AngelsWin.com

TEMPE, Ariz. — Late in the 2023 season, Griffin Canning was on the mound and Logan O’Hoppe was behind the plate, and the right-hander could tell that much had changed in six months.
“My last couple starts with him, I felt we were in a really good rhythm,” Canning said. “I like throwing any pitch, any count, even if the scouting report is saying. ‘We’re going to try to avoid this pitch.’ If I feel like I can throw a certain pitch to a certain guy, I like to do that.”
Canning said O’Hoppe developed a better feel for adjusting to game situations in real time, rather than sticking religiously to what had been discussed hours earlier.
“It’s remembering how we got a guy out in previous at-bats, feeling the rhythm of the game,” Canning said. “It’s a good feeling when the catcher puts down what you’re thinking. It was us learning more about him and him learning more about us.”
There were times, especially early last season, when O’Hoppe’s inexperience in the big leagues showed, some around the team said privately.
O’Hoppe, who turned 24 earlier this month, readily admits as much.
“I know I have a lot of room to grow, and I’ll be saying that for as long as I’m playing,” O’Hoppe said. “It does help to have an idea of what I’m looking for going into those meetings and just speaking the language a little bit. I know I was drinking out of a fire hose a little bit, as every player is when he makes his debut. I do feel a little bit more confident going into those meetings now. I have a better idea of what’s going on.”
O’Hoppe is now part of a new group who will collaborate on game planning with the pitchers, including pitching coach Barry Enright, bullpen coach Steve Karsay and run prevention coordinator Alex Cultice. Enright and Cultice worked together with the Arizona Diamondbacks last year.
“Barry and Alex have been awesome with the game-planning side of things,” O’Hoppe said.
The Angels, who ranked 23rd in the majors in ERA last season, are hoping that a more experienced O’Hoppe can improve their pitching.
O’Hoppe also could help the Angels score more runs with a full season of doing what he did last year.
O’Hoppe missed four months because of shoulder surgery, but he still managed to hit 14 homers. He hit .236 with a .796 OPS. The major-league average for a catcher was .697.
“Just continue what I was doing last year,” O’Hoppe said. “Just feel out the game a little, assess where I’m at and what the game’s asking me to do. I feel like I have a better understanding of what I’m capable of doing at the plate. This offseason, I worked on things that I felt I needed to improve on, so really expanding my brain a little bit on what the game is asking me to do.”
O’Hoppe said his added comfort in the big leagues was apparent from the start of spring training, during his physical.
“This is the first spring training my career where they told me that my blood pressure was normal,” O’Hoppe said with a smile. “It was high in the years past. Definitely more relaxed this year. More excited than anything to get going.”
NOTES
Right-hander Guillo Zuñiga, who was acquired in exchange for cash considerations from the St. Louis Cardinals, impressed manager Ron Washington during his live batting practice session Tuesday. Zuñiga, 25, averages 98.9 mph with his fastball. “Live arm,” Washington said. “We’ve just got to keep working on him being more consistent in the strike zone and don’t overthrow his secondary pitches.” Zuñiga can be optioned for two more seasons. …
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Former Angels left-hander Joe Saunders is in camp as a special instructor. Saunders not only pitched for the Angels, but he was with the Texas Rangers when Washington managed there. “He’s been through it,” Washington said. “We have a lot of young pitchers that haven’t been through it. And he can give them a perspective on how you deal with the downside of it. It’s not so much the upside. It’s the downside that you have to deal with. And he’s been there. And I’m so happy he is here. Because he’s been all of that. He’s been good. He’s been bad. He’s been indifferent. He had to struggle. He had to fight. He’s been through everything that any of these kids will ever experience. And it’s nice that he’s here to give him that wisdom he has.”
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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.”
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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.
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TEMPE, Ariz. — Anthony Rendon isn’t about to say what anyone wants to hear if he doesn’t believe it.
The Angels’ embattled third baseman spoke to the media for the first time this spring on Monday, and he reiterated his stance that he views baseball as nothing more than a job.
“It’s never been a top priority for me,” Rendon said. “It’s a job. I do this to make a living. My faith and my family come first, before this job.”
Rendon conceded that it is “a priority” and that’s why he’s still here, and why he continues having medical procedures to repair the injuries he’s suffered playing baseball.
“I don’t want to have surgeries,” said Rendon, who had surgery in 2021 and 2022, but not 2023. “You think I like going under the knife and being in pain the majority of my time? I can’t even pick up my kids. I can’t walk. You think I enjoy that? I don’t want to do that. I want to hang out with my kids. I want to teach them how to ride a bike, but I can’t. I can’t walk. It sucks.”
Rendon, 33, said he’s always had this opinion. He said this winter he found a 2014 pro and con list he’d written about continuing to play baseball. Now that he has four kids, who spend most of their time at the family home in the Houston area, the pull away from the game has grown stronger.
“Being away from the family, after having kids and knowing and realizing that love that you get from your family, from your spouse from your kids, that far outweighs anything that you can probably ever accomplish in a job atmosphere,” Rendon said. “So that’s what’s become more difficult as I’ve gotten older.”
Manager Ron Washington came to Rendon’s defense, saying that nothing he said should be interpreted as if he isn’t committed to baseball.
“He wasn’t saying he doesn’t care about baseball,” Washington said. “He’s here. He’s fired up. He’s ready to go. Let’s just watch him and see how it goes. Because he’s ready to go, man. I miss my family. I care about my family. He said his family and his faith is first. Nothing wrong with that. Nothing wrong with that.”
Many people can identify with those feelings, but it still likely won’t sit well with some fans who are already frustrated with Rendon because of what’s become of his Angels career.
He signed a seven-year, $245-million deal prior to the 2020 season, but he’s missed at least half of the last three seasons. He had hip surgery in 2021, wrist surgery in 2022 and a fractured shin in 2023.
In between that, Rendon has hit .235 with a .701 OPS over the last three seasons.
Rendon understands that he’s going to be criticized by fans, but it doesn’t seem to bother him.
“They don’t know me,” he said. “They only know the surface. They’re a fan. They might know that I’m 6 feet tall or 190 pounds or whatever it might be, but they don’t know who I am as an individual if they never sat down and spoke to me. Everyone’s gonna have your opinion. You can’t make everybody happy. I’m gonna be honest.”
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Washington addressed the team before the first full squad workout on Monday, saying that he expected that everyone would be motivated because “that’s what I do. We’ll go find out, because now you gotta get on the field and implement the things I said. So we’ll see how the progression works. But almost everybody was here for at least five days, so they understand how we’re going about our business. I just want them to take care of business, and the rest to take care of itself.” …
Washington said he hasn’t yet decided who will start on the mound for the Angels in their exhibition opener on Saturday against the Dodgers. …
Washington said that third base coach Eric Young and first base coach Bo Porter will have equal roles in coaching the outfielders, because he feels that both have too much to offer for one to take a back seat to the other.
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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!

TEMPE, Ariz. — Carlos Estévez went into the winter with a very specific plan for improving on what went wrong last season.
Although Estévez made the All-Star team and finished with 31 saves in his first season as the Angels closer, the taste that was left in his mouth was the rough finish.
Estévez had a 1.88 ERA and he had converted all 23 of his save opportunities through July, but he blew four save chances and had an 8.38 ERA over the final two months. He said last September that he thought he was fatigued because the physical demands of pitching the ninth proved to be more than he was accustomed to in pitching earlier in the game.
So this winter, Estévez changed his workout routine.
“I started a little bit earlier and I started doing more interval exercises, explosive with less rest, just to get used to the intensity of the ninth inning,” he said. “At the beginning, I was beat up. But I got used to it and I feel really good about it. Hopefully it’s going to pay off. It will pay off. That’s the way I see it.”
Estévez, 31, didn’t expect that he’d need to do anything differently after pitching six seasons in the majors. In fact, he’d figured it might be easier getting out of the high altitude of Colorado, where he’d been for his entire career up until last year.
“People think that once you’re a big leaguer, you’ve got everything figured out, but you’ve still got to make adjustments,” Estévez said. “That’s why you’re in the big leagues, because you can make adjustments the fastest. That’s what I believe.”
Estévez said now that his “arm feels in better shape” than it normally would at this time of year. He cautioned, however, that the results may not show up in Arizona.
“I’m a really bad starter in spring training,” said Estévez, who gave up nine runs and issued 10 walks in 7-2/3 innings last spring.
Angels manager Ron Washington said they currently have Estévez penciled in as their closer. This year, however, they have at least one viable alternative if Estévez gets in a slump. Robert Stephenson, who signed a three-year, $33-million deal last month, was arguably the best reliever in baseball over the second half of last season. He finished with a 3.10 ERA in 52-1/3 innings, with the Pittsburgh Pirates and Tampa Bay Rays.
CAUGHT ON VIDEO
Eyebrows were raised when right-hander Trevor Bauer released a video on YouTube that was filmed at the Angels complex in Tempe. The video is a mostly comical clip with Bauer pitching against some of his friends.
One of the hitters in the video, however, was Angels infielder Michael Stefanic.
Stefanic said on Sunday that he works out at the same facility as Bauer, and he took the opportunity to get some live at-bats against him. Stefanic said he “was told it was cleared” for Bauer to use the Angels complex, but he didn’t know who cleared it.
It’s unclear how Bauer ended up getting permission to use the field, but Angels management did not invite him.
For what it’s worth, Stefanic said that Bauer looked good.
“He’s nasty,” Stefanic said. “He’s always been nasty. I don’t think there’s any doubt about the pitcher that he is.”
Bauer, the 2020 Cy Young winner, remains unsigned, after pitching last year in Japan. Bauer was suspended from major league baseball because of allegations of sexual assault, but he was never found guilty in a criminal court. Bauer was originally suspended for 324 games, but an arbitrator reduced the suspension to 194 and cleared him to pitch again.
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Everyone on the roster is expected to participate in the first full-squad workout on Monday, with the exception of infielder Miguel Sanó and right-hander José Cisnero. Both players are dealing with visa issues leaving the Dominican Republic. Both are expected to be in camp in about a week. …
Luis Rengifo, who checked in to camp on Sunday, said that he’s been doing full workouts since late December. Rengifo had his season ended in early September because of surgery to repair a torn biceps muscle.
View the full article

Even better.

Dbacks again?
 

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. 

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!

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

I have a ticket waiting for you for Friday. 

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):




 














 

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

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!

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!

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!

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. …
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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

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.
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“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

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. …
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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

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. …
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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

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. …
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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

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

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

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

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.
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