Watched a bit of Dana's start today;
Fastball was 94 to 96 and he was getting pasted hitters with ease. I'd give it a 60 grade pitch.
Slider is his second best pitch, and to me it looks like it was flashing plus. Not a sweeper, but a slider with a tight break. Also a 60 grade pitch
Change, saw a quite a few changes today, I would consider it to an average to above-average pitch. Biggest thing I noticed was a lack of command, missed a quite a few up in the zone compared to his other pitches. The few he located really well down the zone looked Above-average to me.
Curve, saw a few but not to many. Isn't a put out pitch.
The upside is still there for him to be a 2/3 in any rotation. I think he still needs work with refining his stuff and control of his pitches. I would probably prefer that he stays in AA thru out the season with a goal of 80 to 100 innings. Next year start him in AA with a shot at a call-up late in the year. There is no real reason to rush him. Let him develop and understand the game.
if the Angels get through the season and a healthy Jo Adell has been on the bench the whole time that would mean everyone else is healthy and performing well, which would be a problem the Angels haven’t had lately.
Just my observations from last nights game.
Fly overs are always great. National anthem with the giant flag is always emotional.
The crowd last night was LOUD, like playoff atmosphere loud.
The fans cheered and boo’d when it felt appropriate. Lots of times when the stadium is full it feels like half the crowd doesn’t know what is going on in the game, last night felt like everyone was into it.
Rendon was boo’d, Ohtani on the video board was boo’d (which surprised me) Arte on the video board was boo’d, when they announced Joey Cora he was boo’d.
The cheers came when guys got hits or worked walks, but the volume was just different than it has been in quite some time.
Rendon standing ovation, wasn’t really a thing. One guy behind me stood and cheered him. I think things like that are stupid, regardless of the player. I did however give Trout a standing O as well as Weaver coming out for his first pitch, oh and the 102 year old veteran they recognized in between innings.
Boston had three hit by pitches and one certainly felt like he swung at the pitch from where I was sitting, but the third base ump gave the safe sign. It felt like two of the guys that got hit took forever to “shake it off” so they could get playing again.
It was my first time up in the 400 section in a few years, they have added a ton of beer can stands, which makes the wait times less (I’d imagine) but it makes it more crowded as you are trying to walk around up there getting to your seats. Any renovation feels like it needs more restrooms. Also where I was at, I didn’t see TVs up by the concessions so you can keep up on the game when standing in long lines.
Lastly, fuck Boston.
Ok I was admittedly not a fan of turning Wantz and Soriano into starters (or back into).
It is possible I was mistaken and the baseball people were right.
Hello, this is my first new topic since signing up.
I was thinking about when Taylor Ward faceplanted into the wall. Obviously everybody knows that he wasn't the same after that.
But then I started thinking about how he got hit in the face with the ball last year and whether he'd ever be the same again, being traumatized twice in 2 years like that. Strangely, it would almost appear like getting hit in the face has reverse-concussed him, if that's even a thing! Like it somehow knocked him back into his old self.
Btw, fun random fact: Taylor Ward's wife's name......is Taylor.
He's been very patient in most at bats this season. Quite a contrast to the past. And has put good wood on the ball quite often.
He has to maintain that discipline and not panic if he goes into a slump. He has the strength to drive pitches to all fields and shouldn't just try and over power the ball. Solid contact regularly will take care of itself.
That's why he needs playing time. To build up a hitting routine and habits game after game. Even at DH for some lineups.
I remember Tim Laker as an Expos catcher way back when. Nice to see him resurface with the Angels.
Frankly, with how bad the team looked in the first two games, Detmers + Soriano + Estevez pitched tremendously well for a victory. Let's win the series against Miami por favor.
By David Saltzer, AngelsWin.com Senior Writer
First and foremost, since we are opening the season in Baltimore, if you are reading this article, please take a moment to think upon all those who died on the Francis Scott Key Bridge. Thank you.
Tuesday, before the Angels-Dodgers last game of Spring Training, Angels GM Perry Minasian met with season ticketholders for his annual “Chalk-Talk”. The event was moderated by Trent Rush, who did a great job, and asked most of the questions, although some fan questions were allowed. Perry spoke for about 45 minutes to the crowd and addressed the offseason and Spring Training.
My cousin Ken and I attended and sat behind my good friend John and his friend Steve. Throughout and after the event, food was served, so, the 4 of us spent some time after the talk discussing what we had heard and any observations that we had.
When listening to a GM speak, one has to learn to read a bit between the lines to allow the narrative to unfold. It’s like trying to translate what a really skilled politician is saying: There is a definite art to it, which is part of what makes a GM’s job challenging and a reporter’s job even more challenging.
Here are my 5 Take-Aways from the 2024 Chalk Talk.
Take-Away #1: The Baseball People are Back In Charge
For Angels fans who remember the Bill Stoneman years, you will be happy to know that Perry is following the same basic plan—except he identified it as the “Braves plan”. Really, it is the smartest and best use of team funds long-term. It isn’t “Money-Ball”. It’s about drafting well, developing waves of talent to provide depth, bringing in key parts that you may need, and finding success together. That’s what the best run organizations do, and that means the baseball people are back in charge.
If this is the plan, and the baseball people are back in charge, then that is good news for Angels fans, as long as we stick with it for 3-5 years. Don’t read this wrong: sticking with it does not mean that we won’t be contenders in less than 3-5 years. I will repeat: sticking with it [the plan] does not mean that we won’t be contenders in less than 3-5 years.
Instead, if we stick with the plan for 3-5 years, we will find tremendous success from it, just as the Angels did from 2002-2014 and the Braves and other teams have done since.
Drafting and scouting well, and significantly improving our international presence, especially in Latin America, is a lot more effective and affordable way to develop a winning team than constantly chasing Free Agents. The same production from a 2nd or 3rd year player costs a fraction of what the same production from a Free Agent would cost.
This was great news in my opinion, as previously, some of my main concerns about the organization have been about the lack of presence internationally, the lack of player scouting, and the lack of player development. We have needed to boost all of that to get back to where we were 20 years ago.
Unfortunately, this immediately led to Take-Way #2.
Take-Away #2: 2024 Is a Transitional Year
As many fans have realized, 2024 is a year for overhauling the team on the fly.
But, that does NOT mean that we won’t be competitive. Let me repeat: That does NOT mean that we won’t be competitive. And it is NOT a bad thing. But, I cannot deny that it is a transitional year.
Instead, what that means is that 2024 is a year to take stock of what we have in the organization, develop our future nucleus, and to see what holes we need to fill and how we can fill them. With the baseball people back in charge, they need to know answers about players and need to do a deep organizational analysis in order to transition into a championship team.
Think of the “Big Board” in the War Room. Every organization has one, with the depth chart and the future timetable of development at each position. Players like Rada and Dana are quickly pushing their way up the timetables to join the current wave in the Majors.
All spring long we heard about Cole Fontenelle, a 3B, and how he impressed. Look at Perry’s and Washington’s actions, giving him at bats late in Spring Training, long after other players at higher levels in the Minors had been reassigned. That showed us that the Angels were really assessing him to see if he could be and when he could be in our future, and how best to develop him. If he can make it in the next 2 years, we will have essentially flipped the entire roster, except for 2nd base, where at worst, we have Rengifo.
This spring, Perry’s and Washington’s actions spoke so loudly, that we fans didn’t need to hear what they were saying (adapting one of Perry’s favorite quotes that he mentioned). At some point, the Angels had to do this, and this year is the year.
While many fans wanted to sign Bellinger or Snell, signing either would have taken play time and development from our future. We won’t know how our young core really can do until we see it. Rada and Dana are doing things at 18 and 20 that almost no high school senior or juco player could do. Both could be ready by 2025.
Would anyone really want to stunt our future’s development, while losing draft picks, all so that we could “win the offseason” and hurt our future?
If Rada, Dana, Fontenelle, and others produce like many expect them to, we will get Bellinger’s and Snell’s production at a fraction of their cost. Those cost savings could allow us to get that final Free Agent who can take us deep into the postseason.
As Jeff Fletcher has pointed out many times on AngelsWin.com, the best run teams only sign key free agents when they are one or two pieces away. This year, we aren’t that close, but we will still be competitive as we assess what we have. But we won’t know what is possible unless we let the kids play and take inventory. We have to transition.
That leads to Take-Away #3.
Take-Away #3: Ron Washington Should Be the Right Manager For Us
This is yet another good thing for Angels fans. I do believe that Ron Washington may be the right manager in the right place for the right organization in need.
Over the years, one of my other main concerns about the Angels, especially with all of the managerial and front office changes, has been the lack of a team identity. What is Angels baseball? Who is our clubhouse leader? Who is on field leader?
In the past, all those questions were easy to answer, lately, they have not. If I were on the interviewing panel for the manager or GM, I would ask each candidate those questions along with many more.
Under Scioscia, Angels baseball had a brand and style. From the time a player was drafted until the time he made it in the Major Leagues, the expectations for what the team wanted and developed were clear. As fans, we could identify it. And then, it changed. And it got lost. And forgotten. At the same time, so did winning.
Some of that can be pegged to changes in the game, especially in analytics and training/coaching. More can be blamed on the several GMs that we hired and their different styles. And finally, yes, some of that, and ultimately all of that, is on the owner.
But, that’s the past, and I’m looking forward to the future, both now and long-term.
So far, it appears that Washington has earned the players’ respect, through his efforts on the field to how he teaches. I know I would respect a manager at his age hitting ground balls to me early in the morning.
But what really separates him as the right coach for THIS team, a young team, is that he allows the players to make mistakes, then teaches him how to do it correctly the next time, and then holds them accountable for doing so. That is true teaching and providing real support. For a young team, that is how we can mold the players into champions.
Most people do better when supported in such a way as Washington has been doing so far. We saw it throughout Spring Training: Players were allowed to run the bases more freely, even if thrown out, to see if that would be an option for them during the season. Aggressive baserunning and stealing bases has been rediscovered, but it also led to some teachable moments.
It will be interesting to see how he continues now that the season is starting and how he holds players accountable for playing his style of baseball.
That leads to Take-Away #4.
Take-Away #4: Player Development Will Be Emphasized in 2024
If the baseball people are back in charge, then playing time will change. Players will be allowed to make mistakes, but they need to learn from them. Younger players will not have to worry about carrying a team, like McPherson, or rushed to the Majors, like Adell. And when they get there, they won’t feel the pressure to hit for the moon every time, or strike out every batter, without considering it a failure. While failure won’t be encouraged, it will be used as a teachable event and won’t always be punished.
I do believe Washington has a brand and style of what Angels baseball should be and will be. That brand and style will be uniform throughout our entire organization, which is why he had all the Minor League coaches out in Spring Training.
Washington’s style will be different than Scioscia’s. As fans, it will take us time to truly identify Washington’ brand of Angels Baseball (mostly because the majority of this team was put together by others, he will have to implement his identity with the players he has). But, the younger players will learn it quickly. Head out to one of our Minor League affiliates, like Inland Empire, and you will see much more of it. Next year and the year after, the team should be better at it.
With our developing core of Adell, Moniak, Neto, O’Hoppe, and Schanuel, Washington’s emphasis on the fundamentals will help go a long way to molding our future. If they learn the fundamentals, and can execute them throughout an entire season, then they can do it on the next level in the Majors—the postseason.
Over the course of the year, the younger players should earn more of the playing time over the veterans. We should see better fundamental defense and a stronger offense. As the defense improves and plays more fundamental baseball, we should see the pitching improve and trust the defense to make outs. We will win more games. Think about how the 2014 Royals developed and went on a run. Or the Braves. Or the Angels in the early 2000s.
Perry talked about teaching the players to win each pitch, each count, and each at bat. For example, pitching efficiently, and using the defense, rather than pitching deep counts by going for strikeouts, using the whole team to get outs and trusting the defense to make the plays. Doing that allows the starters to go deeper into games and helps prevent overuse of the bullpen. Over the past few years, we had gotten away from that, and as fans, saw the results.
In the past, when we had waves of talent in development, when we had an injury, we had a player in line that we could tap into who was better than replacement level. We didn’t suffer tremendous drops in production with an injury between 2004-2014, typically, because we had those waves of talent.
Because the baseball people were back in charge, we developed more internal depth. That allowed us to spend money more efficiently on Free Agents to fill in the holes that we needed with plenty of depth rather than trying to fill holes around what we had and leaving a lot of depth needed.
This is why we are seeing Bachman, Soriano, and Wantz getting stretched out into starters. We know that they can get Major League outs for an inning or two. We believe that they have the stuff to do so for more innings in games, so having them as starters ready to come up makes them far more valuable to us. No rotation will make it entirely through a season unscathed these days.
That leads me to my final Take-Away.
Take-Away #5: Angels Baseball in 2024 Will Be Better and More Exciting
Fundamental baseball is fun baseball. Runs should score more often, and not always on solo homeruns. Great defense is always worth the price of admission. Solid pitching that keeps games close means we will be watching into the latter innings, and partially explains the emphasis on building up the bullpen. As Perry talked about, and many of us noted last year, we were great in the first half of the games when we scored a lot of runs, and lost most a lot in the second half when we were shut down and gave up a lot of runs. .
Look, like most, I was disappointed in this offseason. Not because of who we did or didn’t sign, but because of the mixed messages that we got as fans from the team.
Early on, we were told that Perry could spend to build a contender (within reason). This was the same message as told to fans for the past several years. And it looked like were going to do more as he built up the bullpen. It seemed like the team could replace Ohtani’s production with Free Agents.
And then we were told that the plan all along was to cut the budget this year. That didn’t make sense if we were planning to spend on Ohtani, who alone would cost more. And, if we were going to spend on Ohtani, then why wouldn’t we spend on other available free agents to replace the loss of pitching and hitting?
As a fan. I will admit: Losing Ohtani hurt. But, even I would never agree to the contract that Ohtani signed. That could be a franchising killing contract for all but a very few owners. The risk was too great. I wish him well with the Dodgers (even against the Angels as long as we win the game) but there is absolutely NO WAY that Arte should have matched that deal.
Personally, I think that the national media is a bit biased against the Angels for a variety of reasons (whether for lack of knowledge about the organization or for other reasons). This team has been underrated, mostly because of losing Ohtani, and people forgetting how injured we’ve been over the past few years.
This team can be and should be over 500 if the team stays healthy. And we have more depth than we’ve had in the past, at most positions, so we should be better than advertised. I’m not being optimistic, I’m being realistic. I’m excited and hopeful, and very interested to see how this year plays out. If done correctly, we’re not that far off from Washington leading us on extended postseason runs.
In the past, we had to have everything go right in order to have a shot at the postseason. And, we did so without much depth in a challenging division. We haven’t had the entire tear down teams to beat up like teams in other divisions had, and we’ve had to contend with many championship teams.
That’s why it’s so important for us to get back to developing waves of talent, as we did in the mid-2000s, so that we can win more games than expected.
Our future infield and outfield is mostly set outside of 2nd and 3rd base—with Fontenelle being one possible answer at 3B (let’s hope he does well this year). As for our pitching, we have one of youngest rotations (subtracting Anderson removes several years off the average of our starters).
In terms of depth, I will admit, we are a bit weak on the middle infield and 3rd base. But, for other parts of the team, we have a potential surplus of outfielders and are developing pitching depth, especially for starters. Joyce and others will soon be in the bullpen, so we have parts to trade, and make better long-term decisions as we see how the kids develop.
While our organization has been ranked as one of the worst overall in baseball, that hasn’t stopped us in the past from making some very shrewd trades, such as for O’Hoppe and Moniak. And, at the deadline, I believe that we will be active. But, the emphasis will be more on long-term acquisitions, rather than short term panic moves. Believe it or not, Arte does want to win. Unlike in the past, though, when we’ve been in win-now modes, the baseball people are back in charge and will make better decisions for long-term moves.
I expect a lot of games this season that are much closer in score this year and fewer shutouts than we’ve seen over the past few years. That should lead to fewer multi-game losing streaks. And that is a lot more fun for a whole season!
Think about the Angels-Dodgers game we saw after the Chalk Talk. Objectively, as a baseball fan, which would you rather see your team do: Have good pitching, play fundamental baseball, score 4 runs without in a variety of ways, or see your team have good pitching, play sloppy defense, score 3 runs on solo shots, and lose the game?
I know which kind of game I’d rather see my team play. And I will see you at the ballpark or posting on AngelsWin.com this season.
Play Ball!
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By Taylor Blake Ward, AngelsWin.com Contributor
Cactus League has finished. Freeway Series has finished. Up next is the Major League season followed by the start of the Minor League season. Looking back on this spring, we put an emphasis on a handful of Angels prospects and how different perspectives came about this spring from the trained eye. We asked three different people from three differing fields about their opinions on specific players in Angels camp over Spring Training.
In a repeat article from the year prior, we asked experts in the field -- who consist of an Angels Front Office Executive, a former player who spent regular time at Angels camp, and a prospect analyst -- for their opinions on a specific group of Angels prospects and young core players.
*EDITOR'S NOTE*: Our sources were granted anonymity to express their opinions freely and/or they are not permitted by their primary employer to speak publicly on the matters discussed. Each will be noted via their working positions (i.e., "Executive", "Former Player", "Analyst"). The interviews took place on three separate days between the dates of March 25-27, which may alter some of the timelines included in the comments regarding players being on the Opening Day roster, or otherwise.
LOGAN O’HOPPE AND ZACH NETO:
Former Player: Neto, I'll tell you what even watching the game last night, that ball was 110 off his bat and that was the hardest ball he's hit, period. He looked unreal in Spring Training. He's gained a lot of confidence. I think (Ron Washington) and (Ryan Goins) have made him a better fielder already. I think he was pretty decent on the backhand -- forehand, it seemed like his footwork was not right, but his footwork looks good defensively now. I really think he's going to hit. Adjustments will be made depending on how he progresses in his career. That high leg kick and all that, we'll see how all that goes. I know he makes the adjustment with two strikes but I'm more-and-more impressed. I was high on him last year and I'm more so this year. I step back, and he was hurt a few times and I know the team's record when he played was significantly better than when he didn't. Sometimes that's one of those made-up stuff, when one guy plays and when he doesn't, but he's really impressed me a lot right now. I think he's got a chance to be pretty darn good. O'Hoppe, just his leadership skills alone being in camp and watching him -- the way he walks around the field and the dugout and clubhouse. The sound off his bat -- I joked around with him last winter about the sound off his bat was almost like a Mike Piazza sound off the bat when he's consistent with it. He's special and he's working with Jerry Narron and I think you could make an argument that his defensive skills were okay last year -- granted he missed a lot of games so it's hard to put a finger on some things -- but he had stuff to work on and he's worked a lot. Jerry Narron is going to be huge for the whole catching system. O'Hoppe, he reminds me of Mike Sweeney because he used to be a catcher, but he wasn't much of a catcher and moved to first right away. It's a similar body and I think he can end up being a hitter somewhat like Sweeney although it's more difficult to hit as consistently that way when you're a catcher because you get beat up but defensively he's made some huge strides. Just the constant work he's put in with Jerry Narron has helped him out a lot.
Analyst: I think it was an approach thing from the beginning of spring and they had a better approach at the plate. Also, anytime you bring in a guy like Ron Washington you know they're going to be a little better defensively, too. On both sides, I think you saw a lot of big differences. More attacking the ball, rather than sitting back -- with Neto in particular. You saw it reflect in the statistical performance this spring. And with O'Hoppe, the dude is a leader. Leader behind the dish, leader in the clubhouse, and you expect him to be that way throughout the year.
Executive: I think with Logan, we ask -- everyone does -- but we ask a lot of our catching group and I think progress on both sides of the ball is difficult at that position. All you have to do and know the entire staff and a large chunk of our bullpen is brand new so learning the staff was a big part of Spring Training for him. But obviously we saw what he was capable of offensively. I still feel strongly that he is going to be a really, really good player. It takes time to be what ultimately what we think he's going to be in all the areas as a player, but you see progress and growth in all areas. Around the facility too he's started to take a leadership role in his own way. We have leaders on the team but he's showing that he's capable of doing that too. With Zach -- robbed of at bats last year but I thought the quality of the at bat was really good prior to his injury. Really showed what he is capable of offensively and did so in camp again this year. The ability to hit with power to all fields, not being afraid to hit with two strikes and still drive the ball. I don't know where he hits in the order. I think he hit last the last couple of games here versus the Dodgers but if that's our nine-hole hitter I'm really excited about our lineup. First full season for those guys but getting their feet wet last year I think will only serve them well and I'm excited for what they both can do on both sides of the ball.
JO ADELL:
Former Player: His swing is definitely a little quicker through the ball. Defensively he's way better than he's ever been. I'm so up-and-down with him. I want to go full bore with him because I like him a lot and we have a pretty good relationship but there's still some chase in there on pitches way out of the zone. I think there's a little more patience and a little bit better idea of the strike zone and if he can ever hone that in at all, he's got a chance. He's still only 24 and just being around Johnny Washington he says the same things too and I see it -- it's there but you just have to be able to tap it. Sometimes you never get that. Some people that you think should be a star just never become that. I think he's going to be given every opportunity and I think with the current staff they have, especially with (Ron Washington), it ain't gonna be no babying anymore. It's either he does it or he doesn't do it. I think that's what he needs instead of always hearing, 'We know you have talent.' Even that bugs him when people say, 'You have a lot of talent, when are you going to do this or that?' I think he'll surprise some people and get a lot more at bats than anticipated because they don't really have a designated hitter, so he'll rotate in there and I think the more at bats he gets the better he's gonna be.
Analyst: I think we've all said it every single year; it feels like it's just a different approach every spring. It's good to not see him attacking off-speed away quite as much, but at the same time still attacking the fastball. Defensively, again, when you bring in a guy like Ron Washington you expect things to be a little bit different and I think the mindset in the outfield is just a little bit different too. That's the biggest thing.
Executive: He's kind of tinkered with his swing a few times the last few years. You saw a little bit of that this spring, but again, he always seems to put together a really good spring and I think at times showed us the same flashes. Arizona is a really tough place to play the outfield and I think the most improvement -- I think we talked about this last year -- I thought defensively he really took a step forward. What he can do off the bench, if that is going to be his role at least at the outset, is play defense and change the game with one swing. Still feel he can do that. We brought in Jake Marisnick and Jake did absolutely everything you asked him to do and showed he's still capable of being a good Major League outfielder and swung the bat well in Spring Training. I think he made a strong push to be on the team, but we feel the strides that Jo has made, and Mickey (Moniak) last year and what Aaron (Hicks) showed in camp make a pretty good group. I think Jo (being out of options) brings a different dynamic from a power standpoint that earned him a spot.
NOLAN SCHANUEL:
Former Player: Again, another guy with footwork at first base -- and granted he was in college about two-and-a-half seconds ago last year -- the footwork is way better. I always look defensively first because I think the hit will always come with these guys, but he's improved significantly. I still think first base defensively is a way underrated asset. If you’re good at first base your entire infield is good. If you’re adequate, it's pretty good. If it's not good at all it reflects on all your infielders, so he's got a lot better there. I still compare him a lot to Garret Anderson in all the people asking, 'Why does a guy that big and strong not hit for power?' I think it's there. He's not a 35-home run guy but I think he's a 15-20 home run guy. You can't teach an eye like he has at the plate. His patience. His ability to spray the baseball all over the field. If he was playing any other position other than first base people would be in love with him but because he's a first baseman you expect power which is unfortunate. I think power will be there enough and I think he's -- he works his butt off too man, I'll tell you. I don't see that often with young kids because usually everything is given to you, but he works his butt off, and I think he's going to develop enough power that everything else is going to play pretty good for him.
Analyst: I'm intrigued. My report will remain the same with Nolan. The biggest question is: is he going to hit for power? The biggest change there is attacking the ball. The biggest thing there is attacking the ball with more authority at the plate and swinging like he means it instead of swinging like he's behind in the count 0-2 consistently. If he can take that approach into the season it wouldn't surprise me if he had 20-25 home runs and 20-30 doubles this year. I'm excited to see what he brings to the plate, and he could strike out a little bit more which might end up being a good thing, in the sense of translating to more hard-hit balls.
Executive: Especially here lately his approach at the plate is top notch. Put on some good weight in the off-season with the idea of adding some strength. The thing for me is people talk about the power and exit velocity -- you watch him take batting practice and he shows you. He can hit them pull side with the majority of our group in a big-league BP setting. It's in there. Obviously, what little he had last year getting to the big-league level -- a lot of times you're just trying to survive when you get up there and I expect him to take the next step. He's such a smart hitter. Same case with Zach and Logan, take the next step, both as a young player and continuing to grow at the Major League level and the confidence I think too stood out. It's a good group of players and they exude that. They exude confidence and that's part of the reason we were attracted to all those guys -- their makeup and what they were all about. Really young but advanced for his age and we're excited about the potential on all those guys.
JOSE SORIANO:
Former Player: Oh yeah, unreal arm. Unreal arm. I kid you not, I asked (Ron Washington) about the same thing because I've been in love with him since they said he'd start. We joke around every day because his shoulders are gigantic, and he has an incredible build and he's got starter stuff because he's got four pitches he can throw and his curveball the other day was as good as anybody I've ever seen. (Ron Washington) said it was the best game anybody threw period in the Cactus League or Grapefruit League. You worry about his health but even when I was talking to Barry Enright, I think he has a better chance at staying healthy as a starter than he does as a bullpen arm. As intriguing as he is in the bullpen, because he can pitch and he can start -- workout, bullpen session, workout, do his light stuff in between, and then start and I think he has a better chance of staying healthy. He's as good of an arm as I've seen in a while. Everyone is going to ask, 'Can he stay healthy? Can he throw enough strikes?' I think he realizes his stuff is that good now and he doesn't have to go out and throw as hard as he can like he does out of the bullpen, and he can utilize all his pitches. He's got a pretty darn good idea. I think he's got some serious, serious, serious upside.
Analyst: I'm intrigued to see what he does starting pitching wise. Watching him from his early development, there was always a chance he could start. It came down to having a third pitch and if he can command whatever third pitch is for a strike, then why not give him a chance to start? Especially if he can remain 94-96 into the fifth, sixth, seventh inning. Without a doubt he should be able to start. Now, do you want to take out arguably your best reliever to give him a chance to start? I think the Angels are in a spot to do it, but that is a tough decision to make.
Executive: From a pure stuff standpoint I don't know how many guys are better in the league than him. I think he showed that. We stretched him out and its pure power stuff. He throws a splinker -- that kind of split-sinker type pitch that Jhoan Duran has kind of made popular and I think some other guys are throwing it now -- but it is an absolutely devastating offer that just adds to his pretty prodigious repertoire. We talk about sitting upper 90's with four-seam and two-seam fastball, power hammer curveball with a slider in the low 90's alongside of it. He's got all the weapons. I think he showed the ability to execute those weapons with consistency, certainly at times, and more often than not. Obviously hasn't started since the lower levels (of development) so you're not quite sure what it's going to look like as a starter. We had discussed it and felt the upside was certainly worth giving it another look. It's a different delivery and pitch mix from when he was starting in the lower levels, and he has a chance in whatever role we ask him to do -- I think he's going to be an impactful arm for us.
CHASE SILSETH:
Former Player: A lot more confident. Big thing is they're not going to try and take away his bulldog mentality, but you have to hone it in just a little bit. Not just try to throw too much and burn yourself out. Stuff is there. He's got a rangy fastball that can be 92-97. Obviously, his split is dang good but his slider for me is a difference maker. I don't think he throws his cutter as much and I don't know if he needs to. The occasional curve but it's hard to teach somebody to have that kind of aggressive nature and those guys are hard to come by. Something about him and even talking to the Braves hitters and Kevin Seitzer last year, he thought he was one of the toughest/nastiest dudes they faced all last year and the Braves for me are still the best team in all of baseball and they didn't want any part of him. He's that guy. He's got some upside himself and I think he can settle in easy in a number two or three spot in this rotation.
Analyst: The sky is the limit. The pure stuff -- that slider and splitter combination -- reminds me of a younger Shohei Ohtani purely from a stuff standpoint. Chase has a different body and fastball obviously, but with his off-speed, he could have a similar production season to what Shohei has done in the past as long as the mentality stays where it is and he's able to throw strikes. He had a very good Spring Training. I'm excited to see this rotation in general. The mentality from the staff was very different from in the past, which was interesting, and I hope they carry that into the regular season.
Executive: Another good young arm. With him, kind of simplifying some things pitch mix wise. Going into camp he showed confidence in what he was doing and really was able to consistently execute his pitches and his game plan. He really worked hard on his curveball. Kind of differentiating that pitch from the other two-plane breaking ball he has. Both are really effective for him. He's a powerful guy. He demonstrated the ability to sustain the velocity he shows early in games into the later parts of his outings. The splitter is a wipeout pitch and I think that was more consistent like all of his offerings. I think he's on track for a really good year. He's really wired the right way like all the players we have. It's just an important component for how we want to build our team.
NELSON RADA:
Former Player: By the way, for the Angels not to have anybody in the top 100 is the most ridiculous thing I've ever seen too. Rada, if he wasn't 18, I'd almost say he's almost ready. I think you won't push him that early just because he's 18 and basically 17 doing what he did last year but an eye like his and great idea of the strike zone and unbelievable range in the outfield. They put him in right field one of the days I was there after playing center and he made an unreal play like it was nothing. He's not the fastest guy in the world but he appears to be the fastest guy in the world. Great baserunner. I think he'll develop power and he has that it factor where I think he knows he's damn good and he's going to be unbelievably good. It wouldn't surprise me at the very least to see him in the big leagues by 20 (years old) if he keeps developing at this level. I hate to put something on him that quickly like that but he's one of those guys that I think has a chance of being special. There's a lot of people that say he needs 1,000 or 2,000 at bats, whatever number people decide they want to put on him, but when you're good for me you're a big leaguer and he's a big leaguer. You look at that body and you're thinking if he's six-foot-three or six-foot-four doing what he's doing, he's like a top five prospect. I think that kid is -- even just the way he walks around the complex. When you walk 70 some times as a 17-year-old, that's insane to have an idea like that. When you're a kid, you think you're only moving up when you hit the ball out of the ballpark or I'm not getting hits when I'm walking. Even in camp, he wasn't overwhelmed ever. The home run he hit was a bomb too. Again, he's barely 18 and not even 19 until August, so you still wait on him but he's going to be ridiculous.
Analyst: He is a really good player. The fact that he is 18 years old and doing what he did this spring is outstanding. For me, the best thing he does is not necessarily what he does at the plate but his leadership in center field. This goes back to what he did in the regular season in 2023 at Inland Empire. He was taking charge of the scary triangle balls and little Texas Leaguers that a lot of people -- you know, 'you go, I go, ball, ball, ball' type of thing. He's taking control of those flyballs like he's a veteran that has played out there his entire career, and now he's doing it with veteran ballplayers and not A-ball kids. He's a good player at the plate too, but I think he's even more special defensively.
Executive: 18 years old in big league camp. Was there for a while and had really good at bats. Showed instincts on the bases. It's a really quick first step and he gets to top speed quickly. Instinctually in the outfield too -- same thing, good jumps. It's impressive how advanced he is for his age in all areas really. Just excited about his future. He was one of the two youngest players in full season baseball last year -- he and Ethan Salas with the San Diego Padres. He really impressed our coaching staff and myself.
CADEN DANA:
Former Player: I got to work with him on one of his bullpen sessions and even in the middle of it I stopped him and go, "Give me a 2-1 slider,” and I didn't even have to tell him what that meant and he threw a perfect 2-1 slider right on the outside corner of the strike zone. Like, damn. Then I let him throw some more and say, “I need a 1-2 punchout breaking ball with a man on third,” and he was like whoof, and I was like, oh, shit. The size, the intangibles of he knows what he's doing. That's the thing. He's only 20-years-old himself but he knows what he's doing on the mound, and he usually doesn't overthrow ever. He's always mechanically pretty sound for being as big and strong as he is. There's some serious, serious, serious upside with him too. That's another guy that I wouldn't be shocked, especially depending on how the season goes, if he wasn't in the big leagues this year. It wouldn't shock me. We know he's starting in Double-A, and we know how that goes (laughs). You're in Double-A, it's like a straight line to the big leagues here for the Angels so we'll see.
Analyst: Caden Dana has a chance to be really, really good. I think we saw it in the Spring Breakout game. I think we saw it all spring. When you start getting questions about when a 20-year-old who hasn't pitched above A-ball will crack a Major League rotation, you know it's a good arm. Biggest thing is going to be the command. If he can command the ball down in the zone and get guys out that way, I think he has a very promising career ahead of him. I'm excited to see what he does in Rocket City, and we might end up seeing him at the Major League level this year with how the Angels promote players.
Executive: If you got a chance to see him the physical development is impressive. He really worked on his body. He looks great. Ball is coming out really easily while sitting in the mid 90's. Two breaking pitches. Showed a plus changeup in big league camp in games. Again, the presence he has on the mound. He has a chance to be the total package. He had a really good showing in the Spring Breakout game, starting that. Really excited for what he brings to the table and again, big league camp he put himself well. We're really happy with where he's at.
VICTOR MEDEROS:
Former Player: He's another guy that I talk a lot with. I don't understand why some people don't think he has upside. He's a little bit bigger version of Silseth. Very, very tough competitor. Outstanding stuff. Nasty fastball and he's got an edge to him that -- we were joking around because he read the book on Mariano Rivera about basically simplifying things and I told him the same thing but I told him, “Every guy I faced I absolutely hated their guts,” and he goes, “I'm glad to hear that because I hate every single human being that wears a different color uniform than I do,” and I said, “That's what you gotta do everyday.” His stuff is electric. That's the thing that's crazy is the Angels have so many young starters on the Major League staff and these kids are knocking at the door very quickly. He could be a two or three maybe at worst right away with them. I think when he came up last year he was out of control, throwing too hard and very aggressive, but I think Barry (Enright) and (Steve Karsay) -- the whole philosophy of attacking the strike zone is better than swing-and-miss. When you're an ultra-competitor like Silseth and Mederos and the team philosophy is swing-and-miss, that means you're throwing as hard as you can like you're at a carnival trying to knock over milk bottles instead of throwing strikes. So that's helped him out a lot. Same thing with Silseth, but Mederos -- legit dude. Legit dude.
Analyst: Oh, this is the wildcard for me. This is where Chase Silseth was, I'd say last year. Do you think he has higher upside as a starter or as a reliever and do you think he can keep his command and control consistent late into games? And also stay out of his head as well. If you think he can keep his command consistently late into games, then he has a chance to be a good starter. But, if you think the command might not stick around for five, six, seven innings -- then you put him in the bullpen and I think he has the bulldog mentality to be one of those guys who comes in late in games with Ben Joyce and Sam Bachman, maybe, and build a backend bullpen internally quickly into the future.
Executive: Victor was in big league camp for a while. His fastball is starting to have a little more cut to it, and he still throws in the mid 90's with two breaking balls and will show a changeup. He's going to continue to develop as a starter and I thought he left a positive impression in camp in that role. He's just another guy from the mental side of things checks all the boxes. He's really competitive and smart. We're excited about his future whatever role that is. He's on the (40-man roster) and has gotten his feet wet in the Majors. He's going to start, and we'll see where it goes from there.
BEN JOYCE:
Former Player: I'm actually shocked he's not up to start the year. I know there's some stuff where... I'm still in shock when he's throwing 102 and 103 and guys are making good contact with it because it's downstairs. I know that during my career when your fastballs are down, doesn't matter how hard you throw, you'll make contact with it. Now generally, it's on the ground for the most part. It's hard to believe but I don't think he trusts his stuff which doesn't make any sense when you throw that hard and your breaking ball is pretty solid too. I think he gets caught in between that slower slider-cutter combo where one's harder and one's softer. I think he's getting there though. They did some drills with him though to kind of clear his mind to not allow distractions to get in there as far as when stuff happens during the game and a guy is stealing or whatever. I love his arm. I love his body and he's got a great work ethic. I still want him in the big leagues right now, but I think he could easily be a dominant bullpen arm if he stays healthy. With him, I don't know how healthy he's going to stay just because of the full max he throws but that's why I don't waste those bullets. I'd have him up in the big leagues as soon as he's able to throw consistent strikes, because he could even walk guys and get away with it because the stuff is that good, but I still think he needs to at some point elevate his fastball. If he ever gets that feel, you know, away from the fastball at the knees, if he throws that fastball letter high and above the belt he'll get a lot more strikeouts. It's almost like Dustin May of the Dodgers. He doesn't strike anybody out either because his fastball is down, even as hard as it is. Ben Joyce has got to figure out a way that when he releases that four-seamer that he can ride it and keep it up in the zone on occasion. If he does that he'll dominate.
Analyst: Peak ceiling. The only reason I think he didn't make the Opening Day roster is, well one, he needs to command it a little better; and two, there's so many relievers you have to give an opportunity to. I do think he needs to command it better and command that secondary a lot better than what we've seen.
Executive: Stuff wise (laughs). It's an incredible arm. Early in camp we saw the control and command kind of rear its head a little bit. Some of those issues. But I thought he had a really good last handful of outings and when he's around the strike zone it's just such a good arm and he can be unhittable. The slider -- he's basically gone to one breaking ball -- it has a chance to be an out pitch for him. It was really consistent in a couple of outings and bailed him out when he was in some jams. I think then in subsequent outings he had confidence in (the slider) and allowed the fastball to play as good as it can be. Honestly, I didn't feel like his misses were that big even when he was missing. So, I did see some growth there and again, the expectation for that kind of arm is that he helps us sooner rather than later. So much potential and it's in there. You can see it.
COLE FONTENELLE
Former Player: Like him. He's Corey Koskie like. Good body too, man. Switch-hitter with great hands. Good idea of the strike zone. Footwork is getting better because he's a big body. Obviously, he's not a middle infielder and he's a third baseman anyhow but he's not far off either. He's not far at all actually. I don't think he's far at all from being here because I think he can hit. I think he's going to get better with more work fielding wise, at least get his footwork down, but I'm a big fan of his. Almost has a body -- not a Scott Rolen, as big as he is -- but he's a pretty good-sized kid. Good shoulders. Came from TCU so you know he faced good competition so he's going to be a really good player. Big fan of his plus he's a great kid and he listens and wants to learn. That's one of those tools we always talk about with people being toolsy. That's a tool that I think is underrated is a guy that works and listens and learns, and I think he has all those intangibles.
Analyst: He reminds me of guys who probably played a little before your time, a throwback type. I don't know what he is at the Major League level, but I think that he's opened a lot of eyes, especially being a seventh-round pick last year. But I think he maybe has an opportunity to be a nice fifth infielder. Somebody that can come off the bench and play some solid defense at third base and be a decent bat too. We'll see how he develops in the minors this year.
Executive: Seventh rounder last year and one of the last send outs in camp. That probably speaks to how he is viewed internally. Again, just watching batting practice, him getting with our big-league team, he fits right in. Left-handed or right-handed, the ball comes off well. It's a simple and clean swing. He gives you a good at bat and consistently solid at bats through camp. Another guy who instinctually stands out. The more you watch him the more you really appreciate him. Whether it's on the bases and reading pitching situations to steal bases, curveball reads, judging outfielders and taking the extra base. He was really good on bases and might have been better defensively. Just so steady. Good first step, reads the hops well, knows where to go with the ball. Just smart and skilled player and the physical ability is pretty good too. Got a lot of run and I think if you watched the games, you probably got to see why we like him a lot.
WALBERT URENA:
Former Player: He's another guy I got to work with too. He might be the best of all the arms. It's raw. It's not as refined as guys like Dana, but it's crazy good. Even better than Mederos too, I think. Like I said, it's raw so there's still some work to be done. I think he's a little bit further away than those guys but once he figures it out and once he arrives, he's a dominant arm. That's like I was saying with all these kids I got to see and how good they are. I'm always going to be a fairly positive human being but the guys I've seen over the last prior 15 years or so, I'm like, 'God almighty, how are we going to get people out? We're going to have to sign guys from other organizations' It's very similar to early in my career because we were a factory that started when we were all drafted with (arm-after-arm) and they just destroyed people for years. I think this new group of young arms are great and I think Urena has the chance to be the best of them all. Although I hear way more about Barrett Kent, I didn't get a chance to see him unfortunately. I was kind of bummed. I was trying to find a way to go and see him, but I didn't, but everyone I talked to said he's the best of the crop which must say a lot for him to be better than or as good as Urena and these guys.
Analyst: I'm a big velocity guy so you have to like the big arm. Walbert Urena -- he's kind of in that same category for me as a Victor Mederos. If you believe the command is going to be there (deep into starts), then absolutely continue to push him as a starter, but if it isn't there he still has two or arguably three good out pitches he can get guys out with late in games. You saw it this spring. But it comes down to the command and the command late into games if you believe in it.
Executive: Pure power arm. Electric. The changeup can be a weapon. The breaking ball will flash at times. He had two innings in the Spring Breakout game and was really good in one of those innings and I think showed the potential of what he is capable of. Basically, mid-season last year he added a sinker and it kind of changed his year. I think with a couple of our guys you could look at that and if you split it up into two parts and know where the change has happened, I think you'll see why we're really high on some of those guys that were just different pitchers from that time forward. Walber is one of them just from a strike-throwing standpoint. The stuff has a chance to be really good. What role it is -- I don't know. I think the step forward he took last year -- obviously really high on a teenager that throws 100 with feel for a changeup and breaking ball at times too -- I just feel even better about him. Seeing him in big league camp and showing the moment wasn't too big for him and then the Spring Breakout game and what we saw in the second half of last year. It's a lot of momentum for him. I don't know -- if people don't know his name, I feel like they're going to find out about him really quickly.
KYREN PARIS AND JORDYN ADAMS
Former Player: I'm shocked at how much improvement they made from 2022 to 2023. I was thinking, 'These are first rounders?' But Jordyn is really close now. He's got sneaky power. Paris, same thing. I think the work they're making all the kids do, especially with Paris in the infield there is going to make him better. I think sometimes you can skate on talent but now I can see why they were drafted as high as they were. At the very least these guys are pieces that you move to get that final piece to get you to the postseason, or you ride these kids and let them develop and see if they can be as good as I think they can be. Are they superstars? No, but I think they're really good Major League players though.
Analyst: I'll start with Kyren. The report remains kind of the same. He needs to get the bat on the ball more because when he makes contact, he hits the ball hard. He's a good defender. He can play up-the-middle for you, he can probably play some third base, and probably sneak him into the outfield. I think he's played there before in the minors. I like Kyren a lot, but I don't know if he's going to have an opportunity to do his thing because of how the Angels look this year in the infield. Jordyn, same thing. The Angels have outfield depth. On some teams he might be a fourth or fifth outfielder, but he may not get the opportunity to play, which gives him time to grow and develop. Both are good players that I'd like to see get an opportunity like they did last year.
Executive: We talked about Jordyn last year. Kind of continuing and we pushed him to Triple-A and there was momentum there after spending part of the season in Double-A and how he came into camp. The maturity and he showed he was ready for that next step, and I still think we see a lot of positive from him. His swing I thought looked cleaner this year. More fluid and felt like consistently more on time than it has been. All the physical gifts, when you watch him leg out a triple and he's there in an instant, you know, the potential is still there. He'll be in that mix of guys we're going to call up if we have a need. Kyren got a chance to play some shortstop and second base. I thought, just piggybacking to the second half of last year was really good once the stickyball went away. Still a really good and young player, just 22 years old. The ability he has to drive the ball to the opposite field and know what he's swinging at is pretty neat for his age. Another really high character kid and we think highly of him internally. Other teams certainly inquired about his availability and all that. He's going to play a lot of shortstop in the minor leagues this year, whether that's Double-A or Triple-A, we'll see. In the end the upside is pretty high for a power hitting shortstop who can get on base, and if that's ultimately what he is that's a pretty desirable player. I think those two guys -- obviously, there's growth to be made -- but still feel the same about their abilities and the people they are.
STANDOUT YOUNG PLAYER OR PROSPECT(S) FROM CAMP:
Former Player: Juan Flores. He's only 18 himself, the catcher. He caught Soriano in a B-game at 10 o'clock against the Diamondbacks on one of their back fields, which is always hard to play those games. That's why Soriano throwing 97-98 was insane, but the way he caught the ball, and he blocks effortlessly -- two strike sliders in the dirt like it was nothing. His hands are great. Immediately after that I went up to Jerry Narron and Ron Washington and a couple of other guys because I heard the comparison with Pudge Rodriguez and stuff like that, and we don't ever want to do that to anybody because that's not fair, but I said, 'I played against that son-of-a-bitch for many years. This kid is pretty dang close, as far as early stages Pudge.' So, I think he's really, really good. That's a name everyone should keep an eye on, big time. I also liked this Cam Minacci kid. I was shocked at the way he threw. He threw the ball well. Another guy, Jack Kochanowicz. He's another kid with a really firm arm. I knew from some of the people from the Front Office to keep an eye on Dana, Urena, Kent, but to have my own unfiltered eyes those guys jumped out at me too.
Analyst: I mean, the two big names are going to be Caden Dana and Nelson Rada. Dana looks like he's going to be a very good pitcher down the road for the Angels. Possibly a mid-rotation arm. And, again, Rada -- the leadership in the outfield plus the bat is coming along nicely. I think those two have a chance to be a part of the Angels organization for a long time. Juan Flores as well. He's in the realm of being a very good catcher for the Angels long term. If the bat plays, I don't see why he couldn't be an everyday guy, but at the very least you have one of the best defensive receivers in the minors. I'm not afraid to say that he's one of the best, especially for his age and I think he's only going to get better. It depends on if the bat comes around. You don't compare any players to Hall of Fame players, but the Pudge Rodriguez comparisons defensively at least have some merit with how good Flores is at this age.
Executive: Can I say Soriano? You typically expect guys going from a relief role to a starting role to see their stuff tick back, or maybe they can't maintain through an outing, or maybe when you extend one's repertoire, they don't have feel for a pitch because it's something they're starting to throw more. I mean, it's five pitches and he has a feel for all of them and you can argue they're all plus-plus. Those guys just don't grow on trees. They're really tough to find. I thought just seeing him stretched out and seeing what he looks like was really exciting. When you're sitting in the scout's section and it seemed like every time he pitched the first inning, guys were like, 'Who is this guy?' I think guys know him now. He missed a couple of years with Tommy John and came in the bullpen and didn't pitch the full year, or didn't break camp with the team last year, but people are really finding out about him and how good of an arm it really is. The buzz was so loud on him it's tough to pick someone else. Juan Flores too. We were certainly excited about the potential there. Big league camp as a teenager. You can probably read between the lines there. I don't know where he's going to go from an assignment standpoint but what he showed -- another guy, he takes batting practice with a lot of the guys from big league camp and really impressive for a kid that age. And his defensive prowess. We saw him throw a guy out in a Spring Training game and the "wow factor" is certainly applicable. BP setting and you see it in a game. The kind of tools he possesses behind the plate. Not a lot of guys look like that at that age. Excited there. I know a lot of people are high on him.
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It's a lengthy interview. Read the whole thing if you can. A couple of excerpts:
"When the offseason started, you said two things. One, that you guys would be aggressive. And two, that you’d heard from agents that their clients wanted to play in Anaheim. But at the end of the day, payroll is $41 million lower. How does that square?
Fair question. We were aggressive, especially in the trade market. There were players we liked in the trade market that we felt like could really help the club. But what we were losing, we couldn’t stomach. Some of the players that were on this roster, we really, really like. Some of the players that are in our minor leagues, regardless of what publications say, we feel like have a chance to be pretty impactful young players going forward. So we made the decision we made.
I’ve been with teams where we’ve won the offseason. We’ve made big splashes and were on the cover of Sports Illustrated. And we traded for this guy and we signed that guy. I’ve been on those teams. And it didn’t work.
So the biggest thing for me is, and we’ve talked about it before as a group, is to block out all the noise. Worry about the room and do whatever we can that day to win a game. That’s the mantra. Wash has basically brought that from day one. And I think it’s really carried over and resonated with the guys, and we’ll see what happens."
...
"When you talk to Arte Moreno, do you feel like there’s a desire to make this a competitive team? And if it is, why are some of these moves not being made?
I just go back, there’s no guarantees because you make one or two moves. There’s no guarantees on anything. We have, in our eyes, we have significant upside in the current roster that we have. Now we need things to go right. We need some of our young players to continue to develop. We need some of our older players to play. There are no secrets.
If those things happen, I think we’ll be in a place where our play does our talking. I’m in constant contact with (Moreno). We’re on the same page. More than willing to dive in and, for us, this offseason, with what was out there and what we talked about and some of the concepts that were thrown at us, we felt like this was the right way to go.
Do you think he’s ever going to want to sign a big free agent again?
That would be a question for him."
I love and hate doing this, because I don't want to jinx players and the team, but it will be fun.
Here are some of my predictions, some of which are more bold than others.
1. The Angels finish with an 82-80 record. Optimism returns to Halos fans and the Arte hatred dies down after 2 months as the Angels have a winning season.
2. Anderson pitches well enough that he is traded at the deadline for prospects and to open up a spot for Soriano in the rotation. Wantz takes over the role vacated by Soriano.
3. Detmers throws another no-no and becomes our staff ace.
4. The Angels draft JJ Weatherholtz who quickly becomes part of our young nucleus at 2B (this would be an awesome long-term stroke of luck for us and we would be lucky if he fell to us, which is looking possible).
5. Ward is hitting. 275 with 10 dingers at the deadline and is still traded at the deadline.
6. Rada starts in AA and proves he deserves to be our future leadoff hitter. He is promoted after the deadline to start in LF and next year he and Trout flip-flops positions (imagine that tough conversation!).
7. O'Hoppe becomes our team and clubhouse leader and provides a stable presence for the team.
8. I am healthy enough to get at least 6 interviews at the IE over the whole season (meaning that I am well enough to go there several times). I also am there to get an interview with a player on rehab. The Angels see that I'm healthy enough again and allow Chuck and me to get at least 1 player like Neto for a Zoom interview.
9. We trade off a couple other bullpen arms, such as Suarez, to open up spots for Bachman and Joyce,who are both healthy and pitching well.
10. Trout and Rendon each play over 125 games, with Trout playing a bit more than Rendon.
11. The Angels provide enough story lines that as I regain sensation in my fingers and hands that I can and want to write up at least 6 articles this season, after not writing 6 articles combined since 2020.
12. Chuck, Victor and Geoff continue to do a GREAT job with the podcast that they get a former player or two to join them on some episodes. I'm thinking that Tim Salmon is their first "get".
13. Caden Dana pitches so will on AA that he forces his way into the conversation to be a starter next year. Sandoval is traded in the offseason to open a spot for him.
14. The national media still doesn't get the Angels or our farm system, doesn't get how a 28-30th ranked farm system can pull of these trades or promote so many players. We get ranked 26th in terms of organizations next year. How ever, with all the trades that we make, we acquire a young 3B to round out our core team with a young player at every infield and OF position. Ang ls fans realize that we don't need another big splash next year, and still become a dominant team in the AL West in 2025. The national media doesn't get it.
15. AngelsWin still remains the best site to talk Angels Baseball, where friendships are made, humor is rampant, and is the awesome place that Chuck made it to be for the past 20 years. We all say thanks to Chuck for all he's done over 20 years to make it such a place, even when we argue passionately about Angels Baseball.
16. Schanuel finishes with a .385+ OB‰, 15 dingers, and finishes in the top 3 for ROY.
17. The Angels are 8 games over 500 when Neto starts at SS.
18. I will be at next year's ST Fanfest, and because of the interviews that I did, bring some prospects for us to meet. After interviewing him again this year, Chuck gets to know Dana well enough that he gets him to come to the Fanfest too!
I think those are my main predictions. Of I have some more I will add them. But those are some bold predictions in more ways than one.
Can we just have fun? I'm not telling people how to "fan" or whatever, but constant negativity is getting quite old and tired. Yes, Arte sucks and needs to sell the team. But how about we just enjoy some Angels baseball? I see probably more negativity on social media than I do here. However, it's just growing tiresome.
Spring stats and all...but this seems really impressive to me. Especially because a lot of these guys tend to have issues with walks.
Estevez: 6 IP, 4.50 ERA, 5 hits, 0 walks, 4 strikeouts, 1 HR
Moore: 6.1 IP, 1.42 ERA, 1 hit, 4 walks, 7 strikeouts, 0 HR
Garcia: 4.1 IP, 8.31 ERA,6 hits, 0 walks, 3 strikeouts, 0 HR
Cimber: 7 IP, 0.00 ERA, 1 hit, 1 walks, 6 strikeouts, 0 HR
Pomeranz: 8 IP, 5.63 ERA, 8 hits, 3 walks, 6 strikeouts, 0 HR
Cisnero: 6.2 IP, 1.35 ERA, 3 hits, 0 walks, 6 strikeouts, 0 HR
Strickland: 10 IP, 2.70 ERA, 8 hits, 0 walks, 14 strikeouts, 2 HR
Zuniga: 8 IP, 6.75 ERA, 11 hits, 0 walks, 11 strikeouts, 0 RH
Suarez: 12 IP, 5.25 ERA, 12 hits, 1 walk, 11 strikeouts, 1 HR
Also not many HR, but real small sample (especially for relievers in ST) and this is without some of the guys we expected to be the core of the pen (Stephenson, Joyce, Soriano) going into spring.
Looked up Soriano and just as good there after today, 14.1 IP, 4.40 ERA, 15 hits, 3 walks, 19 strikeouts, 1 HR.
Just a few more days until we lock up this thread for good.
Will Montgomery and Belt sign before Thursday and where?
This may be the weirdest off-season I can remember in Angels history.
I think it's safe to say that the Angels biggest splash this offseason was Ron Washington.
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OhtaniSan reacted to Vlad27Trout27 in The Official 2024 Minor League Stats, Scouting, Updates, and Reports Thread
