAR
    Rengifo's struggles against righties catches up to him, but he still provides value defensively through his versatility.
     
    Outfielders:
    LF Taylor Ward - .271 AVG, 19 HR, 68 RBI, 120 wRC+, 3.0 fWAR
    I'm predicting a huge return to form for Ward, after an outstanding 2022 and a 2023 that was solid before being cut short by an Alek Manoah fastball, I think he bounces back big in an offense that needs him to badly.
    CF Mike Trout - .268 AVG, 38 HR, 103 RBI, 157 wRC+, 5.5 fWAR
    Mike Trout reminds everyone who he is and why he's the superstar in Anaheim with a monster season, aided partially by the DH position being opened up for him to rest and avoid injury.
    RF Mickey Moniak - .262 AVG, 18 HR, 59 RBI, 106 wRC+ 1.3 fWAR
    Mickey comes down to earth compared to his electric 2023 first half, but superb defense and good hard hit stats make for another solid season.
    OF Aaron Hicks - .270 AVG, 6 HR, 30 RBI, 103 wRC+, 0.3 fWAR
    Hicks offensive stats are boosted because he'll get a lot of chances against lefties, but he still doesn't get enough opportunity to make a major impact. 
    OF Jo Adell - .225 AVG, 12 HR, 34 RBI, 94 wRC+, 0.2 fWAR
    Adell gets some big hits, but his plate discipline struggles and inconsistency still bleed through.
     
    Starting Pitchers:
    LHP Reid Detmers - 167 IP, 116 ERA+, 181 K, 3.78 FIP, 3.5 fWAR
    Detmers shines in a 5 man rotation, cuts back on mistake pitches en route to a career year.
    RHP Griffin Canning - 145.2 IP, 103 ERA+, 166 K, 4.24 FIP, 2.0 fWAR
    Canning nearly replicates his 2023 but at a higher volume.
    LHP Patrick Sandoval - 135 IP, 108 ERA+, 141 K, 3.92 FIP, 2.7 fWAR
    Sandy struggles a bit with his emotions on the mound, but a nice return to the solid #2/3 form we've seen in years past.
    LHP Tyler Anderson - 111 IP, 96 ERA+, 124 K, 4.60 FIP, 1.3 fWAR
    Anderson's struggles continue, but he still comes close to a league average season.
    RHP Chase Silseth - 155 IP, 127 ERA+, 166 K, 3.75 FIP, 4.4 fWAR
    Silseth is my top Angels breakout this year, proving he has real ability to not only be a starter, but a great one at that. 
     
    Bullpen:
    Carlos Estevez - 4.20 ERA, 3.90 FIP, 26 Saves.
    Robert Stephenson - 2.13 ERA, 1.93 FIP, 10 Saves.
    Matt Moore - 2.99 ERA, 2.88 FIP, 2 Saves
    Jose Soriano - 3.23 ERA, 3.46 FIP
    Luis Garcia - 4.66 ERA, 4.74 FIP
    Adam Cimber - 3.63 ERA, 3.80 FIP
    Jose Cisnero - 4.44 ERA, 4.23 FIP
    Jose Suarez - 3.79 ERA, 4.21 FIP
    The bullpen gets a review as a whole, should be the most improved position group, with the new additions pulling their weight and the returners (for the most part) improving. Could see Estevez, Moore, Garcia, Cimber, and Suarez all getting looks from contenders at the deadline.
    To be completely honest, while this is probably the least optimistic I've been at the start of a season in a while, I like this teams core and I can't wait to watch the new additions get to work. Can't wait for another season of Angels baseball! Go Halos!
  4. Like
    AngelsWin.com got a reaction from Jay in OC Register: Angels’ Taylor Ward passes a test on his way back from frightening injury   
    TEMPE, Ariz. — Taylor Ward admitted he was somewhat apprehensive as he stepped into the box on Saturday afternoon, but the feeling didn’t last long.
    “After that first pitch went by, (the feeling) kind of went away,” the Angels outfielder said.
    Ward faced right-handers Davis Daniel and Travis MacGregor, the first time he’d hit against game-speed pitching since his 2023 season was ended by a fastball to his face in July.
    The injuries Ward suffered that day led to surgery and a lingering question about whether the mental impact of that moment might have a negative effect on his career.
    Ward had been hitting since November, but he hadn’t faced a pitcher until Saturday. Daniel threw him a 95 mph fastball that was up and in. Ward, who now wears a protective C-flap over his jaw, also saw a curve ball that began high and then dove over the plate.
    He didn’t flinch on either one.
    “I saw it early enough so it wasn’t much of a knee buckle,” Ward said of the curve. “But that was a good little test right there.”
    After completing the three at-bats, he was satisfied that he can get back to normal, worrying about his mechanics and not another pitch toward his head.
    “After seeing that first pitch go by, I think I settled down and got back to my approach and what I do,” he said. “Feeling good.”
    Ward’s progress is certain to be closely watched throughout the spring and into the season, as he looks to rebound from the frightening incident on July 29 in Toronto.
    Blue Jays right-hander Alek Manoah threw a 92 mph fastball that sailed up and in on Ward, hitting him in the face. Ward crumpled to the ground instantly.
    “I was just unsure of where my life was going at that point,” Ward said. “I was trying to blink my left eye and it felt like there was a laceration in there, so at that moment I was kind of freaking out.”
    By the time Ward got up and onto a cart to leave the field, he could see. He said the medical personnel who initially evaluated him didn’t show much concern for a life- or career-altering injury, “so that helped me out a lot.”
    Later, he underwent CT scans that confirmed the diagnosis.
    “When they said your brain and your jaw is alright, it was all good after that,” Ward said.
    He still required surgery, including the insertion of two plates. His broken nose meant that he couldn’t engage in high intensity activities, so baseball was out. He could only ride a stationary bike.
    By October, Ward was cleared to begin normal workouts in the gym, and a month later he was hitting.
    Now, he shows no visible effects of the injury, and so far he has no mental scars. Asked if he preferred not to talk about it, he said he was fine. Ward said he spoke to several other big leaguers, including Justin Turner, who had gone through similar experiences.
    “It was good to hear their perspective,” he said. “They told me everything was going to be fine.”
    If Ward can perform as he has at his best over the previous two years, it would be a significant boost to the Angels’ offense. He began the 2022 season with an 1.194 OPS through his first 30 games. He hurt his shoulder running into the right field fence in late May, and he said that sapped his strength, leading to a three-month slump. Ward finished strong in 2022, but then he began 2023 in another slump.
    He was just beginning to hit again last season, posting a 1.047 OPS in his final 85 plate appearances before getting hurt.
    “I definitely learned a lot last year with why I got so far off,” Ward said. “It was 100% mechanics. During that, I was able to learn a lot. … This offseason actually kind of picked up right where right where I left off. So just knowing those things and those cues that make me tick even more and more, just learning myself more and more, hopefully. I know this game, how difficult it is and the ups and downs, but hopefully I can stick with those things and be alright.”
    A SECOND CHANCE
    Right-hander Hunter Strickland lasted only nine games with the Angels in 2021. He gave up nine runs in 6-1/3 innings and was designated for assignment.
    “I wasn’t really surprised,” said Strickland, who rejoined the Angels on a minor league deal on Saturday. “You saw the numbers. A small sample size for sure, but at the end of the day the best plays and we’ve got a job to do. I have a lot of respect for Perry (Minasian) and the organization. I get it. It’s a business. I’m gonna make it a little better this time.”
    Strickland, 35, has not pitched in the majors since 2022. He was in Triple-A with the Cincinnati Reds when he was released in May last year.
    “Honestly, I thought I was done,” Strickland said. “I made peace with it. Just enjoying a summer at home, the first one since high school. Enjoying it with my family.”
    Strickland decided he didn’t want to give up on his career, so he worked out over the winter and threw a showcase, which the Angels attended. Strickland is now competing with veterans like Drew Pomeranz, Adam Kolarek, who are also on minor league deals, along with young pitchers like Andrew Wantz and Jimmy Herget, for the final spots in the Angels bullpen.
    “Obviously it’s a healthy competition, which is a good thing,” Strickland said. “It says a lot about what Perry and the organization is trying to do here. Ultimately, we’re trying to win here, to bring a championship to Anaheim. Trying to pursue all options and have some depth, which I think is always important.”
    Manager Ron Washington said the pitchers who are competing won’t have the luxury of using spring training simply to work on things.
    “Nolan Ryan can just ‘work on his stuff,’” Washington said. “I don’t think we have Nolan Ryan in here. They’re going to have to work on their stuff and be competitive at the same time.”
    Related Articles
    Los Angeles Angels | Angels’ Patrick Sandoval learning to manage his emotions Los Angeles Angels | Angels’ Reid Detmers looks to maintain highs and eliminate lows Los Angeles Angels | Angels owner Arte Moreno says he’s around ‘for the long term’ Los Angeles Angels | Angels players feel ‘really good vibes’ as spring training begins Los Angeles Angels | Angels hope to overcome loss of Shohei Ohtani with internal improvements NOTES
    Third baseman Anthony Rendon arrived in camp on Saturday, a day before all the position players are scheduled to have physicals. The first full squad workout will be on Monday. …
    Left-hander José Quijada, who is rehabbing from Tommy John surgery, said he’s been playing long toss. Once he completes that progression, he’ll be able to begin throwing off a mound. Quijada said he doesn’t have a date in mind for returning to action, but the Angels are expecting him to be ready in June or July. …
    Infielder Ehire Adrianza arrived in camp on Saturday. Adrianza, who signed a minor league deal, missed last season because of a shoulder injury that required surgery. He said he’s now “100%.” Adrianza just played in the Caribbean Series for the Venezuelan team that won the championship. …
    The Angels have adjusted their workout schedule because so many position players arrived early that they’ve already completed some of the things that the team had planned to work on after the first official full squad workout.
    View the full article
  5. Like
    AngelsWin.com reacted to Blarg in AngelsWin.com Spring Training Gathering (March 7th-10th)   
    I have a ticket waiting for you for Friday. 
  6. Like
    AngelsWin.com reacted to Chuck in AngelsWin.com Spring Training Gathering (March 7th-10th)   
    Just ordered me a couple new t-shirts from our AngelsWin.com store to wear in Tempe! 
    If you want to sport one of our tees, you need to order them soon so they can be delivered before your departure date to AZ.
    You can get yours here: https://angelswin-store.creator-spring.com/
    Some of my favorites (links to shirts embedded in images):




     














     
  7. Like
    AngelsWin.com got a reaction from Vegas Halo Fan in OC Register: Angels’ Taylor Ward passes a test on his way back from frightening injury   
    TEMPE, Ariz. — Taylor Ward admitted he was somewhat apprehensive as he stepped into the box on Saturday afternoon, but the feeling didn’t last long.
    “After that first pitch went by, (the feeling) kind of went away,” the Angels outfielder said.
    Ward faced right-handers Davis Daniel and Travis MacGregor, the first time he’d hit against game-speed pitching since his 2023 season was ended by a fastball to his face in July.
    The injuries Ward suffered that day led to surgery and a lingering question about whether the mental impact of that moment might have a negative effect on his career.
    Ward had been hitting since November, but he hadn’t faced a pitcher until Saturday. Daniel threw him a 95 mph fastball that was up and in. Ward, who now wears a protective C-flap over his jaw, also saw a curve ball that began high and then dove over the plate.
    He didn’t flinch on either one.
    “I saw it early enough so it wasn’t much of a knee buckle,” Ward said of the curve. “But that was a good little test right there.”
    After completing the three at-bats, he was satisfied that he can get back to normal, worrying about his mechanics and not another pitch toward his head.
    “After seeing that first pitch go by, I think I settled down and got back to my approach and what I do,” he said. “Feeling good.”
    Ward’s progress is certain to be closely watched throughout the spring and into the season, as he looks to rebound from the frightening incident on July 29 in Toronto.
    Blue Jays right-hander Alek Manoah threw a 92 mph fastball that sailed up and in on Ward, hitting him in the face. Ward crumpled to the ground instantly.
    “I was just unsure of where my life was going at that point,” Ward said. “I was trying to blink my left eye and it felt like there was a laceration in there, so at that moment I was kind of freaking out.”
    By the time Ward got up and onto a cart to leave the field, he could see. He said the medical personnel who initially evaluated him didn’t show much concern for a life- or career-altering injury, “so that helped me out a lot.”
    Later, he underwent CT scans that confirmed the diagnosis.
    “When they said your brain and your jaw is alright, it was all good after that,” Ward said.
    He still required surgery, including the insertion of two plates. His broken nose meant that he couldn’t engage in high intensity activities, so baseball was out. He could only ride a stationary bike.
    By October, Ward was cleared to begin normal workouts in the gym, and a month later he was hitting.
    Now, he shows no visible effects of the injury, and so far he has no mental scars. Asked if he preferred not to talk about it, he said he was fine. Ward said he spoke to several other big leaguers, including Justin Turner, who had gone through similar experiences.
    “It was good to hear their perspective,” he said. “They told me everything was going to be fine.”
    If Ward can perform as he has at his best over the previous two years, it would be a significant boost to the Angels’ offense. He began the 2022 season with an 1.194 OPS through his first 30 games. He hurt his shoulder running into the right field fence in late May, and he said that sapped his strength, leading to a three-month slump. Ward finished strong in 2022, but then he began 2023 in another slump.
    He was just beginning to hit again last season, posting a 1.047 OPS in his final 85 plate appearances before getting hurt.
    “I definitely learned a lot last year with why I got so far off,” Ward said. “It was 100% mechanics. During that, I was able to learn a lot. … This offseason actually kind of picked up right where right where I left off. So just knowing those things and those cues that make me tick even more and more, just learning myself more and more, hopefully. I know this game, how difficult it is and the ups and downs, but hopefully I can stick with those things and be alright.”
    A SECOND CHANCE
    Right-hander Hunter Strickland lasted only nine games with the Angels in 2021. He gave up nine runs in 6-1/3 innings and was designated for assignment.
    “I wasn’t really surprised,” said Strickland, who rejoined the Angels on a minor league deal on Saturday. “You saw the numbers. A small sample size for sure, but at the end of the day the best plays and we’ve got a job to do. I have a lot of respect for Perry (Minasian) and the organization. I get it. It’s a business. I’m gonna make it a little better this time.”
    Strickland, 35, has not pitched in the majors since 2022. He was in Triple-A with the Cincinnati Reds when he was released in May last year.
    “Honestly, I thought I was done,” Strickland said. “I made peace with it. Just enjoying a summer at home, the first one since high school. Enjoying it with my family.”
    Strickland decided he didn’t want to give up on his career, so he worked out over the winter and threw a showcase, which the Angels attended. Strickland is now competing with veterans like Drew Pomeranz, Adam Kolarek, who are also on minor league deals, along with young pitchers like Andrew Wantz and Jimmy Herget, for the final spots in the Angels bullpen.
    “Obviously it’s a healthy competition, which is a good thing,” Strickland said. “It says a lot about what Perry and the organization is trying to do here. Ultimately, we’re trying to win here, to bring a championship to Anaheim. Trying to pursue all options and have some depth, which I think is always important.”
    Manager Ron Washington said the pitchers who are competing won’t have the luxury of using spring training simply to work on things.
    “Nolan Ryan can just ‘work on his stuff,’” Washington said. “I don’t think we have Nolan Ryan in here. They’re going to have to work on their stuff and be competitive at the same time.”
    Related Articles
    Los Angeles Angels | Angels’ Patrick Sandoval learning to manage his emotions Los Angeles Angels | Angels’ Reid Detmers looks to maintain highs and eliminate lows Los Angeles Angels | Angels owner Arte Moreno says he’s around ‘for the long term’ Los Angeles Angels | Angels players feel ‘really good vibes’ as spring training begins Los Angeles Angels | Angels hope to overcome loss of Shohei Ohtani with internal improvements NOTES
    Third baseman Anthony Rendon arrived in camp on Saturday, a day before all the position players are scheduled to have physicals. The first full squad workout will be on Monday. …
    Left-hander José Quijada, who is rehabbing from Tommy John surgery, said he’s been playing long toss. Once he completes that progression, he’ll be able to begin throwing off a mound. Quijada said he doesn’t have a date in mind for returning to action, but the Angels are expecting him to be ready in June or July. …
    Infielder Ehire Adrianza arrived in camp on Saturday. Adrianza, who signed a minor league deal, missed last season because of a shoulder injury that required surgery. He said he’s now “100%.” Adrianza just played in the Caribbean Series for the Venezuelan team that won the championship. …
    The Angels have adjusted their workout schedule because so many position players arrived early that they’ve already completed some of the things that the team had planned to work on after the first official full squad workout.
    View the full article
  8. Like
    AngelsWin.com got a reaction from Vegas Halo Fan in AngelsWin Today: My 2024 Predictions   
    By @CartiHalos, AngelsWin.com Columnist
    With pitchers and catchers having reported, I like to think of the 2024 season as officially underway. While the angels won't play a game for another 9 days, the wheels of baseball are finally churning and as such, I'd like to give my predictions for the Angels and their players. While I'm not the most optimistic person in the world for this specific season, I think it's another season of Angels baseball and I'll never be too mad at getting to watch my Halos.
    Starting with team predictions...
    Record: 75-87, 4th in AL West
    As much as I wanted to put us as a sneaky 80-85 win team, it's not realistic for a team that only won 73 games last year and lost the MVP.  While there's plenty of reason's to assume we'll be better than last year - primarily the ridiculously bad injury luck in 2023, the return of Trout/Rendon, and the further development of the young core of O'Hoppe/Schanuel/Neto/Moniak. Add on top of all of that Ron Washington taking the helm and I could see us propelled into the 80 win area. However, I think that an already faltering rotation that lost it's ace and an offense that would have to make a big jump to be elite makes it hard to project us in that range.
    Miguel Sano Cracks the Opening Day Roster: For a while I thought we'd pick up Urshela or another infielder that could cover first if Schanuel has some growing pains. While still possible, I think we end up rolling with what we have and the slugger has an impressive spring, leading to a Opening Day Roster spot and *maybe* even an opening day start at DH. 
    We Enter 2025 MUCH more confident: While this isn't exactly a hot take, this prediction is mostly that we have multiple major breakouts (you'll see who I think does in the next section), and the moves we made this offseason are supplemented well by moves next offseason that make our roster far more complete and make the Angels a competitive team next year. 
    Now onto individual player predictions, with a few stipulations  
    - I'm gonna be *mostly* optimistic, it's more fun that way.
    - I'm predicting for the 26 players on the Opening Day Roster, projected by me.
    - There's a good chance that a team that performed to my predictions would win more than 75 games, but I'm trying to predict each player, optimistically, in a vacuum. 
    - No Injuries. Don't want to speak anything into existence.
     
    Catchers:
    C Logan O'Hoppe - .245 AVG, 31 HR, 74 RBI, 122 wRC+, 2.4 fWar
    O'Hoppe puts his name out there in a big way with a 30 homer season and improves defensively, but his plate discipline and framing are still areas for improvement.
    C Matt Thaiss - .220 AVG, 7 HR, 24 RBI, 93 wRC+, 0.1 fWAR
    Thaiss gets less time to shine than hid did last year, but performs about the same in limited opportunity.
     
    Infielders:
    1B Nolan Schanuel - .278 AVG, 16 HR, 55 RBI, 130 wRC+, 2.1 fWAR
    Schanuel's elite eye shines and his power comes through as he proves why he got called up so quickly.
    1B Miguel Sano - .208 AVG, 5 HR, 13 RBI, 101 wRC+, 0.0 fWAR
    Sano shows off his pop in limited time, but is ultimately a non factor. 
    1B/2B/3B Brandon Drury - .258 AVG, 25 HR, 89 RBI, 110 wRC+, 2.4 fWAR
    Drury builds on his impressive 2022 and 2023 and maybe even gets moved to a contender at the deadline.
    SS Zach Neto - .250 AVG, 20 HR, 58 RBI, 105 wRC+ 2.7 fWAR
    Neto makes a big jump from last year, and poises himself for a monster age-24 breakout 2025.
    3B Anthony Rendon - .252 AVG, 17 HR, 74 RBI, 115 wRC+, 2.9 fWAR
    This may come as a shock, but truthfully the last time Rendon was healthy and not absolutely outstanding was 2015. Assuming he isn't missing time, he could still very well put in some work for us.
    2B/SS/3B Luis Rengifo - .243 AVG, 16 HR, 55 RBI, 98 wRC+, 1.4 fWAR
    Rengifo's struggles against righties catches up to him, but he still provides value defensively through his versatility.
     
    Outfielders:
    LF Taylor Ward - .271 AVG, 19 HR, 68 RBI, 120 wRC+, 3.0 fWAR
    I'm predicting a huge return to form for Ward, after an outstanding 2022 and a 2023 that was solid before being cut short by an Alek Manoah fastball, I think he bounces back big in an offense that needs him to badly.
    CF Mike Trout - .268 AVG, 38 HR, 103 RBI, 157 wRC+, 5.5 fWAR
    Mike Trout reminds everyone who he is and why he's the superstar in Anaheim with a monster season, aided partially by the DH position being opened up for him to rest and avoid injury.
    RF Mickey Moniak - .262 AVG, 18 HR, 59 RBI, 106 wRC+ 1.3 fWAR
    Mickey comes down to earth compared to his electric 2023 first half, but superb defense and good hard hit stats make for another solid season.
    OF Aaron Hicks - .270 AVG, 6 HR, 30 RBI, 103 wRC+, 0.3 fWAR
    Hicks offensive stats are boosted because he'll get a lot of chances against lefties, but he still doesn't get enough opportunity to make a major impact. 
    OF Jo Adell - .225 AVG, 12 HR, 34 RBI, 94 wRC+, 0.2 fWAR
    Adell gets some big hits, but his plate discipline struggles and inconsistency still bleed through.
     
    Starting Pitchers:
    LHP Reid Detmers - 167 IP, 116 ERA+, 181 K, 3.78 FIP, 3.5 fWAR
    Detmers shines in a 5 man rotation, cuts back on mistake pitches en route to a career year.
    RHP Griffin Canning - 145.2 IP, 103 ERA+, 166 K, 4.24 FIP, 2.0 fWAR
    Canning nearly replicates his 2023 but at a higher volume.
    LHP Patrick Sandoval - 135 IP, 108 ERA+, 141 K, 3.92 FIP, 2.7 fWAR
    Sandy struggles a bit with his emotions on the mound, but a nice return to the solid #2/3 form we've seen in years past.
    LHP Tyler Anderson - 111 IP, 96 ERA+, 124 K, 4.60 FIP, 1.3 fWAR
    Anderson's struggles continue, but he still comes close to a league average season.
    RHP Chase Silseth - 155 IP, 127 ERA+, 166 K, 3.75 FIP, 4.4 fWAR
    Silseth is my top Angels breakout this year, proving he has real ability to not only be a starter, but a great one at that. 
     
    Bullpen:
    Carlos Estevez - 4.20 ERA, 3.90 FIP, 26 Saves.
    Robert Stephenson - 2.13 ERA, 1.93 FIP, 10 Saves.
    Matt Moore - 2.99 ERA, 2.88 FIP, 2 Saves
    Jose Soriano - 3.23 ERA, 3.46 FIP
    Luis Garcia - 4.66 ERA, 4.74 FIP
    Adam Cimber - 3.63 ERA, 3.80 FIP
    Jose Cisnero - 4.44 ERA, 4.23 FIP
    Jose Suarez - 3.79 ERA, 4.21 FIP
    The bullpen gets a review as a whole, should be the most improved position group, with the new additions pulling their weight and the returners (for the most part) improving. Could see Estevez, Moore, Garcia, Cimber, and Suarez all getting looks from contenders at the deadline.
    To be completely honest, while this is probably the least optimistic I've been at the start of a season in a while, I like this teams core and I can't wait to watch the new additions get to work. Can't wait for another season of Angels baseball! Go Halos!
  9. Like
    AngelsWin.com got a reaction from OhtaniSan in AngelsWin Today: My 2024 Predictions   
    By @CartiHalos, AngelsWin.com Columnist
    With pitchers and catchers having reported, I like to think of the 2024 season as officially underway. While the angels won't play a game for another 9 days, the wheels of baseball are finally churning and as such, I'd like to give my predictions for the Angels and their players. While I'm not the most optimistic person in the world for this specific season, I think it's another season of Angels baseball and I'll never be too mad at getting to watch my Halos.
    Starting with team predictions...
    Record: 75-87, 4th in AL West
    As much as I wanted to put us as a sneaky 80-85 win team, it's not realistic for a team that only won 73 games last year and lost the MVP.  While there's plenty of reason's to assume we'll be better than last year - primarily the ridiculously bad injury luck in 2023, the return of Trout/Rendon, and the further development of the young core of O'Hoppe/Schanuel/Neto/Moniak. Add on top of all of that Ron Washington taking the helm and I could see us propelled into the 80 win area. However, I think that an already faltering rotation that lost it's ace and an offense that would have to make a big jump to be elite makes it hard to project us in that range.
    Miguel Sano Cracks the Opening Day Roster: For a while I thought we'd pick up Urshela or another infielder that could cover first if Schanuel has some growing pains. While still possible, I think we end up rolling with what we have and the slugger has an impressive spring, leading to a Opening Day Roster spot and *maybe* even an opening day start at DH. 
    We Enter 2025 MUCH more confident: While this isn't exactly a hot take, this prediction is mostly that we have multiple major breakouts (you'll see who I think does in the next section), and the moves we made this offseason are supplemented well by moves next offseason that make our roster far more complete and make the Angels a competitive team next year. 
    Now onto individual player predictions, with a few stipulations  
    - I'm gonna be *mostly* optimistic, it's more fun that way.
    - I'm predicting for the 26 players on the Opening Day Roster, projected by me.
    - There's a good chance that a team that performed to my predictions would win more than 75 games, but I'm trying to predict each player, optimistically, in a vacuum. 
    - No Injuries. Don't want to speak anything into existence.
     
    Catchers:
    C Logan O'Hoppe - .245 AVG, 31 HR, 74 RBI, 122 wRC+, 2.4 fWar
    O'Hoppe puts his name out there in a big way with a 30 homer season and improves defensively, but his plate discipline and framing are still areas for improvement.
    C Matt Thaiss - .220 AVG, 7 HR, 24 RBI, 93 wRC+, 0.1 fWAR
    Thaiss gets less time to shine than hid did last year, but performs about the same in limited opportunity.
     
    Infielders:
    1B Nolan Schanuel - .278 AVG, 16 HR, 55 RBI, 130 wRC+, 2.1 fWAR
    Schanuel's elite eye shines and his power comes through as he proves why he got called up so quickly.
    1B Miguel Sano - .208 AVG, 5 HR, 13 RBI, 101 wRC+, 0.0 fWAR
    Sano shows off his pop in limited time, but is ultimately a non factor. 
    1B/2B/3B Brandon Drury - .258 AVG, 25 HR, 89 RBI, 110 wRC+, 2.4 fWAR
    Drury builds on his impressive 2022 and 2023 and maybe even gets moved to a contender at the deadline.
    SS Zach Neto - .250 AVG, 20 HR, 58 RBI, 105 wRC+ 2.7 fWAR
    Neto makes a big jump from last year, and poises himself for a monster age-24 breakout 2025.
    3B Anthony Rendon - .252 AVG, 17 HR, 74 RBI, 115 wRC+, 2.9 fWAR
    This may come as a shock, but truthfully the last time Rendon was healthy and not absolutely outstanding was 2015. Assuming he isn't missing time, he could still very well put in some work for us.
    2B/SS/3B Luis Rengifo - .243 AVG, 16 HR, 55 RBI, 98 wRC+, 1.4 fWAR
    Rengifo's struggles against righties catches up to him, but he still provides value defensively through his versatility.
     
    Outfielders:
    LF Taylor Ward - .271 AVG, 19 HR, 68 RBI, 120 wRC+, 3.0 fWAR
    I'm predicting a huge return to form for Ward, after an outstanding 2022 and a 2023 that was solid before being cut short by an Alek Manoah fastball, I think he bounces back big in an offense that needs him to badly.
    CF Mike Trout - .268 AVG, 38 HR, 103 RBI, 157 wRC+, 5.5 fWAR
    Mike Trout reminds everyone who he is and why he's the superstar in Anaheim with a monster season, aided partially by the DH position being opened up for him to rest and avoid injury.
    RF Mickey Moniak - .262 AVG, 18 HR, 59 RBI, 106 wRC+ 1.3 fWAR
    Mickey comes down to earth compared to his electric 2023 first half, but superb defense and good hard hit stats make for another solid season.
    OF Aaron Hicks - .270 AVG, 6 HR, 30 RBI, 103 wRC+, 0.3 fWAR
    Hicks offensive stats are boosted because he'll get a lot of chances against lefties, but he still doesn't get enough opportunity to make a major impact. 
    OF Jo Adell - .225 AVG, 12 HR, 34 RBI, 94 wRC+, 0.2 fWAR
    Adell gets some big hits, but his plate discipline struggles and inconsistency still bleed through.
     
    Starting Pitchers:
    LHP Reid Detmers - 167 IP, 116 ERA+, 181 K, 3.78 FIP, 3.5 fWAR
    Detmers shines in a 5 man rotation, cuts back on mistake pitches en route to a career year.
    RHP Griffin Canning - 145.2 IP, 103 ERA+, 166 K, 4.24 FIP, 2.0 fWAR
    Canning nearly replicates his 2023 but at a higher volume.
    LHP Patrick Sandoval - 135 IP, 108 ERA+, 141 K, 3.92 FIP, 2.7 fWAR
    Sandy struggles a bit with his emotions on the mound, but a nice return to the solid #2/3 form we've seen in years past.
    LHP Tyler Anderson - 111 IP, 96 ERA+, 124 K, 4.60 FIP, 1.3 fWAR
    Anderson's struggles continue, but he still comes close to a league average season.
    RHP Chase Silseth - 155 IP, 127 ERA+, 166 K, 3.75 FIP, 4.4 fWAR
    Silseth is my top Angels breakout this year, proving he has real ability to not only be a starter, but a great one at that. 
     
    Bullpen:
    Carlos Estevez - 4.20 ERA, 3.90 FIP, 26 Saves.
    Robert Stephenson - 2.13 ERA, 1.93 FIP, 10 Saves.
    Matt Moore - 2.99 ERA, 2.88 FIP, 2 Saves
    Jose Soriano - 3.23 ERA, 3.46 FIP
    Luis Garcia - 4.66 ERA, 4.74 FIP
    Adam Cimber - 3.63 ERA, 3.80 FIP
    Jose Cisnero - 4.44 ERA, 4.23 FIP
    Jose Suarez - 3.79 ERA, 4.21 FIP
    The bullpen gets a review as a whole, should be the most improved position group, with the new additions pulling their weight and the returners (for the most part) improving. Could see Estevez, Moore, Garcia, Cimber, and Suarez all getting looks from contenders at the deadline.
    To be completely honest, while this is probably the least optimistic I've been at the start of a season in a while, I like this teams core and I can't wait to watch the new additions get to work. Can't wait for another season of Angels baseball! Go Halos!
  10. Like
    AngelsWin.com got a reaction from Chuck in AngelsWin Today: My 2024 Predictions   
    By @CartiHalos, AngelsWin.com Columnist
    With pitchers and catchers having reported, I like to think of the 2024 season as officially underway. While the angels won't play a game for another 9 days, the wheels of baseball are finally churning and as such, I'd like to give my predictions for the Angels and their players. While I'm not the most optimistic person in the world for this specific season, I think it's another season of Angels baseball and I'll never be too mad at getting to watch my Halos.
    Starting with team predictions...
    Record: 75-87, 4th in AL West
    As much as I wanted to put us as a sneaky 80-85 win team, it's not realistic for a team that only won 73 games last year and lost the MVP.  While there's plenty of reason's to assume we'll be better than last year - primarily the ridiculously bad injury luck in 2023, the return of Trout/Rendon, and the further development of the young core of O'Hoppe/Schanuel/Neto/Moniak. Add on top of all of that Ron Washington taking the helm and I could see us propelled into the 80 win area. However, I think that an already faltering rotation that lost it's ace and an offense that would have to make a big jump to be elite makes it hard to project us in that range.
    Miguel Sano Cracks the Opening Day Roster: For a while I thought we'd pick up Urshela or another infielder that could cover first if Schanuel has some growing pains. While still possible, I think we end up rolling with what we have and the slugger has an impressive spring, leading to a Opening Day Roster spot and *maybe* even an opening day start at DH. 
    We Enter 2025 MUCH more confident: While this isn't exactly a hot take, this prediction is mostly that we have multiple major breakouts (you'll see who I think does in the next section), and the moves we made this offseason are supplemented well by moves next offseason that make our roster far more complete and make the Angels a competitive team next year. 
    Now onto individual player predictions, with a few stipulations  
    - I'm gonna be *mostly* optimistic, it's more fun that way.
    - I'm predicting for the 26 players on the Opening Day Roster, projected by me.
    - There's a good chance that a team that performed to my predictions would win more than 75 games, but I'm trying to predict each player, optimistically, in a vacuum. 
    - No Injuries. Don't want to speak anything into existence.
     
    Catchers:
    C Logan O'Hoppe - .245 AVG, 31 HR, 74 RBI, 122 wRC+, 2.4 fWar
    O'Hoppe puts his name out there in a big way with a 30 homer season and improves defensively, but his plate discipline and framing are still areas for improvement.
    C Matt Thaiss - .220 AVG, 7 HR, 24 RBI, 93 wRC+, 0.1 fWAR
    Thaiss gets less time to shine than hid did last year, but performs about the same in limited opportunity.
     
    Infielders:
    1B Nolan Schanuel - .278 AVG, 16 HR, 55 RBI, 130 wRC+, 2.1 fWAR
    Schanuel's elite eye shines and his power comes through as he proves why he got called up so quickly.
    1B Miguel Sano - .208 AVG, 5 HR, 13 RBI, 101 wRC+, 0.0 fWAR
    Sano shows off his pop in limited time, but is ultimately a non factor. 
    1B/2B/3B Brandon Drury - .258 AVG, 25 HR, 89 RBI, 110 wRC+, 2.4 fWAR
    Drury builds on his impressive 2022 and 2023 and maybe even gets moved to a contender at the deadline.
    SS Zach Neto - .250 AVG, 20 HR, 58 RBI, 105 wRC+ 2.7 fWAR
    Neto makes a big jump from last year, and poises himself for a monster age-24 breakout 2025.
    3B Anthony Rendon - .252 AVG, 17 HR, 74 RBI, 115 wRC+, 2.9 fWAR
    This may come as a shock, but truthfully the last time Rendon was healthy and not absolutely outstanding was 2015. Assuming he isn't missing time, he could still very well put in some work for us.
    2B/SS/3B Luis Rengifo - .243 AVG, 16 HR, 55 RBI, 98 wRC+, 1.4 fWAR
    Rengifo's struggles against righties catches up to him, but he still provides value defensively through his versatility.
     
    Outfielders:
    LF Taylor Ward - .271 AVG, 19 HR, 68 RBI, 120 wRC+, 3.0 fWAR
    I'm predicting a huge return to form for Ward, after an outstanding 2022 and a 2023 that was solid before being cut short by an Alek Manoah fastball, I think he bounces back big in an offense that needs him to badly.
    CF Mike Trout - .268 AVG, 38 HR, 103 RBI, 157 wRC+, 5.5 fWAR
    Mike Trout reminds everyone who he is and why he's the superstar in Anaheim with a monster season, aided partially by the DH position being opened up for him to rest and avoid injury.
    RF Mickey Moniak - .262 AVG, 18 HR, 59 RBI, 106 wRC+ 1.3 fWAR
    Mickey comes down to earth compared to his electric 2023 first half, but superb defense and good hard hit stats make for another solid season.
    OF Aaron Hicks - .270 AVG, 6 HR, 30 RBI, 103 wRC+, 0.3 fWAR
    Hicks offensive stats are boosted because he'll get a lot of chances against lefties, but he still doesn't get enough opportunity to make a major impact. 
    OF Jo Adell - .225 AVG, 12 HR, 34 RBI, 94 wRC+, 0.2 fWAR
    Adell gets some big hits, but his plate discipline struggles and inconsistency still bleed through.
     
    Starting Pitchers:
    LHP Reid Detmers - 167 IP, 116 ERA+, 181 K, 3.78 FIP, 3.5 fWAR
    Detmers shines in a 5 man rotation, cuts back on mistake pitches en route to a career year.
    RHP Griffin Canning - 145.2 IP, 103 ERA+, 166 K, 4.24 FIP, 2.0 fWAR
    Canning nearly replicates his 2023 but at a higher volume.
    LHP Patrick Sandoval - 135 IP, 108 ERA+, 141 K, 3.92 FIP, 2.7 fWAR
    Sandy struggles a bit with his emotions on the mound, but a nice return to the solid #2/3 form we've seen in years past.
    LHP Tyler Anderson - 111 IP, 96 ERA+, 124 K, 4.60 FIP, 1.3 fWAR
    Anderson's struggles continue, but he still comes close to a league average season.
    RHP Chase Silseth - 155 IP, 127 ERA+, 166 K, 3.75 FIP, 4.4 fWAR
    Silseth is my top Angels breakout this year, proving he has real ability to not only be a starter, but a great one at that. 
     
    Bullpen:
    Carlos Estevez - 4.20 ERA, 3.90 FIP, 26 Saves.
    Robert Stephenson - 2.13 ERA, 1.93 FIP, 10 Saves.
    Matt Moore - 2.99 ERA, 2.88 FIP, 2 Saves
    Jose Soriano - 3.23 ERA, 3.46 FIP
    Luis Garcia - 4.66 ERA, 4.74 FIP
    Adam Cimber - 3.63 ERA, 3.80 FIP
    Jose Cisnero - 4.44 ERA, 4.23 FIP
    Jose Suarez - 3.79 ERA, 4.21 FIP
    The bullpen gets a review as a whole, should be the most improved position group, with the new additions pulling their weight and the returners (for the most part) improving. Could see Estevez, Moore, Garcia, Cimber, and Suarez all getting looks from contenders at the deadline.
    To be completely honest, while this is probably the least optimistic I've been at the start of a season in a while, I like this teams core and I can't wait to watch the new additions get to work. Can't wait for another season of Angels baseball! Go Halos!
  11. Like
    AngelsWin.com got a reaction from angelintheoutfield in OC Register: Angels players feel ‘really good vibes’ as spring training begins   
    TEMPE, Ariz. — Angels players – not just pitchers and catchers – were scattered across practice fields, bullpen mounds and batting cages Tuesday afternoon.
    All of that would have been totally routine for spring training, except it was actually a day before the first “official” workout of the spring.
    Normally on “reporting day,” players have their physicals and a few stragglers might play catch in shorts and T-shirts, but the fields are largely vacant.
    “Physical day is always the worst because you’re home at 11 and have nothing to do for the rest of the day,” catcher Logan O’Hoppe said after catching bullpen sessions and hitting. “It’s nice to have a workout today. We’re all hitting the ground running.”
    O’Hoppe had a broad smile on his face as he described the “completely different feel” around Angels camp as they begin the 2024 season.
    Left-hander Patrick Sandoval agreed it felt like the start of something new.
    “I’ve been on here for about a month and there’s been a lot of guys coming in,” Sandoval said. “The vibes here are really good. The guys are ready to work. I think the just the overall vibe around the guys of getting our work in is a little bit different this year for some reason.”
    One obvious difference is that the Angels no longer have Shohei Ohtani. Certainly, no one would suggest that losing the most talented player in the majors is a positive change on the field, but the lack of the spotlight that followed Ohtani no doubt changes the atmosphere around the team.
    There were just three reporters at Tuesday’s workout, instead of 50. The expectations from outside are minimal, which is just fine with the players, who are still full of confidence and looking to prove they are better than last year’s 73-victory disappointment.
    “I definitely still have that bad taste in my mouth from last year,” O’Hoppe said. “None of us forgot what that was like. We all talked a lot over the offseason. We put a plan in place to change it going forward. Even though today is Day One, I feel like we’ve been doing it for weeks, just keeping in touch with one another and talking about the right things. It’s on the right track.”
    New manager Ron Washington, who is known for his energy and optimism, beamed as he described what’s ahead.
    “It always feels good when you got on the baseball uniform when you’re a baseball lifer,” Washington said. “It’s even more fun when you begin getting a chance to be a part of something that can turn out to be very special. And this can turn out to be very special.”
    Reality will hit soon enough, though. The Angels are going to do more than smile and say optimistic things for them to win baseball games.
    It’s going to start with the pitching, and that story took some shape Tuesday with Washington’s declaration that his plan going into the spring was to use a five-man rotation.
    “We haven’t done any competing yet to make a decision like that,” Washington said, “but right off the bat I’ll say five.”
    The Angels had used a six-man rotation when Ohtani was one of the starters.
    “Super excited, honestly,” Sandoval said of the increased work for the starters. “It adds four or five more starts at the end of the year. Perfect. I want to be on the field as much as I can to help this team win as much as I can.
    The top five starters currently are Sandoval, left-handers Reid Detmers and Tyler Anderson and right-handers Griffin Canning and Chase Silseth. Right-handers Zach Plesac and Davis Daniel and left-handers José Suarez and Kenny Rosenberg are the top candidates for the rotation outside of those five.
    Washington also said he’s hoping a firm lineup develops, instead of mixing and matching around the field.
    “I don’t foresee my lineup changing every day,” Washington said. “In some areas you might have something, but I’m not gonna have a team where we’ve got 80 or 90 lineups within the season.”
    Washington said he is prepared to rotate players through the designated hitter spot – again, something they couldn’t do with Ohtani.
    Washington also said the Angels are opening the spring expecting Carlos Estévez to be the closer. Estévez was outstanding for the first half of the season in the closer role last year, before faltering late. Now, the Angels have right-hander Robert Stephenson as an option if Estévez struggles.
    NOTES
    The Angels are working on a minor-league deal with left-hander Drew Pomeranz, who last pitched in the majors in 2021. Pomeranz has been dealing with elbow issues for most of the past two seasons, throwing just 10 1/3 innings in the minors. Pomeranz has been throwing bullpen sessions. Pomeranz, 35, who will be invited to big league camp, posted a 1.75 ERA with the Padres in 2021, when he had flexor tendon surgery. …
    The Angels will again air almost all of their spring training games on television, either on Bally Sports West or another network when there is a conflict. On days the Angels play split-squad games, they will air the home game. Radio play-by-play announcer Terry Smith will handle simulcasts on television and radio for most games, with Wayne Randazzo, Patrick O’Neal and Trent Rush also doing some play by play in the spring. The cast of analysts will include Mark Gubicza, Bobby Valentine, Tim Salmon and Denny Hocking. Erica Weston and Rush will also contribute reports during the broadcasts. …
    Related Articles
    Los Angeles Angels | Angels hope to overcome loss of Shohei Ohtani with internal improvements Los Angeles Angels | Angels 2024 spring training preview: 5 key questions Los Angeles Angels | Angels 2024 spring training preview: Who’s in and who’s out? Los Angeles Angels | Angels 2024 spring training preview: Key dates Los Angeles Angels | Angels 2024 spring training position preview: Bullpen The Angels have hired Bob Alejo as the strength and conditioning coach. Alejo spent 12 years in a similar role with the Oakland A’s, during Washington’s tenure in Oakland. Since then, he had been working with Olympic athletes and in college sports, including at Cal State Northridge and UC Santa Barbara. Alejo already has a fan in Sandoval: “I think we’re gonna be one of the most conditioned teams in baseball, for sure.” …
    Right-hander Sam Bachman is also going to be on the starter depth chart, even though he pitched in relief in the majors last season. Bachman missed the end of last season with a shoulder issue, and he had an arthroscopic cleanup procedure in the fall. …
    Right-hander José Cisnero, who is from the Dominican Republic, will be at least a week late because of a visa issue, according to the Angels.
    View the full article
  12. Funny
    AngelsWin.com got a reaction from failos in OC Register: Angels owner Arte Moreno says he’s around ‘for the long term’   
    TEMPE, Ariz. — Arte Moreno has no regrets about the change of heart that led him to pull the Angels off the market 13 months ago.
    The Angels owner said Wednesday that he has no plans to revisit a sale of the team that he’s operated since 2003.
    “I am here long term,” Moreno said in an interview with the Southern California News Group. “There are some people that came back and some people that knew I had it on the market (in 2022). I basically said it’s not on the market.”
    Moreno added that it was always possible that someone would come back and make an offer that he couldn’t refuse.
    “I’m a business person,” he said. “If someone gets really stupid, then you have to go.”
    Moreno said a year ago that he had turned down offers, including three that surpassed the $2.4 billion that Steve Cohen paid for the New York Mets. One of the offers was reportedly over $3 billion.
    Moreno, 77, paid $183.5 million to buy the Angels more than two decades ago.
    Although his ownership was a success initially, with the Angels annually contending and selling more than 3 million tickets per season, the franchise has been struggling on the field lately.
    Despite the presence of two-way superstar Shohei Ohtani and Mike Trout, the Angels haven’t had a winning season since 2015 and they haven’t made the playoffs since 2014.
    Ohtani signed a heavily deferred 10-year, $700-million deal with the Dodgers over the winter, ending his six-year run with the Angels.
    When asked if the Angels were willing to meet that price, Moreno said: “No.”
    Moreno, however, would not say whether he believed the Angels had a chance to keep Ohtani at the various points when they made the decision not to trade him. The Angels could have traded Ohtani at the 2022 trade deadline, during the following offseason, or at the 2023 deadline.
    “From a fan perspective, they pay for tickets and watch the games and listen to the games, this is a special guy,” Moreno said. “I’d like to see him play. We’re in the entertainment business. We made a decision, a group decision, that the best thing was to keep him and make a run.”
    The Angels played better through late July last summer and were as close as three games from a playoff spot when they decided to add several players — bringing the projected payroll above the luxury tax threshold — in an effort to make the postseason.
    Instead, they started August by losing seven games in a row, and by the end of the month they were out of the race. The Angels then placed seven players on waivers in an effort to get back under the threshold, eventually finishing less than $30,000 below the $233 million threshold.
    This winter, with Ohtani gone, they have not even approached last year’s payroll. According to FanGraphs, the Angels are currently set to have a payroll of about $188 million, for purposes of the luxury tax.
    Moreno said the plan was to “set the budget lower. … I’m not going to spend money just to show that we’re going to spend money unless it’s going to substantially change the team.”
    Moreno said he’s encouraged by the potential of young players like catcher Logan O’Hoppe, shortstop Zach Neto, first baseman Nolan Schanuel.
    “I am in it because I believe we can build a team to win,” he said.
    Moreno also addressed the failed attempts to reach a development deal with the city of Anaheim regarding Angel Stadium. In 2022, the Angels had a plan to purchase the ballpark from the city in exchange for the right to develop the surrounding area. The agreement fell through when Anaheim mayor Harry Sidhu became embroiled in a corruption scandal.
    Related Articles
    Los Angeles Angels | Angels players feel ‘really good vibes’ as spring training begins Los Angeles Angels | Angels hope to overcome loss of Shohei Ohtani with internal improvements Los Angeles Angels | Angels 2024 spring training preview: 5 key questions Los Angeles Angels | Angels 2024 spring training preview: Who’s in and who’s out? Los Angeles Angels | Angels 2024 spring training preview: Key dates Now, Moreno said there are no current talks about reviving that deal, with no expectation that it would be revisited.
    “Right now I’d say no,” Moreno said. “I don’t like the word never. Right now I don’t believe (Anaheim officials) have an appetite for it.”
    The Angels currently have a lease through 2029 at Angel Stadium, with three-year options that run through 2038. Asked if he can forecast what will happen then, Moreno said: “Do you know where you’re going to be in 2038? Do you know how old I am? This year I’ll be 78. That’s a long time.”
    The Angels are, however, proceeding with plans to make upgrades to their spring training home in Tempe. Moreno said the practice fields and training facilities will undergo renovations starting at the end of this spring. Improvements to Tempe Diablo Stadium could begin next year, to be completed in time for spring training 2026, Moreno said.
    View the full article
  13. So You're Telling Me There's a Chance?
    AngelsWin.com got a reaction from Angel Oracle in OC Register: Angels players feel ‘really good vibes’ as spring training begins   
    TEMPE, Ariz. — Angels players – not just pitchers and catchers – were scattered across practice fields, bullpen mounds and batting cages Tuesday afternoon.
    All of that would have been totally routine for spring training, except it was actually a day before the first “official” workout of the spring.
    Normally on “reporting day,” players have their physicals and a few stragglers might play catch in shorts and T-shirts, but the fields are largely vacant.
    “Physical day is always the worst because you’re home at 11 and have nothing to do for the rest of the day,” catcher Logan O’Hoppe said after catching bullpen sessions and hitting. “It’s nice to have a workout today. We’re all hitting the ground running.”
    O’Hoppe had a broad smile on his face as he described the “completely different feel” around Angels camp as they begin the 2024 season.
    Left-hander Patrick Sandoval agreed it felt like the start of something new.
    “I’ve been on here for about a month and there’s been a lot of guys coming in,” Sandoval said. “The vibes here are really good. The guys are ready to work. I think the just the overall vibe around the guys of getting our work in is a little bit different this year for some reason.”
    One obvious difference is that the Angels no longer have Shohei Ohtani. Certainly, no one would suggest that losing the most talented player in the majors is a positive change on the field, but the lack of the spotlight that followed Ohtani no doubt changes the atmosphere around the team.
    There were just three reporters at Tuesday’s workout, instead of 50. The expectations from outside are minimal, which is just fine with the players, who are still full of confidence and looking to prove they are better than last year’s 73-victory disappointment.
    “I definitely still have that bad taste in my mouth from last year,” O’Hoppe said. “None of us forgot what that was like. We all talked a lot over the offseason. We put a plan in place to change it going forward. Even though today is Day One, I feel like we’ve been doing it for weeks, just keeping in touch with one another and talking about the right things. It’s on the right track.”
    New manager Ron Washington, who is known for his energy and optimism, beamed as he described what’s ahead.
    “It always feels good when you got on the baseball uniform when you’re a baseball lifer,” Washington said. “It’s even more fun when you begin getting a chance to be a part of something that can turn out to be very special. And this can turn out to be very special.”
    Reality will hit soon enough, though. The Angels are going to do more than smile and say optimistic things for them to win baseball games.
    It’s going to start with the pitching, and that story took some shape Tuesday with Washington’s declaration that his plan going into the spring was to use a five-man rotation.
    “We haven’t done any competing yet to make a decision like that,” Washington said, “but right off the bat I’ll say five.”
    The Angels had used a six-man rotation when Ohtani was one of the starters.
    “Super excited, honestly,” Sandoval said of the increased work for the starters. “It adds four or five more starts at the end of the year. Perfect. I want to be on the field as much as I can to help this team win as much as I can.
    The top five starters currently are Sandoval, left-handers Reid Detmers and Tyler Anderson and right-handers Griffin Canning and Chase Silseth. Right-handers Zach Plesac and Davis Daniel and left-handers José Suarez and Kenny Rosenberg are the top candidates for the rotation outside of those five.
    Washington also said he’s hoping a firm lineup develops, instead of mixing and matching around the field.
    “I don’t foresee my lineup changing every day,” Washington said. “In some areas you might have something, but I’m not gonna have a team where we’ve got 80 or 90 lineups within the season.”
    Washington said he is prepared to rotate players through the designated hitter spot – again, something they couldn’t do with Ohtani.
    Washington also said the Angels are opening the spring expecting Carlos Estévez to be the closer. Estévez was outstanding for the first half of the season in the closer role last year, before faltering late. Now, the Angels have right-hander Robert Stephenson as an option if Estévez struggles.
    NOTES
    The Angels are working on a minor-league deal with left-hander Drew Pomeranz, who last pitched in the majors in 2021. Pomeranz has been dealing with elbow issues for most of the past two seasons, throwing just 10 1/3 innings in the minors. Pomeranz has been throwing bullpen sessions. Pomeranz, 35, who will be invited to big league camp, posted a 1.75 ERA with the Padres in 2021, when he had flexor tendon surgery. …
    The Angels will again air almost all of their spring training games on television, either on Bally Sports West or another network when there is a conflict. On days the Angels play split-squad games, they will air the home game. Radio play-by-play announcer Terry Smith will handle simulcasts on television and radio for most games, with Wayne Randazzo, Patrick O’Neal and Trent Rush also doing some play by play in the spring. The cast of analysts will include Mark Gubicza, Bobby Valentine, Tim Salmon and Denny Hocking. Erica Weston and Rush will also contribute reports during the broadcasts. …
    Related Articles
    Los Angeles Angels | Angels hope to overcome loss of Shohei Ohtani with internal improvements Los Angeles Angels | Angels 2024 spring training preview: 5 key questions Los Angeles Angels | Angels 2024 spring training preview: Who’s in and who’s out? Los Angeles Angels | Angels 2024 spring training preview: Key dates Los Angeles Angels | Angels 2024 spring training position preview: Bullpen The Angels have hired Bob Alejo as the strength and conditioning coach. Alejo spent 12 years in a similar role with the Oakland A’s, during Washington’s tenure in Oakland. Since then, he had been working with Olympic athletes and in college sports, including at Cal State Northridge and UC Santa Barbara. Alejo already has a fan in Sandoval: “I think we’re gonna be one of the most conditioned teams in baseball, for sure.” …
    Right-hander Sam Bachman is also going to be on the starter depth chart, even though he pitched in relief in the majors last season. Bachman missed the end of last season with a shoulder issue, and he had an arthroscopic cleanup procedure in the fall. …
    Right-hander José Cisnero, who is from the Dominican Republic, will be at least a week late because of a visa issue, according to the Angels.
    View the full article
  14. Like
    AngelsWin.com got a reaction from HaloBronco in OC Register: Angels players feel ‘really good vibes’ as spring training begins   
    TEMPE, Ariz. — Angels players – not just pitchers and catchers – were scattered across practice fields, bullpen mounds and batting cages Tuesday afternoon.
    All of that would have been totally routine for spring training, except it was actually a day before the first “official” workout of the spring.
    Normally on “reporting day,” players have their physicals and a few stragglers might play catch in shorts and T-shirts, but the fields are largely vacant.
    “Physical day is always the worst because you’re home at 11 and have nothing to do for the rest of the day,” catcher Logan O’Hoppe said after catching bullpen sessions and hitting. “It’s nice to have a workout today. We’re all hitting the ground running.”
    O’Hoppe had a broad smile on his face as he described the “completely different feel” around Angels camp as they begin the 2024 season.
    Left-hander Patrick Sandoval agreed it felt like the start of something new.
    “I’ve been on here for about a month and there’s been a lot of guys coming in,” Sandoval said. “The vibes here are really good. The guys are ready to work. I think the just the overall vibe around the guys of getting our work in is a little bit different this year for some reason.”
    One obvious difference is that the Angels no longer have Shohei Ohtani. Certainly, no one would suggest that losing the most talented player in the majors is a positive change on the field, but the lack of the spotlight that followed Ohtani no doubt changes the atmosphere around the team.
    There were just three reporters at Tuesday’s workout, instead of 50. The expectations from outside are minimal, which is just fine with the players, who are still full of confidence and looking to prove they are better than last year’s 73-victory disappointment.
    “I definitely still have that bad taste in my mouth from last year,” O’Hoppe said. “None of us forgot what that was like. We all talked a lot over the offseason. We put a plan in place to change it going forward. Even though today is Day One, I feel like we’ve been doing it for weeks, just keeping in touch with one another and talking about the right things. It’s on the right track.”
    New manager Ron Washington, who is known for his energy and optimism, beamed as he described what’s ahead.
    “It always feels good when you got on the baseball uniform when you’re a baseball lifer,” Washington said. “It’s even more fun when you begin getting a chance to be a part of something that can turn out to be very special. And this can turn out to be very special.”
    Reality will hit soon enough, though. The Angels are going to do more than smile and say optimistic things for them to win baseball games.
    It’s going to start with the pitching, and that story took some shape Tuesday with Washington’s declaration that his plan going into the spring was to use a five-man rotation.
    “We haven’t done any competing yet to make a decision like that,” Washington said, “but right off the bat I’ll say five.”
    The Angels had used a six-man rotation when Ohtani was one of the starters.
    “Super excited, honestly,” Sandoval said of the increased work for the starters. “It adds four or five more starts at the end of the year. Perfect. I want to be on the field as much as I can to help this team win as much as I can.
    The top five starters currently are Sandoval, left-handers Reid Detmers and Tyler Anderson and right-handers Griffin Canning and Chase Silseth. Right-handers Zach Plesac and Davis Daniel and left-handers José Suarez and Kenny Rosenberg are the top candidates for the rotation outside of those five.
    Washington also said he’s hoping a firm lineup develops, instead of mixing and matching around the field.
    “I don’t foresee my lineup changing every day,” Washington said. “In some areas you might have something, but I’m not gonna have a team where we’ve got 80 or 90 lineups within the season.”
    Washington said he is prepared to rotate players through the designated hitter spot – again, something they couldn’t do with Ohtani.
    Washington also said the Angels are opening the spring expecting Carlos Estévez to be the closer. Estévez was outstanding for the first half of the season in the closer role last year, before faltering late. Now, the Angels have right-hander Robert Stephenson as an option if Estévez struggles.
    NOTES
    The Angels are working on a minor-league deal with left-hander Drew Pomeranz, who last pitched in the majors in 2021. Pomeranz has been dealing with elbow issues for most of the past two seasons, throwing just 10 1/3 innings in the minors. Pomeranz has been throwing bullpen sessions. Pomeranz, 35, who will be invited to big league camp, posted a 1.75 ERA with the Padres in 2021, when he had flexor tendon surgery. …
    The Angels will again air almost all of their spring training games on television, either on Bally Sports West or another network when there is a conflict. On days the Angels play split-squad games, they will air the home game. Radio play-by-play announcer Terry Smith will handle simulcasts on television and radio for most games, with Wayne Randazzo, Patrick O’Neal and Trent Rush also doing some play by play in the spring. The cast of analysts will include Mark Gubicza, Bobby Valentine, Tim Salmon and Denny Hocking. Erica Weston and Rush will also contribute reports during the broadcasts. …
    Related Articles
    Los Angeles Angels | Angels hope to overcome loss of Shohei Ohtani with internal improvements Los Angeles Angels | Angels 2024 spring training preview: 5 key questions Los Angeles Angels | Angels 2024 spring training preview: Who’s in and who’s out? Los Angeles Angels | Angels 2024 spring training preview: Key dates Los Angeles Angels | Angels 2024 spring training position preview: Bullpen The Angels have hired Bob Alejo as the strength and conditioning coach. Alejo spent 12 years in a similar role with the Oakland A’s, during Washington’s tenure in Oakland. Since then, he had been working with Olympic athletes and in college sports, including at Cal State Northridge and UC Santa Barbara. Alejo already has a fan in Sandoval: “I think we’re gonna be one of the most conditioned teams in baseball, for sure.” …
    Right-hander Sam Bachman is also going to be on the starter depth chart, even though he pitched in relief in the majors last season. Bachman missed the end of last season with a shoulder issue, and he had an arthroscopic cleanup procedure in the fall. …
    Right-hander José Cisnero, who is from the Dominican Republic, will be at least a week late because of a visa issue, according to the Angels.
    View the full article
  15. So You're Telling Me There's a Chance?
    AngelsWin.com got a reaction from Kingfish in OC Register: Angels players feel ‘really good vibes’ as spring training begins   
    TEMPE, Ariz. — Angels players – not just pitchers and catchers – were scattered across practice fields, bullpen mounds and batting cages Tuesday afternoon.
    All of that would have been totally routine for spring training, except it was actually a day before the first “official” workout of the spring.
    Normally on “reporting day,” players have their physicals and a few stragglers might play catch in shorts and T-shirts, but the fields are largely vacant.
    “Physical day is always the worst because you’re home at 11 and have nothing to do for the rest of the day,” catcher Logan O’Hoppe said after catching bullpen sessions and hitting. “It’s nice to have a workout today. We’re all hitting the ground running.”
    O’Hoppe had a broad smile on his face as he described the “completely different feel” around Angels camp as they begin the 2024 season.
    Left-hander Patrick Sandoval agreed it felt like the start of something new.
    “I’ve been on here for about a month and there’s been a lot of guys coming in,” Sandoval said. “The vibes here are really good. The guys are ready to work. I think the just the overall vibe around the guys of getting our work in is a little bit different this year for some reason.”
    One obvious difference is that the Angels no longer have Shohei Ohtani. Certainly, no one would suggest that losing the most talented player in the majors is a positive change on the field, but the lack of the spotlight that followed Ohtani no doubt changes the atmosphere around the team.
    There were just three reporters at Tuesday’s workout, instead of 50. The expectations from outside are minimal, which is just fine with the players, who are still full of confidence and looking to prove they are better than last year’s 73-victory disappointment.
    “I definitely still have that bad taste in my mouth from last year,” O’Hoppe said. “None of us forgot what that was like. We all talked a lot over the offseason. We put a plan in place to change it going forward. Even though today is Day One, I feel like we’ve been doing it for weeks, just keeping in touch with one another and talking about the right things. It’s on the right track.”
    New manager Ron Washington, who is known for his energy and optimism, beamed as he described what’s ahead.
    “It always feels good when you got on the baseball uniform when you’re a baseball lifer,” Washington said. “It’s even more fun when you begin getting a chance to be a part of something that can turn out to be very special. And this can turn out to be very special.”
    Reality will hit soon enough, though. The Angels are going to do more than smile and say optimistic things for them to win baseball games.
    It’s going to start with the pitching, and that story took some shape Tuesday with Washington’s declaration that his plan going into the spring was to use a five-man rotation.
    “We haven’t done any competing yet to make a decision like that,” Washington said, “but right off the bat I’ll say five.”
    The Angels had used a six-man rotation when Ohtani was one of the starters.
    “Super excited, honestly,” Sandoval said of the increased work for the starters. “It adds four or five more starts at the end of the year. Perfect. I want to be on the field as much as I can to help this team win as much as I can.
    The top five starters currently are Sandoval, left-handers Reid Detmers and Tyler Anderson and right-handers Griffin Canning and Chase Silseth. Right-handers Zach Plesac and Davis Daniel and left-handers José Suarez and Kenny Rosenberg are the top candidates for the rotation outside of those five.
    Washington also said he’s hoping a firm lineup develops, instead of mixing and matching around the field.
    “I don’t foresee my lineup changing every day,” Washington said. “In some areas you might have something, but I’m not gonna have a team where we’ve got 80 or 90 lineups within the season.”
    Washington said he is prepared to rotate players through the designated hitter spot – again, something they couldn’t do with Ohtani.
    Washington also said the Angels are opening the spring expecting Carlos Estévez to be the closer. Estévez was outstanding for the first half of the season in the closer role last year, before faltering late. Now, the Angels have right-hander Robert Stephenson as an option if Estévez struggles.
    NOTES
    The Angels are working on a minor-league deal with left-hander Drew Pomeranz, who last pitched in the majors in 2021. Pomeranz has been dealing with elbow issues for most of the past two seasons, throwing just 10 1/3 innings in the minors. Pomeranz has been throwing bullpen sessions. Pomeranz, 35, who will be invited to big league camp, posted a 1.75 ERA with the Padres in 2021, when he had flexor tendon surgery. …
    The Angels will again air almost all of their spring training games on television, either on Bally Sports West or another network when there is a conflict. On days the Angels play split-squad games, they will air the home game. Radio play-by-play announcer Terry Smith will handle simulcasts on television and radio for most games, with Wayne Randazzo, Patrick O’Neal and Trent Rush also doing some play by play in the spring. The cast of analysts will include Mark Gubicza, Bobby Valentine, Tim Salmon and Denny Hocking. Erica Weston and Rush will also contribute reports during the broadcasts. …
    Related Articles
    Los Angeles Angels | Angels hope to overcome loss of Shohei Ohtani with internal improvements Los Angeles Angels | Angels 2024 spring training preview: 5 key questions Los Angeles Angels | Angels 2024 spring training preview: Who’s in and who’s out? Los Angeles Angels | Angels 2024 spring training preview: Key dates Los Angeles Angels | Angels 2024 spring training position preview: Bullpen The Angels have hired Bob Alejo as the strength and conditioning coach. Alejo spent 12 years in a similar role with the Oakland A’s, during Washington’s tenure in Oakland. Since then, he had been working with Olympic athletes and in college sports, including at Cal State Northridge and UC Santa Barbara. Alejo already has a fan in Sandoval: “I think we’re gonna be one of the most conditioned teams in baseball, for sure.” …
    Right-hander Sam Bachman is also going to be on the starter depth chart, even though he pitched in relief in the majors last season. Bachman missed the end of last season with a shoulder issue, and he had an arthroscopic cleanup procedure in the fall. …
    Right-hander José Cisnero, who is from the Dominican Republic, will be at least a week late because of a visa issue, according to the Angels.
    View the full article
  16. Sad
    AngelsWin.com got a reaction from Taylor in OC Register: Angels players feel ‘really good vibes’ as spring training begins   
    TEMPE, Ariz. — Angels players – not just pitchers and catchers – were scattered across practice fields, bullpen mounds and batting cages Tuesday afternoon.
    All of that would have been totally routine for spring training, except it was actually a day before the first “official” workout of the spring.
    Normally on “reporting day,” players have their physicals and a few stragglers might play catch in shorts and T-shirts, but the fields are largely vacant.
    “Physical day is always the worst because you’re home at 11 and have nothing to do for the rest of the day,” catcher Logan O’Hoppe said after catching bullpen sessions and hitting. “It’s nice to have a workout today. We’re all hitting the ground running.”
    O’Hoppe had a broad smile on his face as he described the “completely different feel” around Angels camp as they begin the 2024 season.
    Left-hander Patrick Sandoval agreed it felt like the start of something new.
    “I’ve been on here for about a month and there’s been a lot of guys coming in,” Sandoval said. “The vibes here are really good. The guys are ready to work. I think the just the overall vibe around the guys of getting our work in is a little bit different this year for some reason.”
    One obvious difference is that the Angels no longer have Shohei Ohtani. Certainly, no one would suggest that losing the most talented player in the majors is a positive change on the field, but the lack of the spotlight that followed Ohtani no doubt changes the atmosphere around the team.
    There were just three reporters at Tuesday’s workout, instead of 50. The expectations from outside are minimal, which is just fine with the players, who are still full of confidence and looking to prove they are better than last year’s 73-victory disappointment.
    “I definitely still have that bad taste in my mouth from last year,” O’Hoppe said. “None of us forgot what that was like. We all talked a lot over the offseason. We put a plan in place to change it going forward. Even though today is Day One, I feel like we’ve been doing it for weeks, just keeping in touch with one another and talking about the right things. It’s on the right track.”
    New manager Ron Washington, who is known for his energy and optimism, beamed as he described what’s ahead.
    “It always feels good when you got on the baseball uniform when you’re a baseball lifer,” Washington said. “It’s even more fun when you begin getting a chance to be a part of something that can turn out to be very special. And this can turn out to be very special.”
    Reality will hit soon enough, though. The Angels are going to do more than smile and say optimistic things for them to win baseball games.
    It’s going to start with the pitching, and that story took some shape Tuesday with Washington’s declaration that his plan going into the spring was to use a five-man rotation.
    “We haven’t done any competing yet to make a decision like that,” Washington said, “but right off the bat I’ll say five.”
    The Angels had used a six-man rotation when Ohtani was one of the starters.
    “Super excited, honestly,” Sandoval said of the increased work for the starters. “It adds four or five more starts at the end of the year. Perfect. I want to be on the field as much as I can to help this team win as much as I can.
    The top five starters currently are Sandoval, left-handers Reid Detmers and Tyler Anderson and right-handers Griffin Canning and Chase Silseth. Right-handers Zach Plesac and Davis Daniel and left-handers José Suarez and Kenny Rosenberg are the top candidates for the rotation outside of those five.
    Washington also said he’s hoping a firm lineup develops, instead of mixing and matching around the field.
    “I don’t foresee my lineup changing every day,” Washington said. “In some areas you might have something, but I’m not gonna have a team where we’ve got 80 or 90 lineups within the season.”
    Washington said he is prepared to rotate players through the designated hitter spot – again, something they couldn’t do with Ohtani.
    Washington also said the Angels are opening the spring expecting Carlos Estévez to be the closer. Estévez was outstanding for the first half of the season in the closer role last year, before faltering late. Now, the Angels have right-hander Robert Stephenson as an option if Estévez struggles.
    NOTES
    The Angels are working on a minor-league deal with left-hander Drew Pomeranz, who last pitched in the majors in 2021. Pomeranz has been dealing with elbow issues for most of the past two seasons, throwing just 10 1/3 innings in the minors. Pomeranz has been throwing bullpen sessions. Pomeranz, 35, who will be invited to big league camp, posted a 1.75 ERA with the Padres in 2021, when he had flexor tendon surgery. …
    The Angels will again air almost all of their spring training games on television, either on Bally Sports West or another network when there is a conflict. On days the Angels play split-squad games, they will air the home game. Radio play-by-play announcer Terry Smith will handle simulcasts on television and radio for most games, with Wayne Randazzo, Patrick O’Neal and Trent Rush also doing some play by play in the spring. The cast of analysts will include Mark Gubicza, Bobby Valentine, Tim Salmon and Denny Hocking. Erica Weston and Rush will also contribute reports during the broadcasts. …
    Related Articles
    Los Angeles Angels | Angels hope to overcome loss of Shohei Ohtani with internal improvements Los Angeles Angels | Angels 2024 spring training preview: 5 key questions Los Angeles Angels | Angels 2024 spring training preview: Who’s in and who’s out? Los Angeles Angels | Angels 2024 spring training preview: Key dates Los Angeles Angels | Angels 2024 spring training position preview: Bullpen The Angels have hired Bob Alejo as the strength and conditioning coach. Alejo spent 12 years in a similar role with the Oakland A’s, during Washington’s tenure in Oakland. Since then, he had been working with Olympic athletes and in college sports, including at Cal State Northridge and UC Santa Barbara. Alejo already has a fan in Sandoval: “I think we’re gonna be one of the most conditioned teams in baseball, for sure.” …
    Right-hander Sam Bachman is also going to be on the starter depth chart, even though he pitched in relief in the majors last season. Bachman missed the end of last season with a shoulder issue, and he had an arthroscopic cleanup procedure in the fall. …
    Right-hander José Cisnero, who is from the Dominican Republic, will be at least a week late because of a visa issue, according to the Angels.
    View the full article
  17. Funny
    AngelsWin.com got a reaction from mmc in OC Register: Angels players feel ‘really good vibes’ as spring training begins   
    TEMPE, Ariz. — Angels players – not just pitchers and catchers – were scattered across practice fields, bullpen mounds and batting cages Tuesday afternoon.
    All of that would have been totally routine for spring training, except it was actually a day before the first “official” workout of the spring.
    Normally on “reporting day,” players have their physicals and a few stragglers might play catch in shorts and T-shirts, but the fields are largely vacant.
    “Physical day is always the worst because you’re home at 11 and have nothing to do for the rest of the day,” catcher Logan O’Hoppe said after catching bullpen sessions and hitting. “It’s nice to have a workout today. We’re all hitting the ground running.”
    O’Hoppe had a broad smile on his face as he described the “completely different feel” around Angels camp as they begin the 2024 season.
    Left-hander Patrick Sandoval agreed it felt like the start of something new.
    “I’ve been on here for about a month and there’s been a lot of guys coming in,” Sandoval said. “The vibes here are really good. The guys are ready to work. I think the just the overall vibe around the guys of getting our work in is a little bit different this year for some reason.”
    One obvious difference is that the Angels no longer have Shohei Ohtani. Certainly, no one would suggest that losing the most talented player in the majors is a positive change on the field, but the lack of the spotlight that followed Ohtani no doubt changes the atmosphere around the team.
    There were just three reporters at Tuesday’s workout, instead of 50. The expectations from outside are minimal, which is just fine with the players, who are still full of confidence and looking to prove they are better than last year’s 73-victory disappointment.
    “I definitely still have that bad taste in my mouth from last year,” O’Hoppe said. “None of us forgot what that was like. We all talked a lot over the offseason. We put a plan in place to change it going forward. Even though today is Day One, I feel like we’ve been doing it for weeks, just keeping in touch with one another and talking about the right things. It’s on the right track.”
    New manager Ron Washington, who is known for his energy and optimism, beamed as he described what’s ahead.
    “It always feels good when you got on the baseball uniform when you’re a baseball lifer,” Washington said. “It’s even more fun when you begin getting a chance to be a part of something that can turn out to be very special. And this can turn out to be very special.”
    Reality will hit soon enough, though. The Angels are going to do more than smile and say optimistic things for them to win baseball games.
    It’s going to start with the pitching, and that story took some shape Tuesday with Washington’s declaration that his plan going into the spring was to use a five-man rotation.
    “We haven’t done any competing yet to make a decision like that,” Washington said, “but right off the bat I’ll say five.”
    The Angels had used a six-man rotation when Ohtani was one of the starters.
    “Super excited, honestly,” Sandoval said of the increased work for the starters. “It adds four or five more starts at the end of the year. Perfect. I want to be on the field as much as I can to help this team win as much as I can.
    The top five starters currently are Sandoval, left-handers Reid Detmers and Tyler Anderson and right-handers Griffin Canning and Chase Silseth. Right-handers Zach Plesac and Davis Daniel and left-handers José Suarez and Kenny Rosenberg are the top candidates for the rotation outside of those five.
    Washington also said he’s hoping a firm lineup develops, instead of mixing and matching around the field.
    “I don’t foresee my lineup changing every day,” Washington said. “In some areas you might have something, but I’m not gonna have a team where we’ve got 80 or 90 lineups within the season.”
    Washington said he is prepared to rotate players through the designated hitter spot – again, something they couldn’t do with Ohtani.
    Washington also said the Angels are opening the spring expecting Carlos Estévez to be the closer. Estévez was outstanding for the first half of the season in the closer role last year, before faltering late. Now, the Angels have right-hander Robert Stephenson as an option if Estévez struggles.
    NOTES
    The Angels are working on a minor-league deal with left-hander Drew Pomeranz, who last pitched in the majors in 2021. Pomeranz has been dealing with elbow issues for most of the past two seasons, throwing just 10 1/3 innings in the minors. Pomeranz has been throwing bullpen sessions. Pomeranz, 35, who will be invited to big league camp, posted a 1.75 ERA with the Padres in 2021, when he had flexor tendon surgery. …
    The Angels will again air almost all of their spring training games on television, either on Bally Sports West or another network when there is a conflict. On days the Angels play split-squad games, they will air the home game. Radio play-by-play announcer Terry Smith will handle simulcasts on television and radio for most games, with Wayne Randazzo, Patrick O’Neal and Trent Rush also doing some play by play in the spring. The cast of analysts will include Mark Gubicza, Bobby Valentine, Tim Salmon and Denny Hocking. Erica Weston and Rush will also contribute reports during the broadcasts. …
    Related Articles
    Los Angeles Angels | Angels hope to overcome loss of Shohei Ohtani with internal improvements Los Angeles Angels | Angels 2024 spring training preview: 5 key questions Los Angeles Angels | Angels 2024 spring training preview: Who’s in and who’s out? Los Angeles Angels | Angels 2024 spring training preview: Key dates Los Angeles Angels | Angels 2024 spring training position preview: Bullpen The Angels have hired Bob Alejo as the strength and conditioning coach. Alejo spent 12 years in a similar role with the Oakland A’s, during Washington’s tenure in Oakland. Since then, he had been working with Olympic athletes and in college sports, including at Cal State Northridge and UC Santa Barbara. Alejo already has a fan in Sandoval: “I think we’re gonna be one of the most conditioned teams in baseball, for sure.” …
    Right-hander Sam Bachman is also going to be on the starter depth chart, even though he pitched in relief in the majors last season. Bachman missed the end of last season with a shoulder issue, and he had an arthroscopic cleanup procedure in the fall. …
    Right-hander José Cisnero, who is from the Dominican Republic, will be at least a week late because of a visa issue, according to the Angels.
    View the full article
  18. Thank You
    AngelsWin.com got a reaction from Ace-Of-Diamonds in AngelsWin Today: Angels prospect Zach Joyce defined by overcoming challenges   
    by Ryan Falla, AngelsWin.com Staff Reporter
    There are few qualities better suited for the Major League grind than the ability to overcome adversity on a daily basis. We see this time and time again as Major Leaguers regularly fall into slumps and prospects slip into doubt as the game stays unpromised to those who do not work for it. 80 grade tools suddenly become meaningless if the athlete possessing such talent does not have the fortitude to apply himself against the pressures presented by the game. Angels pitching prospect Zach Joyce is no stranger to overcoming severe adversity as his journey through baseball has seen him overcome the heaviest challenge a person can face; the battle with themselves. Now fully standing on his own two feet, Joyce aims to ensure his journey through struggle is no more than an introduction as he writes the rest of his story with the Angels in 2024.
    Joyce entered his college days with a very promising future as he and his identical twin brother (Angels big leaguer) Ben Joyce attended Walters State CC for two years before their Tennessee days. Zach's freshman year saw him make short work of hitters he managed an impressive 24 Ks over 15.2 innings of work, though he would not be able to follow up in his sophomore season after an injury in spring put him on the path of Tommy John surgery. Unfortunately the 2020 pandemic would see the cancelation of the baseball season for many athletes, and by effect the shut down of many public services across the globe, including rehab clinics. This loss of opportunity would force Joyce to undergo a non-specialized rehabilitation for his elbow that would ultimately have little effect on strengthening his return from Tommy John. To make matters worse, Joyce was committed to pitch at his dream school in less than a year’s time. With everything seemingly falling apart this impending dream opportunity had transformed into a debilitating source of anxiety.
    “All the physical therapy places were closed down. Going through that whole process pretty much on my own didn’t go well. Then at Tennessee I started throwing and it didn't feel great. I would keep trying to throw through it. It took a toll on me mentally because my dream basically my whole life was to play at Tennessee. When I got there I felt like I didn't have it anymore. That took a pretty bad toll mentally, I ended up having some pretty bad panic attacks basically every day [...] I put too much pressure to come back too quickly knowing that I was going to Tennessee in six months.”
    A multi-year hiatus from the game (2020-2022) due to physical and mental health struggles put Joyce in a position that would snuff out the aspirations in most people, yet a strong support system from family and the Tennessee baseball program would see him re-enter the game with extreme success. His return to baseball in 2023 saw Joyce reinvent himself as he fiddled with a brand new cutter, a pitch that elevated his successes at both Tennessee and with the Angels Low A 66ers. His first 10.1 innings back in the game at Tennessee saw him strike out 17 on just two walks. This is about as good as it gets for a pitcher coming off a stretch with no live action since 2019, and clearly the Angels saw the promise in his upside as they called his name in the 2023 draft.  
    “[Tennessee] wanted me to take my time coming back because they knew the whole story, they were supportive the entire time when I stepped away [...] Coming back was a slow process, working up to bullpens, working up to guys standing in the batters box. Once I got into a game I was so amped up and so ready for it that I didn't even think about it being four years since I faced a batter."
    Zach Joyce comes into the Angels organization with the DNA of a high strikeout power reliever, but perhaps his most impressive stat last year was his incredible ability to limit the walks. Joyce walked hitters in just one of his eleven outings in Low A last year, all while managing at least one strikeout in seven of those eleven games. Joyce didn’t just keep hitters off the paths by limiting free passes, his ability to generate weak contact was prevalent through his debut season as hitters managed a sub. 400 SLG% through his appearances. Joyce’s repertoire screams back-end dominance as he regularly cuts through late game opposition with his aggressive power fastball/cutter combo. The Angels organization echoed this sentiment as Joyce spent eight of his eleven Low A outings pitching in the 7th inning or later. More impressive was his efficiency as he regularly managed three outs on 15 pitches or less with six of his outings coming as such. Furthermore, three of his Low A outings saw him manage an inning of work on 9 pitches or less. His pitchability and IQ are as high as it gets for someone with such limited recent exposure to the game, these two factors being key drivers in his successes next to his intense mental fortitude and extreme determination.
    “In Low A [the cutter] was kind of the main pitch I threw, I threw it more than my fastball. The biggest thing for me this off season is having that cutter. It's a more of a harder slider, honestly it's more of a mental thing calling it a cutter so I think about throwing it harder. You have a pitch that comes out almost looking the same but the shape is a little different and the change in speed is a big thing too. That's the main thing I've been working on this offseason with both pitches so they don't look too alike or look too different coming out your hand.”
    It is difficult to truly quantize an athlete’s intangibles when attempting to correlate short sample success across long-term development trajectories, but for Zach Joyce it is as simple as understanding the struggles of where he’s come from and realizing the challenges of baseball are slim compared to such. The biggest factor of success in baseball is often one’s ability to simplify the game, and with such experiences under ones belt it becomes easier to see the game as it truly is; a game. Perhaps this unique perspective is the biggest quality that has and will continue to take him over the top as a professional athlete.
    “He who has conquered himself is a far greater hero than he who has defeated a thousand times a thousand men.”- Siddhartha Gautama (Buddha)
    Zach Joyce is a man defined by overcoming challenge, and if to conquer yourself is to conquer the world (according to Buddha) for Zach Joyce to rise above himself is a testament to the qualities he brings to the daily grind. What else is there to baseball other than rising above yourself day in and day out, 162 games a year? Of course there is still a journey of professional development to be had with the Angels, and aside from any philosophical platitudes the truest factor in on-field success is the execution of quality on the field. Joyce has shown he has the quality of stuff and pitchability to fully express his aggressive approach on the mound, and though his stuff may fly under the radar his mental qualities register as an easy 80 across the board. In some baseball circles that quality is greater than any 80 grade pitch, especially in circles led by Angels manager Ron Washington.      
    “I got to go out to Arizona and do that [Angels] mini-camp. [Ron Washington] was out there. He talked to us multiple times as a group, it was awesome. He's a super impressive guy. It's incredible for the organization that he's there. You could tell how much he cared about all of us at camp, about the whole organization, and building that new culture. It was honestly kind of surreal at first. You grow up hearing about how good of a coach he is and seeing it in person was pretty incredible. The biggest thing he talked about, for me, was fear of failure. Growing up that was a real thing, especially with how competitive me and my brother were. He said multiple times baseball is a game of failure, the biggest thing is having your teammates around you to keep you up. But also using that experience to keep getting better. His big thing was talking about how hard you have to work to get where you want to be, that's the culture they want around the organization.”
    2024 will likely see Zach Joyce start the season between Low A or High A, although knowing GM Perry Minasian's aggressiveness he will likely edge towards High A. His success last year clearly shows he is ready and more than capable for high levels of competition with his biggest need as of now simply being getting his arm stretched out over an entire season. However, considering all factors I wouldn’t be surprised to see him pitch his way into Double A considerations through the first half of the year. Joyce comes into the organization with an experience base far exceeding that of a 23 year old, yet his arm is as fresh as it gets coming out of college. Don’t let Zach Joyce’s limited on-field experience since 2019 fool you, you’re getting a guy who is ahead on the game in more ways than one. Perhaps moreso than many of his peers. This year will be a fundamental experience for Joyce, both as a pitcher and a person, as he grows further towards his destiny as a big league reliever alongside his brother Ben, just as they have been at every level since childhood. Although 2024 may be a year of growth for Zach at the development levels that within itself is a victory as he can now make claim to the future he’s earned as a Los Angeles Angel.
    “Having a twin brother that's throwing 105, you hear about that quite often [...] He is one of the top three reasons that I'm even back playing baseball, he's pushed me a lot. I didn't even watch a single game of baseball for an entire year, and then when he started playing again I wanted to go watch and support him. That was the first game I went to. I always tell people I almost had to leave because I wanted to be down there so bad [...] We played on the same team growing up every year, basically the same position. In high school we would literally alternate closing games .The biggest thing for us right now is supporting each other in whatever role we're in." 
    View the full article
  19. Like
    AngelsWin.com got a reaction from Taylor in AngelsWin Today: Women of Angels Baseball: Jackie Autry   
    By Ellen Bell, AngelsWin.com Staff Writer - 
    No series on the Women of Angels Baseball would be complete without Jackie Autry—arguably the most influential female in franchise history. During her time with the Angels, she witnessed the team’s transformation from a small baseball business into a corporate sports franchise. She also had a front row seat to watch a group of home-grown, unknown players develop into World Series Champions.
    During the All Star Game in New York, Jackie Autry continued her role as honorary American League President and introduced the AL Team Manager, Jim Leyland. Once again, she was at the heart of one of baseball’s biggest events of the season.
    None of this was ever her intention.
    In fact, the former Security Pacific Bank Vice President was actually more of a football fan when she met Angels owner, Gene Autry. But when you marry a man you adopt his family, and Gene Autry’s family was always the Angels.
    “We were all like a big family back then,” she said. “From the front office to the bat boys. We had get-togethers and picnics. It would be hard to do that today.”
    The Angels meant more to Gene Autry than just another business. Autry, who had no children of his own, saw the players as sons. 
    “He loved the Angels,” Jackie Autry said. “but if you told Gene you loved another team that was OK too, as long as you were a baseball fan. He thought that baseball was a family game and he wanted it to stay that way forever,”
    The game was already changing when Jackie and Gene Autry married on July 19th, 1981. The Angels and the Dodgers were the only family owned teams at the time. Salaries began to rise and expenses increased. In baseball, the old way of doing business began to make no business sense at all.
    In 1982, after a successful season and a trip to the playoffs, Jackie Autry looked at the financial statement and was surprised to see that team barely made a profit. 
    “Clubs were losing money back then,” she said.  “even when salaries were lower.”
    Jackie Autry started working with the Angels in 1983, using her prior business experience in marketing and budgeting. In her former career at Security Pacific, Autry worked her way up from a switchboard operator to become the 13th female Vice President in company history. She brought this same focused work ethic with her to the Angels Front Office. She soon learned that a professional sports franchise doesn’t run with the fiscal discipline of a bank.
    “I would try to start with a two million dollar bottom line and work backwards,” she said. “But with free agents on the market and a team in the hunt for the playoffs, that two million went pretty quickly.”
    Jackie Autry tried to hold a responsible bottom line, looking at the team as a businesswoman, not only as a baseball fan. Near the end of her husband’s life, she worked hard to preserve the team that he dearly loved. 
    She became active in Major League Baseball and is the only woman to ever serve on the Major League Baseball Executive Council, Oversight Committee, and as a member of the Board of Directors. 
    “In Major League Baseball, I always voted for the good of the game,” Autry said. “I looked at the Big Picture, even when if it didn’t directly benefit The Angels.”
    It was this “big picture thinking” that finally convinced Jackie Autry that a change in ownership was inevitable. Years of losses and mounting debt led her to negotiate a sale to the Walt Disney Company. Disney purchased controlling rights in 1996. Even though Jackie Autry sold the team, she never lost faith in the Angels.
    “I told Michael Eisner to stand pat and stick with the young players,” she said. “They’ll win you a World Series. In 2002, all players came from our farm system except for three. These were home-grown kids who won a World Championship.”
    Her critics may have disagreed with her decisions to avoid high-contract players, but Autry believed that the best course was to develop franchise players from within the organization.
    “It’s not about pinching pennies, it’s about building a foundation,” she said. “You cannot buy a World Championship Club.”
    These days, the business of baseball is very different from the time when Gene Autry owned the team, and she admits that the multi-million dollar player contracts and blockbuster media deals have been game changers. 
    “If Gene Autry were alive today, he’d have a heart attack,” she said.
    There are some things that are still familiar to Jackie Autry. She never misses watching a game, either from her box at Angels Stadium or from her home in the Coachella Valley. Now, freed from her financial responsibilities with the team, she can follow the Angels like her husband always did, as a devoted fan.
    What would Gene Autry think of today’s Angels?
    “Oh he would have loved to watch the young guys play, like Mike Trout and Mark Trumbo,” she said. 
    “He would have loved their hustle.”

    Now in semi-retirement, Jackie handles investment portfolios, continues to attend Angels baseball games and enjoys traveling. She has a home in Palm Springs, California and also in Studio City, California.
    View the full article
  20. Thank You
    AngelsWin.com got a reaction from Roy Hobbs in AngelsWin Today: Angels prospect Zach Joyce defined by overcoming challenges   
    by Ryan Falla, AngelsWin.com Staff Reporter
    There are few qualities better suited for the Major League grind than the ability to overcome adversity on a daily basis. We see this time and time again as Major Leaguers regularly fall into slumps and prospects slip into doubt as the game stays unpromised to those who do not work for it. 80 grade tools suddenly become meaningless if the athlete possessing such talent does not have the fortitude to apply himself against the pressures presented by the game. Angels pitching prospect Zach Joyce is no stranger to overcoming severe adversity as his journey through baseball has seen him overcome the heaviest challenge a person can face; the battle with themselves. Now fully standing on his own two feet, Joyce aims to ensure his journey through struggle is no more than an introduction as he writes the rest of his story with the Angels in 2024.
    Joyce entered his college days with a very promising future as he and his identical twin brother (Angels big leaguer) Ben Joyce attended Walters State CC for two years before their Tennessee days. Zach's freshman year saw him make short work of hitters he managed an impressive 24 Ks over 15.2 innings of work, though he would not be able to follow up in his sophomore season after an injury in spring put him on the path of Tommy John surgery. Unfortunately the 2020 pandemic would see the cancelation of the baseball season for many athletes, and by effect the shut down of many public services across the globe, including rehab clinics. This loss of opportunity would force Joyce to undergo a non-specialized rehabilitation for his elbow that would ultimately have little effect on strengthening his return from Tommy John. To make matters worse, Joyce was committed to pitch at his dream school in less than a year’s time. With everything seemingly falling apart this impending dream opportunity had transformed into a debilitating source of anxiety.
    “All the physical therapy places were closed down. Going through that whole process pretty much on my own didn’t go well. Then at Tennessee I started throwing and it didn't feel great. I would keep trying to throw through it. It took a toll on me mentally because my dream basically my whole life was to play at Tennessee. When I got there I felt like I didn't have it anymore. That took a pretty bad toll mentally, I ended up having some pretty bad panic attacks basically every day [...] I put too much pressure to come back too quickly knowing that I was going to Tennessee in six months.”
    A multi-year hiatus from the game (2020-2022) due to physical and mental health struggles put Joyce in a position that would snuff out the aspirations in most people, yet a strong support system from family and the Tennessee baseball program would see him re-enter the game with extreme success. His return to baseball in 2023 saw Joyce reinvent himself as he fiddled with a brand new cutter, a pitch that elevated his successes at both Tennessee and with the Angels Low A 66ers. His first 10.1 innings back in the game at Tennessee saw him strike out 17 on just two walks. This is about as good as it gets for a pitcher coming off a stretch with no live action since 2019, and clearly the Angels saw the promise in his upside as they called his name in the 2023 draft.  
    “[Tennessee] wanted me to take my time coming back because they knew the whole story, they were supportive the entire time when I stepped away [...] Coming back was a slow process, working up to bullpens, working up to guys standing in the batters box. Once I got into a game I was so amped up and so ready for it that I didn't even think about it being four years since I faced a batter."
    Zach Joyce comes into the Angels organization with the DNA of a high strikeout power reliever, but perhaps his most impressive stat last year was his incredible ability to limit the walks. Joyce walked hitters in just one of his eleven outings in Low A last year, all while managing at least one strikeout in seven of those eleven games. Joyce didn’t just keep hitters off the paths by limiting free passes, his ability to generate weak contact was prevalent through his debut season as hitters managed a sub. 400 SLG% through his appearances. Joyce’s repertoire screams back-end dominance as he regularly cuts through late game opposition with his aggressive power fastball/cutter combo. The Angels organization echoed this sentiment as Joyce spent eight of his eleven Low A outings pitching in the 7th inning or later. More impressive was his efficiency as he regularly managed three outs on 15 pitches or less with six of his outings coming as such. Furthermore, three of his Low A outings saw him manage an inning of work on 9 pitches or less. His pitchability and IQ are as high as it gets for someone with such limited recent exposure to the game, these two factors being key drivers in his successes next to his intense mental fortitude and extreme determination.
    “In Low A [the cutter] was kind of the main pitch I threw, I threw it more than my fastball. The biggest thing for me this off season is having that cutter. It's a more of a harder slider, honestly it's more of a mental thing calling it a cutter so I think about throwing it harder. You have a pitch that comes out almost looking the same but the shape is a little different and the change in speed is a big thing too. That's the main thing I've been working on this offseason with both pitches so they don't look too alike or look too different coming out your hand.”
    It is difficult to truly quantize an athlete’s intangibles when attempting to correlate short sample success across long-term development trajectories, but for Zach Joyce it is as simple as understanding the struggles of where he’s come from and realizing the challenges of baseball are slim compared to such. The biggest factor of success in baseball is often one’s ability to simplify the game, and with such experiences under ones belt it becomes easier to see the game as it truly is; a game. Perhaps this unique perspective is the biggest quality that has and will continue to take him over the top as a professional athlete.
    “He who has conquered himself is a far greater hero than he who has defeated a thousand times a thousand men.”- Siddhartha Gautama (Buddha)
    Zach Joyce is a man defined by overcoming challenge, and if to conquer yourself is to conquer the world (according to Buddha) for Zach Joyce to rise above himself is a testament to the qualities he brings to the daily grind. What else is there to baseball other than rising above yourself day in and day out, 162 games a year? Of course there is still a journey of professional development to be had with the Angels, and aside from any philosophical platitudes the truest factor in on-field success is the execution of quality on the field. Joyce has shown he has the quality of stuff and pitchability to fully express his aggressive approach on the mound, and though his stuff may fly under the radar his mental qualities register as an easy 80 across the board. In some baseball circles that quality is greater than any 80 grade pitch, especially in circles led by Angels manager Ron Washington.      
    “I got to go out to Arizona and do that [Angels] mini-camp. [Ron Washington] was out there. He talked to us multiple times as a group, it was awesome. He's a super impressive guy. It's incredible for the organization that he's there. You could tell how much he cared about all of us at camp, about the whole organization, and building that new culture. It was honestly kind of surreal at first. You grow up hearing about how good of a coach he is and seeing it in person was pretty incredible. The biggest thing he talked about, for me, was fear of failure. Growing up that was a real thing, especially with how competitive me and my brother were. He said multiple times baseball is a game of failure, the biggest thing is having your teammates around you to keep you up. But also using that experience to keep getting better. His big thing was talking about how hard you have to work to get where you want to be, that's the culture they want around the organization.”
    2024 will likely see Zach Joyce start the season between Low A or High A, although knowing GM Perry Minasian's aggressiveness he will likely edge towards High A. His success last year clearly shows he is ready and more than capable for high levels of competition with his biggest need as of now simply being getting his arm stretched out over an entire season. However, considering all factors I wouldn’t be surprised to see him pitch his way into Double A considerations through the first half of the year. Joyce comes into the organization with an experience base far exceeding that of a 23 year old, yet his arm is as fresh as it gets coming out of college. Don’t let Zach Joyce’s limited on-field experience since 2019 fool you, you’re getting a guy who is ahead on the game in more ways than one. Perhaps moreso than many of his peers. This year will be a fundamental experience for Joyce, both as a pitcher and a person, as he grows further towards his destiny as a big league reliever alongside his brother Ben, just as they have been at every level since childhood. Although 2024 may be a year of growth for Zach at the development levels that within itself is a victory as he can now make claim to the future he’s earned as a Los Angeles Angel.
    “Having a twin brother that's throwing 105, you hear about that quite often [...] He is one of the top three reasons that I'm even back playing baseball, he's pushed me a lot. I didn't even watch a single game of baseball for an entire year, and then when he started playing again I wanted to go watch and support him. That was the first game I went to. I always tell people I almost had to leave because I wanted to be down there so bad [...] We played on the same team growing up every year, basically the same position. In high school we would literally alternate closing games .The biggest thing for us right now is supporting each other in whatever role we're in." 
    View the full article
  21. Thank You
    AngelsWin.com got a reaction from HaloBronco in AngelsWin Today: Angels prospect Zach Joyce defined by overcoming challenges   
    by Ryan Falla, AngelsWin.com Staff Reporter
    There are few qualities better suited for the Major League grind than the ability to overcome adversity on a daily basis. We see this time and time again as Major Leaguers regularly fall into slumps and prospects slip into doubt as the game stays unpromised to those who do not work for it. 80 grade tools suddenly become meaningless if the athlete possessing such talent does not have the fortitude to apply himself against the pressures presented by the game. Angels pitching prospect Zach Joyce is no stranger to overcoming severe adversity as his journey through baseball has seen him overcome the heaviest challenge a person can face; the battle with themselves. Now fully standing on his own two feet, Joyce aims to ensure his journey through struggle is no more than an introduction as he writes the rest of his story with the Angels in 2024.
    Joyce entered his college days with a very promising future as he and his identical twin brother (Angels big leaguer) Ben Joyce attended Walters State CC for two years before their Tennessee days. Zach's freshman year saw him make short work of hitters he managed an impressive 24 Ks over 15.2 innings of work, though he would not be able to follow up in his sophomore season after an injury in spring put him on the path of Tommy John surgery. Unfortunately the 2020 pandemic would see the cancelation of the baseball season for many athletes, and by effect the shut down of many public services across the globe, including rehab clinics. This loss of opportunity would force Joyce to undergo a non-specialized rehabilitation for his elbow that would ultimately have little effect on strengthening his return from Tommy John. To make matters worse, Joyce was committed to pitch at his dream school in less than a year’s time. With everything seemingly falling apart this impending dream opportunity had transformed into a debilitating source of anxiety.
    “All the physical therapy places were closed down. Going through that whole process pretty much on my own didn’t go well. Then at Tennessee I started throwing and it didn't feel great. I would keep trying to throw through it. It took a toll on me mentally because my dream basically my whole life was to play at Tennessee. When I got there I felt like I didn't have it anymore. That took a pretty bad toll mentally, I ended up having some pretty bad panic attacks basically every day [...] I put too much pressure to come back too quickly knowing that I was going to Tennessee in six months.”
    A multi-year hiatus from the game (2020-2022) due to physical and mental health struggles put Joyce in a position that would snuff out the aspirations in most people, yet a strong support system from family and the Tennessee baseball program would see him re-enter the game with extreme success. His return to baseball in 2023 saw Joyce reinvent himself as he fiddled with a brand new cutter, a pitch that elevated his successes at both Tennessee and with the Angels Low A 66ers. His first 10.1 innings back in the game at Tennessee saw him strike out 17 on just two walks. This is about as good as it gets for a pitcher coming off a stretch with no live action since 2019, and clearly the Angels saw the promise in his upside as they called his name in the 2023 draft.  
    “[Tennessee] wanted me to take my time coming back because they knew the whole story, they were supportive the entire time when I stepped away [...] Coming back was a slow process, working up to bullpens, working up to guys standing in the batters box. Once I got into a game I was so amped up and so ready for it that I didn't even think about it being four years since I faced a batter."
    Zach Joyce comes into the Angels organization with the DNA of a high strikeout power reliever, but perhaps his most impressive stat last year was his incredible ability to limit the walks. Joyce walked hitters in just one of his eleven outings in Low A last year, all while managing at least one strikeout in seven of those eleven games. Joyce didn’t just keep hitters off the paths by limiting free passes, his ability to generate weak contact was prevalent through his debut season as hitters managed a sub. 400 SLG% through his appearances. Joyce’s repertoire screams back-end dominance as he regularly cuts through late game opposition with his aggressive power fastball/cutter combo. The Angels organization echoed this sentiment as Joyce spent eight of his eleven Low A outings pitching in the 7th inning or later. More impressive was his efficiency as he regularly managed three outs on 15 pitches or less with six of his outings coming as such. Furthermore, three of his Low A outings saw him manage an inning of work on 9 pitches or less. His pitchability and IQ are as high as it gets for someone with such limited recent exposure to the game, these two factors being key drivers in his successes next to his intense mental fortitude and extreme determination.
    “In Low A [the cutter] was kind of the main pitch I threw, I threw it more than my fastball. The biggest thing for me this off season is having that cutter. It's a more of a harder slider, honestly it's more of a mental thing calling it a cutter so I think about throwing it harder. You have a pitch that comes out almost looking the same but the shape is a little different and the change in speed is a big thing too. That's the main thing I've been working on this offseason with both pitches so they don't look too alike or look too different coming out your hand.”
    It is difficult to truly quantize an athlete’s intangibles when attempting to correlate short sample success across long-term development trajectories, but for Zach Joyce it is as simple as understanding the struggles of where he’s come from and realizing the challenges of baseball are slim compared to such. The biggest factor of success in baseball is often one’s ability to simplify the game, and with such experiences under ones belt it becomes easier to see the game as it truly is; a game. Perhaps this unique perspective is the biggest quality that has and will continue to take him over the top as a professional athlete.
    “He who has conquered himself is a far greater hero than he who has defeated a thousand times a thousand men.”- Siddhartha Gautama (Buddha)
    Zach Joyce is a man defined by overcoming challenge, and if to conquer yourself is to conquer the world (according to Buddha) for Zach Joyce to rise above himself is a testament to the qualities he brings to the daily grind. What else is there to baseball other than rising above yourself day in and day out, 162 games a year? Of course there is still a journey of professional development to be had with the Angels, and aside from any philosophical platitudes the truest factor in on-field success is the execution of quality on the field. Joyce has shown he has the quality of stuff and pitchability to fully express his aggressive approach on the mound, and though his stuff may fly under the radar his mental qualities register as an easy 80 across the board. In some baseball circles that quality is greater than any 80 grade pitch, especially in circles led by Angels manager Ron Washington.      
    “I got to go out to Arizona and do that [Angels] mini-camp. [Ron Washington] was out there. He talked to us multiple times as a group, it was awesome. He's a super impressive guy. It's incredible for the organization that he's there. You could tell how much he cared about all of us at camp, about the whole organization, and building that new culture. It was honestly kind of surreal at first. You grow up hearing about how good of a coach he is and seeing it in person was pretty incredible. The biggest thing he talked about, for me, was fear of failure. Growing up that was a real thing, especially with how competitive me and my brother were. He said multiple times baseball is a game of failure, the biggest thing is having your teammates around you to keep you up. But also using that experience to keep getting better. His big thing was talking about how hard you have to work to get where you want to be, that's the culture they want around the organization.”
    2024 will likely see Zach Joyce start the season between Low A or High A, although knowing GM Perry Minasian's aggressiveness he will likely edge towards High A. His success last year clearly shows he is ready and more than capable for high levels of competition with his biggest need as of now simply being getting his arm stretched out over an entire season. However, considering all factors I wouldn’t be surprised to see him pitch his way into Double A considerations through the first half of the year. Joyce comes into the organization with an experience base far exceeding that of a 23 year old, yet his arm is as fresh as it gets coming out of college. Don’t let Zach Joyce’s limited on-field experience since 2019 fool you, you’re getting a guy who is ahead on the game in more ways than one. Perhaps moreso than many of his peers. This year will be a fundamental experience for Joyce, both as a pitcher and a person, as he grows further towards his destiny as a big league reliever alongside his brother Ben, just as they have been at every level since childhood. Although 2024 may be a year of growth for Zach at the development levels that within itself is a victory as he can now make claim to the future he’s earned as a Los Angeles Angel.
    “Having a twin brother that's throwing 105, you hear about that quite often [...] He is one of the top three reasons that I'm even back playing baseball, he's pushed me a lot. I didn't even watch a single game of baseball for an entire year, and then when he started playing again I wanted to go watch and support him. That was the first game I went to. I always tell people I almost had to leave because I wanted to be down there so bad [...] We played on the same team growing up every year, basically the same position. In high school we would literally alternate closing games .The biggest thing for us right now is supporting each other in whatever role we're in." 
    View the full article
  22. Thank You
    AngelsWin.com got a reaction from Angel Oracle in AngelsWin Today: Angels prospect Zach Joyce defined by overcoming challenges   
    by Ryan Falla, AngelsWin.com Staff Reporter
    There are few qualities better suited for the Major League grind than the ability to overcome adversity on a daily basis. We see this time and time again as Major Leaguers regularly fall into slumps and prospects slip into doubt as the game stays unpromised to those who do not work for it. 80 grade tools suddenly become meaningless if the athlete possessing such talent does not have the fortitude to apply himself against the pressures presented by the game. Angels pitching prospect Zach Joyce is no stranger to overcoming severe adversity as his journey through baseball has seen him overcome the heaviest challenge a person can face; the battle with themselves. Now fully standing on his own two feet, Joyce aims to ensure his journey through struggle is no more than an introduction as he writes the rest of his story with the Angels in 2024.
    Joyce entered his college days with a very promising future as he and his identical twin brother (Angels big leaguer) Ben Joyce attended Walters State CC for two years before their Tennessee days. Zach's freshman year saw him make short work of hitters he managed an impressive 24 Ks over 15.2 innings of work, though he would not be able to follow up in his sophomore season after an injury in spring put him on the path of Tommy John surgery. Unfortunately the 2020 pandemic would see the cancelation of the baseball season for many athletes, and by effect the shut down of many public services across the globe, including rehab clinics. This loss of opportunity would force Joyce to undergo a non-specialized rehabilitation for his elbow that would ultimately have little effect on strengthening his return from Tommy John. To make matters worse, Joyce was committed to pitch at his dream school in less than a year’s time. With everything seemingly falling apart this impending dream opportunity had transformed into a debilitating source of anxiety.
    “All the physical therapy places were closed down. Going through that whole process pretty much on my own didn’t go well. Then at Tennessee I started throwing and it didn't feel great. I would keep trying to throw through it. It took a toll on me mentally because my dream basically my whole life was to play at Tennessee. When I got there I felt like I didn't have it anymore. That took a pretty bad toll mentally, I ended up having some pretty bad panic attacks basically every day [...] I put too much pressure to come back too quickly knowing that I was going to Tennessee in six months.”
    A multi-year hiatus from the game (2020-2022) due to physical and mental health struggles put Joyce in a position that would snuff out the aspirations in most people, yet a strong support system from family and the Tennessee baseball program would see him re-enter the game with extreme success. His return to baseball in 2023 saw Joyce reinvent himself as he fiddled with a brand new cutter, a pitch that elevated his successes at both Tennessee and with the Angels Low A 66ers. His first 10.1 innings back in the game at Tennessee saw him strike out 17 on just two walks. This is about as good as it gets for a pitcher coming off a stretch with no live action since 2019, and clearly the Angels saw the promise in his upside as they called his name in the 2023 draft.  
    “[Tennessee] wanted me to take my time coming back because they knew the whole story, they were supportive the entire time when I stepped away [...] Coming back was a slow process, working up to bullpens, working up to guys standing in the batters box. Once I got into a game I was so amped up and so ready for it that I didn't even think about it being four years since I faced a batter."
    Zach Joyce comes into the Angels organization with the DNA of a high strikeout power reliever, but perhaps his most impressive stat last year was his incredible ability to limit the walks. Joyce walked hitters in just one of his eleven outings in Low A last year, all while managing at least one strikeout in seven of those eleven games. Joyce didn’t just keep hitters off the paths by limiting free passes, his ability to generate weak contact was prevalent through his debut season as hitters managed a sub. 400 SLG% through his appearances. Joyce’s repertoire screams back-end dominance as he regularly cuts through late game opposition with his aggressive power fastball/cutter combo. The Angels organization echoed this sentiment as Joyce spent eight of his eleven Low A outings pitching in the 7th inning or later. More impressive was his efficiency as he regularly managed three outs on 15 pitches or less with six of his outings coming as such. Furthermore, three of his Low A outings saw him manage an inning of work on 9 pitches or less. His pitchability and IQ are as high as it gets for someone with such limited recent exposure to the game, these two factors being key drivers in his successes next to his intense mental fortitude and extreme determination.
    “In Low A [the cutter] was kind of the main pitch I threw, I threw it more than my fastball. The biggest thing for me this off season is having that cutter. It's a more of a harder slider, honestly it's more of a mental thing calling it a cutter so I think about throwing it harder. You have a pitch that comes out almost looking the same but the shape is a little different and the change in speed is a big thing too. That's the main thing I've been working on this offseason with both pitches so they don't look too alike or look too different coming out your hand.”
    It is difficult to truly quantize an athlete’s intangibles when attempting to correlate short sample success across long-term development trajectories, but for Zach Joyce it is as simple as understanding the struggles of where he’s come from and realizing the challenges of baseball are slim compared to such. The biggest factor of success in baseball is often one’s ability to simplify the game, and with such experiences under ones belt it becomes easier to see the game as it truly is; a game. Perhaps this unique perspective is the biggest quality that has and will continue to take him over the top as a professional athlete.
    “He who has conquered himself is a far greater hero than he who has defeated a thousand times a thousand men.”- Siddhartha Gautama (Buddha)
    Zach Joyce is a man defined by overcoming challenge, and if to conquer yourself is to conquer the world (according to Buddha) for Zach Joyce to rise above himself is a testament to the qualities he brings to the daily grind. What else is there to baseball other than rising above yourself day in and day out, 162 games a year? Of course there is still a journey of professional development to be had with the Angels, and aside from any philosophical platitudes the truest factor in on-field success is the execution of quality on the field. Joyce has shown he has the quality of stuff and pitchability to fully express his aggressive approach on the mound, and though his stuff may fly under the radar his mental qualities register as an easy 80 across the board. In some baseball circles that quality is greater than any 80 grade pitch, especially in circles led by Angels manager Ron Washington.      
    “I got to go out to Arizona and do that [Angels] mini-camp. [Ron Washington] was out there. He talked to us multiple times as a group, it was awesome. He's a super impressive guy. It's incredible for the organization that he's there. You could tell how much he cared about all of us at camp, about the whole organization, and building that new culture. It was honestly kind of surreal at first. You grow up hearing about how good of a coach he is and seeing it in person was pretty incredible. The biggest thing he talked about, for me, was fear of failure. Growing up that was a real thing, especially with how competitive me and my brother were. He said multiple times baseball is a game of failure, the biggest thing is having your teammates around you to keep you up. But also using that experience to keep getting better. His big thing was talking about how hard you have to work to get where you want to be, that's the culture they want around the organization.”
    2024 will likely see Zach Joyce start the season between Low A or High A, although knowing GM Perry Minasian's aggressiveness he will likely edge towards High A. His success last year clearly shows he is ready and more than capable for high levels of competition with his biggest need as of now simply being getting his arm stretched out over an entire season. However, considering all factors I wouldn’t be surprised to see him pitch his way into Double A considerations through the first half of the year. Joyce comes into the organization with an experience base far exceeding that of a 23 year old, yet his arm is as fresh as it gets coming out of college. Don’t let Zach Joyce’s limited on-field experience since 2019 fool you, you’re getting a guy who is ahead on the game in more ways than one. Perhaps moreso than many of his peers. This year will be a fundamental experience for Joyce, both as a pitcher and a person, as he grows further towards his destiny as a big league reliever alongside his brother Ben, just as they have been at every level since childhood. Although 2024 may be a year of growth for Zach at the development levels that within itself is a victory as he can now make claim to the future he’s earned as a Los Angeles Angel.
    “Having a twin brother that's throwing 105, you hear about that quite often [...] He is one of the top three reasons that I'm even back playing baseball, he's pushed me a lot. I didn't even watch a single game of baseball for an entire year, and then when he started playing again I wanted to go watch and support him. That was the first game I went to. I always tell people I almost had to leave because I wanted to be down there so bad [...] We played on the same team growing up every year, basically the same position. In high school we would literally alternate closing games .The biggest thing for us right now is supporting each other in whatever role we're in." 
    View the full article
  23. Like
    AngelsWin.com got a reaction from Vegas Halo Fan in OC Register: Angels 2024 spring training position preview: catchers   
    Angels pitchers and catchers are scheduled to report to spring training on Feb. 13. As we count down the days until camp begins, we are going through the various position groups to give a breakdown of where the roster stands. Today, we look at the catchers. Previously: outfielders.
    2023 RECAP
    Max Stassi’s hip injury – and subsequent time away to tend to his prematurely born son – set the stage for Logan O’Hoppe to begin the season as the starter, even though he’d played just five major league games previously. He established himself as a favorite of the pitchers and he showed some pop with his bat, but he hurt his shoulder two weeks into the season, requiring surgery that knocked him out until late August. He still hit 14 home runs in just 199 plate appearances, with a .796 OPS. While O’Hoppe was out, Matt Thaiss and Chad Wallach split the duties. They held their own offensively, although both slumped late in the season. It all added up to a .706 OPS from the catchers, which was 15th in MLB. The relative lack of major league experience behind the plate might have had a negative impact on the pitchers, though.
    HOW IT LOOKS RIGHT NOW
    The Angels cleared the way to go with the same cast as last season when Stassi was traded in December. O’Hoppe certainly looks like he should be a productive starting catcher, based on what he did in his rookie season. If he takes the expected steps forward offensively, defensively and in leadership, he could emerge as one of baseball’s best young catchers. Thaiss, who is out of options, is in line to be O’Hoppe’s backup.
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    In addition to re-signing Wallach to a minor league deal, the Angels signed Francisco Mejia to a minor league deal in December. Mejia was once one of the top catching prospects in baseball, but lately, he’s settled into a career as a competent backup. Mejia produced a .682 OPS over the past three years with the Tampa Bay Rays.
    MOVE THEY COULD MAKE
    If the Angels want a veteran to help guide O’Hoppe, they could go after a free agent like Yasmani Grandal, Mike Zunino, Curt Casali or Cam Gallagher. Grandal is known as one of baseball’s best framers.
    View the full article
  24. Like
    AngelsWin.com got a reaction from ettin in AngelsWin Today: Angels Alberto Rios is worth every pound of his Top 5 prospect status   
    by Ryan Falla
    The Angels have found themselves well short on veritable game changers as the last decade has seen them skid through season after season with disappointing results. While most look for answers at the Major League level with free agency and the trade market the most sustainable path towards extended success, aside from ownership, rests within the talent depth at the minor league level.  Prospect talent may not be the most immediate answer to Major League woes, but for an organization like the Angels it is the most necessary. There is more opportunity for long term organizational success found within the Angels prospect depth than in what we've seen in many years with the organizations recent Top 10 Prospect rankings. One of their more exciting prospects on that Top 10 list is the naturally advanced right handed hitting OF/IN Alberto Rios. His 2023 season with Stanford saw the young star breakout with a performance that resulted in Pac 12 Player of the Year recognitions as he played his way into draft considerations with just one full season of play-time. His 1.191 OPS across the 242 AB season saw Rios slug 18 HRs and 24 doubles with 73 RBIs while aptly balancing his BB/K rate with 38 BB’s to 42 K’s. The impressive nature of his K/BB rate is further magnified when considering his lack of live experience up to his junior season. Rios set many records during his time with Stanford despite having just one full season of play, including the schools single game RBI record with an 11 RBI, 3 HR game (3/5/23) as well as a full season doubles total (24) that ranked as the third highest in school history. There is a stark maturity in the disciplined power hitter despite entering his breakout junior season with seven collective pinch hit AB's across his freshman and sophomore seasons combined. Where most would resign themselves to the bench, Rios found it necessary to force himself into the conversation, and just one season later Rios is now firmly entrenched as the Angels #4 ranked prospect heading into the 2024 season. 
    “I was around a lot of really good baseball players at Stanford. I was able to stay with them on a daily basis and pick their brain. I got to see two seasons of superstars and see what works for them. How they carry themselves whether things were going good or bad. I was doing the daily work with them, in the cages and doing machine work with them. If I could do it here [behind the scenes] and match up with them it should be no different in a game as long as I'm out there competing and trying to win.”
    One of Rios’ more underrated offensive qualities is his threat on the base paths, a quality which he displayed in spades at Stanford. Despite being seen as a hit over speed athlete he came around to score 69 times for the school while also stealing five bases. He logged a run in 46 of his 63 games played, a stat which immediately translated to his time in Low A as he scored runs in more than half of his games played while also stealing seven bags in half the AB’s he had with Stanford. It’s easy to look past his sneaky baserunning skills when the bat speaks as loudly as it does, but as is Rios is an elite threat to get himself on the board through any means necessary. For someone as talented with the bat as Rios is, to present yourself as a threat to break a game open on the base paths is a quality that will elevate his game to an elite level at the big leagues. Especially for a team like the Angels who have struggled with implementing impactful baserunning at the Major League level.
    “As you go up you see faster speeds, the game tends to speed up. The game gets a little better. How slow can you slow your game down to match that edge? You're playing the same game you played since you were eight years old, you just learn to slow the game down. As you go into the higher levels of baseball you need to get simpler. How can I slow things down and get simple, get back to what baseball is about?”
    Rios elite production is no accident; his advanced approach sees him employ a compact swing that limits his strikeout total, and when paired with an above average sense of discipline you often see Rios force pitchers into throwing his pitch. This all comes to a head in the batters box for Rios as his ability to tap into his raw power sees him barrel up favorable pitches on a regular basis. You have to wonder what a full season of professional development will do considering these elite qualities were developed over just 301 ABs across the last three years. Further considering Rios developed his qualities by observing and emulating the routines of the stars around him (a game changing quality for a prospect aiming for Major League success) a full season of absorbing the experience at the professional level will likely catapult the star to a break out sometime in 2024.  
    “I practice for every situation that could happen. Once the season starts you don't really know how it's gonna work out or what's gonna happen. Seeing what guys did beforehand helped me, but actually being in there was a different story. Experiencing it myself was a very humbling and an awesome opportunity. How can I bring my skills and my personality to the game? And I think that's what it was, seeing how my personality would mix into playing the game.”
    The Angels are looking to find a defensive home for Rios heading into 2024, though his experience covering multiple positions should allay concerns as to whether or not he will find a defensive footing. Although Rios spent his time as a left-fielder last season the Angels will employ him as a catcher this season, a position he had previous experience with during his time at Stanford. His 2023 season may have seen him break out as a left-fielder, but his college career started by transitioning to a catcher role as an infielder out of high school. Rios spent his freshman and sophomore seasons as the bullpen catcher for Stanford and will use that experience as a springboard to launch his 2024 season. 
    "Being an infielder and then transitioning to catcher freshman year of college was definitely a transition. But as time went on I got to pick the brain of some guys at Stanford and some guys here [Low A] and see what works for them. Luckily I've been able to get behind the dish at school and over here with the Angels. My hands have always worked pretty well as a catcher. My footwork from being an infielder helps. The durability of getting your body right to play each and every day is key. How can I prepare my body the right way going into a season so I can sustain a long season? That's something I've never had to think about until now.””
    The final stretch of his 2023 season ended with Rios heating up over a six game hitting streak as the young star continued his run scoring pace with four runs in those final six games. Rios would also see an extended hit streak earlier in August which saw him pick up 7 RBI’s with 2 HR’s and 4 runs scored in his first full month with the Low A 66ers. While most of his Low A season was a learning experience in finding acclimation to a professional environment there were enough flashes of his elite upside to offer confidence, and enthusiasm, in the coming developmental track for Rios. Just as he forced his bat into the conversation with Stanford it is very feasible he will do the same with the Angels sooner rather than later. His natural hitting tools are the definition of advanced beyond his years, and with legitimate development there is a real chance to tap into his elite abilities at the Major League level. There are some who believe he will have a quick rise to the Majors once his bat becomes fully accustomed to the professional speed of the game, and though it is still too early to read the tea leaves for an MLB debut date he has a legitimate chance to break in as early as 2025. All in all, what the Angels have to look forward to in Alberto Rios is an immediate game changer on the field who can use the experience of those around him to make himself better, two qualities the Angels have had in short supply this last decade. Patience will be rewarded with Rios in Anaheim, as it was in Stanford.  
    “This game is very fragile, very similar to life. I had the opportunity to be on the field and live within those white lines. I felt appreciative and grateful, I had a huge sense of gratitude to be out there playing this beautiful game. You only have such a short amount of time to do it in your life. Being out there was an unbelievable experience, it made me appreciate what the game is and what it's done for me so far in my life.”
    View the full article
  25. Like
    AngelsWin.com got a reaction from Angel Oracle in AngelsWin Today: Angels Alberto Rios is worth every pound of his Top 5 prospect status   
    by Ryan Falla
    The Angels have found themselves well short on veritable game changers as the last decade has seen them skid through season after season with disappointing results. While most look for answers at the Major League level with free agency and the trade market the most sustainable path towards extended success, aside from ownership, rests within the talent depth at the minor league level.  Prospect talent may not be the most immediate answer to Major League woes, but for an organization like the Angels it is the most necessary. There is more opportunity for long term organizational success found within the Angels prospect depth than in what we've seen in many years with the organizations recent Top 10 Prospect rankings. One of their more exciting prospects on that Top 10 list is the naturally advanced right handed hitting OF/IN Alberto Rios. His 2023 season with Stanford saw the young star breakout with a performance that resulted in Pac 12 Player of the Year recognitions as he played his way into draft considerations with just one full season of play-time. His 1.191 OPS across the 242 AB season saw Rios slug 18 HRs and 24 doubles with 73 RBIs while aptly balancing his BB/K rate with 38 BB’s to 42 K’s. The impressive nature of his K/BB rate is further magnified when considering his lack of live experience up to his junior season. Rios set many records during his time with Stanford despite having just one full season of play, including the schools single game RBI record with an 11 RBI, 3 HR game (3/5/23) as well as a full season doubles total (24) that ranked as the third highest in school history. There is a stark maturity in the disciplined power hitter despite entering his breakout junior season with seven collective pinch hit AB's across his freshman and sophomore seasons combined. Where most would resign themselves to the bench, Rios found it necessary to force himself into the conversation, and just one season later Rios is now firmly entrenched as the Angels #4 ranked prospect heading into the 2024 season. 
    “I was around a lot of really good baseball players at Stanford. I was able to stay with them on a daily basis and pick their brain. I got to see two seasons of superstars and see what works for them. How they carry themselves whether things were going good or bad. I was doing the daily work with them, in the cages and doing machine work with them. If I could do it here [behind the scenes] and match up with them it should be no different in a game as long as I'm out there competing and trying to win.”
    One of Rios’ more underrated offensive qualities is his threat on the base paths, a quality which he displayed in spades at Stanford. Despite being seen as a hit over speed athlete he came around to score 69 times for the school while also stealing five bases. He logged a run in 46 of his 63 games played, a stat which immediately translated to his time in Low A as he scored runs in more than half of his games played while also stealing seven bags in half the AB’s he had with Stanford. It’s easy to look past his sneaky baserunning skills when the bat speaks as loudly as it does, but as is Rios is an elite threat to get himself on the board through any means necessary. For someone as talented with the bat as Rios is, to present yourself as a threat to break a game open on the base paths is a quality that will elevate his game to an elite level at the big leagues. Especially for a team like the Angels who have struggled with implementing impactful baserunning at the Major League level.
    “As you go up you see faster speeds, the game tends to speed up. The game gets a little better. How slow can you slow your game down to match that edge? You're playing the same game you played since you were eight years old, you just learn to slow the game down. As you go into the higher levels of baseball you need to get simpler. How can I slow things down and get simple, get back to what baseball is about?”
    Rios elite production is no accident; his advanced approach sees him employ a compact swing that limits his strikeout total, and when paired with an above average sense of discipline you often see Rios force pitchers into throwing his pitch. This all comes to a head in the batters box for Rios as his ability to tap into his raw power sees him barrel up favorable pitches on a regular basis. You have to wonder what a full season of professional development will do considering these elite qualities were developed over just 301 ABs across the last three years. Further considering Rios developed his qualities by observing and emulating the routines of the stars around him (a game changing quality for a prospect aiming for Major League success) a full season of absorbing the experience at the professional level will likely catapult the star to a break out sometime in 2024.  
    “I practice for every situation that could happen. Once the season starts you don't really know how it's gonna work out or what's gonna happen. Seeing what guys did beforehand helped me, but actually being in there was a different story. Experiencing it myself was a very humbling and an awesome opportunity. How can I bring my skills and my personality to the game? And I think that's what it was, seeing how my personality would mix into playing the game.”
    The Angels are looking to find a defensive home for Rios heading into 2024, though his experience covering multiple positions should allay concerns as to whether or not he will find a defensive footing. Although Rios spent his time as a left-fielder last season the Angels will employ him as a catcher this season, a position he had previous experience with during his time at Stanford. His 2023 season may have seen him break out as a left-fielder, but his college career started by transitioning to a catcher role as an infielder out of high school. Rios spent his freshman and sophomore seasons as the bullpen catcher for Stanford and will use that experience as a springboard to launch his 2024 season. 
    "Being an infielder and then transitioning to catcher freshman year of college was definitely a transition. But as time went on I got to pick the brain of some guys at Stanford and some guys here [Low A] and see what works for them. Luckily I've been able to get behind the dish at school and over here with the Angels. My hands have always worked pretty well as a catcher. My footwork from being an infielder helps. The durability of getting your body right to play each and every day is key. How can I prepare my body the right way going into a season so I can sustain a long season? That's something I've never had to think about until now.””
    The final stretch of his 2023 season ended with Rios heating up over a six game hitting streak as the young star continued his run scoring pace with four runs in those final six games. Rios would also see an extended hit streak earlier in August which saw him pick up 7 RBI’s with 2 HR’s and 4 runs scored in his first full month with the Low A 66ers. While most of his Low A season was a learning experience in finding acclimation to a professional environment there were enough flashes of his elite upside to offer confidence, and enthusiasm, in the coming developmental track for Rios. Just as he forced his bat into the conversation with Stanford it is very feasible he will do the same with the Angels sooner rather than later. His natural hitting tools are the definition of advanced beyond his years, and with legitimate development there is a real chance to tap into his elite abilities at the Major League level. There are some who believe he will have a quick rise to the Majors once his bat becomes fully accustomed to the professional speed of the game, and though it is still too early to read the tea leaves for an MLB debut date he has a legitimate chance to break in as early as 2025. All in all, what the Angels have to look forward to in Alberto Rios is an immediate game changer on the field who can use the experience of those around him to make himself better, two qualities the Angels have had in short supply this last decade. Patience will be rewarded with Rios in Anaheim, as it was in Stanford.  
    “This game is very fragile, very similar to life. I had the opportunity to be on the field and live within those white lines. I felt appreciative and grateful, I had a huge sense of gratitude to be out there playing this beautiful game. You only have such a short amount of time to do it in your life. Being out there was an unbelievable experience, it made me appreciate what the game is and what it's done for me so far in my life.”
    View the full article
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