AngelsWin.com

By Geoff Stoddart, AngelsWin.com Chief Operating Officer
20 years! AngelsWin.com turned 20 years old in 2024! For many of us that joined Chuck Richter on this adventure back at the beginning, it hardly seems possible.  It’s truly one of those, “wait … how old am I?” moments.
Many of the everyday staples of modern life, things that feel like they’ve been around forever, actually came to be after AngelsWin. Things like: the iPhone, Facebook, X/Twitter, TikTok, SnapChat, Instagram, Smashburger, Barstool Sports internet platform, even Taylor Swift albums.
After relocating from Orange County to the Pacific Northwest (now in Tennessee), Chuck launched the website as a way for Angels fans around the country and around the world to stay connected to the team and sport they loved, and to discuss topics that related to both. As the AngelsWin membership numbers grew, so did the sense that something special was happening. It became a real community. Maybe not quite a family, but it often has felt that way.
We’ve seen both the best and hardest parts of life and have experienced it all together. Marriages, divorces, births of children, deaths of friends and family, the excitement of new career advancements and the pain of job losses. For 20 years, we’ve gone through it all … together.
But the throughline, the connected tissue, for it all has always been the team in red. The boys of summer. It’s always been about the Angels.
What started out as a simple Angels message board & blog page grew into a news and reporting outlet. We were one of the first independent fansites to be awarded a Major League Baseball media credential by the Angels. Correspondences from AngelsWin have participated in team events and press conferences such as the introduction of Albert Pujols, the contract extension for Mike Trout and the welcoming Shohei Ohtani. Over the years, the site has been recognized by Forbes, Fox Sports, ESPN, CNN, MLB Network, Japan Times, Washington Post, MLB Trade Rumors, the Orange County Register, LA Times and the Angels tv and radio broadcasts for our reporting and insights. Members of the AngelsWin writing staff were also instrumental in, and recognized for, providing content for the organization’s  “Under the Halo: The Official History of Angels Baseball” book.
We’ve hosted many fan events, including Spring and Summer Fanfests where we’ve welcomed such guests as Arte Moreno, Tim Salmon, Don Baylor, Wally Joyner, Kole Calhoun, Matt Shoemaker, Hector Santiago, Randal Grichuk, Jerome Williams, ex-GM Jerry Dipoto, Dennis Kuhl, Victor Rojas, Jose Mota, Terry Smith, Rex Hudler, Steve Physioc and Tim Mead.
In 2023, Chuck and Geoff Stoddart relaunched the AngelsWin Podcast. This time around, they were joined by former Angels broadcaster, Victor Rojas. 27 episodes in (as of the writing of this piece), the podcast has enjoyed wild success, with tens of thousands of views on YouTube and tens of thousands more downloads on platforms like Spotify, iTunes and iHeart.  
It has been, and continues to be, a wild journey. Whether you’ve been with us for 20 years or 20 minutes, we thank you! In the end, we are a sum of our part. The sum of our people. 
AngelsWin.com is “The internet home for Angels fans worldwide” – where fans can cheer, boo, argue, laugh, complain and discuss the team and sport they love.
Here’s to 20 great years and the hope of another 20 more.  Go Angels!
View the full article

By Jonathan Northrop, AngelsWin.com Senior Writer
It is probably too early for this, but I'm bored and what else are we going to discuss? Here's what I expect to see from the current team so far - at least the regulars. My predictions tend to be what I see as reasonable optimism, although this is partially in contrast to the everything-went-wrong fiasco that was the 2023 season. When considering playing time and injury, I'm treating each player individually, that is, in a vacuum; chances are, more games will be missed by some of the starters. 
C LOGAN O'HOPPE (24)
2023 Stats: 51 games, .236/.296/.500, 14 HR, 113 wRC+, 0.2 WAR
There's a before and after for O'Hoppe. Before his injury, he hit .283/.339/.547 with a 137 wRC+ in 16 games; after he hit .217/.279/.481 with a 102 wRC+ in 35 games. But even that can be split up:  .145/.217/.291 with a 35 wRC+ in his first 15 games back, and .270/.325/.622 with a 152 wRC+ in his last 20 games.
So who is the "real" Logan O'Hoppe? I'm pretty bullish on him and think he's going to be one of the ten or so best catchers in baseball as soon as 2024. My lone complaint is that I'd like to see him take more walks. For his first few years in the minors (2018-21), his BB% was in the 7-8% range; in 2022, it doubled to 15.7% (70 walks in 104 games). In the majors so far, it has been back down to 7.4%. Presumably he'll eventually be somewhere in-between.
Anyhow, in 2023 the top two catchers by WAR were William Contreras (5.4) and Adley Rutschman (5.1), followed by four in the 4.1 to 4.7 range. After that there's a drop, with nine in the 2.0 to 2.8 range. My guess is that O'Hoppe splits the difference between two groups and finishes in the 3-4ish range, with 4-5 upside in peak years. But even if he becomes more of a 2-3 WAR player, he has a chance to become the best all-time Angels catcher by WAR before he reaches free agency (to be fair, that isn't saying much, with Bob Boone being the all-time leader with 13.1 WAR).
2024 Prediction: 113 games, .263/.337/.518, 23 HR, 128 wRC+, 3.1 WAR
1B NOLAN SCHANUEL (22)
2023 Stats: 29 games, .275/.402/.330, 112 wRC+, 0.1 WAR
Schanuel is one of the most unusual hitters in baseball. He walks a ton, but has virtually no power (1 HR, 3 2B in 30 hits last year), mainly due to an over-cutting swing that generates a lot of ground balls. I think he'll eventually develop at least low-average power (25-30 2B, 10-15 HR) to go along with a .290+ BA and 100+ walks. In other words, a poor man's Wade Boggs, though won't have the benefit of the Green Monster to bounce doubles off of. He might be slated to start the year in AAA, but I think will be the starting first baseman well before the All-Star break. With that OBP, he could end up being the most unconventional lead-off man the Angels have had since Brian Downing.
2024 Prediction: 110 games, .284/.407/.390, 7 HR, 124 wRC+, 2.0 WAR
2B LUIS RENGIFO (27)
2023: 126 games, .264/.339/.444, 16 HR, 114 wRC+, 1.9 WAR
Of all the players that I was concerned might be traded this offseason, Rengifo topped the list for me. He seemed to have a micro-breakthrough in the second half of 2022, hitting .267/.290/.455. After a slow start in 2023 (.219/.312/.326 in the first half), he exploded in the second half (.318/.374/.587). Now it could be that Rengifo is just a slow starter, and certainly I don't expect him to reach those numbers over a full season, but...I think he's going to take a big step forward in 2024 and, like O'Hoppe, be in the 5-10ish range for his position. But he's a guy to watch early on: if he starts strong, he could be even better than I'm predicting.
2024 Prediction: 143 games, .274/.348/.487, 23 HR, 126 wRC+, 3.4 WAR
SS ZACH NETO (23)
2023: 84 games, .225/.308/.377, 9 HR, 89 wRC+, 1.1 WAR
A bright spot early on, Neto impressed with his all-out play. He really seems to embody the notion of "spark-plug" - a guy who just brings life to the team, in the batter's box, on the base paths and, most of all, in the field where he was stellar. Some have compared him to Dustin Pedroia and David Eckstein; I think, when he finally reaches his potential, he'll be somewhere in-between the two. For next year, I expect better numbers than 2023, if only because his season will (hopefully) not be interrupted by a long injury layover, but Neto also seems to be the type of player who will miss time, due to his hard play. 
2024 Prediction: 133 games, .267/.328/.422, 14 HR, 105 wRC+, 2.7 WAR
3B ANTHONY RENDON (34)
2023: 43 games, .236/.361/.318, 95 wRC+, 0.2 WAR
What a disaster. Sorry, homers, but you're not a "hater" if you simply point out the obvious: Rendon hasn't been able to stay on the field the last three years (148 games all told), and when he has he hasn't been good. The pattern seems to be: start rusty and slow, get going and hot, get hurt and miss more time than expected, rinse and repeat. The thin slivers of hope are that A) He hasn't played much over the last four seasons, so has less wear-and-tear than a 33-34 year old normally has; and B) he has hit well once he throws off the rust. So maybe he has something left in the tank, but...Anyhow, I'll split the difference between "homerish optimism" and "more of the same."
2024 Prediction: 100 games, .271/.374/.420, 15 HR, 118 wRC+, 2.3 WAR
LF TAYLOR WARD (30)
2023: 97 games, .253/.335/.421, 14 HR, 107 wRC+, 1.5 WAR
For about a month and change in 2022, Taylor Ward looked like a breakthrough superstar. Then he crashed into a wall and was out for awhile. When he came back he didn't look the same, though gradually heated up and finished the year strong. Going into 2023, I had a lot of hope that he had had a legit breakthrough, but Ward's 2023 was another disappointment among many for the Angels, and just as he seemed to be finding his groove (a 197 wRC+ in his last 14 games), he was hit in the face by a 92-mph Alex Manoah sinker. It is anyone's guess how he'll come back. There's a non-zero chance that he will never comfortably stand in a batter's box again and/or that his vision will be compromised. As far as I know, there's been little news about his recovery other than the usual baseballspeak. He could put it all together and be the star player he's flashed for parts of the last two years, or end up as a charity-case bench player. To quote Fox Mulder, I want to believe.
2024 Prediction: 118 games, .274/.357/.491, 20 HR, 128 wRC+, 2.8 WAR
CF MIKE TROUT (32)
2023: 82 games, .263/.367/.490, 18 HR, 134 wRC+, 3.0 WAR
For the first month of 2023, Trout looked like Trout, hitting .320/.408/.612 with a 176 wRC+ through his first 26 games. Then for the next six weeks or so, he went through the worst such span of time of his career, hitting .199/.318/.351 (85 wRC+) from April 30 to June 16. He finally seemed to shake it off, hitting .340/.441/.680 (203 wRC+). June 17 until July 3 when he...broke his hand on a contact-less swing?! Only the Angels and, unfortunately, only Trout. After putting together what was arguably the best first eight full seasons in baseball history, Trout has been a shell of his former self the last four years, mostly due to a string of injuries that has seen him miss over half of all Angels games over the last three seasons.  Or to put it another way, from 2012-19 he was (70.6 WAR) was 50% better than the next guy (Buster Posey with 47.0 WAR); from 2020-23, he has been the 29th best player, producing 58% (13.8 WAR) of the leader during that span (Aaron Judge with 23.6 WAR)
I suppose the silver lining is that each injury has been different and mostly random; so it isn't like he has a bad knee or some other chronic injury (well, aside for that weird back condition). He just seems to have a knack for injury and, quite frankly, there's no reason to expect that to change. Still, there's also no reason to think that with a player of his talent and due to the freakish nature of his injuries, he can't put together a few reasonably health seasons in, if not 2012-19 form, something not far from it. I do think he bounces back, but it will be at a slightly lower level than what we've seen in his prime.
2024 Prediction: 128 games, .281/.393/.577, 34 HR, 163 wRC+, 6.5 WAR
RF JO ADELL (25)
2023: 17 games, .207/.258/.448, 86 wRC+, 0.2 WAR
The good news is that Adell seemed to improve in the ways that he needed to improve - he took more walks and played better defense. The bad news is that it was in AAA. More bad news is that, like everyone else, he got hurt and then only played 17 games in Anaheim. At 25 in April, he's no longer young; but he also isn't old. To some extent there's still the sense that Adell will either be a star or a bust, but I think more likely is that he's somewhere in-between, maybe something like Hunter Renfroe. He seems to really want it and will keep working to improve his game. But it is really coming down to a place where its now or never. 
2024 Prediction: 110 games, .252/.301/.493, 23 HR, 114 wRC+, 1.8 WAR
DH BRANDON DRURY (31)
2023: 125 games, .262/.306/.497, 26 HR, 114 wRC+, 2.5 WAR
Drury was one of the only bright spots for the Angels, and probably the only acquisition that actually turned out as hoped. He pretty much continued where he left off from 2022; now, averaging 2.8 WAR over the last two seasons, he's pretty much the definition of "quality regular." What you see is what you get. If the Angels are out of it in July, he's a likely trade candidate.
2024 Prediction: 130 games, .260/.315/.490, 27 HR, 118 wRC+, 2.0 WAR
OF MICKEY MONIAK (26)
2023: 85 games, .280/.307/.495, 14 HR, 114 wRC+, 1.5 WAR
Moniak seemed like he had finally found his first round potential in the first half, but there was a lingering concerning as he didn't walk. At all. He finished the year with an ungainly 9 walks to 113 strikeouts, which doesn't bode well for the future. But even after his midseason slump, he started hitting again; so he seems like a feast-or-famine guy, who will get hot for spells. On paper, he looks like a good platoon player or 4th outfielder, but this is a bit tricky with such a streaky player. But he'll be in the mix with the rest of the questionable cast of characters that will be the Angels outfield, and will get playing time. That said, he's the only player among the ten on this list that I predict will be worse in 2024 than in 2023.
2024 Prediction: 90 games, .250/.280/.442, 12 HR, 100 wRC+, 0.8 WAR
View the full article

By Geoff Stoddart, AngelsWin.com Chief Operating Officer
20 years! AngelsWin.com turned 20 years old in 2024! For many of us that joined Chuck Richter on this adventure back at the beginning, it hardly seems possible.  It’s truly one of those, “wait … how old am I?” moments.
Many of the everyday staples of modern life, things that feel like they’ve been around forever, actually came to be after AngelsWin. Things like: the iPhone, Facebook, X/Twitter, TikTok, SnapChat, Instagram, Smashburger, Barstool Sports internet platform, even Taylor Swift albums.
After relocating from Orange County to the Pacific Northwest (now in Tennessee), Chuck launched the website as a way for Angels fans around the country and around the world to stay connected to the team and sport they loved, and to discuss topics that related to both. As the AngelsWin membership numbers grew, so did the sense that something special was happening. It became a real community. Maybe not quite a family, but it often has felt that way.
We’ve seen both the best and hardest parts of life and have experienced it all together. Marriages, divorces, births of children, deaths of friends and family, the excitement of new career advancements and the pain of job losses. For 20 years, we’ve gone through it all … together.
But the throughline, the connected tissue, for it all has always been the team in red. The boys of summer. It’s always been about the Angels.
What started out as a simple Angels message board & blog page grew into a news and reporting outlet. We were one of the first independent fansites to be awarded a Major League Baseball media credential by the Angels. Correspondences from AngelsWin have participated in team events and press conferences such as the introduction of Albert Pujols, the contract extension for Mike Trout and the welcoming Shohei Ohtani. Over the years, the site has been recognized by Forbes, Fox Sports, ESPN, CNN, MLB Network, Japan Times, Washington Post, MLB Trade Rumors, the Orange County Register, LA Times and the Angels tv and radio broadcasts for our reporting and insights. Members of the AngelsWin writing staff were also instrumental in, and recognized for, providing content for the organization’s  “Under the Halo: The Official History of Angels Baseball” book.
We’ve hosted many fan events, including Spring and Summer Fanfests where we’ve welcomed such guests as Arte Moreno, Tim Salmon, Don Baylor, Wally Joyner, Kole Calhoun, Matt Shoemaker, Hector Santiago, Randal Grichuk, Jerome Williams, ex-GM Jerry Dipoto, Dennis Kuhl, Victor Rojas, Jose Mota, Terry Smith, Rex Hudler, Steve Physioc and Tim Mead.
In 2023, Chuck and Geoff Stoddart relaunched the AngelsWin Podcast. This time around, they were joined by former Angels broadcaster, Victor Rojas. 27 episodes in (as of the writing of this piece), the podcast has enjoyed wild success, with tens of thousands of views on YouTube and tens of thousands more downloads on platforms like Spotify, iTunes and iHeart.  
It has been, and continues to be, a wild journey. Whether you’ve been with us for 20 years or 20 minutes, we thank you! In the end, we are a sum of our part. The sum of our people. 
AngelsWin.com is “The internet home for Angels fans worldwide” – where fans can cheer, boo, argue, laugh, complain and discuss the team and sport they love.
Here’s to 20 great years and the hope of another 20 more.  Go Angels!
View the full article

By Geoff Stoddart, AngelsWin.com Chief Operating Officer
20 years! AngelsWin.com turned 20 years old in 2024! For many of us that joined Chuck Richter on this adventure back at the beginning, it hardly seems possible.  It’s truly one of those, “wait … how old am I?” moments.
Many of the everyday staples of modern life, things that feel like they’ve been around forever, actually came to be after AngelsWin. Things like: the iPhone, Facebook, X/Twitter, TikTok, SnapChat, Instagram, Smashburger, Barstool Sports internet platform, even Taylor Swift albums.
After relocating from Orange County to the Pacific Northwest (now in Tennessee), Chuck launched the website as a way for Angels fans around the country and around the world to stay connected to the team and sport they loved, and to discuss topics that related to both. As the AngelsWin membership numbers grew, so did the sense that something special was happening. It became a real community. Maybe not quite a family, but it often has felt that way.
We’ve seen both the best and hardest parts of life and have experienced it all together. Marriages, divorces, births of children, deaths of friends and family, the excitement of new career advancements and the pain of job losses. For 20 years, we’ve gone through it all … together.
But the throughline, the connected tissue, for it all has always been the team in red. The boys of summer. It’s always been about the Angels.
What started out as a simple Angels message board & blog page grew into a news and reporting outlet. We were one of the first independent fansites to be awarded a Major League Baseball media credential by the Angels. Correspondences from AngelsWin have participated in team events and press conferences such as the introduction of Albert Pujols, the contract extension for Mike Trout and the welcoming Shohei Ohtani. Over the years, the site has been recognized by Forbes, Fox Sports, ESPN, CNN, MLB Network, Japan Times, Washington Post, MLB Trade Rumors, the Orange County Register, LA Times and the Angels tv and radio broadcasts for our reporting and insights. Members of the AngelsWin writing staff were also instrumental in, and recognized for, providing content for the organization’s  “Under the Halo: The Official History of Angels Baseball” book.
We’ve hosted many fan events, including Spring and Summer Fanfests where we’ve welcomed such guests as Arte Moreno, Tim Salmon, Don Baylor, Wally Joyner, Kole Calhoun, Matt Shoemaker, Hector Santiago, Randal Grichuk, Jerome Williams, ex-GM Jerry Dipoto, Dennis Kuhl, Victor Rojas, Jose Mota, Terry Smith, Rex Hudler, Steve Physioc and Tim Mead.
In 2023, Chuck and Geoff Stoddart relaunched the AngelsWin Podcast. This time around, they were joined by former Angels broadcaster, Victor Rojas. 27 episodes in (as of the writing of this piece), the podcast has enjoyed wild success, with tens of thousands of views on YouTube and tens of thousands more downloads on platforms like Spotify, iTunes and iHeart.  
It has been, and continues to be, a wild journey. Whether you’ve been with us for 20 years or 20 minutes, we thank you! In the end, we are a sum of our part. The sum of our people. 
AngelsWin.com is “The internet home for Angels fans worldwide” – where fans can cheer, boo, argue, laugh, complain and discuss the team and sport they love.
Here’s to 20 great years and the hope of another 20 more.  Go Angels!
View the full article

By Jonathan Northrop, AngelsWin.com Senior Writer
It is probably too early for this, but I'm bored and what else are we going to discuss? Here's what I expect to see from the current team so far - at least the regulars. My predictions tend to be what I see as reasonable optimism, although this is partially in contrast to the everything-went-wrong fiasco that was the 2023 season. When considering playing time and injury, I'm treating each player individually, that is, in a vacuum; chances are, more games will be missed by some of the starters. 
C LOGAN O'HOPPE (24)
2023 Stats: 51 games, .236/.296/.500, 14 HR, 113 wRC+, 0.2 WAR
There's a before and after for O'Hoppe. Before his injury, he hit .283/.339/.547 with a 137 wRC+ in 16 games; after he hit .217/.279/.481 with a 102 wRC+ in 35 games. But even that can be split up:  .145/.217/.291 with a 35 wRC+ in his first 15 games back, and .270/.325/.622 with a 152 wRC+ in his last 20 games.
So who is the "real" Logan O'Hoppe? I'm pretty bullish on him and think he's going to be one of the ten or so best catchers in baseball as soon as 2024. My lone complaint is that I'd like to see him take more walks. For his first few years in the minors (2018-21), his BB% was in the 7-8% range; in 2022, it doubled to 15.7% (70 walks in 104 games). In the majors so far, it has been back down to 7.4%. Presumably he'll eventually be somewhere in-between.
Anyhow, in 2023 the top two catchers by WAR were William Contreras (5.4) and Adley Rutschman (5.1), followed by four in the 4.1 to 4.7 range. After that there's a drop, with nine in the 2.0 to 2.8 range. My guess is that O'Hoppe splits the difference between two groups and finishes in the 3-4ish range, with 4-5 upside in peak years. But even if he becomes more of a 2-3 WAR player, he has a chance to become the best all-time Angels catcher by WAR before he reaches free agency (to be fair, that isn't saying much, with Bob Boone being the all-time leader with 13.1 WAR).
2024 Prediction: 113 games, .263/.337/.518, 23 HR, 128 wRC+, 3.1 WAR
1B NOLAN SCHANUEL (22)
2023 Stats: 29 games, .275/.402/.330, 112 wRC+, 0.1 WAR
Schanuel is one of the most unusual hitters in baseball. He walks a ton, but has virtually no power (1 HR, 3 2B in 30 hits last year), mainly due to an over-cutting swing that generates a lot of ground balls. I think he'll eventually develop at least low-average power (25-30 2B, 10-15 HR) to go along with a .290+ BA and 100+ walks. In other words, a poor man's Wade Boggs, though won't have the benefit of the Green Monster to bounce doubles off of. He might be slated to start the year in AAA, but I think will be the starting first baseman well before the All-Star break. With that OBP, he could end up being the most unconventional lead-off man the Angels have had since Brian Downing.
2024 Prediction: 110 games, .284/.407/.390, 7 HR, 124 wRC+, 2.0 WAR
2B LUIS RENGIFO (27)
2023: 126 games, .264/.339/.444, 16 HR, 114 wRC+, 1.9 WAR
Of all the players that I was concerned might be traded this offseason, Rengifo topped the list for me. He seemed to have a micro-breakthrough in the second half of 2022, hitting .267/.290/.455. After a slow start in 2023 (.219/.312/.326 in the first half), he exploded in the second half (.318/.374/.587). Now it could be that Rengifo is just a slow starter, and certainly I don't expect him to reach those numbers over a full season, but...I think he's going to take a big step forward in 2024 and, like O'Hoppe, be in the 5-10ish range for his position. But he's a guy to watch early on: if he starts strong, he could be even better than I'm predicting.
2024 Prediction: 143 games, .274/.348/.487, 23 HR, 126 wRC+, 3.4 WAR
SS ZACH NETO (23)
2023: 84 games, .225/.308/.377, 9 HR, 89 wRC+, 1.1 WAR
A bright spot early on, Neto impressed with his all-out play. He really seems to embody the notion of "spark-plug" - a guy who just brings life to the team, in the batter's box, on the base paths and, most of all, in the field where he was stellar. Some have compared him to Dustin Pedroia and David Eckstein; I think, when he finally reaches his potential, he'll be somewhere in-between the two. For next year, I expect better numbers than 2023, if only because his season will (hopefully) not be interrupted by a long injury layover, but Neto also seems to be the type of player who will miss time, due to his hard play. 
2024 Prediction: 133 games, .267/.328/.422, 14 HR, 105 wRC+, 2.7 WAR
3B ANTHONY RENDON (34)
2023: 43 games, .236/.361/.318, 95 wRC+, 0.2 WAR
What a disaster. Sorry, homers, but you're not a "hater" if you simply point out the obvious: Rendon hasn't been able to stay on the field the last three years (148 games all told), and when he has he hasn't been good. The pattern seems to be: start rusty and slow, get going and hot, get hurt and miss more time than expected, rinse and repeat. The thin slivers of hope are that A) He hasn't played much over the last four seasons, so has less wear-and-tear than a 33-34 year old normally has; and B) he has hit well once he throws off the rust. So maybe he has something left in the tank, but...Anyhow, I'll split the difference between "homerish optimism" and "more of the same."
2024 Prediction: 100 games, .271/.374/.420, 15 HR, 118 wRC+, 2.3 WAR
LF TAYLOR WARD (30)
2023: 97 games, .253/.335/.421, 14 HR, 107 wRC+, 1.5 WAR
For about a month and change in 2022, Taylor Ward looked like a breakthrough superstar. Then he crashed into a wall and was out for awhile. When he came back he didn't look the same, though gradually heated up and finished the year strong. Going into 2023, I had a lot of hope that he had had a legit breakthrough, but Ward's 2023 was another disappointment among many for the Angels, and just as he seemed to be finding his groove (a 197 wRC+ in his last 14 games), he was hit in the face by a 92-mph Alex Manoah sinker. It is anyone's guess how he'll come back. There's a non-zero chance that he will never comfortably stand in a batter's box again and/or that his vision will be compromised. As far as I know, there's been little news about his recovery other than the usual baseballspeak. He could put it all together and be the star player he's flashed for parts of the last two years, or end up as a charity-case bench player. To quote Fox Mulder, I want to believe.
2024 Prediction: 118 games, .274/.357/.491, 20 HR, 128 wRC+, 2.8 WAR
CF MIKE TROUT (32)
2023: 82 games, .263/.367/.490, 18 HR, 134 wRC+, 3.0 WAR
For the first month of 2023, Trout looked like Trout, hitting .320/.408/.612 with a 176 wRC+ through his first 26 games. Then for the next six weeks or so, he went through the worst such span of time of his career, hitting .199/.318/.351 (85 wRC+) from April 30 to June 16. He finally seemed to shake it off, hitting .340/.441/.680 (203 wRC+). June 17 until July 3 when he...broke his hand on a contact-less swing?! Only the Angels and, unfortunately, only Trout. After putting together what was arguably the best first eight full seasons in baseball history, Trout has been a shell of his former self the last four years, mostly due to a string of injuries that has seen him miss over half of all Angels games over the last three seasons.  Or to put it another way, from 2012-19 he was (70.6 WAR) was 50% better than the next guy (Buster Posey with 47.0 WAR); from 2020-23, he has been the 29th best player, producing 58% (13.8 WAR) of the leader during that span (Aaron Judge with 23.6 WAR)
I suppose the silver lining is that each injury has been different and mostly random; so it isn't like he has a bad knee or some other chronic injury (well, aside for that weird back condition). He just seems to have a knack for injury and, quite frankly, there's no reason to expect that to change. Still, there's also no reason to think that with a player of his talent and due to the freakish nature of his injuries, he can't put together a few reasonably health seasons in, if not 2012-19 form, something not far from it. I do think he bounces back, but it will be at a slightly lower level than what we've seen in his prime.
2024 Prediction: 128 games, .281/.393/.577, 34 HR, 163 wRC+, 6.5 WAR
RF JO ADELL (25)
2023: 17 games, .207/.258/.448, 86 wRC+, 0.2 WAR
The good news is that Adell seemed to improve in the ways that he needed to improve - he took more walks and played better defense. The bad news is that it was in AAA. More bad news is that, like everyone else, he got hurt and then only played 17 games in Anaheim. At 25 in April, he's no longer young; but he also isn't old. To some extent there's still the sense that Adell will either be a star or a bust, but I think more likely is that he's somewhere in-between, maybe something like Hunter Renfroe. He seems to really want it and will keep working to improve his game. But it is really coming down to a place where its now or never. 
2024 Prediction: 110 games, .252/.301/.493, 23 HR, 114 wRC+, 1.8 WAR
DH BRANDON DRURY (31)
2023: 125 games, .262/.306/.497, 26 HR, 114 wRC+, 2.5 WAR
Drury was one of the only bright spots for the Angels, and probably the only acquisition that actually turned out as hoped. He pretty much continued where he left off from 2022; now, averaging 2.8 WAR over the last two seasons, he's pretty much the definition of "quality regular." What you see is what you get. If the Angels are out of it in July, he's a likely trade candidate.
2024 Prediction: 130 games, .260/.315/.490, 27 HR, 118 wRC+, 2.0 WAR
OF MICKEY MONIAK (26)
2023: 85 games, .280/.307/.495, 14 HR, 114 wRC+, 1.5 WAR
Moniak seemed like he had finally found his first round potential in the first half, but there was a lingering concerning as he didn't walk. At all. He finished the year with an ungainly 9 walks to 113 strikeouts, which doesn't bode well for the future. But even after his midseason slump, he started hitting again; so he seems like a feast-or-famine guy, who will get hot for spells. On paper, he looks like a good platoon player or 4th outfielder, but this is a bit tricky with such a streaky player. But he'll be in the mix with the rest of the questionable cast of characters that will be the Angels outfield, and will get playing time. That said, he's the only player among the ten on this list that I predict will be worse in 2024 than in 2023.
2024 Prediction: 90 games, .250/.280/.442, 12 HR, 100 wRC+, 0.8 WAR
View the full article

By Jonathan Northrop, AngelsWin.com Senior Writer
It is probably too early for this, but I'm bored and what else are we going to discuss? Here's what I expect to see from the current team so far - at least the regulars. My predictions tend to be what I see as reasonable optimism, although this is partially in contrast to the everything-went-wrong fiasco that was the 2023 season. When considering playing time and injury, I'm treating each player individually, that is, in a vacuum; chances are, more games will be missed by some of the starters. 
C LOGAN O'HOPPE (24)
2023 Stats: 51 games, .236/.296/.500, 14 HR, 113 wRC+, 0.2 WAR
There's a before and after for O'Hoppe. Before his injury, he hit .283/.339/.547 with a 137 wRC+ in 16 games; after he hit .217/.279/.481 with a 102 wRC+ in 35 games. But even that can be split up:  .145/.217/.291 with a 35 wRC+ in his first 15 games back, and .270/.325/.622 with a 152 wRC+ in his last 20 games.
So who is the "real" Logan O'Hoppe? I'm pretty bullish on him and think he's going to be one of the ten or so best catchers in baseball as soon as 2024. My lone complaint is that I'd like to see him take more walks. For his first few years in the minors (2018-21), his BB% was in the 7-8% range; in 2022, it doubled to 15.7% (70 walks in 104 games). In the majors so far, it has been back down to 7.4%. Presumably he'll eventually be somewhere in-between.
Anyhow, in 2023 the top two catchers by WAR were William Contreras (5.4) and Adley Rutschman (5.1), followed by four in the 4.1 to 4.7 range. After that there's a drop, with nine in the 2.0 to 2.8 range. My guess is that O'Hoppe splits the difference between two groups and finishes in the 3-4ish range, with 4-5 upside in peak years. But even if he becomes more of a 2-3 WAR player, he has a chance to become the best all-time Angels catcher by WAR before he reaches free agency (to be fair, that isn't saying much, with Bob Boone being the all-time leader with 13.1 WAR).
2024 Prediction: 113 games, .263/.337/.518, 23 HR, 128 wRC+, 3.1 WAR
1B NOLAN SCHANUEL (22)
2023 Stats: 29 games, .275/.402/.330, 112 wRC+, 0.1 WAR
Schanuel is one of the most unusual hitters in baseball. He walks a ton, but has virtually no power (1 HR, 3 2B in 30 hits last year), mainly due to an over-cutting swing that generates a lot of ground balls. I think he'll eventually develop at least low-average power (25-30 2B, 10-15 HR) to go along with a .290+ BA and 100+ walks. In other words, a poor man's Wade Boggs, though won't have the benefit of the Green Monster to bounce doubles off of. He might be slated to start the year in AAA, but I think will be the starting first baseman well before the All-Star break. With that OBP, he could end up being the most unconventional lead-off man the Angels have had since Brian Downing.
2024 Prediction: 110 games, .284/.407/.390, 7 HR, 124 wRC+, 2.0 WAR
2B LUIS RENGIFO (27)
2023: 126 games, .264/.339/.444, 16 HR, 114 wRC+, 1.9 WAR
Of all the players that I was concerned might be traded this offseason, Rengifo topped the list for me. He seemed to have a micro-breakthrough in the second half of 2022, hitting .267/.290/.455. After a slow start in 2023 (.219/.312/.326 in the first half), he exploded in the second half (.318/.374/.587). Now it could be that Rengifo is just a slow starter, and certainly I don't expect him to reach those numbers over a full season, but...I think he's going to take a big step forward in 2024 and, like O'Hoppe, be in the 5-10ish range for his position. But he's a guy to watch early on: if he starts strong, he could be even better than I'm predicting.
2024 Prediction: 143 games, .274/.348/.487, 23 HR, 126 wRC+, 3.4 WAR
SS ZACH NETO (23)
2023: 84 games, .225/.308/.377, 9 HR, 89 wRC+, 1.1 WAR
A bright spot early on, Neto impressed with his all-out play. He really seems to embody the notion of "spark-plug" - a guy who just brings life to the team, in the batter's box, on the base paths and, most of all, in the field where he was stellar. Some have compared him to Dustin Pedroia and David Eckstein; I think, when he finally reaches his potential, he'll be somewhere in-between the two. For next year, I expect better numbers than 2023, if only because his season will (hopefully) not be interrupted by a long injury layover, but Neto also seems to be the type of player who will miss time, due to his hard play. 
2024 Prediction: 133 games, .267/.328/.422, 14 HR, 105 wRC+, 2.7 WAR
3B ANTHONY RENDON (34)
2023: 43 games, .236/.361/.318, 95 wRC+, 0.2 WAR
What a disaster. Sorry, homers, but you're not a "hater" if you simply point out the obvious: Rendon hasn't been able to stay on the field the last three years (148 games all told), and when he has he hasn't been good. The pattern seems to be: start rusty and slow, get going and hot, get hurt and miss more time than expected, rinse and repeat. The thin slivers of hope are that A) He hasn't played much over the last four seasons, so has less wear-and-tear than a 33-34 year old normally has; and B) he has hit well once he throws off the rust. So maybe he has something left in the tank, but...Anyhow, I'll split the difference between "homerish optimism" and "more of the same."
2024 Prediction: 100 games, .271/.374/.420, 15 HR, 118 wRC+, 2.3 WAR
LF TAYLOR WARD (30)
2023: 97 games, .253/.335/.421, 14 HR, 107 wRC+, 1.5 WAR
For about a month and change in 2022, Taylor Ward looked like a breakthrough superstar. Then he crashed into a wall and was out for awhile. When he came back he didn't look the same, though gradually heated up and finished the year strong. Going into 2023, I had a lot of hope that he had had a legit breakthrough, but Ward's 2023 was another disappointment among many for the Angels, and just as he seemed to be finding his groove (a 197 wRC+ in his last 14 games), he was hit in the face by a 92-mph Alex Manoah sinker. It is anyone's guess how he'll come back. There's a non-zero chance that he will never comfortably stand in a batter's box again and/or that his vision will be compromised. As far as I know, there's been little news about his recovery other than the usual baseballspeak. He could put it all together and be the star player he's flashed for parts of the last two years, or end up as a charity-case bench player. To quote Fox Mulder, I want to believe.
2024 Prediction: 118 games, .274/.357/.491, 20 HR, 128 wRC+, 2.8 WAR
CF MIKE TROUT (32)
2023: 82 games, .263/.367/.490, 18 HR, 134 wRC+, 3.0 WAR
For the first month of 2023, Trout looked like Trout, hitting .320/.408/.612 with a 176 wRC+ through his first 26 games. Then for the next six weeks or so, he went through the worst such span of time of his career, hitting .199/.318/.351 (85 wRC+) from April 30 to June 16. He finally seemed to shake it off, hitting .340/.441/.680 (203 wRC+). June 17 until July 3 when he...broke his hand on a contact-less swing?! Only the Angels and, unfortunately, only Trout. After putting together what was arguably the best first eight full seasons in baseball history, Trout has been a shell of his former self the last four years, mostly due to a string of injuries that has seen him miss over half of all Angels games over the last three seasons.  Or to put it another way, from 2012-19 he was (70.6 WAR) was 50% better than the next guy (Buster Posey with 47.0 WAR); from 2020-23, he has been the 29th best player, producing 58% (13.8 WAR) of the leader during that span (Aaron Judge with 23.6 WAR)
I suppose the silver lining is that each injury has been different and mostly random; so it isn't like he has a bad knee or some other chronic injury (well, aside for that weird back condition). He just seems to have a knack for injury and, quite frankly, there's no reason to expect that to change. Still, there's also no reason to think that with a player of his talent and due to the freakish nature of his injuries, he can't put together a few reasonably health seasons in, if not 2012-19 form, something not far from it. I do think he bounces back, but it will be at a slightly lower level than what we've seen in his prime.
2024 Prediction: 128 games, .281/.393/.577, 34 HR, 163 wRC+, 6.5 WAR
RF JO ADELL (25)
2023: 17 games, .207/.258/.448, 86 wRC+, 0.2 WAR
The good news is that Adell seemed to improve in the ways that he needed to improve - he took more walks and played better defense. The bad news is that it was in AAA. More bad news is that, like everyone else, he got hurt and then only played 17 games in Anaheim. At 25 in April, he's no longer young; but he also isn't old. To some extent there's still the sense that Adell will either be a star or a bust, but I think more likely is that he's somewhere in-between, maybe something like Hunter Renfroe. He seems to really want it and will keep working to improve his game. But it is really coming down to a place where its now or never. 
2024 Prediction: 110 games, .252/.301/.493, 23 HR, 114 wRC+, 1.8 WAR
DH BRANDON DRURY (31)
2023: 125 games, .262/.306/.497, 26 HR, 114 wRC+, 2.5 WAR
Drury was one of the only bright spots for the Angels, and probably the only acquisition that actually turned out as hoped. He pretty much continued where he left off from 2022; now, averaging 2.8 WAR over the last two seasons, he's pretty much the definition of "quality regular." What you see is what you get. If the Angels are out of it in July, he's a likely trade candidate.
2024 Prediction: 130 games, .260/.315/.490, 27 HR, 118 wRC+, 2.0 WAR
OF MICKEY MONIAK (26)
2023: 85 games, .280/.307/.495, 14 HR, 114 wRC+, 1.5 WAR
Moniak seemed like he had finally found his first round potential in the first half, but there was a lingering concerning as he didn't walk. At all. He finished the year with an ungainly 9 walks to 113 strikeouts, which doesn't bode well for the future. But even after his midseason slump, he started hitting again; so he seems like a feast-or-famine guy, who will get hot for spells. On paper, he looks like a good platoon player or 4th outfielder, but this is a bit tricky with such a streaky player. But he'll be in the mix with the rest of the questionable cast of characters that will be the Angels outfield, and will get playing time. That said, he's the only player among the ten on this list that I predict will be worse in 2024 than in 2023.
2024 Prediction: 90 games, .250/.280/.442, 12 HR, 100 wRC+, 0.8 WAR
View the full article

By Jonathan Northrop, AngelsWin.com Senior Writer
It is probably too early for this, but I'm bored and what else are we going to discuss? Here's what I expect to see from the current team so far - at least the regulars. My predictions tend to be what I see as reasonable optimism, although this is partially in contrast to the everything-went-wrong fiasco that was the 2023 season. When considering playing time and injury, I'm treating each player individually, that is, in a vacuum; chances are, more games will be missed by some of the starters. 
C LOGAN O'HOPPE (24)
2023 Stats: 51 games, .236/.296/.500, 14 HR, 113 wRC+, 0.2 WAR
There's a before and after for O'Hoppe. Before his injury, he hit .283/.339/.547 with a 137 wRC+ in 16 games; after he hit .217/.279/.481 with a 102 wRC+ in 35 games. But even that can be split up:  .145/.217/.291 with a 35 wRC+ in his first 15 games back, and .270/.325/.622 with a 152 wRC+ in his last 20 games.
So who is the "real" Logan O'Hoppe? I'm pretty bullish on him and think he's going to be one of the ten or so best catchers in baseball as soon as 2024. My lone complaint is that I'd like to see him take more walks. For his first few years in the minors (2018-21), his BB% was in the 7-8% range; in 2022, it doubled to 15.7% (70 walks in 104 games). In the majors so far, it has been back down to 7.4%. Presumably he'll eventually be somewhere in-between.
Anyhow, in 2023 the top two catchers by WAR were William Contreras (5.4) and Adley Rutschman (5.1), followed by four in the 4.1 to 4.7 range. After that there's a drop, with nine in the 2.0 to 2.8 range. My guess is that O'Hoppe splits the difference between two groups and finishes in the 3-4ish range, with 4-5 upside in peak years. But even if he becomes more of a 2-3 WAR player, he has a chance to become the best all-time Angels catcher by WAR before he reaches free agency (to be fair, that isn't saying much, with Bob Boone being the all-time leader with 13.1 WAR).
2024 Prediction: 113 games, .263/.337/.518, 23 HR, 128 wRC+, 3.1 WAR
1B NOLAN SCHANUEL (22)
2023 Stats: 29 games, .275/.402/.330, 112 wRC+, 0.1 WAR
Schanuel is one of the most unusual hitters in baseball. He walks a ton, but has virtually no power (1 HR, 3 2B in 30 hits last year), mainly due to an over-cutting swing that generates a lot of ground balls. I think he'll eventually develop at least low-average power (25-30 2B, 10-15 HR) to go along with a .290+ BA and 100+ walks. In other words, a poor man's Wade Boggs, though won't have the benefit of the Green Monster to bounce doubles off of. He might be slated to start the year in AAA, but I think will be the starting first baseman well before the All-Star break. With that OBP, he could end up being the most unconventional lead-off man the Angels have had since Brian Downing.
2024 Prediction: 110 games, .284/.407/.390, 7 HR, 124 wRC+, 2.0 WAR
2B LUIS RENGIFO (27)
2023: 126 games, .264/.339/.444, 16 HR, 114 wRC+, 1.9 WAR
Of all the players that I was concerned might be traded this offseason, Rengifo topped the list for me. He seemed to have a micro-breakthrough in the second half of 2022, hitting .267/.290/.455. After a slow start in 2023 (.219/.312/.326 in the first half), he exploded in the second half (.318/.374/.587). Now it could be that Rengifo is just a slow starter, and certainly I don't expect him to reach those numbers over a full season, but...I think he's going to take a big step forward in 2024 and, like O'Hoppe, be in the 5-10ish range for his position. But he's a guy to watch early on: if he starts strong, he could be even better than I'm predicting.
2024 Prediction: 143 games, .274/.348/.487, 23 HR, 126 wRC+, 3.4 WAR
SS ZACH NETO (23)
2023: 84 games, .225/.308/.377, 9 HR, 89 wRC+, 1.1 WAR
A bright spot early on, Neto impressed with his all-out play. He really seems to embody the notion of "spark-plug" - a guy who just brings life to the team, in the batter's box, on the base paths and, most of all, in the field where he was stellar. Some have compared him to Dustin Pedroia and David Eckstein; I think, when he finally reaches his potential, he'll be somewhere in-between the two. For next year, I expect better numbers than 2023, if only because his season will (hopefully) not be interrupted by a long injury layover, but Neto also seems to be the type of player who will miss time, due to his hard play. 
2024 Prediction: 133 games, .267/.328/.422, 14 HR, 105 wRC+, 2.7 WAR
3B ANTHONY RENDON (34)
2023: 43 games, .236/.361/.318, 95 wRC+, 0.2 WAR
What a disaster. Sorry, homers, but you're not a "hater" if you simply point out the obvious: Rendon hasn't been able to stay on the field the last three years (148 games all told), and when he has he hasn't been good. The pattern seems to be: start rusty and slow, get going and hot, get hurt and miss more time than expected, rinse and repeat. The thin slivers of hope are that A) He hasn't played much over the last four seasons, so has less wear-and-tear than a 33-34 year old normally has; and B) he has hit well once he throws off the rust. So maybe he has something left in the tank, but...Anyhow, I'll split the difference between "homerish optimism" and "more of the same."
2024 Prediction: 100 games, .271/.374/.420, 15 HR, 118 wRC+, 2.3 WAR
LF TAYLOR WARD (30)
2023: 97 games, .253/.335/.421, 14 HR, 107 wRC+, 1.5 WAR
For about a month and change in 2022, Taylor Ward looked like a breakthrough superstar. Then he crashed into a wall and was out for awhile. When he came back he didn't look the same, though gradually heated up and finished the year strong. Going into 2023, I had a lot of hope that he had had a legit breakthrough, but Ward's 2023 was another disappointment among many for the Angels, and just as he seemed to be finding his groove (a 197 wRC+ in his last 14 games), he was hit in the face by a 92-mph Alex Manoah sinker. It is anyone's guess how he'll come back. There's a non-zero chance that he will never comfortably stand in a batter's box again and/or that his vision will be compromised. As far as I know, there's been little news about his recovery other than the usual baseballspeak. He could put it all together and be the star player he's flashed for parts of the last two years, or end up as a charity-case bench player. To quote Fox Mulder, I want to believe.
2024 Prediction: 118 games, .274/.357/.491, 20 HR, 128 wRC+, 2.8 WAR
CF MIKE TROUT (32)
2023: 82 games, .263/.367/.490, 18 HR, 134 wRC+, 3.0 WAR
For the first month of 2023, Trout looked like Trout, hitting .320/.408/.612 with a 176 wRC+ through his first 26 games. Then for the next six weeks or so, he went through the worst such span of time of his career, hitting .199/.318/.351 (85 wRC+) from April 30 to June 16. He finally seemed to shake it off, hitting .340/.441/.680 (203 wRC+). June 17 until July 3 when he...broke his hand on a contact-less swing?! Only the Angels and, unfortunately, only Trout. After putting together what was arguably the best first eight full seasons in baseball history, Trout has been a shell of his former self the last four years, mostly due to a string of injuries that has seen him miss over half of all Angels games over the last three seasons.  Or to put it another way, from 2012-19 he was (70.6 WAR) was 50% better than the next guy (Buster Posey with 47.0 WAR); from 2020-23, he has been the 29th best player, producing 58% (13.8 WAR) of the leader during that span (Aaron Judge with 23.6 WAR)
I suppose the silver lining is that each injury has been different and mostly random; so it isn't like he has a bad knee or some other chronic injury (well, aside for that weird back condition). He just seems to have a knack for injury and, quite frankly, there's no reason to expect that to change. Still, there's also no reason to think that with a player of his talent and due to the freakish nature of his injuries, he can't put together a few reasonably health seasons in, if not 2012-19 form, something not far from it. I do think he bounces back, but it will be at a slightly lower level than what we've seen in his prime.
2024 Prediction: 128 games, .281/.393/.577, 34 HR, 163 wRC+, 6.5 WAR
RF JO ADELL (25)
2023: 17 games, .207/.258/.448, 86 wRC+, 0.2 WAR
The good news is that Adell seemed to improve in the ways that he needed to improve - he took more walks and played better defense. The bad news is that it was in AAA. More bad news is that, like everyone else, he got hurt and then only played 17 games in Anaheim. At 25 in April, he's no longer young; but he also isn't old. To some extent there's still the sense that Adell will either be a star or a bust, but I think more likely is that he's somewhere in-between, maybe something like Hunter Renfroe. He seems to really want it and will keep working to improve his game. But it is really coming down to a place where its now or never. 
2024 Prediction: 110 games, .252/.301/.493, 23 HR, 114 wRC+, 1.8 WAR
DH BRANDON DRURY (31)
2023: 125 games, .262/.306/.497, 26 HR, 114 wRC+, 2.5 WAR
Drury was one of the only bright spots for the Angels, and probably the only acquisition that actually turned out as hoped. He pretty much continued where he left off from 2022; now, averaging 2.8 WAR over the last two seasons, he's pretty much the definition of "quality regular." What you see is what you get. If the Angels are out of it in July, he's a likely trade candidate.
2024 Prediction: 130 games, .260/.315/.490, 27 HR, 118 wRC+, 2.0 WAR
OF MICKEY MONIAK (26)
2023: 85 games, .280/.307/.495, 14 HR, 114 wRC+, 1.5 WAR
Moniak seemed like he had finally found his first round potential in the first half, but there was a lingering concerning as he didn't walk. At all. He finished the year with an ungainly 9 walks to 113 strikeouts, which doesn't bode well for the future. But even after his midseason slump, he started hitting again; so he seems like a feast-or-famine guy, who will get hot for spells. On paper, he looks like a good platoon player or 4th outfielder, but this is a bit tricky with such a streaky player. But he'll be in the mix with the rest of the questionable cast of characters that will be the Angels outfield, and will get playing time. That said, he's the only player among the ten on this list that I predict will be worse in 2024 than in 2023.
2024 Prediction: 90 games, .250/.280/.442, 12 HR, 100 wRC+, 0.8 WAR
View the full article

By Jonathan Northrop, AngelsWin.com Senior Writer
It is probably too early for this, but I'm bored and what else are we going to discuss? Here's what I expect to see from the current team so far - at least the regulars. My predictions tend to be what I see as reasonable optimism, although this is partially in contrast to the everything-went-wrong fiasco that was the 2023 season. When considering playing time and injury, I'm treating each player individually, that is, in a vacuum; chances are, more games will be missed by some of the starters. 
C LOGAN O'HOPPE (24)
2023 Stats: 51 games, .236/.296/.500, 14 HR, 113 wRC+, 0.2 WAR
There's a before and after for O'Hoppe. Before his injury, he hit .283/.339/.547 with a 137 wRC+ in 16 games; after he hit .217/.279/.481 with a 102 wRC+ in 35 games. But even that can be split up:  .145/.217/.291 with a 35 wRC+ in his first 15 games back, and .270/.325/.622 with a 152 wRC+ in his last 20 games.
So who is the "real" Logan O'Hoppe? I'm pretty bullish on him and think he's going to be one of the ten or so best catchers in baseball as soon as 2024. My lone complaint is that I'd like to see him take more walks. For his first few years in the minors (2018-21), his BB% was in the 7-8% range; in 2022, it doubled to 15.7% (70 walks in 104 games). In the majors so far, it has been back down to 7.4%. Presumably he'll eventually be somewhere in-between.
Anyhow, in 2023 the top two catchers by WAR were William Contreras (5.4) and Adley Rutschman (5.1), followed by four in the 4.1 to 4.7 range. After that there's a drop, with nine in the 2.0 to 2.8 range. My guess is that O'Hoppe splits the difference between two groups and finishes in the 3-4ish range, with 4-5 upside in peak years. But even if he becomes more of a 2-3 WAR player, he has a chance to become the best all-time Angels catcher by WAR before he reaches free agency (to be fair, that isn't saying much, with Bob Boone being the all-time leader with 13.1 WAR).
2024 Prediction: 113 games, .263/.337/.518, 23 HR, 128 wRC+, 3.1 WAR
1B NOLAN SCHANUEL (22)
2023 Stats: 29 games, .275/.402/.330, 112 wRC+, 0.1 WAR
Schanuel is one of the most unusual hitters in baseball. He walks a ton, but has virtually no power (1 HR, 3 2B in 30 hits last year), mainly due to an over-cutting swing that generates a lot of ground balls. I think he'll eventually develop at least low-average power (25-30 2B, 10-15 HR) to go along with a .290+ BA and 100+ walks. In other words, a poor man's Wade Boggs, though won't have the benefit of the Green Monster to bounce doubles off of. He might be slated to start the year in AAA, but I think will be the starting first baseman well before the All-Star break. With that OBP, he could end up being the most unconventional lead-off man the Angels have had since Brian Downing.
2024 Prediction: 110 games, .284/.407/.390, 7 HR, 124 wRC+, 2.0 WAR
2B LUIS RENGIFO (27)
2023: 126 games, .264/.339/.444, 16 HR, 114 wRC+, 1.9 WAR
Of all the players that I was concerned might be traded this offseason, Rengifo topped the list for me. He seemed to have a micro-breakthrough in the second half of 2022, hitting .267/.290/.455. After a slow start in 2023 (.219/.312/.326 in the first half), he exploded in the second half (.318/.374/.587). Now it could be that Rengifo is just a slow starter, and certainly I don't expect him to reach those numbers over a full season, but...I think he's going to take a big step forward in 2024 and, like O'Hoppe, be in the 5-10ish range for his position. But he's a guy to watch early on: if he starts strong, he could be even better than I'm predicting.
2024 Prediction: 143 games, .274/.348/.487, 23 HR, 126 wRC+, 3.4 WAR
SS ZACH NETO (23)
2023: 84 games, .225/.308/.377, 9 HR, 89 wRC+, 1.1 WAR
A bright spot early on, Neto impressed with his all-out play. He really seems to embody the notion of "spark-plug" - a guy who just brings life to the team, in the batter's box, on the base paths and, most of all, in the field where he was stellar. Some have compared him to Dustin Pedroia and David Eckstein; I think, when he finally reaches his potential, he'll be somewhere in-between the two. For next year, I expect better numbers than 2023, if only because his season will (hopefully) not be interrupted by a long injury layover, but Neto also seems to be the type of player who will miss time, due to his hard play. 
2024 Prediction: 133 games, .267/.328/.422, 14 HR, 105 wRC+, 2.7 WAR
3B ANTHONY RENDON (34)
2023: 43 games, .236/.361/.318, 95 wRC+, 0.2 WAR
What a disaster. Sorry, homers, but you're not a "hater" if you simply point out the obvious: Rendon hasn't been able to stay on the field the last three years (148 games all told), and when he has he hasn't been good. The pattern seems to be: start rusty and slow, get going and hot, get hurt and miss more time than expected, rinse and repeat. The thin slivers of hope are that A) He hasn't played much over the last four seasons, so has less wear-and-tear than a 33-34 year old normally has; and B) he has hit well once he throws off the rust. So maybe he has something left in the tank, but...Anyhow, I'll split the difference between "homerish optimism" and "more of the same."
2024 Prediction: 100 games, .271/.374/.420, 15 HR, 118 wRC+, 2.3 WAR
LF TAYLOR WARD (30)
2023: 97 games, .253/.335/.421, 14 HR, 107 wRC+, 1.5 WAR
For about a month and change in 2022, Taylor Ward looked like a breakthrough superstar. Then he crashed into a wall and was out for awhile. When he came back he didn't look the same, though gradually heated up and finished the year strong. Going into 2023, I had a lot of hope that he had had a legit breakthrough, but Ward's 2023 was another disappointment among many for the Angels, and just as he seemed to be finding his groove (a 197 wRC+ in his last 14 games), he was hit in the face by a 92-mph Alex Manoah sinker. It is anyone's guess how he'll come back. There's a non-zero chance that he will never comfortably stand in a batter's box again and/or that his vision will be compromised. As far as I know, there's been little news about his recovery other than the usual baseballspeak. He could put it all together and be the star player he's flashed for parts of the last two years, or end up as a charity-case bench player. To quote Fox Mulder, I want to believe.
2024 Prediction: 118 games, .274/.357/.491, 20 HR, 128 wRC+, 2.8 WAR
CF MIKE TROUT (32)
2023: 82 games, .263/.367/.490, 18 HR, 134 wRC+, 3.0 WAR
For the first month of 2023, Trout looked like Trout, hitting .320/.408/.612 with a 176 wRC+ through his first 26 games. Then for the next six weeks or so, he went through the worst such span of time of his career, hitting .199/.318/.351 (85 wRC+) from April 30 to June 16. He finally seemed to shake it off, hitting .340/.441/.680 (203 wRC+). June 17 until July 3 when he...broke his hand on a contact-less swing?! Only the Angels and, unfortunately, only Trout. After putting together what was arguably the best first eight full seasons in baseball history, Trout has been a shell of his former self the last four years, mostly due to a string of injuries that has seen him miss over half of all Angels games over the last three seasons.  Or to put it another way, from 2012-19 he was (70.6 WAR) was 50% better than the next guy (Buster Posey with 47.0 WAR); from 2020-23, he has been the 29th best player, producing 58% (13.8 WAR) of the leader during that span (Aaron Judge with 23.6 WAR)
I suppose the silver lining is that each injury has been different and mostly random; so it isn't like he has a bad knee or some other chronic injury (well, aside for that weird back condition). He just seems to have a knack for injury and, quite frankly, there's no reason to expect that to change. Still, there's also no reason to think that with a player of his talent and due to the freakish nature of his injuries, he can't put together a few reasonably health seasons in, if not 2012-19 form, something not far from it. I do think he bounces back, but it will be at a slightly lower level than what we've seen in his prime.
2024 Prediction: 128 games, .281/.393/.577, 34 HR, 163 wRC+, 6.5 WAR
RF JO ADELL (25)
2023: 17 games, .207/.258/.448, 86 wRC+, 0.2 WAR
The good news is that Adell seemed to improve in the ways that he needed to improve - he took more walks and played better defense. The bad news is that it was in AAA. More bad news is that, like everyone else, he got hurt and then only played 17 games in Anaheim. At 25 in April, he's no longer young; but he also isn't old. To some extent there's still the sense that Adell will either be a star or a bust, but I think more likely is that he's somewhere in-between, maybe something like Hunter Renfroe. He seems to really want it and will keep working to improve his game. But it is really coming down to a place where its now or never. 
2024 Prediction: 110 games, .252/.301/.493, 23 HR, 114 wRC+, 1.8 WAR
DH BRANDON DRURY (31)
2023: 125 games, .262/.306/.497, 26 HR, 114 wRC+, 2.5 WAR
Drury was one of the only bright spots for the Angels, and probably the only acquisition that actually turned out as hoped. He pretty much continued where he left off from 2022; now, averaging 2.8 WAR over the last two seasons, he's pretty much the definition of "quality regular." What you see is what you get. If the Angels are out of it in July, he's a likely trade candidate.
2024 Prediction: 130 games, .260/.315/.490, 27 HR, 118 wRC+, 2.0 WAR
OF MICKEY MONIAK (26)
2023: 85 games, .280/.307/.495, 14 HR, 114 wRC+, 1.5 WAR
Moniak seemed like he had finally found his first round potential in the first half, but there was a lingering concerning as he didn't walk. At all. He finished the year with an ungainly 9 walks to 113 strikeouts, which doesn't bode well for the future. But even after his midseason slump, he started hitting again; so he seems like a feast-or-famine guy, who will get hot for spells. On paper, he looks like a good platoon player or 4th outfielder, but this is a bit tricky with such a streaky player. But he'll be in the mix with the rest of the questionable cast of characters that will be the Angels outfield, and will get playing time. That said, he's the only player among the ten on this list that I predict will be worse in 2024 than in 2023.
2024 Prediction: 90 games, .250/.280/.442, 12 HR, 100 wRC+, 0.8 WAR
View the full article

By Geoff Stoddart, AngelsWin.com Chief Operating Officer
20 years! AngelsWin.com turned 20 years old in 2024! For many of us that joined Chuck Richter on this adventure back at the beginning, it hardly seems possible.  It’s truly one of those, “wait … how old am I?” moments.
Many of the everyday staples of modern life, things that feel like they’ve been around forever, actually came to be after AngelsWin. Things like: the iPhone, Facebook, X/Twitter, TikTok, SnapChat, Instagram, Smashburger, Barstool Sports internet platform, even Taylor Swift albums.
After relocating from Orange County to the Pacific Northwest (now in Tennessee), Chuck launched the website as a way for Angels fans around the country and around the world to stay connected to the team and sport they loved, and to discuss topics that related to both. As the AngelsWin membership numbers grew, so did the sense that something special was happening. It became a real community. Maybe not quite a family, but it often has felt that way.
We’ve seen both the best and hardest parts of life and have experienced it all together. Marriages, divorces, births of children, deaths of friends and family, the excitement of new career advancements and the pain of job losses. For 20 years, we’ve gone through it all … together.
But the throughline, the connected tissue, for it all has always been the team in red. The boys of summer. It’s always been about the Angels.
What started out as a simple Angels message board & blog page grew into a news and reporting outlet. We were one of the first independent fansites to be awarded a Major League Baseball media credential by the Angels. Correspondences from AngelsWin have participated in team events and press conferences such as the introduction of Albert Pujols, the contract extension for Mike Trout and the welcoming Shohei Ohtani. Over the years, the site has been recognized by Forbes, Fox Sports, ESPN, CNN, MLB Network, Japan Times, Washington Post, MLB Trade Rumors, the Orange County Register, LA Times and the Angels tv and radio broadcasts for our reporting and insights. Members of the AngelsWin writing staff were also instrumental in, and recognized for, providing content for the organization’s  “Under the Halo: The Official History of Angels Baseball” book.
We’ve hosted many fan events, including Spring and Summer Fanfests where we’ve welcomed such guests as Arte Moreno, Tim Salmon, Don Baylor, Wally Joyner, Kole Calhoun, Matt Shoemaker, Hector Santiago, Randal Grichuk, Jerome Williams, ex-GM Jerry Dipoto, Dennis Kuhl, Victor Rojas, Jose Mota, Terry Smith, Rex Hudler, Steve Physioc and Tim Mead.
In 2023, Chuck and Geoff Stoddart relaunched the AngelsWin Podcast. This time around, they were joined by former Angels broadcaster, Victor Rojas. 27 episodes in (as of the writing of this piece), the podcast has enjoyed wild success, with tens of thousands of views on YouTube and tens of thousands more downloads on platforms like Spotify, iTunes and iHeart.  
It has been, and continues to be, a wild journey. Whether you’ve been with us for 20 years or 20 minutes, we thank you! In the end, we are a sum of our part. The sum of our people. 
AngelsWin.com is “The internet home for Angels fans worldwide” – where fans can cheer, boo, argue, laugh, complain and discuss the team and sport they love.
Here’s to 20 great years and the hope of another 20 more.  Go Angels!
View the full article

My son doing some of these graphics kind of speaks to the life moments everyone has shared together on this website.  Chase is 15, so we were only 5 year into the AW journey when he was born.  That he's now contributing to the AngelsWin by doing graphics with the other guys is just crazy to me ... but I love it!
 

By Geoff Stoddart, AngelsWin.com Chief Operating Officer
20 years! AngelsWin.com turned 20 years old in 2024! For many of us that joined Chuck Richter on this adventure back at the beginning, it hardly seems possible.  It’s truly one of those, “wait … how old am I?” moments.
Many of the everyday staples of modern life, things that feel like they’ve been around forever, actually came to be after AngelsWin. Things like: the iPhone, Facebook, X/Twitter, TikTok, SnapChat, Instagram, Smashburger, Barstool Sports internet platform, even Taylor Swift albums.
After relocating from Orange County to the Pacific Northwest (now in Tennessee), Chuck launched the website as a way for Angels fans around the country and around the world to stay connected to the team and sport they loved, and to discuss topics that related to both. As the AngelsWin membership numbers grew, so did the sense that something special was happening. It became a real community. Maybe not quite a family, but it often has felt that way.
We’ve seen both the best and hardest parts of life and have experienced it all together. Marriages, divorces, births of children, deaths of friends and family, the excitement of new career advancements and the pain of job losses. For 20 years, we’ve gone through it all … together.
But the throughline, the connected tissue, for it all has always been the team in red. The boys of summer. It’s always been about the Angels.
What started out as a simple Angels message board & blog page grew into a news and reporting outlet. We were one of the first independent fansites to be awarded a Major League Baseball media credential by the Angels. Correspondences from AngelsWin have participated in team events and press conferences such as the introduction of Albert Pujols, the contract extension for Mike Trout and the welcoming Shohei Ohtani. Over the years, the site has been recognized by Forbes, Fox Sports, ESPN, CNN, MLB Network, Japan Times, Washington Post, MLB Trade Rumors, the Orange County Register, LA Times and the Angels tv and radio broadcasts for our reporting and insights. Members of the AngelsWin writing staff were also instrumental in, and recognized for, providing content for the organization’s  “Under the Halo: The Official History of Angels Baseball” book.
We’ve hosted many fan events, including Spring and Summer Fanfests where we’ve welcomed such guests as Arte Moreno, Tim Salmon, Don Baylor, Wally Joyner, Kole Calhoun, Matt Shoemaker, Hector Santiago, Randal Grichuk, Jerome Williams, ex-GM Jerry Dipoto, Dennis Kuhl, Victor Rojas, Jose Mota, Terry Smith, Rex Hudler, Steve Physioc and Tim Mead.
In 2023, Chuck and Geoff Stoddart relaunched the AngelsWin Podcast. This time around, they were joined by former Angels broadcaster, Victor Rojas. 27 episodes in (as of the writing of this piece), the podcast has enjoyed wild success, with tens of thousands of views on YouTube and tens of thousands more downloads on platforms like Spotify, iTunes and iHeart.  
It has been, and continues to be, a wild journey. Whether you’ve been with us for 20 years or 20 minutes, we thank you! In the end, we are a sum of our part. The sum of our people. 
AngelsWin.com is “The internet home for Angels fans worldwide” – where fans can cheer, boo, argue, laugh, complain and discuss the team and sport they love.
Here’s to 20 great years and the hope of another 20 more.  Go Angels!
View the full article

By Geoff Stoddart, AngelsWin.com Chief Operating Officer
20 years! AngelsWin.com turned 20 years old in 2024! For many of us that joined Chuck Richter on this adventure back at the beginning, it hardly seems possible.  It’s truly one of those, “wait … how old am I?” moments.
Many of the everyday staples of modern life, things that feel like they’ve been around forever, actually came to be after AngelsWin. Things like: the iPhone, Facebook, X/Twitter, TikTok, SnapChat, Instagram, Smashburger, Barstool Sports internet platform, even Taylor Swift albums.
After relocating from Orange County to the Pacific Northwest (now in Tennessee), Chuck launched the website as a way for Angels fans around the country and around the world to stay connected to the team and sport they loved, and to discuss topics that related to both. As the AngelsWin membership numbers grew, so did the sense that something special was happening. It became a real community. Maybe not quite a family, but it often has felt that way.
We’ve seen both the best and hardest parts of life and have experienced it all together. Marriages, divorces, births of children, deaths of friends and family, the excitement of new career advancements and the pain of job losses. For 20 years, we’ve gone through it all … together.
But the throughline, the connected tissue, for it all has always been the team in red. The boys of summer. It’s always been about the Angels.
What started out as a simple Angels message board & blog page grew into a news and reporting outlet. We were one of the first independent fansites to be awarded a Major League Baseball media credential by the Angels. Correspondences from AngelsWin have participated in team events and press conferences such as the introduction of Albert Pujols, the contract extension for Mike Trout and the welcoming Shohei Ohtani. Over the years, the site has been recognized by Forbes, Fox Sports, ESPN, CNN, MLB Network, Japan Times, Washington Post, MLB Trade Rumors, the Orange County Register, LA Times and the Angels tv and radio broadcasts for our reporting and insights. Members of the AngelsWin writing staff were also instrumental in, and recognized for, providing content for the organization’s  “Under the Halo: The Official History of Angels Baseball” book.
We’ve hosted many fan events, including Spring and Summer Fanfests where we’ve welcomed such guests as Arte Moreno, Tim Salmon, Don Baylor, Wally Joyner, Kole Calhoun, Matt Shoemaker, Hector Santiago, Randal Grichuk, Jerome Williams, ex-GM Jerry Dipoto, Dennis Kuhl, Victor Rojas, Jose Mota, Terry Smith, Rex Hudler, Steve Physioc and Tim Mead.
In 2023, Chuck and Geoff Stoddart relaunched the AngelsWin Podcast. This time around, they were joined by former Angels broadcaster, Victor Rojas. 27 episodes in (as of the writing of this piece), the podcast has enjoyed wild success, with tens of thousands of views on YouTube and tens of thousands more downloads on platforms like Spotify, iTunes and iHeart.  
It has been, and continues to be, a wild journey. Whether you’ve been with us for 20 years or 20 minutes, we thank you! In the end, we are a sum of our part. The sum of our people. 
AngelsWin.com is “The internet home for Angels fans worldwide” – where fans can cheer, boo, argue, laugh, complain and discuss the team and sport they love.
Here’s to 20 great years and the hope of another 20 more.  Go Angels!
View the full article

Congratulations on 20 years of being THE home for us Angels fans @Chuck.  I believe I got here shortly after the Vlad signing. You sent me an email through AOL I believe, inviting me over. I loved the simplicity of it back then, with one board, that had baseball topics and off baseball topics. The most active  members of the day were @Victorious Ghost, @Adam @Glen @nate Jeff, who was on of the “LTH” names, @Tank, @Spirit who had a different name, @Brandon, @Lou, @Lifetime, who didn’t say that, @Blarg,  @Angel Oracle, @Docwaukee, @Inside Pitch and a handful of others. 

By Geoff Stoddart, AngelsWin.com Chief Operating Officer
20 years! AngelsWin.com turned 20 years old in 2024! For many of us that joined Chuck Richter on this adventure back at the beginning, it hardly seems possible.  It’s truly one of those, “wait … how old am I?” moments.
Many of the everyday staples of modern life, things that feel like they’ve been around forever, actually came to be after AngelsWin. Things like: the iPhone, Facebook, X/Twitter, TikTok, SnapChat, Instagram, Smashburger, Barstool Sports internet platform, even Taylor Swift albums.
After relocating from Orange County to the Pacific Northwest (now in Tennessee), Chuck launched the website as a way for Angels fans around the country and around the world to stay connected to the team and sport they loved, and to discuss topics that related to both. As the AngelsWin membership numbers grew, so did the sense that something special was happening. It became a real community. Maybe not quite a family, but it often has felt that way.
We’ve seen both the best and hardest parts of life and have experienced it all together. Marriages, divorces, births of children, deaths of friends and family, the excitement of new career advancements and the pain of job losses. For 20 years, we’ve gone through it all … together.
But the throughline, the connected tissue, for it all has always been the team in red. The boys of summer. It’s always been about the Angels.
What started out as a simple Angels message board & blog page grew into a news and reporting outlet. We were one of the first independent fansites to be awarded a Major League Baseball media credential by the Angels. Correspondences from AngelsWin have participated in team events and press conferences such as the introduction of Albert Pujols, the contract extension for Mike Trout and the welcoming Shohei Ohtani. Over the years, the site has been recognized by Forbes, Fox Sports, ESPN, CNN, MLB Network, Japan Times, Washington Post, MLB Trade Rumors, the Orange County Register, LA Times and the Angels tv and radio broadcasts for our reporting and insights. Members of the AngelsWin writing staff were also instrumental in, and recognized for, providing content for the organization’s  “Under the Halo: The Official History of Angels Baseball” book.
We’ve hosted many fan events, including Spring and Summer Fanfests where we’ve welcomed such guests as Arte Moreno, Tim Salmon, Don Baylor, Wally Joyner, Kole Calhoun, Matt Shoemaker, Hector Santiago, Randal Grichuk, Jerome Williams, ex-GM Jerry Dipoto, Dennis Kuhl, Victor Rojas, Jose Mota, Terry Smith, Rex Hudler, Steve Physioc and Tim Mead.
In 2023, Chuck and Geoff Stoddart relaunched the AngelsWin Podcast. This time around, they were joined by former Angels broadcaster, Victor Rojas. 27 episodes in (as of the writing of this piece), the podcast has enjoyed wild success, with tens of thousands of views on YouTube and tens of thousands more downloads on platforms like Spotify, iTunes and iHeart.  
It has been, and continues to be, a wild journey. Whether you’ve been with us for 20 years or 20 minutes, we thank you! In the end, we are a sum of our part. The sum of our people. 
AngelsWin.com is “The internet home for Angels fans worldwide” – where fans can cheer, boo, argue, laugh, complain and discuss the team and sport they love.
Here’s to 20 great years and the hope of another 20 more.  Go Angels!
View the full article

By Geoff Stoddart, AngelsWin.com Chief Operating Officer
20 years! AngelsWin.com turned 20 years old in 2024! For many of us that joined Chuck Richter on this adventure back at the beginning, it hardly seems possible.  It’s truly one of those, “wait … how old am I?” moments.
Many of the everyday staples of modern life, things that feel like they’ve been around forever, actually came to be after AngelsWin. Things like: the iPhone, Facebook, X/Twitter, TikTok, SnapChat, Instagram, Smashburger, Barstool Sports internet platform, even Taylor Swift albums.
After relocating from Orange County to the Pacific Northwest (now in Tennessee), Chuck launched the website as a way for Angels fans around the country and around the world to stay connected to the team and sport they loved, and to discuss topics that related to both. As the AngelsWin membership numbers grew, so did the sense that something special was happening. It became a real community. Maybe not quite a family, but it often has felt that way.
We’ve seen both the best and hardest parts of life and have experienced it all together. Marriages, divorces, births of children, deaths of friends and family, the excitement of new career advancements and the pain of job losses. For 20 years, we’ve gone through it all … together.
But the throughline, the connected tissue, for it all has always been the team in red. The boys of summer. It’s always been about the Angels.
What started out as a simple Angels message board & blog page grew into a news and reporting outlet. We were one of the first independent fansites to be awarded a Major League Baseball media credential by the Angels. Correspondences from AngelsWin have participated in team events and press conferences such as the introduction of Albert Pujols, the contract extension for Mike Trout and the welcoming Shohei Ohtani. Over the years, the site has been recognized by Forbes, Fox Sports, ESPN, CNN, MLB Network, Japan Times, Washington Post, MLB Trade Rumors, the Orange County Register, LA Times and the Angels tv and radio broadcasts for our reporting and insights. Members of the AngelsWin writing staff were also instrumental in, and recognized for, providing content for the organization’s  “Under the Halo: The Official History of Angels Baseball” book.
We’ve hosted many fan events, including Spring and Summer Fanfests where we’ve welcomed such guests as Arte Moreno, Tim Salmon, Don Baylor, Wally Joyner, Kole Calhoun, Matt Shoemaker, Hector Santiago, Randal Grichuk, Jerome Williams, ex-GM Jerry Dipoto, Dennis Kuhl, Victor Rojas, Jose Mota, Terry Smith, Rex Hudler, Steve Physioc and Tim Mead.
In 2023, Chuck and Geoff Stoddart relaunched the AngelsWin Podcast. This time around, they were joined by former Angels broadcaster, Victor Rojas. 27 episodes in (as of the writing of this piece), the podcast has enjoyed wild success, with tens of thousands of views on YouTube and tens of thousands more downloads on platforms like Spotify, iTunes and iHeart.  
It has been, and continues to be, a wild journey. Whether you’ve been with us for 20 years or 20 minutes, we thank you! In the end, we are a sum of our part. The sum of our people. 
AngelsWin.com is “The internet home for Angels fans worldwide” – where fans can cheer, boo, argue, laugh, complain and discuss the team and sport they love.
Here’s to 20 great years and the hope of another 20 more.  Go Angels!
View the full article

Around 10 PM on December 30th, Robert Murray broke the Angels 4th MLB roster transaction of the offseason, 28 year old right hander Zach Plesac.  Plesac wasn't a player very high on many people's radars - a large amount of his 2023 season was spent in AAA - which makes giving him a Major League contract even more perplexing.  Clearly, though, the Angels see something in him. Any baseball fan could look at his 7.59 ERA and label him as a lost cause, but the Angels saw something that they think could provide value in 2024.  Let's take a deeper look into who Plesac is and what they could have seen.
First off, the exact contract details haven't been revealed yet, but we can make a pretty educated guess based on Plesac's recent transaction history.  He was DFA'd on June 11th and cleared waivers, meaning no team wanted him for his $2.95M salary.  We can assume if the Angels wouldn't take that chance in June, they wouldn't give him that (or more), now. The minimum is $720K, meaning that Plesac's deal is more than likely between $720K and $2.95M a year.  If I was personally guessing, I would assume it's a 1 year deal worth something like $1.5 million.  Also, the term Major League deal doesn't mean he's tied to the bigs - he has 2 option years left so if he doesn't make a strong impression I would guess he starts in Salt Lake.
Diving into Plesac's stats, he hasn't been the worst pitcher in baseball over his career, far from it.  Since 2018, he has an above average ERA+, higher than that of former Angels Lucas Giolito, Andrew Heaney, and Alex Cobb. His 2020, although it was shortened, was exceptional, putting up a 196 ERA+ and 3.39 FIP across 55.1 innings. His 2019 was more complete and still respectable, with a 124 ERA+ over 115.2 innings.
His peripherals show both positives and negatives in his profile. He does a great job controlling the walk (terrible 2023 included), and he gets lots of swings on pitches outside of the zone.  The problem areas are, well, everywhere else. His best pitches are his off speed and breaking stuff, but his fastball - which he throws 40% of the time - isn't effective at all in terms of velocity or spin.  This leads to 1) lots of hard contact, 2) difficulty finishing off batters, and 3) Zach getting frustrated.  
Starting with contact, even at his best in 2020 Plesac's fastball was below average, leading to a 17th percentile finish in Barrel%. In his worse years, 2021-2023, he consistently finished at the bottom of the league in both Barrel% and Hard Hit%.  This has translated to 45 home runs allowed over the last 3 seasons,  in the top third of the league despite only throwing 21 innings in 2023. 
The biggest missing piece for Plesac seems to be his lack of K's. As stated before, he gets lots of chases out of the zone because of his solid breaking stuff. However, his fastball holds him back from becoming a high-volume strikeout pitcher. He's been near the bottom of the league in K% and Whiff% every year of his career except one - 2020.  It was the best year for his fastball (still not great), and his only above average year in getting strikeouts, which I don't think is a coincidence.  If I had to guess this is the key the Angels think they see - if they can get him to even a league average fastball he could be a solid rotation piece. 
Finally, his off the field stuff. Plesac's stellar 2020 was cut short because he was optioned by the Guardians after breaking curfew and violating Covid-19 regulations. In 2022 he broke his thumb punching the pitching mound, perhaps only surpassable in stupidity by when he broke his thumb in 2021 by "aggressively ripping off his shirt."  It seems like mostly short outbursts and a stupid decision during quarantine, but it's something to watch.
I think for the financial risk, this deal is nothing to worry about. I've seen people upset that it was a Major League deal, but I assume his role will be Triple-A depth starter and the type of contract was more of a tactic to get him to sign. The Angels process of  "low risk, high reward" applies here, but I'll add that given the track record of Angels pitching development, and Plesac's recent performance, I'll tamper my expectations on seeing that reward come to fruition. We'll see what Barry Enright and the new staff have in store for him come springtime.
 
 
 
 
View the full article

I'll go first...
The Angels: I hope that through good coaching at the minor league and major league level that the Angels can produce their own quality talent much like they did through the 90's with Salmon, GA, Edmonds, etc. I also hope they draft better and stop going for these college kids that are closer to the big leagues but not necessarily more talented than a HS kid who can be developed through the system into a quality major leaguer. 
I hope the Angels can make smart signings and trades so that they can compete in the AL West in 2024. 
Finally I hope they can at the very least stay relatively healthy.
For myself, I'm going to work on making sure I'm physically, mentally and spiritually healthy so I can stick around as long as I can for my loved ones...and especially my grand kids. 
Cheers everyone! 

Wish the best of health to everyone and their family
Hoping the Angels can win more games than they lose
My motto is build the farm and develop our own talent so we can sprinkle in FA's to fill the gaps

 

That's the only item on my (Angels) list. If they can accomplish that, things will be just fine. 

I hope the Angels make baseball fun to watch again.  I hope Mike Trout has a monster year and Anthony Rendon shuts the mouths of his critics with a terrific season as well.
As for me... good health for the family. And... a little more time fishing.

Happy new year.  
 
anything less than Arte selling the team is a disappointment.  

For the Angels, I just hope we make the right moves - draft well and do whatever's right at the deadline. I won't be mad with another bad season, but I'll be mad if we set ourselves up to be bad in 2025 too.
For myself, I really gotta start sleeping and eating better. My sleep schedule has been broken since August.

Wishing all a Happy, Healthy and Save 2024!
The Angels: I hope that Washington and the staff make a tangible difference in the team results this year, and we get to see the team sporting a winning record for the majority of the season.
For myself, I want to spend more time enjoying the places that Southern California has to offer, Huntington Gardens, Getty, LACMA, Petersen Museum, LB Aquarium, etc.  I also want to get to Texas for the series against the Rangers and the Astros, and perhaps one or two other away games.
Finally a PSA - If it has been a while since you talked to your Mom, Dad, Sister, Brother, Kids, do it today.

Around 10 PM on December 30th, Robert Murray broke the Angels 4th MLB roster transaction of the offseason, 28 year old right hander Zach Plesac.  Plesac wasn't a player very high on many people's radars - a large amount of his 2023 season was spent in AAA - which makes giving him a Major League contract even more perplexing.  Clearly, though, the Angels see something in him. Any baseball fan could look at his 7.59 ERA and label him as a lost cause, but the Angels saw something that they think could provide value in 2024.  Let's take a deeper look into who Plesac is and what they could have seen.
First off, the exact contract details haven't been revealed yet, but we can make a pretty educated guess based on Plesac's recent transaction history.  He was DFA'd on June 11th and cleared waivers, meaning no team wanted him for his $2.95M salary.  We can assume if the Angels wouldn't take that chance in June, they wouldn't give him that (or more), now. The minimum is $720K, meaning that Plesac's deal is more than likely between $720K and $2.95M a year.  If I was personally guessing, I would assume it's a 1 year deal worth something like $1.5 million.  Also, the term Major League deal doesn't mean he's tied to the bigs - he has 2 option years left so if he doesn't make a strong impression I would guess he starts in Salt Lake.
Diving into Plesac's stats, he hasn't been the worst pitcher in baseball over his career, far from it.  Since 2018, he has an above average ERA+, higher than that of former Angels Lucas Giolito, Andrew Heaney, and Alex Cobb. His 2020, although it was shortened, was exceptional, putting up a 196 ERA+ and 3.39 FIP across 55.1 innings. His 2019 was more complete and still respectable, with a 124 ERA+ over 115.2 innings.
His peripherals show both positives and negatives in his profile. He does a great job controlling the walk (terrible 2023 included), and he gets lots of swings on pitches outside of the zone.  The problem areas are, well, everywhere else. His best pitches are his off speed and breaking stuff, but his fastball - which he throws 40% of the time - isn't effective at all in terms of velocity or spin.  This leads to 1) lots of hard contact, 2) difficulty finishing off batters, and 3) Zach getting frustrated.  
Starting with contact, even at his best in 2020 Plesac's fastball was below average, leading to a 17th percentile finish in Barrel%. In his worse years, 2021-2023, he consistently finished at the bottom of the league in both Barrel% and Hard Hit%.  This has translated to 45 home runs allowed over the last 3 seasons,  in the top third of the league despite only throwing 21 innings in 2023. 
The biggest missing piece for Plesac seems to be his lack of K's. As stated before, he gets lots of chases out of the zone because of his solid breaking stuff. However, his fastball holds him back from becoming a high-volume strikeout pitcher. He's been near the bottom of the league in K% and Whiff% every year of his career except one - 2020.  It was the best year for his fastball (still not great), and his only above average year in getting strikeouts, which I don't think is a coincidence.  If I had to guess this is the key the Angels think they see - if they can get him to even a league average fastball he could be a solid rotation piece. 
Finally, his off the field stuff. Plesac's stellar 2020 was cut short because he was optioned by the Guardians after breaking curfew and violating Covid-19 regulations. In 2022 he broke his thumb punching the pitching mound, perhaps only surpassable in stupidity by when he broke his thumb in 2021 by "aggressively ripping off his shirt."  It seems like mostly short outbursts and a stupid decision during quarantine, but it's something to watch.
I think for the financial risk, this deal is nothing to worry about. I've seen people upset that it was a Major League deal, but I assume his role will be Triple-A depth starter and the type of contract was more of a tactic to get him to sign. The Angels process of  "low risk, high reward" applies here, but I'll add that given the track record of Angels pitching development, and Plesac's recent performance, I'll tamper my expectations on seeing that reward come to fruition. We'll see what Barry Enright and the new staff have in store for him come springtime.
 
 
 
 
View the full article