Second Base

There is not one specific formula that will produce a major leaguer. That's where we've pigeon holed Eppler and where we've  miscalculated Dipoto's mistakened approach.
Dipoto wasn't wrong when he drafted Taylor Ward because he was a collegiate catcher. Eppler wasn't right when he drafted Jo Adell because he was a prep outfielder.
Dipoto was wrong because he thought he knew something others didn't know. He was going to draft this kid whose skill set was so far beyond any catcher and he was ready right now, and Mike Scioscia, in all his pseudoscience about catching could not deny this kid. He was a major league catcher, talent is talent. Dipoto is right, Mike Scioscia is wrong. The Angels needed this catcher. 
Eppler was right in drafting Jo Adell, because he wasn't proving anyone wrong. There's a hugely talented kid, everyone knew he was talented and he's available. He may have gone 1-1 in any other year, and the Angels never drafted that high. The fact that they drafted tenth overall was as high as they had gone in decades. He was the best player available. 
There's no "draft upside Prep players and you win" or "don't draft collegiate pitchers" formula. It comes to each individual player. That's it. 
Dipoto had a formula he followed. Eppler doesn't. The very fact that Jerry has a formula speaks to his arrogance. He wanted to control this chaos. He knew the answer and that's why he's the best. That's why he is where he is. 
Eppler wants to hear every angle of it because he doesn't feel like he knows it all. He'll take in advice from any outlet that produces. They signed this unknown kid from the Bahamas instead of an upside safer pick from the DR. He used a unique opportunity to acquire Kevin Maitan while pursuing Ohtani which runs directly counter to the Deveaux move. 
Again, no plan. No complex to prove yourself. That's why Eppler is succeeding.

There is not one specific formula that will produce a major leaguer. That's where we've pigeon holed Eppler and where we've  miscalculated Dipoto's mistakened approach.
Dipoto wasn't wrong when he drafted Taylor Ward because he was a collegiate catcher. Eppler wasn't right when he drafted Jo Adell because he was a prep outfielder.
Dipoto was wrong because he thought he knew something others didn't know. He was going to draft this kid whose skill set was so far beyond any catcher and he was ready right now, and Mike Scioscia, in all his pseudoscience about catching could not deny this kid. He was a major league catcher, talent is talent. Dipoto is right, Mike Scioscia is wrong. The Angels needed this catcher. 
Eppler was right in drafting Jo Adell, because he wasn't proving anyone wrong. There's a hugely talented kid, everyone knew he was talented and he's available. He may have gone 1-1 in any other year, and the Angels never drafted that high. The fact that they drafted tenth overall was as high as they had gone in decades. He was the best player available. 
There's no "draft upside Prep players and you win" or "don't draft collegiate pitchers" formula. It comes to each individual player. That's it. 
Dipoto had a formula he followed. Eppler doesn't. The very fact that Jerry has a formula speaks to his arrogance. He wanted to control this chaos. He knew the answer and that's why he's the best. That's why he is where he is. 
Eppler wants to hear every angle of it because he doesn't feel like he knows it all. He'll take in advice from any outlet that produces. They signed this unknown kid from the Bahamas instead of an upside safer pick from the DR. He used a unique opportunity to acquire Kevin Maitan while pursuing Ohtani which runs directly counter to the Deveaux move. 
Again, no plan. No complex to prove yourself. That's why Eppler is succeeding.

Schimpf is one of those guys that you wouldn't think would hit for power, but he does. 
Just another asset in AAA. As a 2B/3B, he'll join Chris Carter, Colin Walsh, David Fletcher, Kaleb Cowart, Jose Miguel Fernandez and Possibly Zach Houchins, in what figures to be a very deep AAA infield.

Who was the better second round pick, Jahmai Jones, Brandon Marsh or Griffin Canning?
Good luck choosing.

He doesn't call pitches, those are called from the dugout. And he's developed into a fine pitch blocker with a great arm and plus athleticism. 
Ward's shortcomings were rooted in his ability to establish a relationship with his pitchers. This doesn't get quantified but it's something that Maldonado is the best at. He studies video, he sits down with them, asks questions, picks their brains on everything they like to do on the mound and tailors his in game approach to fit each pitcher individually. Everything from pace, to pitch placement, to mound visits, to talking to them in the dugout.
There's so much more to this job, that Taylor just didn't do.

I'd rather have Jose Miguel Fernandez personally.

Who was the better second round pick, Jahmai Jones, Brandon Marsh or Griffin Canning?
Good luck choosing.

I'd rather have Jose Miguel Fernandez personally.

I'd rather have Jose Miguel Fernandez personally.

Get the fuck off the DL

With Valbuena, Chris Young, and Jefry Marte clogging the bottom half of the order, you have to wonder how long it will be before Chris Carter is given a shot.

With Valbuena, Chris Young, and Jefry Marte clogging the bottom half of the order, you have to wonder how long it will be before Chris Carter is given a shot.

But Dipoto has a great relationship with the media, and they'll make sure you know that it isn't his fault, that he inherited the mess. 
Yeah it must've been hard inheriting a farm system with Mike Trout, Garrett Richards, Jean Segura and a whole lot more in it.
Dipoto is a snake.

But Dipoto has a great relationship with the media, and they'll make sure you know that it isn't his fault, that he inherited the mess. 
Yeah it must've been hard inheriting a farm system with Mike Trout, Garrett Richards, Jean Segura and a whole lot more in it.
Dipoto is a snake.

Maldonado is telling Nagy to get that f’n Wood off the mound.

He's the catcher we need and deserve. Mexican Mathis.

Bedrosian has been consistent with the Jekyll and Hyde crap enough to say that's just who he is

Another thing that I think everyone has taken notice of, Upton isn't nearly the defender in LF the defensive metrics pen him to be. That ball definitely should have been caught and it cost them the game. Noe Ramirez was doing a great job and got credited with the loss for giving up to catchable fly outs in his second inning of work.

I think I'm more upset about Bedrosian's pile of crap performance than I am Richards. He's supposed to be our best reliever, our closer in waiting. He's even got the bloodlines to back it up. He should've been one of the best closers in baseball by now, and yet we're still seeing this Kevin Jepsen Jekyll and Hyde crap from him.

Richards ran out of gas and made two bad pitches, that's it really. It didn't help that the umpire gave Graveman an extra six inches on the outside corner that he didn't give Garrett, but what else is new. Angels (and other teams) get screwed by the umps all the time.

I hate relievers in general. I understand they're necessary but you really never know who will be good or bad year to year or even outing to outing. They're so damn inconsistent.

The only way Shohei will improve to the point of helping this offense is by logging reps against major league pitching. People want to have all these great young players but don't want to have to put in the time for adjustments.
I'm sorry, that just isn't the way it works. Players need a patient manager willing to put them out there and allow them to develop. Earlier in his career, that wasn't Mike Scioscia. But as he's gotten older he's become more patient.
Even Mike Trout sucked for his first 50 or so games as a pro. Granted he was only 19, but it just illustrates how hard this game is.
And Shohei has to do it on the mound and at the plate. He'll need Scioscia to keep rolling with him, and he'll need to shrug off the media feeding frenzy that will call him a bust every time he looks foolish. 

The only way Shohei will improve to the point of helping this offense is by logging reps against major league pitching. People want to have all these great young players but don't want to have to put in the time for adjustments.
I'm sorry, that just isn't the way it works. Players need a patient manager willing to put them out there and allow them to develop. Earlier in his career, that wasn't Mike Scioscia. But as he's gotten older he's become more patient.
Even Mike Trout sucked for his first 50 or so games as a pro. Granted he was only 19, but it just illustrates how hard this game is.
And Shohei has to do it on the mound and at the plate. He'll need Scioscia to keep rolling with him, and he'll need to shrug off the media feeding frenzy that will call him a bust every time he looks foolish. 

The only way Shohei will improve to the point of helping this offense is by logging reps against major league pitching. People want to have all these great young players but don't want to have to put in the time for adjustments.
I'm sorry, that just isn't the way it works. Players need a patient manager willing to put them out there and allow them to develop. Earlier in his career, that wasn't Mike Scioscia. But as he's gotten older he's become more patient.
Even Mike Trout sucked for his first 50 or so games as a pro. Granted he was only 19, but it just illustrates how hard this game is.
And Shohei has to do it on the mound and at the plate. He'll need Scioscia to keep rolling with him, and he'll need to shrug off the media feeding frenzy that will call him a bust every time he looks foolish.