Angels

8.1 IP 2 H 0 ER 2 BB 11 K For Alvarez, so far. Hopefully we see these guys in the majors soon. Morin, too.

lol 21 strikeouts in 7.2 innings. Time for a call-up, methinks...

Yeah, so when/if his strikeout rate normalizes, he doesn't have to play "catch up" with his other numbers. They're kinda already there. Just wish he would stop striking out sooner rather than later, though.

Striking out in over 30.5% of his ABs and over 27% of his PAs. Ridiculous.

Seriously, WTF?

.

Just shows what a freak Trout is that he's hitting .310 despite all of those ungodly strikeouts.

And the strikeouts continue. What the heck was he looking for there, anyway?

Skaggs has been a groundball machine so far this season.

Just 5 pitches that inning. Thanks, Washington.

Wow, I just realized Freese was hitting .140/.194/.193 before today's game. Didn't even realize he has been that kind of garbage.

Wow.

WTF was that?

Filthy curve.

It's great to see that his velocity is truly back. A+ trade for Dipoto.

https://twitter.com/AdamMcCalvy/status/458727901953654784 Pitchers dropping like flies lately.

Radar doesn't look bad?

Defense matters.. but I think Hubs just doesn't trust defensive metrics or the way defense is measured and valued. And unfortunately it's easier to quantify offensive value than defensive value. Plus often times you see defensive metrics giving different results (Trout's UZR compared to his DRS from last year, for example). So I can see where his skepticism comes from and, right or wrong, why he puts more weight in offensive production. This is probably also why someone like Bourjos didn't/doesn't have much real life trade value...despite almost everyone touting how valuable he is. Players who get most of their value from defense often times get the short end of the stick, unfortunately. Which is a shame because defense is obviously important.

No. But it feels eerily familiar, doesn't it? The Angels find themselves in yet another early hole.. and they're going to have a hell of a hard time to climb out of it. By the way, when you say the A's will have their slumps and the Angels will have a chance to go on a run, sure...but so will the A's (and Rangers and the rest of the AL) when the Angels have their slumps. The A's will regress, but you can't expect their record to even itself out just because they have started off 13-5. That's not how regression works. If the A's are a true talent 88-win team, and they play at that pace the rest of the way...that would give them 91 wins. That means the Angels would have to play at a near 95-win pace the rest of the way to catch them. Possible? Yeah. Highly unlikely? Yeah.

They won't. But it counts. Which means the Angels will have to be 6 games better than the A's the rest of the way to have a better record. Not impossible, but the odds aren't in their favor.

Santiago is a more wilder CJ Wilson without the groundballs.

Trout rapidly approaching a Dunn-esque strikeout rate. Unreal.

4 games behind. And a tough schedule for the Angels these next few weeks.

I don't think anyone here said that offense isn't down or that a .950 OPS season isn't a lot greater now than it was during Pujols' heyday. I am hoping for a season similar to his 2011. Not vintage Pujols, but a fine player. And I think that is the best case scenario.

2011 Pujols put up a .384 wOBA (.299/.366/.541 slash line). That's probably the best case scenario at this point and I would gladly take that.