Jump to content

Chuck

Members
 View Profile  See their activity

  • Posts

    36,112

  • Joined

  • Last visited

  • Days Won

    267

 Content Type 

Blog Entries posted by Chuck

  1. Chuck
    Photo by: Cristina Byrne-Sternberg/Rocket City Trash Pandas
    By Chuck Richter, AngelsWin.com
     
    Welcome to the show Ryan Aguilar! You’re joining a distinguished group of University of Arizona players to make their debut this year, as you’ll be the 5th former UA player to do so.
    Not every prospect has a direct or easy path to the Major Leagues. In fact, no two prospects follow the same trajectory over the course of their careers. This is why we love interviewing and getting to know Angels prospects—each has his own story to tell.
    Take Ryan Aguilar, for example. An Orange County player out of Esperanza High School, Ryan was drafted in the 31st round of the 2015 draft by the Milwaukee Brewers. He split time between 1B, CF, and RF throughout his time in the minors, while working on improving his offense. In 2019, the 6’2” lefty started to put things together, only to have the 2020 wiped out by Covid.
    Back in December, 2021 Ryan signed with his hometown team as a Minor League Free Agent in what appeared to be a depth move for the organization on their AA roster. But then things really started to click for Ryan. He began to hit—for power, average, on-base percentage, and even mixing in some speed. By last week, things were really heating up for him, as he was named the AA Southern League Player of the Week ending August 21st after he went 7/16 (.438 AVG) with 2 HRs, 6 runs scored, 6 RBIs, and 6 walks (for a .591 OB%) and a .938 SLG%!
    Ryan has been an indispensable part of the AA Rocket City Trash Pandas this year and is a big part of the reason why they have done so well this season. Ryan is currently tied for 3rd in OB% for the league (sitting .001 points behind the league leader) and is sporting a .280/.427/.517 line with 15 HRs and 11 SBs.
    Chuck Richter, our Founder and Executive Director recently caught up with Ryan to find out more about him as a player and his experience in the Minors. Please click below to watch our interview with him.

  2. Chuck
    By Jonathan Northrop, AngelsWin.com Senior Writer
    With the upcoming Winter Meetings, there's lots of speculation as to what Minasian and the Angels might do, and with it a great deal of uncertainty. For one, Minasian has already plugged significant roster performance leakage with the acquisitions of Tyler Anderson (starting depth), Gio Urshela (bench depth), and Hunter Renfroe (starting outfielder). But holes remain, or at least questions: the bullpen lacks firepower, the starting middle infielders, and the sixth starter.
    Those questions have in-house answers: The Angels have David Fletcher and Luis Rengifo, both of whom have strengths and weaknesses. Fletcher is a Gold Glove caliber second baseman and a plus shortstop, but with a weak bat. Rengifo seemed to have a legit breakthrough with the bat last year, but is probably average plus at second base and average minus at shortstop, so doubles with Fletcher as a guy who is best utilized at second base. Gio Urshela is stretched at either position, but could fill in in a pinch, and is more likely to rotate as a super utility player who provides insurance for Rendon and Walsh, and ends up accruing regular playing time at multiple positions (or so Minasian says). Livan Soto and Andrew Velazquez will duke it out for the final bench spot, though one or both will likely end up in AAA to start the season. But the point being, the Angels have adequate coverage of the middle infield, but have room for improvement - especially with a starting shortstop, which would move Rengifo and Fletcher into a 2B/UT platoon.
    The Angels have a ton of starting pitchers in the high minors who should become major leaguers of some kind: Chase Silseth, Ky Bush, Davis Daniel, Coleman Crow, Mason Erla, eventually Sam Bachman, etc. Plus they have Griffin Canning and Chris Rodriguez set to return. They also have some relief pitchers in Ben Joyce, Eric Torres, and Luke Murphy who--along with some of the starters--could bolster the bullpen at some point. Meaning, as with the middle infield, they should have adequate coverage of the back-end of the rotation and bullpen, but could still improve - especially the bullpen.
    Two other minor questions exist: Who will back-up or platoon with Max Stassi, and who will be the fourth outfielder? Right now the answer to the former is probably Matt Thaiss, but Logan O'Hoppe could also sneak into a platoon role with a strong spring, though the Angels might want to give him regular playing time in Salt Lake until either Stassi flops or gets hurt. As for the latter, right now Mickey Moniak seems the likely option, though the Angels might want to send him to AAA with Jo Adell and sign a veteran outfielder. At the least, we're likely to see some kind of minor league veteran signed as insurance, in case Moniak can't hit and Adell continues to struggle with his various issues.
    All that said, what are the possible paths forward? No one seems to have a good handle on whether--or to what degree--the impending sale influences Minasian's offseason plans. He says it doesn't, but...how can that be the case? Presumably he's mostly correct: the Angels have already built up their 2023 payroll to close to 2022's levels. But what is unclear is whether they think improving the teams odds of competing in 2023 by, say, signing one of the big shortstop free agents will hurt or help the Angels organization's sale appeal. Would a new owner rather have a better team that has a payroll above the luxury tax, or a worse team that has a lower payroll? And would such a signing impact their ability to offer Shohei Ohtani a competitive contract?
    Anyhow, I see three basic paths forward for the remainder of the offseason, all with two factors in mind: The impending sale (which, again, we don't know how it impacts the offseason except to say, "probably to some degree, but not hugely so") and Minasian's rebuilding of the farm, which implies that he won't empty it out in trades.
    Bolster the roster, but don't break the bank (or trade away the farm). This is pretty much what we've seen so far this offseason. It would mean that there will be no further major moves beyond possible trades, but likely no huge trades due to prospect cost. The modus operandi--as illustrated by his three acquisitions--is: raise the floor of the major league team's performance without either spending a mint or trading away top prospects. Plug the wholes, and trust the talent on the team to be competitive in 2023. Go all in on the Ohtani-Rendon-Trout Window. Rendon is signed for four more years, Trout isn't getting younger and hasn't played in 150 games since Trump's first year in office, and Ohtani may be gone after this year. This could mean going after one of the big shortstops or possibly more significant trades (and thus prospect cost), and trying to win in 2023. Thread the needle. This is a hybrid of the above two: Don't break the bank or trade top prospects, but bolster with a few more minor to moderate signings and be aggressive on the trade market, with a willingness to spend some prospect value. This may end up looking like #1 above if Perry can't pull off any trades, but with at least the attempt to make something happen. This also might see him try to package one of, say, Rengifo or Jose Suarez with prospects to upgrade the rotation, bullpen, or middle infield. Which path will Perry take? Well again, signs point towards the first or possibly third - but the Winter Meetings haven't happened yet, so we don't know if Perry won't get "big splashy" (2) or try to be ultra-savvy (3). My guess is that his intention is #3, but wouldn't be totally surprised to see #2, with #1 as the default in case #3 doesn't work out or he doesn't want to (or can't) spend on a big free agent.
  3. Chuck
    Photo by: Cristina Byrne-Sternberg/Rocket City Trash Pandas
    By Chuck Richter, AngelsWin.com
    September 22nd, 2022
    It has been quite a season for Chase Silseth as he made his major league debut less than a year after being drafted by the Angels in the 11th round of the 2021 amateur draft and he was a significant contributor in the Trash Pandas first ever (combined) no-hitter where he spun seven hitless innings against Biloxi (on 9/3). Silseth also won two Southern Player of the Week Awards and ended the season with a shiny 2.28 ERA, 0.95 WHIP and 11.93 K/9, fanning 110 batters over 83 innings of work in 2022. 
    Here's a look back Chase Silseth's impressive major league debut against the Athletics on May 13th in Oakland where he went 6 shutout innings, allowing just one hit striking out 4. 
     
    Here's a mix tape of Chase Silseth's greatest hits in 2022, where his filthy arsenal was on full display in both Double-A and in the Major League this season.
    In our interview with Chase you learn about his time with the Angels, being part of the Trash Panda's combined no-hitter, his pitching arsenal, what he needs to work on to become a successful major league starting pitcher, who he models his game after on the mound and also get to know the Angels right-hander on a more personal level on the lighter side of things.
    Click on the video below to watch our entire interview with the Angels top RHP pitching prospect, Chase Silseth. 
    Here is the complete interview transcript below. 
    AngelsWin.com: Chuck Richter from AngelsWin.com. We got Chase Silseth. Chase, how’re you doing today?
    Chase Silseth: Phenomenal. How are you doing?
    AngelsWin.com: Great. Great. So, first off, how exciting is it to be a part of this Rockey City Trash Panda club that’s going to the playoffs, and just everything that has happened this year?
    Chase Silseth: It’s great; It feels great to feel to be a part of this team. You know, with the work that we put in, it’s obviously reflected on, you know, our perseverance that we have, you know, done. But, yeah. It feels phenomenal to be able to just to be in those playoffs. We’re here so might as well just win them all.
    AngelsWin.com: Yeah. So, I know it’s been about a year, but what was Draft Day like for you?
    Chase Silseth: So, Draft Day, obviously, I didn’t think I was going to go Day 1. I’d hoped, you know, obviously. But I didn’t think so. So, I thought I was going to go Day 2. There was some talks with a couple teams, and I thought it was going to happen. But then it didn’t happen. Ended up, you know, they had to go with someone else. And…
    AngelsWin.com: So, the Angels were, kind of, a surprise for you when they picked you?
    Chase Silseth: A little bit; a little bit, you know? Then I just went into Day 3, you know? At that point, everything was a surprise to me, because, you know, for me, I didn’t think I was going to go Day 3, but there was just calls from teams saying, you know, would I go for this, or this, or this—
    AngelsWin.com: Yeah.
    Chase Silseth: —and just wasn’t the ones that I was looking for, so the Angels took me and, you know, threw an offer and thought about it and—
    AngelsWin.com: [laugh] So, tell us what it was like to get promoted to the big leagues, and just your first full season in professional ball, and what was that experience like for you?
    Chase Silseth: Oh, I mean, it’s everyone’s dream—
    AngelsWin.com: Dream, right.
    Chase Silseth: —to go out there and be there. And, you know, to get a taste of that, you know, experience that was awesome. We’re talking to some guys up there, learning from some guys, and, you know, taking it and just got my feet wet, hopefully, be back there. Know what it, kind of, takes to, kind of, be there a little bit, you know, but—
    AngelsWin.com: Anybody, kind of, take you under their wing when you’re there, any of the pitchers there, or…
    Chase Silseth: I feel like, you know, everybody, kind of, was. I was, kind of, talking to everybody, question, you know? Just asking questions and trying to learn as much as I could, because that’s what this game is. You, kind of, want to learn and then grow as fast as you can before your age, you know, just, kind of, allows you to keep, you know, declining. So, you want to, kind of, meet this experience level before you start, kind of, coming down too much. But, just trying to learn as fast as I can and experience because this is my first full year, and I’m trying to take in a lot quick—
    AngelsWin.com: It’s a lot to process.
    Chase Silseth: —and be there for the rest of the time, hopefully.
    AngelsWin.com: Yeah. Do you think that there’s any learning experiences that you learn from your time in the big leagues, and then coming back here? What is your biggest take-away from that experience?
    Chase Silseth: Because normally, you can’t mis-watch the Dodgers?
    AngelsWin.com: [laugh]
    Chase Silseth: And you know, yeah, just being competitive, you know? Being able—up there was, kind of, not being able to hold my stuff through five incomplete innings. That’s what—So, I took, when I came back down here, was to make sure I can, you know, hold my stuff five, six, seven innings. Up there, just, kind of, when I hit the third or fourth, it was—you know, my normal 95 to 97 to 91, 93, sometimes bored. You know, I probably could pitch at that, but I would have to be a little bit more perfect in that way. And I’m a guy that just goes out there and not trying to think, just, kind of, throwing it through a quadrant of a zone, not just trying to be, like, you know, a fine line. So, just being able to hold my stuff was the experience that I, kind of, took away. And I’ve learned more.
    AngelsWin.com: Yeah. Are you, kind of, left to your own devices in terms of, like, workout, diet, you know, pitching mechanics. Or does the organization have a plan for you?
    Chase Silseth: They have a plan. They tell us, kind of, what they want, you know, with that. So, we, kind of, follow them. Diet’s on our own. And yeah, pitching mechanics are on our own, for the most part, unless they see something we—you know, to fix and, kind of, help to make us better. And if we make that fix, it does good. And we just, kind of, go out there and try to keep it up.
    AngelsWin.com: So, you throw a fastball velo, what? Tops out at what, 96, 90…
    Chase Silseth: I topped out at 99.
    AngelsWin.com: 99, is that right.
    Chase Silseth: Yes.
    AngelsWin.com: This year?
    Chase Silseth: Yes.
    AngelsWin.com: Okay, wow. And so, and the splitter is, kind of, your secondary. That’s, kind of, like, your out-pitch, right, slider?
    Chase Silseth: It just depends.
    AngelsWin.com: Changeup, yeah.
    Chase Silseth: Split or slider one of the days or most—
    AngelsWin.com: Any pitches that you’re working on that you’re trying to add to your repertoire?
    Chase Silseth: I got five and five is plenty.
    AngelsWin.com: [laugh] Yeah. Unless you’re Ohtani, right? Then you can just invent a new pitch during the [laugh]… yeah. So, what will Angel fans come to learn about you, the player and the person?
    Chase Silseth: I’m just a competitor. I’m going to go out there and just try to give my team a chance to win every time, every game. That’s my plan going forward. So, know every time I go out there and pitch is to give the team a chance to win, you know? Just want to win.
    AngelsWin.com: Yeah. What’s your most memorable game to date, you know, college, professional ball, big leagues? It’s got to be the major-league debut, right?
    Chase Silseth: Major-league debut for sure. That was—
    AngelsWin.com: [laugh] Or the combined no-hitter here, right?
    Chase Silseth: Combined no-hitter was fantastic, too. But no, that’s—obviously, you got a no-hitter, but, I mean, making the MLB debut—
    AngelsWin.com: That’s a dream. Yeah.
    Chase Silseth: —and you go six scoreless there—
    AngelsWin.com: That was amazing.
    Chase Silseth: —that’s one of the things I’m going to remember for a long time.
    AngelsWin.com: Oh, yeah. Absolutely. Who’s impressed you the most here in terms of teammate and on the opposing side, like a tough out here in the Southern League?
    Chase Silseth: Everybody. Everybody’s good teammates in there. We got a great clubhouse. You know, so I can’t really single anybody out because, you know, it’s been a team effort at this point, keeping each other, you know, going.
    AngelsWin.com: You guys got a stacked roster here; it’s just phenomenal. Everybody when I—
    Chase Silseth: There’s one thing, you know, is that Neto, too, when he first got here, you know, lit it up. But what, kind of, impressed me the most, was when he got hit, like, four times in his wrist, but he just, kind of, kept going. And, you know, because you’re in pain, and fight through it, and that’s what really impressed me. That’s what got me to like him a lot. You know, it probably doesn’t feel good to get hit in the wrist once, much less, like, three or four times, and fouled off couple off his foot just to be able to just stay in there and grind it out. That got my respect.
    AngelsWin.com: Gritty and durability, man—
    Chase Silseth: Yes, exactly.
    AngelsWin.com: —that goes a long way; I’m telling you. So, when did you first commit to playing baseball? How old where you?
    Chase Silseth: About four years old, I started playing T-ball, you know?
    AngelsWin.com: [laugh]
    Chase Silseth: It’s been long ago, 18 years.
    AngelsWin.com: I hear that a lot, four years old. Favorite pitcher, teams growing up?
    Chase Silseth: I was a Minnesota Twins fan growing up. My dad is from Minnesota, so just, kind of, growing up watching Minnesota teams. I’m a die-hard Minnesota Vikings—die-hard. And if I had to choose one Minnesota team, it’s the Vikings [unintelligible 00:08:35].
    AngelsWin.com: You going to take care of the Eagles on Monday night?
    Chase Silseth: I’m hoping; I’m hoping.
    AngelsWin.com: [laugh] Let’s hope Mike Trout doesn’t see this interview, huh. [laugh]
    Chase Silseth: [laugh] I know, that’s the one thing, but I got it in my soul, baby. [unintelligible 00:08:49].
    AngelsWin.com: [laugh] There you go. Who do you model your game after in terms of a professional athlete or big leaguer?
    Chase Silseth: I don’t know, maybe, Gullett. You know, also growing up watching games, I, kind of, was watching people, trying to learn from it, much less just try to watch, you know, the baseball game. I was just trying to learn from other people, but, you know, just like that competitive-dog attitude that just wants to win—
    AngelsWin.com: Scherzer?
    Chase Silseth: —probably Scherzer’s just like that. You know, that’s what I got when I’m up there.
    AngelsWin.com: Yeah. It’s good to see that.
    Chase Silseth: When I don’t have that and lose that, that’s when I tend to be on the, you know, crabbier side of things, especially when I take it too far, and I’m getting mad after, you know, when something doesn’t go my way instead of having that competitiveness. Just go to the next pitch, just I, kind of, dwell on it, and it, kind of, affect me mentally. That’s one of those things I need to, you know, be better at.
    AngelsWin.com: Yeah. Okay, real quick, Lightning Round. Favorite movie?
    Chase Silseth: Have to go with Avengers: End Game.
    AngelsWin.com: Okay. Good flick. Favorite song or artist?
    Chase Silseth: Favorite song. I’m going to have to go Morgan Wallen and Luke Combs.
    AngelsWin.com: Okay. Morgan Wallen a lot here. Favorite video game?
    Chase Silseth: Call of Duty—
    AngelsWin.com: There you go.
    Chase Silseth: —[unintelligible 00:10:22]. You—whatever.
    AngelsWin.com: [laugh] What’s a perfect day look like for you away from baseball?
    Chase Silseth: Perfect day. You know, it, kind of, sucks being—I love to hunt. The perfect day from me is just go out, go out and hunt in the mountains; camping out, friends, family and go out and hunt all day and come back and build a campfire—
    AngelsWin.com: Do that back home?
    Chase Silseth: Yeah. Sucks—somebody will fall for me—but yeah, I love to hunt.
    AngelsWin.com: So, last question. When you’re done playing baseball, have you envisioned what your next career will look like?
    Chase Silseth: I’ve not; I’ve not. Just trying to stay seven feet in front of me at all times, you know? Just, what’s next; what’s next; what’s next? You know, a couple of seven feets, here and there, will get me to that point in time, or get me to that point where I’m starting to figure it out. But now, just, kind of, taking it what’s in front of me. Trying to stay on my feet.
    AngelsWin.com: Awesome. Chase, thank you so much
  4. Chuck
    SHOHEI OHTANI – MAKING HISTORY
    The 28-year-old reigning A.L. MVP and 2018 A.L. Rookie of the Year has completed his 2022 season with a 15-9 record with a 2.33 ERA (166 IP – 43 ER) and 219 strikeouts in 28 pitching starts, while holding opponents to a .203 average (124/610). As a hitter, he had 90 runs scored, 30 doubles, six triples, 34 home runs, 95 RBI, 72 walks, 11 stolen bases and a .875 OPS. Below are some additional accomplishments this season:

    FIRST PLAYER EVER…
    Is the only player to ever qualify for the league leaders as both a hitter and a pitcher in one season Only player in MLB history with 10+ pitching wins and 30+ HR in the same season Babe Ruth (1918) is the only other player with 10+ wins and 10+ HR Only player in MLB history to record an 8+ RBI game as a batter and a 13+ strikeout game as a pitcher at any point in a career...He accomplished both feats in consecutive games this season (June 21-22 vs. KC) Only pitcher in MLB history to carry a one-hitter (or better) into the 6th inning against both reigning league champions in the same season Carried perfect game into 6th inning on April 20 at Houston Took one-hitter into 7th inning on July 22 at Atlanta On April 20 at Houston, became the first starting pitcher (since 1900) to bat twice in the top of the first before ever taking the mound. That night, he allowed two baserunners in 6.0 scoreless innings with 12 strikeouts First player in MLB history to both throw and face a team's first pitch of the season Served as the Angels starting designated hitter in all of his pitching starts The term “Ohtani rule” was added to Dictionary.com this year

    THE PITCHER
    Led the A.L. with an 11.87 SO/9 innings rate Allowed two-or-fewer runs in 22 of 28 starts…Pitched to a 2.08 ERA (26 IP – 6 ER) with 25 strikeouts in his four no-decisions In final 19 games, pitched to a 1.67 ERA (118.2 IP – 22 ER) with 154 strikeouts During a six game pitching span from June 9 – July 13, went 6-0 with a 0.45 ERA (39.2 IP – 2 ER) and 58 strikeouts, (while also hitting eight HR with a .997 OPS) Fourth pitcher all-time to go 6-0 with 58+ SO and 2-or-fewer ER in a six game span, joining Cy Young winners Johan Santana (2004), R.A. Dickey (2012) and Clayton Kershaw (2014) Induced 29 swings and misses on May 5 at Boston. No other pitcher has registered more in a game this season…That day, he also became the first starting pitcher to bat in one of the top four spots in the order in a game at Fenway Park since Babe Ruth on Sept. 20, 1919 (Game 1) vs. White Sox Recorded 10+ strikeouts in 10 games this season, which led the A.L. Joined Nolan Ryan as only pitchers in Angels history with 10+ strikeouts in six consecutive starts Carried a no-hitter through 7.2 innings on Sept. 29 vs. Oakland In addition to leading A.L. in SO/9, ranked among league leaders in strikeouts (219; 3rd), whiff% (33.0%; 4th), ERA (2.33; 4th), wins (15; T4th), WHIP (1.01; 5th) and opponent batting average (.203; 6th).

    THE HITTER
    Ranked in Top 10 in the American League in total bases (304; 5th), intentional walks (14; 3rd), extra-base hits (70; T3rd), slugging (.519; 5th), home runs (34; 4th), OPS (.875, 5th), triples (6; T4th), RBI (95; 7th), walks (72; 7th) and runs (90; T8th) Set a single-game career high (MLB or NPB) with eight RBI on June 21 vs. Kansas City, which also set MLB single-game RBI record for a Japanese-born player Had a career-best and team-leading 18-game hit streak from Sept. 14 – Oct. 3 On April 10 vs. Houston, hit a double with an exit velocity of 119.1 MPH, breaking his own record for an extra-base hit by a left-handed batter in the Statcast era. Only player in the Majors to tally 6+ triples and 34+ HR this season (second consecutive year as the only player to do so) ALL-STAR
    Selected to the All-Star Game as both a pitcher and position player for a second consecutive season Only player in MLB history to be selected as an All-Star as both a position player and a pitcher Started the All-Star Game as the A.L. designated hitter and recorded the first leadoff All-Star hit since Mike Trout in 2015 

    SHO OFF
    Only player in MLB history with 10+ pitching wins and 30+ home runs in the same season Only American League starting pitcher to throw 40+ pitches at 100+ MPH this season Pitched 7.0 scoreless innings on May 5 at Boston and had an 8th inning RBI hit off the Green Monster at 103.7 MPH, which knocked his #17 off the pitching section of the manual scoreboard’s linescore Had streak of 31.2 consecutive innings pitched without allowing an earned run, from June 9 - July 13 Only player in the World Series era to compile 10+ wins and 10+ stolen bases in the same season A two-way comparison between Babe Ruth (1918) and Shohei Ohtani (2022): Babe Ruth (1918): 13-7, 2.22 ERA, 1.05 WHIP, 40 SO .300 AVG, 26 doubles, 11 HR, .555 SLG Shohei Ohtani (2022): 15-9, 2.33 ERA, 1.01 WHIP, 219 SO .273 AVG, 30 doubles, 34 HR, .519 SLG Led the Majors with a home-to-first average time of 4.09 seconds
     
    **Research provided by Elias Sports Bureau, STATS, ESPN Stats & Info, Baseball Reference, Fangraphs and MLB**
  5. Chuck
    By Jonathan Northrop, AngelsWin.com Senior Writer
    2022: A Tale of Limp Bats
    Strangely enough, the lineup ended up being the biggest problem area for the Angels this year, as they're currently 24th in the majors in wRC+ (91) and 25th in runs scored (493). Compare this to them being 12th in ERA (3.83) and 11th in pitcher WAR (13.2). It's a bit harder to quantify their defense, but they're 17th in Def Runs with -3.1, so basically close to average.
    So Perry Minasian goes into the offseason realizing that while he probably needs to bolster the pitching staff with at least one bonafide starter, his main task will be getting the team to score more runs. 
    The problem this year has been multi-faceted, and all mostly injury related. Losing Rendon was a huge blow and correlated with the beginning of their losing streak; Trout has been both streaky and missed a lot of time - assuming health from here on out, by season's end he'll have missed about 45 games. Former top prospects Brandon Marsh and Jo Adell have both continued to disappoint, and Marsh was shipped off to Philadelphia. After a torrid start and an injury, Taylor Ward has been terrible. Max Stassi and Jared Walsh both bottomed out, and David Fletcher continued last year's atrocious hitting and then missed a lot of time.
    But a couple questions have seemingly been answered in the affirmative: David Fletcher is back, healthy, and hitting like 2018-19, meaning adequate enough to be a starting infielder and not a hole in the lineup, and an overall valuable player. Luis Rengifo has finally put it together; From June 18 on, he's hit .294/.316/.484 with a 125 wRC+ in 256 PA. Meaning, with Fletcher and Rengifo, they Angels have two major parts of their middle infield locked in for next year.
    Perhaps the biggest question marks for next year, in terms of the success of the lineup, has to do with the health of two players, Mike Trout and Anthony Rendon. Trout's projected 115-120 games this year will be the most he's played since 2019, but is still about 70% of a full season. The Angels really need 130+ games from their aging superstar. Anthony Rendon has been even worse; over the last two seasons he's managed only 93 games, or about 29% of team games. One way or the other, the Angels really need at least about 250 games from these two players. 
    The third member of the projected "Big Three," Shohei Ohtani, started slow but is hitting close to last year's level, his 144 wRC+ not far behind last year's 150. He's been extraordinarily healthy the last two seasons and there is no reason he shouldn't continue to be healthy, but it is easy to take him for granted; any Angels success next year is contingent on Ohtani not only staying healthy, but staying period. With an impending ownership change, we don't know the ultimate fate of Ohtani.
    A secondary question relates to the trio of Ward, Walsh, and Stassi - the complementary offensive players, all guys capable of above average offensive performance. After coming back from injury on June 14, Ward has hit .218/.293/.333 with a 79 wRC+ in 279 PA. Stassi's wRC+ fell from 105 last year to 67 this year, and Walsh's fell from 126 to 78. So the question is: Who are the "real" Ward, Walsh and Stassi?
    The Angels continue to have an Adell-sized hole in the outfield, which is made even larger by the terrible hitting of Ward. The outfield around Trout was supposed to be a strength, but has instead turned out to be a huge liability. Neither Adell nor Moniak look like surefire answers, and both could end up starting next year in AAA. Maybe one or both breakout, but neither can be counted on at this point.
    As I see it, there are only a few questions that will be answered over the last 32 games:
    Is Adell (or Moniak) ready to be a solid major league contributor? So far the answer is "no" and "maybe, but probably not." Adell shows flashes, but never with any consistency - and consistency is what its all about. Are Fletcher and Rengifo for real? So far it seems "Yes." Fletcher is back to a level similar to 2018-19, which is about all we should have hoped for - and good enough to play a major role in 2023, whether as a regular player or a platoon or hybrid. Rengifo has been consistently good, with a 120ish wRC+, for about half a season's worth. He may not be a .290/.320/.480 hitter, but he certainly seems like a .270/.310/.450 hitter, which with average defense makes him a starter. Are any of the AA/AAA pitchers close to ready? This doesn't relate to the thread topic, but thought I'd throw it out there. Is Thaiss good enough defensively to catch 40-60 games next year? He's being auditioned for the back-up/platoon role, at least until O'Hoppe is ready. Which brings me to... How close is Logan O'Hoppe? Hard to say. If the Angels call him up in a few weeks for a look, they might be considering him for a roster spot on Opening Day. More likely they'll put him in AAA and wait for an injury. That's about it. I don't think any of those things really effect offseason moves, as far as the lineup goes. I mean, maybe Adell is Dave Winfield for the last few weeks and the Angels feel more confident in him, or maybe Moniak comes back and is good enough to give him a job. So that might impact offseason moves. And if the Angels want to start the year with five guys who can perform at a 2+ WAR level at 3B/SS/2B, they already have three of them (Rendon, Fletcher, Rengifo), so either way will need two legit middle infielders.
    I don't see them doing much at catcher beyond maybe signing a minor league journeyman, or perhaps a very cheap back-up type if they don't like what they see from Thaiss.
    Other questions won't be answered at all, until next year: Can Rendon and Trout stay healthy? Will Ward, Walsh, and Stassi bounce-back? Will any AA/AAA prospects breakout and enter consideration? Etc.
    Meaning, I think we have about 95% of the info we need to speculate about what lineup moves need to be made.
    The last area of concern is the bench. The reason the offense collapsed as badly as it did is that with injuries and declined performances from key players, they only had scrubs to fill in the gaps. The emergence of Rengifo and revival of Fletcher ameliorates this issue somewhat, but not enough to feel comfortable  - they need better bench players.
    2023 Outlook and Offseason Plan
    The problem going into the offseason is that the Angels have all the pieces of a good lineup - if all of the questions above can be answered affirmatively. But they can't count on that, so really need to bolster the lineup as much as possible.
    Their biggest target this offseason might be the biggest bat they can afford, either one of the many top shortstops on the free agent market, or an outfielder, or possibly even a first baseman, though I suspect they'll give Walsh a shot to redeem himself, if only due to the fact that he's cheap. The top free agent hitters include Aaron Judge (OF), a quartet of elite shortstops in Trea Turner, Carlos Correa, Xander Bogaerts, and Dansby Swanson; Wilson Contreras (C); and a handful of second tier first basemen in Josh Bell, Anthony Rizzo, and the 36-year old Jose Abreu.
    With Rengifo and Fletcher, they're not as desperate for a middle infield upgrade, but if they did go after one of the many top free agent shortstops, either one--or both--could be a starter/utility hybrid and fill in at 3B as necessary. Or they could go a budget route and focus on depth, signing a couple higher caliber platoon/bench middle infielders that can fill in as needed.
    As far as the outfield is concerned, as of this writing, the Angels probably need to think in terms of signing an every day player who can hit. Maybe Ward bounces back to at least a 120 wRC+ level and/or one of Moniak or Adell takes a couple steps forward, but all of that is questionable; adding in the dubious health of Trout, and the Angels could use an outfielder who can hit. There's a big drop-off after Judge, but some decent options: Brandon Nimmo, Andrew Benintendi, Mitch Haniger, and Trey Mancini, who could double as an insurance policy for Walsh. They could also take a one-year flyer on Michael Conforto, who struggled in 2021 and missed all of 2022, and will be itching to prove himself.
    The Angels are currently auditioning Matt Thaiss, presumably to platoon with Stassi until Logan O'Hoppe is ready, probably sometime in the first half of next year. So chances are catcher next year will be some combination Stassi, Thaiss, and O'Hoppe, and possibly some veteran back-up type. Meaning, don't expect any major changes (e.g. Wilson Contreras) from what they already have; O'Hoppe was the big catcher acquisition and will be in the mix shortly.
    Conclusion
    So in summary, I think Minasian's offseason lineup targets will be:
    A quality bat or two - probably either OF, MI, or maybe 1B A starting outfielder Either a starting middle infielder or a quality platoon player Bench depth Again, with an impending ownership change, all of this comes with a big dose of uncertainty - that's just what makes sense given the roster. It could be that due to extended negotiations, Minasian's told not to spend any money, and the Angels go into 2023 with essentially the same roster they have right now, plus maybe a few spare parts. We have to be ready for that significant possibility. But Arte Moreno, not wanting to decrease the value of the team, might simply tell Perry to treat this offseason as business as usual, although even then he might be told not to sign any major free agents (e.g. Judge or one of the big shortstops).
    Either way, it should be an interesting offseason, with a lot riding on it: the fate of Ohtani and the outlook of the Angels over the next few years, not to mention Minasian's legacy and a possible new manager.
  6. Chuck
    By Taylor Blake Ward, AngelsWin.com Columnist
    GENERAL THOUGHTS
    Perspective only comes with a full view. I write this as a caveat, as most will make an initial knee-jerk reaction to any club's first-round selection and make that the brash opinion of the entire draft for the club as it has the most value and is the one with the most accessible perceptions as to the player taken. For example, speaking to a Texas Rangers fanatic on Sunday night, he was distraught that Texas spent their first-round pick on Kumar Rocker much earlier than anticipated he would go and could not surrender the thought of losing value with the pick, and later altered his opinion when the team took Brock Porter in the fourth round. It's easy to make a reaction, but a full view can give you proper perception to how any given team did with their draft on paper.
    In the case of the Angels, their first-round selection gives them upside at a premium position. With position players suddenly being the lack of depth of the organization, the Angels went against what the industry felt would be one of the first landing spots for a pitcher and selected Zach Neto, the second-best college shortstop in the nation behind only Brooks Lee. With a firm belief he will stay at shortstop, a challenging position to fill organizationally that has long-lasting effects, there is an opportunity for not only a premium position player but also one that has everyday upside due to his hit and power balance.
    As the Angels went into day two and three of the draft, there was some repetition to what they did in 2021, altering from taking 20 pitchers in 20 picks to taking seven college power hitters with their final 16 selections.
    "Things just fell that way," said Tim McIlvaine, Angels Amateur Scouting Director, following day three of the draft. "We talked about a lot of different types of players on day one, and then day two as well, and then it gets tough to sign some of the high school kids. They end up going down the college road. We talked to a lot of high school kids for day three as well. Ended up taking one with our first pick (of the third day). It's kind of how it shakes out. You go down all the avenues you can, you talk to all the players you can, you try and get as much information on them as you can, then you try and make the best decision."
    As a general proviso among the industry, if two or three players make it to the big leagues with some form of Major League success (three-or-more years of average value), you can call the draft a success. In this scenario and with last year included, if two pitchers from the 20 taken in 2021, and one of the power hitters taken in 2022, have moderate success at the Major League level in the coming years, you can call these drafts successful. As opposed to altering options across 20 rounds, the Angels have set themselves up well to have hopes of one of their power bats finding success and being successful in the draft room for 2022. Of course, more could find success and make it even more beneficial to the club. The same can be said of the pitchers taken, hoping that one or more will find a relief role or be even more successful finding a true rotation option which is near as rare as finding an everyday shortstop. Notably, four of the Angels draft picks were among the top nine in college baseball in 2022 in both OPS and SLG% (Zach Neto, Sonny DiChiara, Matt Coutney, Luke Franzoni).
    "It's something we certainly look at," McIlvaine said. "We looked at a lot of different avenues of players. We looked at some guys that are huge speed guys, we looked at some that are big hit guys that didn't have a ton of power and ended up being able to take guys with a lot of power. It's something in our system that we wanted to improve a little bit and I think a lot of these guys are gonna help do that. We got some big boys with some big power that like to hit homers. Hopefully, it gets into the system and translates for us, but you know, it's something we want. OPS has been shown to be a good determining factor of moving forward, what guys are gonna be able to do. I wouldn't say it's just what we were targeting or what we were looking for. It kind of fell that way but we're excited to have it. Power is fun to watch. I think there's going to be some fun batting practice at a few of the affiliates this year. I can't wait to go see it."
    Every year the question will always arise: will the [insert team] sign all of their draft picks? Just as a generality, there are usually one or two total players taken in the first two days of the draft, combined, that do not sign, so it's fair to just believe anyone taken in rounds 1-10 will sign with ease. Day three is where the questions will arise, and once again as a generality, high schoolers, college juniors, and JUCO players will be the ones with the biggest question mark attached to their name. In the case of the Angels, there was one high schooler taken on the third day (though we will touch on that later and the likelihood he will sign); with four juniors in Jared Southard (a re-draft for the Angels), Bryce Osmond (the biggest question mark due to his day two opportunities), Sammy Natera Jr., and Max Gieg; and two JC players in Tucker Flint and Sabin Cabellos. Any questions about signability with this group will not come with answers until the end of the signing period, though as a reminder, most will sign and have already spoken to the club about what is expected for their signing bonus and future with the organization.
    "Some of these kids are in great situations with where they are," said McIlvaine. "Some of them have expressed to us that they're ready to get started with their careers even though they have other opportunities still. I'm sure there's other colleges or schools - other opportunities that will be tugging on them, but a lot of these kids are ready and wanna get going. It's part of what we try and talk to them about before the draft. Make sure pro ball is the avenue they're looking to go down at this point. With that you take a risk every once in awhile that a kid is ready to go, and this is what they want to do, and you put that opportunity in front of them and if they're ready to go now then we're happy to make that a reality."
    I don't give out grades for drafts as it takes at minimum four to five years to really see how successful a draft was when players are reaching their Major League potential, and another four or five years beyond that to see how productive each pick has become. On paper, I like what the Angels did. They addressed organizational needs, though I would have liked to have seen more outfielders taken but sticking to the best player available with each pick, there is a lot to like in the upside of this class for the Angels.
    PICK ANALYSIS
    1st Round: Zach Neto, SS, Campbell
    - I think everyone and their brother expected the Angels to select a pitcher in the first round, but it was nice to see them pivot to a position player with some premium position value. Zach Neto is two-way player in the traditional sense (non-Ohtani version) of being solid at the plate and in the field. Neto is a solid hitter who has a wood-bat track record - hitting for average and power in the Cape Cod League - who has plenty of power potential at the plate. His setup and load are quite unorthodox as he starts with a big inwards leg kick while his hands move all around but it doesn't keep him from getting direct to his separation and in a good position to cover the zone with strength - not dissimilar to Bo Bichette or Javy Baez though I wouldn't compare him to either as he doesn't have the immense bat wrap of Bichette or elite bat speed of Baez. Though unorthodox, Neto syncs everything together and is able to be a rhythmic hitter who utilizes his hand-eye coordination and above-average bat speed to drive the ball with authority and with his natural loft that bat-speed and raw power should be able to produce some easy double-digit home run production. With the load being complex, there may be some offensive inconsistencies and streakiness that are timing based for Neto, which shouldn't deter from the overall full-season offensive production. He's an aggressive baserunner who has average speed and pending the Angels approach to stealing could be an easy double-digit stolen base threat.
    Possibly the most important part of Neto's game, and in particular to the Angels, is the belief he can stay at shortstop long-term. I've mentioned it many times over but finding an everyday shortstop - i.e., one who can hit and play solid defense at the position - is hard to come by and even looking at each Major League club in 2022, only about two-thirds of the league have a player of this caliber (same can be said about catcher). Neto's primary value will be in staying at the premium position of shortstop. He's a solid athlete who has soft hands and makes the transfer with ease. He has more than enough arm strength for the position - he's pitched in the past and been up to 93 on the mound though the Angels will not try to utilize him in a two-way role - but the use of that arm will draw questions as he has shown tendencies to try and throw runners out by a mile whether the runner is close or far and will lose some accuracy, which may lead to having to tone down some of his throwing decisions. Neto is light footed with good-but-not-great lateral movement, which could be the only hinderance to his long-term ability at the position. He's shown versatility playing all over the dirt, but there's little question to him staying on the left side of the diamond, and a strong enough chance to stay at shortstop for a lengthy period of time.
    Comments from Tim McIlvaine: "First of all, he's athletic. He moves really well. He's got great body control. He goes well laterally, in, out, to his left, to his right. Then when you get to the box, he's got a nice big swing. He's got big bat speed and he'll show you surprising power for his size. He can really get into the ball. What we really like too is how well he knows the strike zone. He doesn't get himself out. He doesn't chase. He makes pitchers throw pitches in the zone and then he hits them hard. There's a lot to like with him. We really hang our head on the athleticism up-the-middle. That was a big focus for us."
    Zach Neto 2022 college stats: 256 PA, .407/.514/.769, 65 R, 50 RBI, 15 HR, 19 SB
     
    3rd Round: Ben Joyce, RHP, Tennessee
    No arm in the 2022 draft class had as much attraction or as much anxiety as Ben Joyce. A true unicorn, Joyce is the owner of the third hardest pitch ever thrown in baseball's metrically recorded history at 105.5 miles-per-hour, only topped by Aroldis Chapman. With the only challengers to his premier velocity being Chapman and Jordan Hicks, Joyce saw his average fastball sit at 101 miles-per-hour and peak at over 105 multiple times, which again is only challenged in metric history by Chapman and Hicks who have reached the feat a combined 10 times (Chapman, 8; Hicks, 2). A transfer from Walters State, Joyce did not pitch in 2021 after having Tommy John surgery in October of 2020, and returned with fire in 2022, hitting 103 in his second outing which sparked attention from Rob Friedman (a.k.a. Pitching Ninja) which led to attention from the masses. Joyce will use his fastball over three-quarters of the time and can disappear on hitters not only with its velocity but it's angle, coming in from a lower three-quarter arm slot with some inversion to his arm action. It has minimal movement which can make it easier to square up, and also among the reasons he was expected to go in the third or fourth round as opposed to first or second. As much of a rarity it is to have Joyce's velocity, there is some alternate weapons in his arsenal. Grades on his slider will range from "meh" to "plus" pending who you ask, but it is a pitch separated by some 15 miles-per-hour to his fastball and sweeps through the zone. The knock here is that Joyce has little command for the pitch, and it is predictable with advanced hitters who aren't automatically setup for the fastball. There is a changeup with some progressive signs, but it is a distant third pitch at the moment. His frame may indicate a starter profile, and the Angels haven't ruled out using him as a starter in development somewhere down the road (not this year), but his limited health track record, violent velocity, and irregularity to sync up his body should keep him in the bullpen. I believe that if the Angels were in the playoff race, he could be an arm you throw out at any given time during the 2022 campaign as a velocity-only weapon that Major Leaguers haven't seen, but with the Angels timeline and current state this year, he should be destined for development with a potential shutdown for 2022. In recap, you can't just find velocity like this, and it will always be worth the gamble to take something no one else has or may ever have.
    Comments from Tim McIlvaine: "He's probably one of the more famous amateur players. His fastball touching 105 and just all the hoopla that has come with him. It's fun to watch. I live in Nashville, Tennessee myself so I've seen him a good bit when he was in Junior College, and then as he went to University of Tennessee seeing him there, so kind of seen him grow into this a little bit and grow up. It's really fun to watch. It's a big arm and he has stuff and I think we feel like there are a few things that we can work on with him to make him even more effective instead of just having him throw as hard as he can all the time. He's got a nice breaking ball in there too that he doesn't always get to because he doesn't need it a lot of times but it's a big fastball and he's a good kid. He's got a good head on his shoulders - very disciplined. We met with him at the Major League Baseball Combine all together and we were very impressed coming out of that as well. For us it's not just how hard you can throw or how hard you can hit it but also in between the ears and what's inside. He checks that box for us as well.
    "We may explore (the opportunity to let him start). We're gonna see how Ben feels and walk him through that. We're not going to close the door to that. We're going to leave that possibility open but for now as he goes out, we're going to run him out of the bullpen and see where it goes. He had a few extended outings this year out of Tennessee and making one start so it's not out of the realm possibility but we're going to take it slow and see where it goes."
    Ben Joyce 2022 college stats: 32.1 IP, 2-1, 2.23 ERA, 14 BB, 53 K, 0.990 WHIP, 14.8 K/9
     
    4th Round: Jack Madden, RHP, Northwest Florida State
    A standout for Florida scouts in the spring coming off Tommy John in 2020, Jake Madden is a tall and lean on-mound athlete at six-foot-six with a loose and free arm with electric stuff. He works primarily off of his fastball which has boring action when thrown down and can run away like a two-seamer when up. It simmers around 93-96 but can get as high as 97 early in outings. Madden's slider is a real weapon as it has power in the mid-to-upper 80's and shows sweeping action against right-handed hitters and he can bury it to the back foot on lefties. His firm changeup has inconsistencies but can be a solid pitch against lefties as he'll throw it to the outer part of the plate and let it drop and fade out of the zone, while it has only worked against righties when located down. Madden is athletic on the mound and has a free-and-easy arm and room for physical development that could aid in power and durability, but his inability to throw regular strikes and below-average fastball command will leave lingering questions to his long-term ability to start. He has the looks of an electric two or three-pitch power reliever.
    Jack Madden 2022 junior college stats: 47.2 IP, 4-4, 4.53 ERA, 24 BB, 76 K, 1.34 WHIP, 14.4 K/9
     
    5th Round: Sonny DiChiara, 1B, Auburn
    They call him Thicc King in Auburn, and there's not much debate once laying your eyes on Sonny DiChiara. Listed at six-foot-one and 263 pounds, DiChiara is a big boy who is known solely for his prowess at the plate. He has a simple power load and gets to his big boy strength with relative ease. There is no doubt about DiChiara's raw and in-game power. An ambush hitter who feasts of fastballs, even those with high velocity, there is discipline in the approach (led D1 in on-base percentage in 2022) to find his pitch to drive, which will be vital to his ability to hit for any average as he'll have to continually line the ball. Though more athletic than expected for someone his size, he is a well below-average runner and has little-to-no defensive value even at first base. The comparisons may be unfair and solely based on his size, but a hopeful outcome would be that DiChiara becomes a similar player to Billy Butler or Dan Vogelbach.
    Sonny DiChiara 2022 college stats: 286 PA, .383/.549/.777, 59 R, 59 RBI, 22 HR, 0 SB
     
    6th Round: Victor Mederos, RHP, Oklahoma State
    Once seen as a projectable power arm in high school, the projection hasn't disappeared, but the performance has faltered Victor Mederos some into mid-day-two territory. Strong with a starter's kit physical profile, strike-throwing ability - or the lack thereof - has altered Mederos' projection and may land him in a relief role down the road. The inability to find the zone cost him a weekend rotation spot with Miami his freshman year and he transferred to Oklahoma State as a draft-eligible sophomore where he was able to start but with lackluster performance. His fastball can be explosive in the mid 90's, sitting 93-96 while touching 98-99 at times, though it is solely arm-speed based and is a dart that has been hit. The slider is Mederos' best weapon as he can alter its shape while getting whiffs in different forms, whether it be a tight two-plane offering playing off his fastball, or sweepy breaker that can force chases out of the zone. Mederos will throw a spike curve and changeup that both show promise, but he struggles to locate either making them purely raw average-or-better offerings at present. Mederos will get a look as a starter in development but with his high-effort delivery, irregular strike-throwing, and high-tempo on the mound, he seems like a reliever with some high-leverage upside.
    Victor Mederos 2022 college stats: 66.0 IP, 4-4, 5.59 ERA, 21 BB, 62 K, 1.36 WHIP, 8.5 K/9
     
    7th Round: Roman Phansalker, RHP, Oklahoma State
    Going back-to-back on Oklahoma State arms, Roman Phansalker differed from his counterpart as a solid mid-relief arm. Scrapping his traditional four-seam for a two-seam fastball, Phansalker has impressive arm-side run upwards of two feet that will sit 91-95 that plays well from a lot three-fifths slot. He compliments this with a changeup that is mostly slot-and-separation based but will fade similar to his two-seam. Altering paths and crossing over, Phansalker can miss bats with his tight slider. He has enough fastball command to focus on the secondaries in hopes of a weak contact mid-relief profile.
    Roman Phansalker 2022 college stats: 54.2 IP, 6-3, 3.46 ERA, 22 BB, 45 K, 1.23 WHIP, 7.4 K/9
     
    8th Round: Dylan Phillips, TWP, Kansas State
    Taken as a two-way player by some surprise, Dylan Phillips will enter pro ball as a DH/reliever with intrigue to follow on his two-way progression. At the plate, Phillips has a swing meant for damage while throwing the barrel through the zone and lift with an uppercut finish. His defensive profile will be held to corner outfield or first base. On the mound, he has been up to 95 from the left-side and the Angels had interest in him as a pitching prospect, as well as at the plate, though most believe his value is on offense.
    Comments from Tim McIlvaine: "We do want him to pitch so we're gonna be careful with that. Right now, we're probably going to DH him and let him pitch out of the bullpen until he can kind of get it going a little bit and get a little more comfortable in that role and figure out how much he's able to do. He will be doing both. We like him both ways. We had him as a prospect as a hitter and we had him as a prospect as a pitcher as well. He wants to do both. We talked to him about it and he's all good for it."
    Dylan Phillips 2022 college stats: 257 PA, .283/.362/.513, 40 R, 44 RBI, 13 HR, 8 SB / 20.1 IP, 0-1, 2.66 ERA, 3 BB, 26 K, 0.79 WHIP, 11.5 K/9, 8 SV
     
    9th Round: Joe Stewart, OF, Michigan
    Joe Stewart is one of the eldest players for the class as a senior at Michigan, who put together two strong performance seasons for the Wolverines. A solid athlete, Stewart has the defensive traits and above-average speed (used on the basepaths as well) to chance him staying in center field long term. The athleticism plays at the plate as he can make adjustments quickly and has some natural strength and power in his lofty swing.
    Joe Stewart 2022 college stats: 303 PA, .349/.409/.572, 73 R, 56 RBI, 13 HR, 23 SB
     
    10th Round: Matt Coutney, 1B, Old Dominion
    Finishing their second day of the draft, the Angels day two tone didn't alter when taking another big-bodied masher in Matt Coutney. A fifth-year senior, Coutney was among the eldest statesmen for the class who punished younger talent throughout two years at Old Dominion. The left-handed hitter has excellent barrel control that helps gives him plenty of zone coverage. His swing has some natural loft and will put the ball in the air with normality. Among the college leaders in home runs, OPS, and slugging, Coutney’s calling card is his all-fields power that should translate into pro ball, and he has more value than a standard fifth-year senior sign with upper-level and Major League platoon upside. His defensive value is limited to first base.
    Matt Coutney 2022 college stats: 275 PA, .376/.473/.808, 66 R, 70 RBI, 27 HR, 3 SB
     
    11th Round: Caden Dana, RHP, Don Bosco HS (NJ)
    Kicking off the third day with a big projection arm, Caden Dana is a New Jersey prep whose data-based pitches were a drawing tool upwards of the third round and will be an over slot sign for the Angels. Dana's projection starts with his frame, standing tall at six-foot-four and physically stout at 215 pounds, he has the present body of a workhorse starter already as a high school senior. With a clean and easily repeatable delivery, Dana is an arm-strength based pitcher, Dana will work his high-spin fastball 92-95 and has touched higher in shorter stints, and let's it play all over the zone with feel for command. Dana's curveball is the calling card as another high spin offering with some power. It's a big-breaking pitch that arcs high with a late vertical drop. In its raw present state, it's a plus offering, but he'll have to locate it better through development to make best use of it becoming a premier swing-and-miss option against more advanced hitters, but it should serve well through the low minors. There will be focus on his other breaking ball, a sweepy mid 80's slider, and changeup, as he shows some feel for both but are below-average offerings currently. Although a big kid, there is room to fill in the frame to leave little doubt about his durability and chance to remain a starter, and potentially see some velocity jumps. Everything in the package has the makings of a workhorse starter.
    Caden Dana 2022 high school stats: 47.1 IP, 1.33 ERA, 70 K
     
    12th Round: Jared Southard, RHP, Texas
    A re-draft from 2019, the Angels took Jared Southard eight rounds earlier than when they did in 2019 out of high school in Leander, Texas, just north of Austin. Southard has filled out well into his physical frame and has a power relief arm. His two-pitch arsenal is pro ready, starting with his fastball that sits 92-96. His fastball has life and ride up in the zone but is best suited blending and tunneling with his slider, as the two alternate breaks across the zone. He'll work his fastball running away to his arm-side and counter it with a mid-to-upper 80's slider with a tight and late vertical break to his glove side. He comes at hitters with a low three-quarter slot that gives deception and allows the two pitches to work off of each other. There's some low-risk relief ceiling here.
    Jared Southard 2022 college stats: 29.1 IP, 4-1, 2.76 ERA, 19 BB, 46 K, 1.159 WHIP, 14.1 K/9
     
    13th Round: Tucker Flint, OF, Chipola College (FL)
    Starting a back-to-back on junior college standouts, Tucker Flint went from a contact-first athlete in high school to a more power-toned hitter at the plate that was an offensive leader for one of the top JUCO's in baseball. There's some balance at the plate to believe in him getting to his power and potential for hard contact to the gaps. He can work counts and put together competitive at bats leading to some hopeful on-base potential. He is likely destined for a non-premier corner position.
    Tucker Flint 2022 junior college stats: 242 PA, .370/.496/.708, 71 R, 41 RBI, 14 HR, 12 SB
     
    14th Round: Sabin Ceballos, C, San Jacinto College (TX)
    Sabin Ceballos is a converted catcher from the infield with twitchy athleticism to move around the field, anywhere from behind the plate, to the dirt, to the grass. He comes equipped with a plus-plus arm registered at 99 from shortstop. An MLB Draft League standout, coaches liked his potential behind the plate, and he shows good lateral movement. He has a physical and athletic build so there's hope of offensive upside, though it will likely come with some swing-and-miss.
    Sabin Ceballos 2022 junior college stats: 281 PA, .338/.470/.530, 54 R, 46 RBI, 8 HR, 7 SB
     
    15th Round: Bryce Osmond, RHP, Oklahoma State
    Among all the Angels draftees, Bryce Osmond may have the biggest signability question and a return to Oklahoma State wouldn't be out of the realm of realities. Viewed as a day one pick as a high-schooler, Osmond still has top five rounds kind of stuff and upside in the bag. An athlete on the mound who was a shortstop prospect in high school, Osmond has a tall and lean build at six-foot-three and 185 pounds, giving indications of a lengthy workload. He works from a high arm slot with present arm speed and strength with some effort. Osmond is at his best when he can command his fastball to all quadrants of the zone and let's it play and ride up in-and-above the zone, sitting 91-95 with some mid's at its peak, though it is hittable due to its minimal movement. His slider is a true out pitch, with a sharp and late vertical break that he can locate well to the bottom of the zone and get under swings. He'll work in an occasional curve and changeup with the curve being the better of the pair, though they are distant to his fastball and slider. With his athleticism and size there is rotation upside but to reach that he'll have to develop his curve and/or changeup, and throw better strikes as his control is fine but command will come-and-go
    Bryce Osmond 2022 college stats: 60.2 IP, 4-2, 4.75 ERA, 31 BB, 77 K, 1.37 WHIP, 11.4 K/9
     
    16th Round: Casey Dana, OF, Connecticut
    Going to another fifth-year senior, Casey Dana is the older brother of Caden Dana who the Angels took the 11th round. The organization's original interest came in the elder of the Dana's due to his grit and toughness, as well as his offensive toolset. Spending most of his time in the corners, Dana profiles as a hit-first left fielder or first baseman.
    Comments from Tim McIlvaine: “We were talking about the older brother, Casey, who goes to UConn. We were talking about him the other day as just a guy we were targeting to begin with. Our scout up there has seen him at UConn. He's a tough kid. He got 28 stitches and missed like two days and then the next series went 8-for-13 in the series. He had a .926 OPS, 12 homers this year, hit a few really long home runs while we had guys in attendance there so he's actually a guy we were targeting as a draft pick to begin with and then once it kind of came together that we took his brother with our first pick on day three, that's when we said, 'We gotta get this guy. It'll be such a great story and what a neat thing for two brothers to play pro baseball together.' We were really excited about it. We're glad it came together, and we can't wait to see where that story goes. I think it'll be really fun.”
    Casey Dana 2022 college stats: 310 PA, .313/.381/.546, 57 R, 61 RBI, 12 HR, 4 SB
     
    17th Round: Sammy Natera Jr., LHP, New Mexico State
    Pitching at a launching pad, you can toss any of Sammy Natera Jr.'s pitching performance numbers out the window as is the case with most New Mexico State arms. Natera has plenty of projection in a solid physical starter's kit frame at six-foot-four and 195 pounds. Natera will work his fastball in the low 90's and has been up to 95 from the left side. His breaking ball has plenty of growth remaining and there will be some questions answered quickly once he gets into pro ball as the thin air of Las Cruces made it challenging to project the future of the pitch with irregularities to its break, though it has bat-missing potential. Natera will have to improve his strike-throwing ability and find some more consistent command to have further success.
    Sammy Natera Jr. 2022 college stats: 26.0 IP, 2-1, 6.92 ERA, 20 BB, 44 K, 1.65 WHIP, 15.2 K/9
     
    18th Round: Max Gieg, RHP, Boston College
    Seen more as a thrower than a pitcher, Max Gieg was a swing type for Boston College. A fastball dominant pitcher, he'll work in the mid 90's with some considerable run to his arm-side and ride up in the zone that plays best inside to right-handers and away from lefties. His slider has some sweeping action in the mid 80's. He'll have to throw more strikes. Gieg has a limited track record, but the frame (6'5, 200) and green arm suggests he could have some excess power in the arm.
    Max Gieg 2022 college stats: 22.2 IP, 4-2, 2.78 ERA, 19 BB, 26 K, 1.46 WHIP, 10.3 K/9
     
    19th Round: Luke Franzoni, OF, Xavier
    After focusing on physical strength, Luke Franzoni had a power surge this spring, hitting 29 home runs which landed him second across Divison-1 baseball. Though it's a brief history of power output, scouts have faith that it will play in pro ball as his bat speed and physicality improved. Franzoni is a passive hitter who steadily awaits his pitch and will work counts and draw his fair share of walks. Despite a quiet setup that gets him to separation with ease there is some swing-and-miss in the game. He fits solely in a non-premier corner profile.
    Luke Franzoni 2022 college stats: 270 PA, .358/.489/.825, 64 R, 78 RBI, 29 HR, 1 SB
     
    20th Round: Brendan Tinsman, C, Wake Forest
    Working as one of the primary catchers over his four years at an elite program, Brandon Tinsman brings an advanced backstop skillset to the Angels. Catching some premier arms and high-end velocity, which includes two first-round picks in Jared Schuster and Ryan Cusick (both first-round picks for Atlanta in 2020 and 2021), Tinsman has some fine qualities behind the plate, supported by a strong and accurate arm that will keep runners honest. Steadily becoming more aggressive at the plate over his time with the Deacons, Tinsman is an ambush hitter who found some success in driving the ball this spring, leading to a school single-season record, 24 home runs. There is a blend of enough offense and defense in the profile to feel comfortable in a long-term depth catcher with some backup hopes.
    Comments from Tom Walter, Head Coach at Wake Forest: “Tinny (Tinsman) had one of the greatest seasons in school history. Throwing out nearly 40 percent of would-be base stealers and leading a really good offense in home runs and second in RBIs while catching 59 games in 15 weeks is beyond impressive. He is going to be a steal of the draft for the Angels.”
    Brendan Tinsman 2022 college stats: 268 PA, .355/.397/.710, 63 R, 69 RBI, 24 HR, 1 SB
  7. Chuck
    NHK has followed baseball's two-way sensation Shohei Ohtani closely since his Major League debut in 2018.
    This program unravels the story behind Ohtani's ability to both pitch and bat at the highest level. We hear from his interpreter and team personnel who have supported him on and off the field. We also take a look at the importance of his father's training in his emergence as a baseball superstar.
    Join us behind the scenes at such pivotal points as Ohtani's battle to recover from elbow surgery and reclaim his place as a baseball virtuoso like no other.
    You can watch the entire 49-min documentary brought to you by NHK World - Japan on Shohei Ohtani here.
  8. Chuck
    By @taylorblakeward, AngelsWin.com Staff Writer
    With just under a month before the first name is called in the 2022 Major League Baseball amateur Draft, we take a look at some of the potential candidates for the Angels first selection at pick No. 13, as well as some personal favorites who may be options with their second pick, which comes in the third round at No. 89.
    With a prep and bat-heavy class at the top, it is safe to rule out some names no matter how unorthodox the draft may pan out over the first 12 picks. At the top, prepsters Druw Jones (Wesleyan - GA), Termarr Johnson (Mays - GA), Jackson Holliday (Stillwater, OK), and Elijah Green (IMG Academy - FL) are safe bets to be off the board. Brooks Lee (Cal Poly), Kevin Parada (Georgia Tech), and Cam Collier (Chipola JC) are also viewed heavily as top 10 selections who are unlikely to reach the Angels. As you'll note, all of these players are position players which will come at an unprecedented number early due to the lack of high-scale pitching and injuries to the top arms in the class.
    Since entering into executive powers, clubs Perry Minasian has been affiliated with -- albeit roles altered some (or most) of his decision-making powers -- have taken pitchers with a first-round pick 18-of-26 times. It's enough of a sample and a school of training (i.e. Alex Anthopolous) to see a potential early common thread of Minasian's view to the draft and building from the ground up: Pitching. It is no anomaly that the majority of names attached to the Angels early in the draft are all mound dwellers.
    There is an outside chance the Angels are the first team to take a pitcher in this class, and if they aren't the first, they could be one of the first which permits them a bit of favoritism towards the arms in this class.
    Looking at the college arms, who are seen as a general weakness at the top of the draft, the Angels have been attached to RHP Gabriel Hughes of Gonzaga, LHP Cooper Hjerpe of Oregon State, and RHP Justin Campbell of Oklahoma State.
    Gabriel Hughes, who has been seen in person by Minasian, is an easy operator with size and athleticism on the mound. Standing tall and broad at six-foot-four and 220 pounds, Hughes does offer the ideal frame for a starting pitcher mold. Blending a new-school arsenal with a throwback east-to-west approach with an up-tempo pace, Hughes throws a high amount of strikes, starting with his mid 90's fastball that can track up to 96-97. His slider is his best out pitch and he's shown a knack for working it into any count. Though he shows feel for his changeup, it is a distant third pitch to his primary pairing. Hughes won't turn 21 until late August which will bode well for draft models.
    Cooper Hjerpe doesn't have the power arsenal that you see most commonly suited for first-round picks, but his consistent attack of hitters, ability to attain outs, and advanced pitch data have been a calling card for him this season. Another tall and lean-framed on-mound athlete, Hjerpe comes at hitters from a shoulder-height low three-quarter release that makes him challenging against hitters on both sides of the plate. His fastball will sit in the low 90's, touching 95, while his secondaries have improved his stock towards first-round chatter. Hjerpe's ability to manipulate his breaking ball has made both his curve and slider a weapon as he'll alter speed and angle giving them different looks from a similar plane. His changeup has worked fine against right-handers, particularly when away. He is a low variance arm who should see the Majors quickly but offers back-end rotation upside at his peak.
    Justin Campbell is a near blend of Hughes and Hjerpe, though with a more pro-ready arsenal. Already tall at six-foot-seven and athletic like his counterparts (former two-way player like Hughes), Campbell has a loose and easy-to-repeat high-slot delivery which has helped him throw high-quality strikes throughout his college career. He'll work in the low 90's mostly with some mids hovering in the bag, but the high spin and run in the lower quadrants of the zone make him a potential high groundout pitcher. Equipped with one of the best changeups in the draft, Campbell sells it well and allows its late downward break to be swung over. He has confidence in throwing his curveball at any time with some downer action. His upside will be as a mid-rotation starter with some low variance towards being a back-end rotation member.
    Though with their window to compete coming in the next few years with Mike Trout and Shohei Ohtani right at their prime, don't rule the Angels out on taking a prep arm early, such as RHP Brock Porter (Orchard St. Mary's - MI), LHP Brandon Barriera (American Heritage - FL), and LHP Robby Snelling (McQueen - NV).
    Following the arm injury to Dylan Lesko (Buford HS - GA), RHP Brock Porter (Orchard St. Mary's - MI) is now seen as the best pitcher in the class and has a strong chance of not making it to the Angels pick at 13. With the best fastball and arguably best changeup in the class, Porter has a chance at two 70-grade pitches, not dissimilar to Sam Bachman of yesteryear. Porter has all the makings of a mass-upside arm who could be a front-line starter with some distance to his Major League potential. An easy operator on the mound, Porter's fastball will sit in the mid-to-high 90's and can touch triple digits, showing run to his arm side. His changeup, thrown with the same vengeance and intent as his fastball, has some 15-20 miles per hour of separation and works well to both sides of the plate with similar traits to his fastball making it even more deceptive. Porter's breaking pitches do show upside but lag behind his fastball-changeup combo. He'll incorporate both a downer curve and hard slider with the slide-piece being the better of the two, though he struggles to sell it well in his delivery making it predictable for more advanced hitters. Porter's frame, arsenal, and delivery make him a project to dream on with enough present to feel comfort in knowing he'll become an asset down the road -- as whichever team that takes him will look to improve his in-zone command as opposed to just letting him throw strikes which has yet to be a problem.
    Coming from the Florida prep powerhouse of American Heritage, Brandon Barriera is one of the more electric arms in the class. With one of the quickest arms in the class, Barriera works primarily in the low 90's with some mid and sneaky uppers in short stints. His low 80's two-plane slider is a real swing-and-miss weapon, as he whips it through and out of the zone with ease. There's much to like about Barriera's changeup, as he sells it well with the same quick arm as his fastball but also comes in firm in the mid 80's. Barriera is an outstanding athlete who will have to show he can work deep into games to remain a starter as he comes in undersized and has quick-tempo aggression on the mound, coming direct at hitters with a ton of strikes, already giving him some relief vibes. Barriera did shut down his season in early April as a precaution to the draft.
    A two-sport talent, Robby Snelling is a big and physical kid, built like a Division-1 quarterback, even though his gridiron calling card is as a hard-hitting outside linebacker. On the diamond, Snelling is a strong and athletic pitcher who has a solid two-pitch mix that is making him one of the more desired arms in the class. Snelling will work mostly 91-94 with his fastball that has touched 97, giving him plenty of velocity to dream on from the left side. His curveball is the calling card and it's a sweeping breaker that alters in speed with late break. Snelling's ability to locate his curveball gives it regular plus grades. A changeup is there for Snelling, but will be the focal point of development. There is a lot of upside to Snelling as he shows all the traits of a mid-rotation arm, and it may take a high bonus to keep him away from Louisiana State where he's expected to play both baseball and football.
    The aforementioned pitchers have all been attached to the Angels in some way or another over the last two months which is the time to begin taking notice of who is where and why they are there. It doesn't rule out some other arms at the top of the class though as we'll breeze through some quick hits on other potential picks.
    RHP Dylan Lesko (Buford - HS) was seen as the best pitcher in the class until he required Tommy John surgery in April, which altered his draft stock with plenty of questions as to where he will go. Advanced beyond his years, Lesko is a pro-ready arm when healthy with three plus pitches in a mid 90's sinker, high-spinning curve, and 70-grade changeup with all kinds of break, all of which come with ease and are commanded well.
    Not long after Elijah Green's name is called, LHP Jackson Ferris (IMG Academy - FL) will follow suit likely in the first round. Ferris is an ideal project arm with three pitches that flash plus starting with a data-driven mid 90's fastball, and a swing-and-miss 12-to-6 curve and changeup. Ferris will have to clean up his mechanics as he has all kinds of moving parts from a funky herky-jerky catapult motion but his upside is enough to see him go early.
    One of the more polished prep arms in the class comes in RHP Andrew Dutkanych IV (Brebeuf Jesuit - IN). Tall and lean on the mound with an easy delivery, Dutkanych has been seen this spring by some of the higher-ups in the Angels Front Office. His fastball sits 93-94 and comes from a high three-quarter slot giving it a good angle to the plate working north-to-south, and is his primary attack pitch. Dutkanych's power slider has swing-and-miss potential giving him two true out pitches. His curveball has progressed and there's enough feel for a changeup to believe in some mid-rotation projection.
    The crop of top college arms took a big hit over the calendar year with most of the best arms going down with elbow injuries that required Tommy John surgery, with others receiving a suspension for performance-enhancing drugs, and another who did not sign the year prior.
    Of those that had Tommy John surgery in the last year, LHP Connor Prielipp (Alabama), Landon Sims (Mississippi State), and Peyton Pallette (Arkansas) all have reasonable questions about their draft stock this July. Prielipp and Sims were both seen as potential top-10 picks around a year ago due to two potential 70-grade pitches, with Prielipp leading the way a bit more as a potential first-overall candidate. Prielipp, who had Tommy John in May of 2021, threw a showcase a year after his surgery where his two-pitch mix was prevalent and have him moving up boards quickly. Sims had arguably the best two-pitch mix not in amateur baseball but across all of baseball, though with questions about command and the ability to maintain his stuff deep into outings gave him relief questions. Prior to blowing out his elbow in March, Sims showed the ability to work deep in games with improved command and progressive signs of a third pitch. Pallette has electric stuff on the mound highlighted by a mid 90's fastball and high-spin plus curve, but missed the end of 2021 and had Tommy John before this spring.
    After being suspended for testing positive for a performance-enhancing drug, RHP Carson Whisenhunt (East Carolina) missed the spring until playing in the Cape Cod League just over the last two weeks. Whisenhunt's changeup alone will make him an enticing bet in the first round as it makes him a safe bet for the back end of a rotation, and his fastball has enough velocity to set it up and play at the upper levels. Some teams who have looked into the suspension believe Whisenhunt's note of purchasing a non-PED over-the-counter drug.
    One of the biggest questions in this draft comes with some of the biggest questions from the last draft. RHP Kumar Rocker was seen as one of the top prospects in the 2021 Draft and landed himself as the 10th pick with an agreed-upon $6 million bonus before post-draft physicals turned the agreement sour on the Mets end, and he ended up unsigned. Instead of returning to Vanderbilt, Rocker instead opted to go to Indy Ball and is pitching for the Tri-City ValleyCats of the Frontier League. He has been sitting in the mid 90's this spring with Tri-City with his signature mid 80's power slider in full effect and missing bats and a cleaner delivery though still with effort. Teams are still leaning on some 2021 data which knocked Rocker's draft stock down a bit when inconsistent fastball velocity and movement, where his fastball ranged from the low 90's up to 99 sporadically. The big and physical right-hander has frontline starter upside, though whichever team takes him is likely to get him to the Majors in a hurry to mix him into their playoff chase (potentially September).
    After gandering at the potential first pick, here's a trio of pitchers that are among my personal favorites for the 89th overall selection:
    Trystan Vrieling is a rotation mate with Gabriel Hughes at Gonzaga and offers similarities to his counterpart. Though his secondary command is well below-average, the raw repertoire and projectable frame of the right-hander leave some excitement. He can locate his fastball which is one of my primary drawing cards and he can work it in the low-to-mid 90's. Arm strength-based, his curve and changeup flash above-average and could make him a dually effective reliever.
    I'd be remiss if I didn't include a local kid as a personal favorite and despite a down year in Southern California, Kassius Thomas was a standout. Sierra Canyon (CA) has the best draft-eligible duo at the top of their rotation in the region with Thomas and Jaden Noot but I couldn't stop coming back to Thomas here. He's a solid athlete on the mound with three pitches that will work at the next level, giving him some starter upside. Working with 16-year MLB veteran, Dave Stewart, over the lockdown, experienced coaching from a premier prep program give me confidence in him taking the next step. He's also committed to Duke, and I like smart kids. He has all the tools on and off the mound to be a successful pro.
    There's being remissed and there's being flat-out stupid, which is what I would be if I didn't mention Ben Joyce. There have been less than 100 players in the Statcast era who have touched 101 with their fastball, and probably less than a handful who have spent an extended period of time averaging that velocity. Joyce has an average fastball velocity of 101 miles-per-hour -- yes, one, zero, one. He also hit 104 on the radar gun multiple times this spring which has only been done multiple times in the Statcast era by some dudes names Aroldis Chapman and Jordan Hicks. You can't just randomly fall upon velocity like this. His slider is fine and will work, but his command (or lack of) leaves him as a one-pitch reliever who is seen by scouts to go in the third round or so, but you know someone will take a flyer on him earlier than that just on velocity alone. Everyone wants this kid and it's obvious why.
    Stepping away from the pitchers, there is a glaring hole in the Angels minor league depth and the pitchers are staring right at it. Edgar Quero is an exciting prospect in the Angels organization, but beyond him, there is little depth at the catching position despite an influx of new backstops from last year's undrafted free agent crop.
    In the draft, you never draft for need at the Major League level and rarely do so for the minor league level as well, but as we saw last year with 20 pitchers in 20 picks, Perry Minasian and staff aren't afraid to fill gaps from the amateur ranks. The amateur catching crop this year has some talent, particularly with two at the very top, but there's a chance to address some depth needs in the draft.
    Kevin Parada of Georgia Tech would be an ideal scenario for the Angels as they need impact bats and catchers, but the likelihood of him lasting to the 13th pick doesn't seem realistic at this point. Following Parada in the ranks is Daniel Susac of Arizona. A former quarterback, Susac is a solid athlete behind the plate who has good side-to-side movement and a strong arm supported by 1.8 pop times. His receiving needs work and he's not the best framer but we don't know how long that will matter once MLB goes to automated balls and strikes. Of note, he was the primary catcher for USA Baseball's Collegiate club which showed his ability to catch some upper-tier arms. At the plate, Susac trusts in making hard contact and allows his natural strength to produce over-the-fence power. He has a fine idea of what's doing at the plate, which gives him above-average offensive potential and makes him a potential two-way catcher ala Travis d'Arnaud.
    Not dissimilar to Shea Langeliers, drafted in the first round by Minasian's Braves in 2019, Logan Tanner (Mississippi State) is a defense-first catcher who should be able to hit enough and with power to stay a daily catcher at the highest level, a specific item that is hard to come by in MLB. Tanner's ability to control a game from behind the dish is special as his arm (potentially 80-grade) and ability to throw from difficult angles will keep runners quiet and his game-calling with some of the best amateur arms in the nation already make him an advanced asset. Tanner is a prototypical offensive backstop with power and discipline with little menace on the basepaths, though his ability to hit for average will consistently be questioned. Starting a bit slow offensively, Tanner's draft stock did fall a bit which may make him a stretch at No. 13, but as mentioned, he is not dissimilar to Langeliers who went ninth overall.
    Along with catching depth, one lost item in the Angels depth charts is impact bats who could profile as middle-of-the-order sluggers.
    Bishop Gorman High School in Las Vegas has produced its fair share of Major Leaguers, and Justin Crawford could be one of the next in line. Son of former Major Leaguer, Carl, Crawford is one of the best athletes in this class and is currently heavily attached to the New York Mets who have the pick ahead of the Angels at No. 12 (Billy Eppler loves athletes). The player present is not the player projected, as Crawford is currently a barrel control hitter at the moment with modest strength to all fields. As he fills into his lean six-foot-three frame, there is average power projection expected. Crawford's top-of-the-charts speed make him a threat both offensively and defensively as he is quick to the ball in center field and can cause havoc on the base paths.
    Jordan Beck and Drew Gilbert shared outfield duties for one of the best regular-season teams in recent memory at Tennessee, a regular stop for decision-making scouts and executives due to the surplus of talent. Similar beyond the plate, Beck, who played in right field, and Gilbert, who manned center, are both gifted defenders at their positions and will be capable at the next level to play all three outfield spots, backed with strong and accurate arms. There is more upside to Beck offensively due to his power potential as he has good bat speed and strength. Gilbert also has solid bat speed but is more contact-oriented where his strength should play easily to produce power. Both are aggressive hitters at the plate with Gilbert being an ambush hitter and Beck struggling at times with pitch recognition, though steadily improved. If either or both Beck and Gilbert can limit themselves to expanding the zone and prove they can handle a wood bat, they have middle-of-the-order upside.
    Leaning back to some personal favorites for the 89th selection, two Vanderbilt hitters stood out to me not only during the season but particularly, during the Draft Combine. Spencer Jones is a familiar name as he's a local product and was already selected by the Angels in past draft (31st round, 2019). Jones has missed time with arm injuries (was a two-way player in high school and drafted as such), but he came into his own offensively this year with Vandy, posting an OPS above 1.1. There are questions about his pitch recognition but the size and power upside is too much to ignore. He could be a high strikeout and high ISO kind of hitter, but his defensive traits at first base and upside give me little pause to his potential. Dominic Keegan caught for Vandy this year and at the draft combine he showed regular 100+ mile-per-hour exit velocities with a very simple and low-effort swing that produces hard-contact to the gaps and up-the-middle with clear home run projection. His catching is still a work in progress but I'm dreaming more on the bat and backup catcher/versatile corner man down the road.
    Anyone who has spoken to me over the last year knows I'm kind of obsessed with Jacob Reimer, an infielder from Yucaipa High School (CA). The balance at the plate and ability to drive the ball with ease made him alluring to me and I think he'll hit plenty in pro ball with power even as physically capped as he is. He won't be a shortstop in pro ball long, though he was better this year at the position, and is athletic enough to handle third base.
    I love shortstops almost as much as I love catchers (I was a catcher, err, glutton for punishment, and still do so in my "old pals games"). I'm sticking local here with Jordan Sprinkle of UC Santa Barbara who has the tools to make an impact at the Major League level. He has range to both sides at shortstop with light feet that make him quick to the ball and has the ability to throw from multiple angles with plenty of arm strength to make tough plays. His quick feet work on the base paths and he'll be a base-stealing threat. The bat is light and will be a hindrance in him getting to the upper levels but with the right development, I think there's a reliable bench option in Sprinkle.
    The 2022 Major League Baseball Draft will take place in Los Angeles on July 17-19, beginning at 4 pm PT. The Angels first selection will come approximately between 5:45 to 6:15 pm PT.
  9. Chuck
    By Jonathan Northrop, AngelsWin.com Senior Writer
    The emergence of Taylor Ward as an elite hitter--as well as the slow development of Adell--has put a bit of a crimp in the Angels outfield outlook. Before the year, it was reasonable to assume that the Angels would platoon Ward, Marsh, and Adell in the corner spots, and let them hack it out for playing time all year long. Even last year, I presented various configurations on how the Angels could platoon Marsh and Adell with Upton, assuming Ward would be a bench guy. But Ward wasn't having any of it, and Adell is now in AAA.
    But here's another "problem": Adell is absolutely crushing AAA pitching. He just hit an HR in his first AB tonight and is hitting .500 with 3 HR in four games. Oh yeah, he walked 4 times yesterday.
    So the Angels have a "problem" - both in the near and long-term future: How to get Adell back in the lineup, when he's ready? Be that in a month or next year, it is going to happen. 
    Ward is already 28, but is under club control through 2026 - that's 4.8 seasons of cheap offensive firepower, even if he chills out and becomes a more garden variety borderline star hitter in the 130-140 wRC+ range (and at this point, he could be a true 150+ wRC star).
    Marsh (24) is under club-control through 2027, and Adell (23) through 2026. Meaning, basically all the same.
    I know this question is unanswerable, but how do you see this playing out? Will the Angels trade one in July for another pitcher or a middle infielder? Or do they stash Adell in AAA all year until someone gets injured and/or go back to a platoon with Marsh? 
    One other factor to consider is that Walsh is under club control through 2025, and had significant trade value so could also be traded and Ward moved to 1B. But that seems less likely.
    It is a good problem to have, but hard to get my mind around - as far as what the Angels are likely to do.
  10. Chuck
    Our old friend Rob Goldman who brought us Once they were Angels, Always an Angel (Tim Salmon biography) and Nolan Ryan - The making of a pitcher and so many historical articles years ago, is back with a video production - Facing Nolan Ryan. Available in theatres on May 24th and at some point on streaming platforms as well. 
    You can check your local theatres to see where it will be playing here: https://www.fathomevents.com/events/Facing-Nolan-
    Check out the trailer. It looks awesome!! 
  11. Chuck
    PART ONE: Angelic Offense & the Dynamic Duo
    As of today, May 2, the Angels have had one of the best offenses in baseball, leading the majors in both runs scored (110) and wRC+ (126), and ranking highly in other categories like home runs (28, 3rd), stolen bases (16, 2nd), and walk rate (10.0%, 6th). To put that in context, the most recent player with a season similar to the Angels' overall offense was Jared Walsh last year, when his .277/.340/.509 and 29 HR yielded a 127 wRC+. Meaning, the overall Angels offense is roughly equivalent to having a lineup of nine Jared Walshes.
    Or put it another way, that 126 team wRC+ is the same as the best hitting team since 1901, the 1927 Yankees. Ignoring 2020, only eight teams have reached 120 wRC+: three times by the Yankees in '27 and 1930-31, twice by the Astros in 2017 and '19, and once each by the Big Red Machine in 1976, the 1982 Brewers, and the 2003 Red Sox. 
    A lot of this is driven by the performance of two players, Mike Trout and Taylor Ward:
    Trout: .344/.481/.766, 255 wRC+, 1.8 fWAR
    Ward: .400/.507/.764, 267 wRC+, 1.4 fWAR
    Trout is edging closer to the major league WAR lead, currently tied for 3rd behind leader Manny Machado (2.1). Ward is 4 PA short of qualifying, but would be 6th if qualified. More to the point of offense, they are 1st and 2nd in wRC+, with a 29 point gap to #3, Nolan Arenado (226).
    After the Dynamic Duo, there is a big drop-off, although Brandon Marsh--despite going 0-9 in his last two games with 7 strikeouts--has a 135 wRC+, and four other players--Max Stassi (107), Tyler Wade (109), Anthony Rendon (118), and Jo Adell (104)--have all been above average offensive contributors.
    Now obviously, Trout and Ward won't continue hitting like this. But for Trout, at least, there's the possibility of surpassing his career best (188), or at least the 180 benchmark for a historically great hitting season. It seems clear that any predictions of his decline are premature, at least in terms of his hitting. And Ward seems to be having a legitimate breakthrough season, although where he'll finish is anyone's guess, be it a Walshian performance (127 wRC+ in 2021) or something more.
    As far as the overall offense is concerned, a pessimistic view would say that once Trout and Ward eventually slump, or at least settle down, the offense will decline. But consider that the three players who were considered the Angels' 2nd, 3rd, and 4th best hitters coming into the season, have all started slowly: Ohtani (99), Rendon (118), Walsh (87). Meaning, as Trout and Ward regress, those three should at least pick up some of the slack.  Rendon, for instance, after going 1-15 in his first four games, has hit a more solid .259/.375/.448, or a 143 wRC+ which is closer to his peak norms. That triple-slash might not look sexy, but considering that overall deflated offense in baseball, it isn't far from what we should expect going forward.
    And, of course, there's no reason that Ohtani shouldn't figure things out, and Walsh improve. So, barring disaster, the Angels offense should continue to be--at least--one of the best in baseball, even if a 126 team wRC+ is probably not sustainable.
    PART TWO: Trout and the Quest for 200 wRC+
    Let's take a look at wRC+, historically speaking. The highest wRC+ among all players with 500 PA is 244 from Barry Bonds in 2002, when he hit .370/.582/.799. Only four players--Bonds, Babe Ruth, Ted Williams, and Rogers Hornsby--have ever had 220 wRC+ seasons, and there have only been 30 seasons in which a player has had a 200 wRC+.
    200 wRC+ Seasons (500 PA)
    10 Babe Ruth 6 Ted Williams 4 Barry Bonds 2 Ty Cobb, Rogers Hornsby, Mickey Mantle 1 Lou Gehrig, Stan Musial, Mark McGwire, Frank Thomas Among active players, only five players have surpassed 180 wRC+; here are the active leaders:
    Best wRC+ Seasons (Active Players)
    197 Bryce Harper, 2015 193 Miguel Cabrera, 2013 188 Mike Trout, 2018 185 Mookie Betts, 2018 184 Albert Pujols, 2003 184 Albert Pujols, 2008 180 Mike Trout, 2017 180 Albert Pujols, 2009 So as we enjoy one of Trout's best starts, dare we ask: Is there a chance that he reaches the hallowed 200 wRC+? Well, as mentioned, no active player has done it, and only Bonds, Thomas and McGwire have reached it since Ted Williams in 1957--and those three during the height of the Roids high-offense era. So the answer is, probably not.
    As a brief aside, you'll note that of the 30 200 wRC+ seasons, 24 are 1957 or before, and the six after were all in the 1994-2004 range, meaning the heart of the high-offense era. Are hitters just worse these days? Obviously not. Over the course of baseball history, there is a general trend that we could call the "equalization of statistics" - we tend to see fewer outliers. For example, no player has hit .350 since Josh Hamilton hit .359 in 2010. Part of this is the takeover of Three True Outcomes baseball, which sees a rise in walks, strikeouts, and home runs, and a corresponding reduction in batting average and stolen bases. But part of this is equalization of stats, as we haven't see a .400 BA since Ted Williams in 1941. 
    In a way we could say that ".330 is the new .350" - what a .330 batting average is today, is what .350 used to be up until about a decade ago. Similarly with wRC+, although over a longer span of time: What a 180 is today is what a 200 used to be up through the 1950s. Or let's look at a chart, with the percentage of players with 500 PA in different wRC+ ranges, by decade:

    As you can see, the vast majority of 200+ wRC+ seasons were in the 1910s-50s, with the 1920s having by far the most. This was the decade that Babe Ruth revolutionized power-hitting in the AL (and, to a lesser but still substantial extent, Rogers Hornsby in the NL). And it wasn't just power: from 1901-21, there have been 13 player seasons (500+ PA) of a .400 BA or higher, 7 of which were in the 1920s (1 in the 1900s, 3 in the 1910s, and 1 each in the 1930s and '40s). And most of those were just by a few players: three each by Cobb and Hornsby, two by George Sisler, and one each by Nap Lajoie, Joe Jackson, Harry Heilmann, and Bill Terry.
    In the chart, you can also see the decline of high wRC+ seasons in the 1970s and 80s, and then a resurgence in the high-offense 1990s and 2000s, with 2010s returning to be exactly the same as the 1970s. Given that we've only had one full season in the current decade, it remains to be seen how it will compare.
    So to return to Trout, what are his chances of reaching 200 wRC+? Very unlikely. That said, he's one of probably only four active players who are serious candidates - the other three being Bryce Harper (he is the closest among active players, with 197 in 2015), Juan Soto, and Vladimir Guerrero Jr. 
    That said, if I was asked who I think is the most likely active player to have a 200 wRC+ season, it would be Juan Soto, followed by Vlad Jr, and then Trout. The main factor is age: Soto and Vlad--both 23-years old--just have more time. But in the next year or two? Trout would be number one.
    But again, 200 is probably out of reach - and we should be very happy if he manages another 180 wRC+, which he's done only twice (2017-18). He'd also join Albert Pujols as the only active player with three such seasons.
    TLDR Summary
    The Angels strong offense is driven by Ruthian starts by Trout and Ward, with a solid supporting cast. As the season wears on, and the performances of Trout and Ward equalize, players like Ohtani, Rendon and Walsh will at least partially make up for it - and thus it seems likely that 2022 Angels should remain one of the top offenses in baseball, even if they likely won't challenge for the wRC+ team record of the 1927 Yankees.
    As for individual performances, while it is very unlikely that Trout or Ward continue at even close to their current pace, it does seem that two things are true: One, Trout's bat hasn't declined at all, and Ward is having a legitimate breakthrough.
    Trout's chances of surpassing 200 wRC+ (let alone Ward's) are very slim, but he does have a chance at his third 180 wRC+ season.
    Oh, and by way of a bonus, if I were to put myself on the line and guess what their year-end wRC+ will be, I'm going with 182 for Trout and 141 for Ward. 
     
     
     

     
  12. Chuck
    by AngelsWin Prospect Posse 
    Introduction
    Ranking the Angels prospects over the last two seasons has been tricky, largely due to the lost minor league season in 2020; we still don’t know how that will affect prospects in the long-term.
    Another factor that has defined the Angels farm recently is that the talent is largely pooled at the lower levels – especially with the graduation of players like Jo Adell, Brandon Marsh, Chris Rodriguez and now, Reid Detmers. Only Detmers has retained his rookie status entering the 2022 season.
    What was true last year is still mostly true: While it is not a strong farm system, there is still plenty of upside at the lower levels, with a deeper field of high-floor arms from the 2021 draft, including Sam Bachman, Ky Bush, Landon Marceaux, Chase Silseth, Luke Murphy, and Mason Erla.
    Most analysts quite understandably rate the Angels farm system in the bottom third, but there’s a lot of volatility at play. A year from now, the Angels farm could drop further, or it could jump a tier. In other words, 2022 is an important year to assess the actual talent level of the Angels organization, and whether or not that talent will actually start percolating upward more, or trickle away. 
    The top 30 is almost evenly split between 16 pitchers and 14 position players. The former tend to be more prep-heavy high-floor types, while the latter is more high risk/reward. Three players on this list—Detmers, Warren, and Ortega—are already on the major league pitching staff, while a couple others—Daniel and Junk—are AAA depth and could see major league time this year. Of the position players, Stefanic and Davis are the only players who could conceivably get major league playing time this year.
    As you can see, the list is headlined by two pitching prospects, both with high floors who should be fixtures in the major league pitching staff for years to come. After those two, however, the questions become larger, with a host of mostly very young position players that could be anything from busts to good or better major leaguers, as well as an assortment of arms, mostly brought in through the “Year of the Pitcher” 2021 Amateur Draft.
    Each entry includes a Ranking Range, which gives you a sense of how the nine members of the Angelswin Prospect Posse varied. We also included Other Rankings to compare ours to: Baseball America (BA), MLB.com (MLB), and Fangraphs (FG).
    On to the list…
     
    1. REID DETMERS (LHP, 22, MLB)

    Ranking Range: Unanimous #1
    Other Rankings: BA 1, MLB 1, FG 1
    2021 Stats: AA/AAA: 3.19 ERA in 62 IP, 19 BB, 108 SO; Majors: 7.40 ERA in 20.2 IP, 11 BB and 19 SO.
    Our consensus #1 pick is a bit of a no-brainer, combining good upside with a very high floor. Detmers dominated the high minors last year resulting in gaudy peripherals, though struggled in his first cup o’ coffee with the major league club. The Angels liked what they saw in Spring Training, so he’s penciled into the Angels’ rotation to start the year. While he’s going to give up some home runs, his arsenal still speaks of a solid mid-rotation starter or better. We could have our next Chuck Finley: an organizational workhorse whose baseline is that of a mid-rotation starter but could have a year or two better than that.
    2. SAM BACHMAN (RHP, 22, AA/IL)

    Ranking Range: Unanimous #2
    Other Rankings: BA 2, MLB 2, FG 2
    2021 Stats: A+: 4.40 ERA in 14.1 IP, 4 BB and 15 SO.
    The 2021 first-round draft pick held his own in his first exposure to professional hitters, though it was in very limited time. Bachman could rise quickly, although the Angels will be watching his pitch count. The big question is whether he, due to a somewhat violent delivery, can handle the workload of a starter, or if the Angels will have to eventually transition him to the bullpen where he could be an elite closer. Either way, his stuff is probably the best in the Angels system other than Ohtani—including a fastball that has reached 102 –and his upside is higher than Detmers, although with much more risk. There’s an outside chance he could reach the major league team sometime in the second half, although more likely they’ll protect him and he’ll make his major league debut midseason in 2023. If he stays healthy, he’s going to be very good. Note: As if on cue, Bachman begins the season on the Injured List with back spasms.
    3. KYREN PARIS (SS/2B, 20, A+)

    Ranking Range: 3-4
    Other Rankings: BA 3, MLB 4, FG 10
    2021 Stats: Rookie/A/A+: .267/.388/.459 in 47 games, 4 HR, 22 SB
    Depending upon who you ask, Paris could either be an above average hitting major league shortstop or a fringe bench guy with limited defensive abilities. On paper, though, it is hard not to like what Paris offers: He sprays line-drives and has plenty of speed to turn singles into doubles and doubles into triples, and may even develop average home run power. The jury is out on his future position: most project him as a second baseman, but he’s young enough that he could stick at short. He hit an impressive .274/.434/.491 in 29 games in low-A Inland Empire, but missed a lot of time due to injury and struggled to adjust in A+ ball. All things told, though, he’s a 20-year-old who could end the season in AA and, in a best-case-scenario, could get his first taste of the majors as soon as the end of 2023.
    4. AROL VERA (SS/2B, 19, A)

    Ranking Range: 3-7
    Other Rankings: BA 7, MLB 3, FG 3
    2021 Stats: Rookie/A: .304/.370/.401 in 57 games, 0 HR, 11 SB
    The $2 million international signing from 2019 finally made his professional debut, hitting well in the ACL. It remains to be seen whether he can develop the power or plate discipline to become an everyday player in the majors, but the talent is there. If you were to imagine an ideal future for the Angels, it would feature Vera at SS and Paris at 2B, but as with Paris, Vera still has a wide range of outcomes.  
    5. JEREMIAH JACKSON (IF, 22, AA)

    Ranking Range: 3-6
    Other Rankings: BA 5, MLB 8, FG 9
    2021 Stats: Rookie/A: .277/.358/.548, 10 HR, 13 SB in 51 games
    While he lost a lot of time to injury, Jackson proved in 2021 that the power he displayed in 2019 is legit. His walk rate increased a small amount, but he continued to strikeout at a very high rate. How his plate discipline develops may determine whether he becomes a major league starter. Right now, he looks like a Javier Baez-type with the bat, but he doesn’t have Baez’s defensive skills to fly in the majors, and is probably most likely destined for a platoon role. But there’s significant up-side here: If he develops better plate discipline and refines his defense, he could be one of those rarest of jewels: a power-hitting shortstop in the majors.
    6. KY BUSH (LHP, 22, A+)


    Ranking Range: 4-10
    Other Rankings: BA 6, MLB 5, FG 5
    2021 Stats: A+: 4.50 ERA, 5 BB, 20 SO in 12 IP.
    The Angels 2nd round pick in the 2021 amateur draft, Bush struggled with command in college, but has enough to his arsenal to give him a chance at a major league rotation spot. Look for 2022 to be a year of refinement, but he could also have a Daniel-esque season and rise quickly if things come together. His likely future is as a good reliever or back-end starter, but he’s got a very good chance of being a major leaguer.
    7.  DENZER GUZMAN (SS, 18, R)

    Ranking Range: 5-12
    Other Rankings: BA 9, MLB 6, FG 4
    2021 Stats: DR Rookie: .213/.311/.362, 3 HR, 11 SB in 44 games.
    The Angels’ top international signing early last year, Guzman has a promising hit tool, although it remains to be seen whether he sticks at short. At 18, he’s got a long road ahead of him, but look for his hitting skills to start manifesting in the stat line this year, probably stateside in the ACL.
    8. ALEXANDER RAMIREZ (OF, 19, A)

    Ranking Range: 5-12
    Other Rankings: BA 10, MLB 12, FG 22
    2021 Stats: Rookie/A: .206/.323/.367, 5 HR, 4 SB in 54 games
    There’s a good argument that, with the graduation of Adell and Marsh, Ramirez is the highest upside bat in the Angels farm system. But he’s very raw at this point, with excellent bat speed and power, but strikes out a ton. His stat line is deceptive, as he hit quite well in 35 Rookie ball games (.276/.396/.512) before being completely overmatched in 19 A-ball games (.083/.185/.111). One could imagine a future anywhere from Manny Ramirez to Jabari Blash.
    9. JORDYN ADAMS (CF, 22, A+)

    Ranking Range: 9-15
    Other Rankings: BA 4, MLB 7, FG 6
    2021 Stats: A+ .217/.290/.311, 5 HR, 18 SB in 71 games.
    Of all the players on this list, none are as in the hot-seat as Adams. Two years ago, he was sometimes mentioned in the same breath as Adell and–some even claiming his upside was higher. Certainly, the athleticism is there: he’s probably the fastest player in the organization, is a strong defensive center fielder with elite potential, and has a bit of pop to his bat. But at this point, he’s still a raw talent who has not only shown little improvement in three minor league seasons, but took a step back last year, with almost no signs of a refined plate approach; or to put it another way, he ended 2019 in A+ and is starting 2022 in A+. At 22, it is too soon to give up on Adams, but he’s going to require patience. At this point he probably projects as a toolsy fourth outfielder, which would be a disappointment because the talent is there to be so much more. 
    10. EDGAR QUERO (C, 19, A)

    Ranking Range: 7-20
    Other Rankings: BA 27, MLB 9, FG 12
    2021 Stats: Rookie/A: .240/.405/.463, 5 HR, 2 SB in 39 games
    Quero was one of the biggest surprises in the Angels minor league system last year, and gives the organization an actual catching prospect to dream on. But at this point, it is just that: a dream. The potential is there, both offensively and defensively, to be a major league regular, but it is really too soon to predict what he might become. Most scouts seem to indicate his offensive potential is more tied to his hit tool than power.
    11. DAVIS DANIEL (RHP, 25, AAA)
    Ranking Range: 10-20
    Other Rankings: BA 13, MLB 13, FG 13
    2021 Stats: A+/AA/AAA: 4.08 ERA, 34 BB, 154 SO in 114.2 IP
    After missing the 2019 season due to injury, Daniel jumped two levels in his professional debut. He dominated A+ (2.31 ERA in 46.2 IP) and AA (2.68 ERA in 47 IP) but was bombed in AAA, giving up 7 home runs in 21 innings (10.29 ERA). At the very least, Daniel could be an above average middle reliever, but could conceivably get major league starts this year and still has a chance for a spot in the Angels rotation.
    12. ADRIAN PLACENCIA (2B, 19, A)
    Ranking Range: 16-Honorable Mention
    Other Rankings: BA 17, MLB 10, FG 8
    2021 Stats: Rookie: .175/.326/.343, 5 HR, 3 SB in 175 PA.
    A strange stat-line for Placencia: He put up a passable OBP despite hitting .175, due to 28 walks in 43 games. Placencia started strong, with a .903 OPS through his first 18 games, but then struggled afterwards. All we can really say at this point is that he’s a work-in-progress with good offensive potential.
    13. BRENDON DAVIS (IF, OF, 24, AAA)
    Ranking Range: 10-Honorable Mention
    Other Rankings: BA 33, MLB 22, FG 29
    2021 Stats: A+/AA/AA: .290/.362/.561, 30 HR, 16 SB in 545 PA
    On one hand, Davis is another middle infielder with power but a ton of swing-and-miss. On the other, he dominated three levels, and his AAA performance (.333/.409/.641 in 31 games) was his best. At the very least, this was a great waiver pick-up by the Angels, and if Davis is capable of playing adequately at multiple positions—he played a bit of SS, 2B, 3B, and LF last year—he could be a useful player going forward.
    14. JACK KOCHANOWICZ (RHP, 21, A)
    Ranking Range: 8-27
    Other Rankings: BA 25, MLB 16, FG 26
    2021 Stats: A: 6.91 ERA, 35 BB and 73 SO in 83.1 IP
    An ugly first professional season for Kochanowicz, who have up a ton of hits (102), and it wasn’t like he improved as the season progressed: he was hit hard all year long. On the other hand, it was his first year in live games--after being drafted in 2019, he didn’t play and then lost 2020 to the pandemic--and at this point in his development, the stats are secondaery.. Kochanowicz is another wait-and-see prospect: we just don’t know how he’ll develop, although there’s room for optimism, with his big frame and projectible stuff, and reportedly good mental make-up. He’s a solid break-out candidate for 2022.
    15. MICHAEL STEFANIC (IF, 26, AAA)
    Ranking Range: 9 – Honorable Mention
    Other Rankings: BA 22, MLB 27, FG NR
    2021 Stats: AA/AAA: .336/.408/.493, 17 HR, 6 SB in 554 PA
    Stefanic has quietly ascended the minor league ladder, from being an undrafted and unsigned player in 2018 to dominating two levels of the minors last year, and impressing in Spring Training this year. He’s going to hit for average in the majors and has a bit of pop; he lacks speed and there are concerns about his defense, but none other than Joe Maddon declared that his defense has “been actually better than I was told.” Stefanic is the type of player it is fun to root for, and he’ll almost certainly get his chance in the majors sometime this year. 
    16. JANSON JUNK (RHP, 26, AAA)
    Ranking Range: 8 – Not Ranked
    Other Rankings: BA 18, MLB 11, FG 7
    2021 Stats: Majors: 3.86 ERA, 2 BB, 10 SO in 16.1 IP; AA: 2.81 ERA, 27 BB, 97 SO in 93 IP
    With a name like this, Junk is just destined for a major league career. Brought over from the Yankees in the Andrew Heaney deal, Junk pitched very well in AA and earned a call-up, holding his own in 16.2 IP. As the season starts, he’s first in line in AAA to get a call-up if the Angels have need for a starter. He’s generally seen as either a back-end starter or middle reliever, but he’s got one of the highest floors among Angels pitching prospects.
     
    17. COLEMAN CROW (RHP, 21, AA)
    Ranking Range: 15-30
    Other Rankings: BA 28, MLB 23, FG NR
    2021 Stats: A: 4.19 ERA, 29 BB, 62 SO in 62.1 IP.
    After Crow was drafted in the 28th round in 2019 out of high school, and given a fifth-round bonus to convince him to opt out of his college commitment, he didn’t pitch in 2019 and lost 2020 to the pandemic, and thus is a bit of a sleeper prospect. Perhaps most noteworthy is his AZFL performance: in 17 IP he walked 2 and struck out 20, with a 1.59 ERA. By season’s end, he’s a good bet to be knocking at the door of our top 10.
    18. NELSON RADA (16, OF, R)
    Ranking Range: 11 – Not Ranked
    Other Rankings: BA NR, MLB 20, FG NR
    2021 Stats: NA
    Consider this: Venezuelan center fielder Nelson Rada was born in 2005. He also wears braces and thinks he could be Ken Griffey Jr. As with his fellow 2021-22 international signee Randy DeJesus, he’s really only one to dream on at this point, and we should probably learn our lesson from Trent Deveaux and D’Shawn Knowles. 
    19. MASON ALBRIGHT (LHP, 19, A)
    Ranking Range: 13 – Not Ranked
    Other Rankings: BA 29, MLB 14, FG 14
    2021 Stats: Rookie: 0.00 ERA, 2 BB, 8 SO in 8 IP
    Another high school pitcher bought out of his commitment to enter the Angels farm system with the largest bonus ever given to a player outside of the first 10 rounds.
    20. AUSTIN WARREN (RHP, 26, MLB)
    Ranking Range: 9 – Not Ranked
    Other Rankings: BA 11, MLB 17, FG 21
    2021 Stats: Majors: 1.77 ERA, 5 BB, 20 SO in 20.1 IP
    Warren was surprisingly good in his major league call-up last year, earning him a spot in 2022’s bullpen. But it is probably worth reminding ourselves that his minor league career, while solid, isn’t quite as good as his MLB debut would imply. 
    21. LANDON MARCEAUX (RHP, 22, A+)
    Ranking Range: 9 – Not Ranked
    Other Rankings: BA 9, MLB 15, FG 25
    2021 Stats: Rookie: 14.73 ERA, 0 BB, 6 SO in 3.2 IP
    Marceaux pitched batting practice for a few innings last year, but still features as a high floor college arm that should rise relatively quickly. His best quality is his command, which takes his rather pedestrian stuff up a notch. Perhaps more than any other 2021 draftee, he exemplifies the Angels strategy of filling out the minors with usable arms. In another year or two, he’ll be a very nice depth piece for the major league club.
    22. CHASE SILSETH (RHP, 22, AA)
    Ranking Range: 16-30
    Other Rankings: BA 12, MLB 18, FG 28
    2021 Stats: Rookie/AA: 10.13 ERA, 1 BB, 7 SO in 5.1 IP
    Take Marceaux, and rinse and repeat: at least as far as the 2021 draft strategy. But Silseth has better stuff and is thus more of a higher upside, lower floor variation on the theme. His main concern is durability, which may imply that a move to the bullpen is in his future. But he could be a quick riser.
    23. WERNER BLAKELY (IF, 20, A)
    Ranking Range: 14 – Not Ranked
    Other Rankings: BA 23, MLB 24, FG 20
    2021 Stats: Rookie: .182/.339/.284, 3 HR, 15 SB in 186 PA
    Not a promising professional debut for Blakely. But consider that he went 1-for-50 to end the season, and was hitting .241/.382/.380 through 32 games played at the end of August. His walk rate is encouraging, and he’s got enough tools that there’s a path before him towards a major league job, probably as a utility in fielder, but he’s quite raw at this point.
    24. ALEJANDRO HIDALGO (RHP, 19, A)
    Ranking Range: 16 – Not Ranked
    Other Rankings: BA 34, MLB 19, FG 11
    2021 Stats: Rookie: 4.67 ERA, 9 BB, 31 SO in 27 IP
    Signed out of Venezuela in July of 2019, Hidalgo fits in nicely with the other second tier Angels pitching prospects: He’s got a good chance of reaching the majors, but with limited upside.
    25. LUKE MURPHY (RHP, 22, AA)
    Ranking Range: 18 - 29
    Other Rankings: BA 20, MLB 29, FG 36
    2021 Stats: A+: 3.00 ERA, 1 BB, 15 SO in 9 IP
    Another example of the Angels’ Year of the Pitcher, in terms of the amateur draft. In case you’re counting, he’s the fifth guy on this list – after Bachman, Bush, Marceaux, and Silseth. With a strong fastball-slider combo, Murphy could ascend quickly and be ready for the major league bullpen sometime within the next year or two.
    26. OLIVER ORTEGA (RHP, 25, MLB)
    Ranking Range: 14 – Honorable Mention
    Other Rankings: BA 21, MLB NR, FG 34
    2021 Stats: Majors: 4.82 ERA, 2 BB, 4 SO in 9.1 IP; AA/AAA: 5.48 ERA, 18 BB, 61 SO in 42.2 IP
    It seems that Ortega has been hanging around the last third of this list for years upon years. He finally reached the majors in 2021, and is set to join the bullpen this year. He has very dominant stuff, but also a penchant for walks and inconsistency all around. Meaning, he’s the type of pitcher who, if used properly and with a bit of improvement in his control, could be a positive contributor to the major league bullpen.
    27. ROBINSON PINA (RHP, 23, AA)
    Ranking Range: 19 – Not Ranked
    Other Rankings: BA NR, MLB NR, FG 34
    2021 Stats: A/A+/AA: 4.44 ERA, 56 BB, 140 SO in 95.1 IP
    It is hard not to take notice of those 140 SO in 95.1 IP last year, but also hard to ignore the 56 walks. Pina had quite a wild ride in 2021, starting the year by struggling in five starts in A+ Tri-City (7.20 ERA in 15 IP), then was demoted to A-level Inland Empire where he dominated in four starts (1.19 ERA in 22.2 IP), then pitched well back in Tri-City (3.40 ERA in 42.1 IP), before being promoted to AA Rocket City, where he got shelled in four starts (9.39 ERA in 15.1 IP).
    28. ADAM SEMINARIS (LHP, 23, A+)
    Ranking Range: 17 – Not Ranked
    Other Rankings: BA NR, MLB NR, FG 18
    2021 Stats: A/A+ 4.86 ERA, 26 BB and 112 SO in 83.1 IP
    The Angels’ 5th round pick from the 2020 draft out of Long Beach, Seminaris may be one of the pitchers on this list most likely to eventually reach the majors, although probably as a middle reliever. A lefty with mediocre stuff, Seminaris is athletic and with a plus change-up. His performance improved throughout last year, with a 2.84 ERA in his four A+ starts.
    29. MASON ERLA (RHP, 24, AA)
    Ranking Range: 17 – Not Ranked
    Other Rankings: BA 24, MLB 25, FG 27
    2021 Stats: Rookie/A+ 1.23 ERA, 0 BB and 11 SO in 7.1 IP.
    A late round pick in 2021, yet another highish floor pitcher that the Angels filled the draft with. His stuff is quite good, with a fastball in the 94-97 range but a violent delivery that make him an injury risk. But he’s the type of player who could be in Anaheim within the next year or two, and be a strong bullpen piece.
    30. D’SHAWN KNOWLES (OF/IF, 21, A)
    Ranking Range: 22 – Not Ranked
    Other Rankings: BA 14, MLB 30, FG NR
    2021 Stats: A: .227/.280/.355, 5 HR, 31 SB in 393 PA
    There are two silver linings to Knowles’ disappointing year: One, he dominated the base-paths, getting caught in just one out of 32 attempts; two, he played eight games at shortstop, somewhat adequately (although committed 3 errors). After a surprisingly good debut in 2018, Knowles’ prospect status has fallen each year. Yet he still has the skill-set to become a 4th outfielder, and the Angels might be considering a multi-positional future for him.
    HONORABLE MENTIONS IN BRIEF
    Other prospects that received a top 30 vote from at least one of our nine members include:
    For pitchers, Jose Marte saw a few innings last year for the Angels and contended for a bullpen job out of spring, and is part of the AAA “extended bullpen.” Elvis Peguero – see Jose Marte. Hector Yan’s stock has fallen with reduced velocity; if he can get it back, he has a future as an Ortega-esque reliever. Stiward Aquino has been around forever (well, since 2017 in Rookie ball), but hasn’t really advanced due to an assortment of injuries. Ah, William Holmes, formerly English – wherefore art thou? Erik Rivera tantalized in his first pro start last year in A ball, but then promptly got injured – but don’t sleep on him as a promising pitcher. Fernando Guanare is very young, but he dominated the DSL last year, walking only 1 batter while striking out 49 in 46 IP – definitely keep your eye(s) on him.
    For position players, the Angels hope that David MacKinnon could be a solid OBP bench piece – he’s another older minor league hand who has transformed from non-prospect to fringy. Some like Orlando Martinez’s bat; he’s a high floor, low ceiling bench type, but good defensively in the outfield who could play all three spots. Livan Soto has settled in as a bench prospect but could be useful on a major league bench for his defensive skills.The speedy David Calabrese disappointed in his first taste of professional ball, so his prospect stock dropped, but he’s still worth keeping an eye on. Natanael Santana, another toolsy outfielder, is raw but very athletic and just missed the cut. Randy DeJesus is the Knowles to Rada’s Deveaux in terms of being major international outfield signees this past offseason; the 17-year old is a big guy with a potentially big bat.  
    Last but not least, we’ll have an especially honorable mention for Kevin Maitan, if only for Scotty’s sake; we haven’t forgotten you, Kevin, for better or worse.
  13. Chuck
    By @Hubs, AngelsWin.com Contributor
    For the 2022 Season, most pundits put the Angels somewhere in the 82-88 win range, second or third in the division, with the Astros universally the pick across the board to repeat as division winners. If they’re healthy, if they can get enough pitching, if things all work, then… maybe the Angels contend for the division but mainly if they’re picked for the post season, then they are picked as a wild card. 
    They’re wrong.
    Every team in the league is dependent on their core players, their stars, and hope for little to no injuries. Every team has pitching questions, or lineup questions, and that is why they play the games. So why the Universal prediction of the Astros, and doubting the Angels (or Mariners) chances at the division?
    I’ll save my deep thoughts on the Astros cheating scandal, as that usually gets me in trouble, but I’ll just say that the new PitchCom devices are going to be bad for the Astros. I bet more teams use it against them than don’t and I love that the league waited until two days before opening day before announcing that this was going to be used in the 2022 season. Even if teams knew that this was possible, because they clearly knew it was being used in the Spring, but I don’t think teams expected to be able to use this tech in the regular season this year. With a team that has been proven to steal signs during their lone World Series win in 2017, and lets just say suspected of continued stealing, the lack of signs to be stolen will be terrible for their overall offensive output.
    But that aside, let’s run through the 5 AL West teams and see how they stack up position group by position group, and see how close or how far they truly are.
    Starting with the OF, here’s the five teams starters and primary reserve OF.
    Angels: Mike Trout (CF), Jo Adell (LF), Taylor Ward (RF), Brandon Marsh (OF).
    Mariners: Julio Rodriguez (CF), Mitch Haniger (LF), Jered Kelenic (RF), Kyle Lewis (OF).
    Astros: Chas McCormick (CF), Michael Brantley (LF), Kyle Tucker (RF), Jose Siri (OF). 
    Rangers: Adolis Garcia (CF), Brad Miller (LF), Kole Calhoun (RF), Eli White (OF).
    A’s: Christian Pache (CF), Seth Brown (LF), Stephen Piscotty (RF), Ramon Laureano (OF-Suspended).
    We all know the Angels group, and are all undoubtedly excited to see them perform together. But the Mariners group also looks to be young and stacked. If Trout is completely healthy, he alone brings the Angels group ahead of the Mariners one… but they could also use a breakout from one of the three young guys to a mid .800 OPS. I have Marsh listed as primary reserve, but I actually think they will all get similar playing time after Trout. Health for Trout is the primary question, and then will the three young OF hit and how well.
    For the Mariners, Julio Rodriguez is gonna be a star, but when is the question. He’s made the team and will start, which relegates 2020 AL Rookie of the Year Kyle Lewis to the bench after a sub-par 2021. Their other young OF prospect, Jered Kelenic, struggled mightily last year, but still hit 14 HR in just 93 games. And while his average dipped, Mitch Haniger hit 39. Their young guys need to produce for this unit to be successful, and even if they have higher pedigrees than the Angels trio of young players, they have plenty of questions. Defensively they’re solid, but will Rodriguez and Kelenic hit? If not, does presumptive DH Jesse Winker get time in the OF? 
    The Astros will continue to have issues in CF with McCormick or Siri starting, plus young Jake Meyers who will be ready later in the season. The 2017-2020 Astros had George Springer patrolling CF and still miss him, even with Kyle Tucker developing into one of the best OF in baseball. Brantley is a stud too, and one whose health is the only question. The Astros won’t have a ton of power from their OF, unless one of the young CF takes a huge step forward. Tucker likely leads the trio with around 30 HR again. They also have playing time concerns, as they didn’t really field a full time starter in 2021 at CF or in LF or RF, as Brantley and Tucker only managed 121 and 140 games. Defensively they’re solid, but this is not their best group.
    The Rangers group is noticeably lacking and would be the worst in the division, if not for the A’s. There’s not much to say here and I expect the trio of starters to look very different in 2023. They could still add a FA, but since they’re not expected to be big contenders, it’s hard to see why. Former Angel Kole Calhoun probably plays better in Texas than he did in Arizona. Brad Miller is almost 33. 
    The A’s most accomplished OF is suspended for PED’s, while their next best, Piscotty is 31 seemingly going on 40. Seth Brown was a 19th round pick. They’ll cycle through a lot of names here, but again, aren’t really aiming to compete in 2022.
    To Summarize the OF groups, all three of the contenders have young guys expected to compete and take a step forward. All have playing time and health questions.
    Let’s turn to the infield now. Here’s the four starting infielders and primary reserves for each team.
    Astros: Yuli Gurriel (1B), Jose Altuve (2B), Alex Bregman (3B ), Jeremy Pena (SS), Aledyms Diaz (INF).
    Angels: Jared Walsh (1B), Tyler Wade (2B), David Fletcher (SS), Anthony Rendon (3B), Matt Duffy (INF), Jack Mayfield (INF).
    Rangers: Nathaniel Lowe (1B), Marcus Semien (2B), Corey Seager (SS), Andy Ibanez (3B), Charlie Culberson (INF/OF).
    Mariners: Ty France (1B), Adam Frazier (2B), Eugenio Suarez (3B), J.P. Crawford (SS), Abraham Toro (INF).
    A’s: Stephen Vogt (1B), Tony Kemp (2B), Elvis Andrus (SS), Kevin Smith (3B), Sheldon Neuse (INF/OF), Chad Pinder (INF/OF). 
    The Astros do have the best infield in the division — but it’s not without questions. Altuve rebound in 2021 from an abhorrent 2020, while veteran 1B Gurriel is almost 38 years old. They’re hyping Jeremy Pena, but he’s got very limited experience and will not come close to replicating Correa’s production. Bregman is back and a perennial MVP Candidate.
    The Angels didn’t sign Correa or one of the other top FA SS, and appear to be shifting 2021 2B Fletcher there. However, I don’t think its as simple as that. They will not be playing Fletcher every day after he turned in one of the worst hitting performances in the majors in 2021. Wade, Duffy, Mayfield, and others will all get starts at SS.  At third, Rendon is back and healthy, and I expect him to come back to his 2019 numbers or close to it. Walsh is gonna hit better against lefties, but will get spelled occasionally by right handed Ward and Duffy. Wade comes over from the Yankees, and should produce excellent defense. Also, youngster Michael Stefanic opened up a lot of eyes with his bat in Spring — all the guy does is hit. But can he field? And What about Jose Rojas? He’s a classic late bloomer, at 29, if he can ever translate his AAA and ST offense to the majors, they’ll find a spot for the lefty. 
    The Rangers did sign a top FA SS, actually two of them, but the inexperience at the corners drops them to third. Unlike the Angels and Astros, there are two suspect positions, though Lowe did ok, in his second year. I might have ranked them second actually, but it’s close. Semien was among the best hitters in the majors last year and Seager was as well. So they’ll produce. This is the best part of the Rangers team, by far, but they certainly spent on it.
    The Mariners group is interesting, but again, questions abound. Ty France is a solid 1B. Think of Walsh but less power. Adam Frazier and Toro will be solid at 2B, but defensively neither is elite. But their SS is the opposite. Crawford might be the best defensive SS in the league, but is offensively limited. Mariners keep waiting for him to break out offensively, but he’s a good player regardless. And at 3rd, they acquired Eugenio Suarez from the Reds to take over for long time 3B Kyle Seager. Suarez didn’t hit well at all in 2021, but the M’s hope he can rebound with a change of scenery. Reserves Toro, Torrens, and Moore will play sparingly. They can be ranked 3rd or 4th.
    The A’s again are clearly 5th. Vogt used to be a good bat, but he’s 37. Kemp is basically average. Andrus’s defense used to be elite, but his offense never materialized in Texas. Smith at 3rd is going to strike out…a lot. Their reserves are middling.
    Astros take the cake, but have questions with health and an unproven SS. Angels have solid corners, questionable middle, Rangers the opposite. Mariners are solid but not spectacular.
    At Catcher, the write-ups will be shorter.
    Astros: Martin Maldonado (C), Jason Castro (C)
    Angels: Max Stassi (C), Kurt Suzuki (C)
    Rangers: Mitch Garver (C) Jonah Heim (C)
    A’s: Sean Murphy (C), Austin Allen (C)
    Mariners: Tom Murphy (C), Cal Raleigh (C), Luis Torrens (C)
    Astros lead the way with two solid catching options, but neither is good offensively. Angels have one good offensive catcher who’s also good defensively, and one backup that is questionable at both. They have former first round pick Thaiss at AAA, though, and he may force his way into the backup job in Anaheim. The Mariners trio of Murphy, Raleigh, and Torrens is going to be interesting to watch. And the Rangers added former twin Garver to go along with former A’s Backup Heim. The A’s may have the best offensive catcher in Sean Murphy, along with former highly regarded backup Allen.
    None of these groups are significantly better than the others. All should be decent. The best defender is probably Maldonado, and offensively, it’s probably Stassi or Sean Murphy, but Garver also had good offense in his career, as did Tom Murphy.
    I’d rank all five of these groups as basically even.
    With the DH coming to the NL, it deserves it’s own grouping. A lot of defensively challenged hitters will now have jobs.
    Angels: Shohei Ohtani (SP/DH).
    Astros: Yordan Alvarez (DH/OF).
    Mariners: Jesse Winker (DH/OF).
    Rangers: Willie Calhoun (DH/OF/INF).
    A’s: Jed Lowrie (INF/OF/DH).
    Again, the Angels group is the best. Shohei Ohtani is the reigning MVP, and a two-way star. The only reason he’s not a position player is to save his energy for his turn on the mound, as he would likely be a premium defender if he played any position on the diamond. As the best or second best player in the game, because of his two way status, it’s hard to concentrate just on his offense, but by most metrics, he was the among the best hitters in the game… just slumped a bit in the second half as the Angels lineup deteriorated around him.
    The Astros Yordan Alvarez is the second best DH in the division, and is an elite hitter. He’s not Ohtani, but he’s pretty darn good. Health is his only question mark, and he may play some OF, but he’s not a good defender.
    The Mariners obtained Winker in a trade with the Reds to be their DH. He took a huge step forward offensively and defensively for the Reds, but he still profiles best as a DH. He’s an All-Star Level Hitter.
    The Rangers have tried former top Dodgers prospect Willie Calhoun everywhere, but he just isn’t a good fielder. He hasn’t been a great hitter either. This is a significant drop off from the first three teams.
    The A’s recently signed Vogt, which I though was to be their DH, but It’s Jed Lowrie projected on Fangraphs. Neither are good hitters anymore, and they’re gonna miss Olson and Chapman. This lineup is basically terrible. Why didn’t they at least bring back Khris Davis, I have no idea. 
    Now on to Starting Pitching. The Angels most often mentioned weakness. Here are the Rotations:
    Astros: Framer Valdez (SP), Jake Odorizzi (SP), Justin Verlander (SP), Jose Urquidy (SP), and Luis Garcia (SP). Lance McCullers (SP-INJ).
    Mariners: Robbie Ray (SP), Logan Gilbert (SP), Marco Gonzales (SP), Chris Flexen (SP), Matt Brash (SP)
    Angels: Shohei Ohtani (SP), Patrick Sandoval (SP), Noah Syndergaard (SP), Jose Suarez (SP), Michael Lorenzen (SP), Reid Detmers (SP). (Griffin Canning SP-INJ).
    A’s: Frankie Montas (SP), Cole Irvin (SP) Daulton Jeffries (SP), Paul Blackburn (SP), Brent Honeywell Jr (SP-INJ), James Kapriellan (SP-INJ).
    Rangers: Jon Gray (SP), Martin Perez (SP), Dane Dunning (SP), Taylor Hearn (SP), Spencer Howard (SP)
    The Astros have solid 1-5. Especially if Lance McCullers is healthy, as he’d bump someone out.  He’s still not though. They have depth in the minors, but Brandon Bielak, Peter Solomon, and Tyler Ivey are the only ones with major league experience and its all very limited. Injuries are a concern, with McCullers still out and as Verlander didn’t pitch very much in 2020 or 2021, and is 39. But he’s still Justin Verlander and most pundits are predicting he comes 100% back to form, some even predicting the Cy Young! He just as easily could be ineffective or not hold up. He’s looked good in Spring. Their other veteran Odorizzi, is coming off a injury limited year where he pitched just 104 innings at a 4.21 ERA. Solid, but not spectacular.
    Framber Valdez though gets the opening day start as Verlander isn’t quite ready, he’ll pitch Saturday instead. Valdez pitched 22 games last year, with a great 3.14 ERA but his FIP didn’t quite match it (4.01). Jose Urquidy pitched 20 games last year, and also had the same ERA/FIP discrepancy. Luis Garcia managed 28 starts and a very consistent 3.48 ERA / 3.63 FIP.
    The three younger guns of the Houston rotation all stepped up last year, and so hopefully for Houston they all repeat with slightly more innings. But that’s not a sure thing. Prior to 2021, Garcia had just one start in 2020, and was at High A in 2019. Urquidy had 12 starts combined in 2020 and 2019 in the majors, though he started 18 games in the minors in 2019 as well. His numbers have been the most consistent in recent years, and if not injured he has a chance to be the best starter of the three. Valdez pitched a full season in 2020 (albeit a limited season), and was up and down in the 2019 season. He was a back and forth to the pen that year, and most of his minors career. He’s never come close to the 134 IP he managed last year, and was injured quite frequently, so who knows how he’ll hold up in 2022.
    The Mariners rotation 1-5 features former journeyman and current Cy Young winner Robbie Ray at the top, there are no questions if he competes as he did in Toronto in 2021. Logan Gilbert is up next, and he managed 119 IP last year at a middling 4.68 ERA. But unlike the Astros two young starters Gilbert actually had a better FIP than ERA in 2021. Still not a lot of innings though and just one start in the minors. Marco Gonzales is up third, he made 25 starts and 148 IP for the 2021 club with a 3.96 ERA but a terrible 5.28 FIP. Does not spell long term success. He’s been with the club a few years now and was pitching full time without injury really in 2018-2020, and with much better FIP/ERA differences. Still He’s like Odorizzi, Solid, not Spectacular. Chris Flexen and Matt Brash round out the five projected starters, and Flexen has managed 31 starts for the M’s in 2021, after pitching in Korea in 2020. His last two years are unlike anything he’s thrown up before, however, so he must’ve figured something out. Brash pitched in AA last season, and made just 10 starts. It will be a big jump to the majors. Their minor league depth isn’t great, free agent Tommy Milone is the most experienced pitcher in the AAA staff. Their top minor league guys are at AA.
    The Angels have major durability concerns, as Ohtani’s 130 IP was the top number on the entire staff. Detmers managed 19 starts last year in his first professional year, but his stuff plays now and he won the 6th starter job in ST. Syndergaard is coming off 2 straight seasons of not really pitching, just like Verlander. And Sandoval managed just 14 starts. Lorenzen is a converted reliever and Suarez too pitched in the pen last season, and in the rotation. Canning also is coming back from injury. He may have been their best starter in 2020, but last year didn’t go well. 
    The A’s had the best pitching in the division last season with Chris Bassitt, Frankie Montas, Sean Manaea, and Cole Irvin and James Kapriellan last year. Bassitt and Manaea are gone. Montas could be moved. Kapriellan is hurt. So only Irvin and Montas start the year in the rotation. They’re cobbling together a rotation, with only 4 healthy starters to start the year, but both Montas and Irvin pitched a lot of innings last year and well, so they won’t be the worst in the division.
    The Rangers staff is middling, with journeyman Perez and Jon Gray being their top two starters. Not much of a staff honestly, but they have some intriguing young guys. This is the worst rotation on the list though and its’ not close.
    Bullpen. I’m not gonna list every guy here, as the teams will all cycle through a lot of relievers. But the Angels have the best pen in the division based on last years results, with a bunch of nice veterans and a lot of intriguing young arms. Iglesias was among the best closers in baseball, and Tepera, Loup were both excellent. Mayers and Bradley also did well, and the Angels have a lot of young hard or funky throwers, and they’ll have the best pen clearly.
    The Astros are probably next, headlined by Ryan Pressley at Closer and then Ryan Stanek. They’re also pretty deep with a lot of solid arms. The Mariners lack a solid veteran closer, but Steckenrider did well for them last year. They have a few good arms at the top of their pen too in Paul Sewald, Diego Castillo, and Sergio Romo. Enough for third place.
    The Rangers have Matt Bush and Greg Holland fighting it out with holdover Joe Barlowfor closing role, and the A’s feature veteran Lou Trivino and AJ Puk at the top of their pen with Doming Acevedo and a lot of young arms.
    Ok, I’m not gonna go deeply into coaching or anything else here. It’s important, but between the three contending teams, there isn’t a huge gap between Maddon and Servais or Baker. Chris Woodward is ok. The A’s not bringing back Melvin is gonna cost them a few wins.
    So overall, the Astros rank 3rd in OF, 1st in INF, a tentative 1st in SP, 2nd in RP, 2nd at DH, and are even with the other groups at C. They’re not as far ahead as everyone thinks they are. And if their offense slumps, their pitching has any injuries, they’re gonna fall to the middle of the pack. They aren’t as loaded as recent Astros teams.
    The Angels have the best OF, due entirely to Mike Trout, and the second best infield due to their corner infielders. Their third on this list in starting pitching, and 1st in bullpen by a clear margin, Yes we’d like it if they’d signed another elite starter, but they have faith in their depth and young guys, just like the Astros did in 2021. They’re even at C and the best at DH. Yes they need health, but that’s the case across the board and with every team. Yes, the Angels have three of the best players in the league, and they need them all to be healthy. They need innings from their starters. I do not understand why young pitchers without a lot of success or innings under their belt get a lot more credit on other staffs than the Angels guys get. I don’t see why Syndergaard and Verlander aren’t viewed more similarly. If the Astros lost Altuve or Bregman (or they suddenly didn’t hit like they used to) can Tucker, Brantley, or Gurriel carry that offense? 
    While the addition of Robbie Ray or Kevin Gausman or another premier starter would’ve been nice, in July if The Angels do need another starter, they can go get him then. 
    The Mariners have the arguably second best OF though I could see the Astros taking that spot if the M’s vaunted young OF all struggle. They’ve got the fourth best infield, as they’re solid, but no star power. The Angels, Rangers and Astros all have stars in their infield. They have the second best starting group, but they have questions. Their pen is not great, but not bad, one elite veteran reliever would’ve helped them significantly. Getting a proven closer would have helped. Their DH is great, probably not too far from Alvarez for 2nd place, and their catching is even. 
    The Rangers might hope to compete sooner than later, but they don’t have a good enough pitching staff and I don’t see a lot of high upside guys in AAA or AA that will make a difference. Their infield is the best part and I bet they finish in fourth but maybe third if someone slips. 
    The A’s aren’t trying to compete and are in the middle of a major reset. There is just not a competitive team, but they also always compete with less than other teams have. Maybe in 2023.
    While I’m not ready to throw the Astros from the top of the division, this will be a much closer race between the top three teams in this division than in recent seasons. I’d expect all three to be between 87-93 wins, and the Rangers to finish with 77 or so, while the A’s finish at 67-70.
    Let’s go Angels. 
     
  14. Chuck
    By @Dochalo, AngelsWin.com Contributor
    The Angels are a good team.  Probably the best team fielded in 5 years. 
    They could have been better.  
    It would have taken money though. Probably a decent chunk more money.  The Angels opening day payroll is projected around 189 million.  That's pretty good.  Good enough for other teams to be jealous. Double or at least a lot more than that of some other really good teams.
    Here's a fun article:
    https://thecardinalnation.com/ranking-major-league-baseball-teams-financial-strength/
    First of all the caveats.  I have no idea if their numbers are totally accurate and it's some dude from a site called 'the cardinal nation'.  I know how I feel about all things cardinal related.  But I thought it was an interesting look.  But we've had this discussion.  Financial people smarter than I have made their valid points etc.  
    But here's my point.  It doesn't matter if other teams are figuring out how to be more efficient in terms of talent relative to the opportunity that the Angels have right this second.  Yes it matters for long term viability and success.  But not for 2022 and maybe even 2023 and 2024.  The team is clearly in reasonable if not very good financial shape.  
    So let's digress for a second and I promise I'll come back to the actual topic.  The Angels have the highest percentage of non-arb and non pre arb players.  Hmm, I wonder why that is.  Why does it always feel we are limited on a yearly and that there's always the sentiment of 'well, wait till that guys off the books'?  So I'll provide the obvious answer to my own semi-rhetorical question.  We just haven't drafted and developed all that well.   That's catastrophic for many reasons but it does impact this years team and how we're gonna get back on topic.  Sort of.  
    The other way to make your team better than spending is to trade for really good players.  But you have to have some players that are going to be really good in the future to do that.  And let's talk about that for a second.  Trades are really really hard.  More difficult than throwing a truck of money at a guy to convince him to play here.  You need scratch.  Dinero.  Moolah.   Greenbacks.  (in terms of trade capital of course).  And with all due respect ( @Lou )to @totdprods, no one wants Jordyn Adams for a really good player.  And no one is going to properly value Arol Vera or Denzer Guzman because they haven't done much yet.   And if you do have a couple good players that are in line to contribute then you can't part with those guys.  Every phone call Perry took as it relates to a trade was Detmers, Adell and Marsh.  Oh My!  And the answer was always going to be and should be no!   So you're either stuck with accepting lesser value or damaging the absolute core of your major league club.  SO NO TRADES! (yet). 
    Which leads us back to spending to make this work.   So there's an important question to ask about that.  Do you have a window?  Some might contend that it's a small, frosted glass one looking out from your shower but I think it's a bit bigger and more clear than that.  This is already long enough without getting into that having to do with some young guys and the ages of a few key player and how long it might take for the next wave etc.  But it's there more right now than it's been for awhile.  That's good enough for me.  
    So why am I optimistic yet disappointed? (finally right?)
    Let's break it down by position:
    C 
    Optimistic - Max Stassi of course.   That extension is great.  Locking him up for the foreseeable future.  He won't be confused with an elite C and at 31, there's some age concerns for a 3+ year deal, but he's not being paid like and elite guy by any means.  He's a good receiver and handles the staff well.  A better hitter than I ever expected and even if he tapers off a bit, he's only being paid a few mil more than most backups these days.  
    Disappointed - Are you kidding me Perry?  Kurt Suzuki?  I know it's a pretty small thing but great teams care about small things.   They missed a win here.  Easily.  And I'll never be convinced what he does off the diamond makes up for his poor on field play.  And it really wouldn't have cost much to do better.  And extra 2m to get Manny Pina.  Less than what they're paying Suzuki to get someone better.  
    INF
    Optimistic - Rendon is back healthy.  Excited to see Walsh take a step forward.  Fingers crossed, rabbits foot, horseshoes all ready to help Fletcher get back to form.    Matt Duffy is a decent depth piece.  Wishing and hoping and dreaming still on Rengifo.  Davis can repeat last year?  Stefanic can rake.  Mayfield become a late bloomer?  He's got so pop and plays really good defense.  Wade and Velazquez can pick it and they can run.  So a lot of unproven depth with some upside that likely requires timing get these guys optimized.   Finally, I'm just gonna assume they've fixed whatever plagued what should have been a decent defense last year.  
    Disappointed - Walsh can hit lefties.  They might have figured out Fletcher.  And they'll likely play him at a position that doesn't maximize is defensive value.  And waiver pickups plus minor league depth for a team looking to make the postseason?  C'mon.  You can do better Perry.  You should have done better.  Not Correa or Semian or Seager better, but at least Villar better for 6m.  Switch hitter that could have spelled Walsh if he still struggles.  Can play 3b if Rendon gets hurt.  A starter in the MIF if Fletch fails again or even if he doesn't.  They were a decent depth piece away from making thing acceptable and giving everyone a fair amount more comfort.  
    OF
    Optimistic - Trout.  I could probably stop there but I pumped about watching Adell and Marsh.  Adell looked really good.  Marsh is gonna quietly be valuable.  People might get a bit frustrated with him at times but the contribution will be there.  Don't sleep on Taylor Ward.  He's becoming a better defender with increased reps and he's a better hitter than he gets credit for.  And he can run.  Rojas and Fletcher and Walsh and maybe even Lorenzen can get thrown out there in a pinch if needed.  And Rojas can hit.  And there's a bit of low ceiling depth in AAA in Martinez, Cabbage, Thomas and Sierra.  
    Disappointed - not much other than I'm sad to see Upton go because he seems like such a good dude.  Not sure the timing was perfect, but his best days were behind him.  Probably even his palatable days.   A little concerned about Marsh and Adell not continuing their progress.  But not enough to go out and sign another OFer.  So no spend here.    
    SP
    Optimistic - Thor looks great.  Detmers looks great.  So much more like the successful guy in the minor last year as opposed to the nervous rookie last year.  Lorenzen looks capable of handling a starters role.  Suarez and Sandoval ready for the next level.  Bachman moves quick.  There's some depth in Junk, Barria, Daniel, Smith, Diaz.  
    Disappointed - Health, depth, and attrition.  The first one is just a given but relates to depth.  And even if they all do well, you're back to having significant needs again or doling out a big time contract for Thor and/or the additional value that you've enabled Lorenzen to obtain if he succeeds.   Outside of Bachman, there still no high ceiling depth until Rodriguez comes back and hopefully Canning can heal quick.  A year or two from now, I think I'll feel a lot better.  But I'd have spent on one more stable piece.  Even if it were underwhelming to some who have pined for that TOR arm.  Cost would have been in the 10-20m range.  Deal with the good problem of having too many SP should it ever occur like Santa riding a unicorn during a Martian eclipse.  
    RP
    Optimistic - best pen on paper we've had in a long time (get it?).  Dare I say it's almost good enough to save Joe from himself?  And there's a ton of depth with some potential fast risers.  There's like 20 guys who could fill out the AAA pen.  Seriously.  And then all the A+ and AA college guys we just draft.  
    Disappointed - They overspent.  Almost 95m on the pen for the next 2-4 years.  About 30m for 2022 alone.  Again, I'm certainly not complaining on Iglesias or even Loup for that matter.  But there are a ton of arms in the system that can be here pretty quick and smart GM's figure out how not to spend on the pen.  It's not that I don't love a good pen it's just that I see money better spent elsewhere.  Especially when you have the depth we do now.  
    DH 
    Optimistic - Ohtani.  How cool is it that the collectively bargained to make sure that Ohatni gets as much mlb face time as possible.  Just thought he deserved his own category.   
    Disappointed - nope
    Was going to add a coaching category but I'll leave it alone.  Bottom line is that another 10-20 could have made a difference and I think would have been worth it for this team.  Basically, Robbie Ray + Villar - Tepera = an additional 5-6 wins.   It's a good team that's a bit more thin in certain areas than I'd like and that easily could have been addressed.  But I am glad they didn't do anything drastic or desperate.  Which I was frankly a bit worried about going into the off season.  
  15. Chuck
    By Jonathan Northrop, AngelsWin.com Columnist
    @Dochalo's discussion about the "most important player" sent me down another line of thought, in terms of how to consider the team players in terms of their potential impact on the 2022 season. I didn't offer a serious answer in that thread because I couldn't answer it seriously without mentioning the one player that the good doctor asked us not to mention (Mike Trout). Very simply, the importance of a player really comes down to their potential contribution to the team. Meaning, the most important player is the best player; the second most important player, is the second best player, etc. You can adjust this for the depth behind that player, but as a general rule, that ordering holds true.
    How to rank the players in this regard? Obviously the easiest way to do so would be via WAR, although one could argue that pitchers should be adjusted upward somewhat. To illustrate this, imagine you could choose for either Anthony Rendon or Noah Syndergaard to have a 4 WAR season in 2022. Who would you choose? 4 wins are 4 wins, regardless of how you come by them, right? The answer should be "Noah Syndergaard" without too much thought, in my opinion. If Syndergaard produces a 4 WAR season it means he was relatively healthy and close to his peak level, or at least his almost-peak level of 2018-19. If Rendon has a 4 WAR, it means he was OK, but far from his peak level. One could argue that both produce the same value, but I think a Syndergaardian 4 WAR season is more important to the team's success than a Rendonian 4 WAR season.
    On the the other hand, Rendon's potential impact on the team is arguably greater because there's a solid possibility he performs well above 4 WAR, his last full season being his best, with 7 WAR in 2019. 
    But the point is, while WAR gives us our best easy baseline, it isn't only about WAR, or at least we can't divorce WAR from context. Potential replacements matter. For instance, imagine if Max Stassi goes out with an injury: the Angels are left with the catching options of Suzuki, Romine, Wallach, and Thaiss. Meaning, there is a huge gulf between Stassi and the rest of the pack, who are all various shades of mediocre back-up options. On the other hand, because Stassi's potential contribution is far less than, say, Anthony Rendon's, he's not as important to the Angels in 2022 (that is, having to swap out Rendon for a replacement level player is far more devastating to the team than swapping out Stassi).
    Let's consider the team in tiers of relative importance:
    Tier One (Key Players): Trout and Ohtani
    These two are arguably the two best players in major league baseball, and certainly the duo with the highest potential. There's even a far-from-non-existent chance that they finish 1st and 2nd in WAR in 2022. If that seems crazy, consider that Ohtani led the majors in overall WAR in 2021, and Trout led it in his last full season in 2019 (and a bunch of years before that). An Ohtani repeat of 2021 (8.1 WAR) and Trout even just going back to his 2019 (8.4 WAR) gives the Angels 16.5 WAR from just two players. To put that in context, here are the best team duos over the last decade (16+ WAR duos in bold) :
    2021: Phillies - Harper and Wheeler 13.9
    2020: Padres - Tatis and Machado 5.5 (projected to 14.9 over 162 games)
    2019: Astros - Bregman and Cole 15.8
    2018: Red Sox - Betts and Sale 16.6; also Indians - Ramirez and Lindor 15.8
    2017: Indians - Kluber and Ramirez 13.8; also Nationals - Rendon and Scherzer 13.4
    2016: Red Sox - Betts and Bradley Jr 13.6; also Angels - Trout and Shoemaker 13.4 (note: they were second the best duo, despite Shoemaker ranking 81st in combined WAR...Trout was just that good)
    2015: Nationals - Harper and Scherzer 16.2
    2014: Dodgers - Kershaw and Puig 13.9
    2013: Cardinals - Molina and Carpenter 15.0
    2012: Tigers - Cabrera and Verlander 14.1
    2011: Red Sox - Ellsbury and Pedroia 17.4; also Dodgers - Kemp and Kershaw 16.1
    In other words, there are only four pairs of team-mates over the last ten full seasons who surpassed 16.0 WAR. That's 4 out of 300 teams (10 years x 30 teams), or 1 out of 75 teams (or 1 ever 2.5 years), or 1.33%.
    So while Doc said "anyone but Trout," this angle on the question really requires mentioning him, and pairing him with Ohtani. No players are as important to the team's success in 2022, and it isn't all that close. The questions around them both are similar:
    Can Trout stay healthy and, if so, will he return to his peak level of performance and, if so, will he be the "super-dooper great Trout" of 2012-13, 15-16, and 18--five seasons in which he reached 9.3 WAR or higher and averaged 9.8--or merely the "garden variety great" Trout of 2014 and 19, when he had 8.3 and 8.4 WAR, respectively?
    Can Ohtani stay healthy and repeat 2021 (8.1 WAR) or even, dare I hope, improve upon it and reach 9 WAR total? While that might seem greedy, consider that all you have to do to get Ohtani to 9 WAR is increase his BABIP a bit closer to his 2018-19 levels and add a few more innings. In other words, you don't even have to make him prove, just add a bit of luck and adjust his innings upward a touch, as is likely to happen.
    Meaning, looking only at these two players yield a wide range of potential outcomes. Trout at his very best and even just minor improvement from Ohtani could yield 18 WAR, which would be the best combined performance of the last decade. In fact, to find an 18 WAR pair of team-mates, you have to go back to Barry Bonds who, with his 11.9 WAR, combined with Jason Schmidt for 18.5 in 2004.
    On the other hand, disaster is also possible. I don't want to describe it, but you can use your imagination. But the key point is that there are reasonable scenarios--based upon the last four or five seasons of performances--in which these two players produce anything from 5 to 18 WAR. Where they end up on that spectrum will be the most important factor in how good the Angels are in 2022.
    Tier Two: Other Key Players - Rendon and Syndergaard
    We could do a similar chart to the above, but Dynamic Trios, adding Rendon into the mix. Taking their last healthy full seasons yields 23.1 WAR (Trout 8.4 in 2019, Ohtani 8.1 in 2021, Rendon 7.0 in 2019). That's a big ask--not only hoping that they're all healthy, but all performing at or close to their best. But it is possible, especially when you consider it is just combining their best performances from the last three seasons. Or to put another way, all three have exhibited a superstar caliber of performance within the last two seasons: Rendon in 2020, Trout in 2020-21, Ohtani in 2021. All that needs to happen is that they stay relatively healthy. Given recent history, that's easier said than done, but certainly not impossible - and maybe not even all that unlikely (if we emphasize "relatively").
    To put that 23.1 WAR in context, the last time a trio of team-mates produced that high a combined total was the Red Sox in 2011, when Ellsbury (9.5), Pedroia (7.9) and Adrian Gonzalez (6.2) combined for 23.6 WAR.
    As a more reasonable benchmark, if these three produce 20 WAR, the team is in great shape. That could be something like Trout 8, Ohtani 7, Rendon 5: all below their best, but good enough to mean good news (i.e. mostly healthy and playing well). 20 WAR trios happen somewhat frequently, but generally mean the best trio in the majors. The last trio to do so was the Astros in 2019, with Bregman (8.4), Cole 7.4), and Springer (6.4) combining for 22.2.
    Or we could consider 400 total games played as an over/under for the team having a legit shot at the playoffs. Meaning, if by year's end those three combine for 400 or more games, chances are the Angels were, at least, still legit contenders in September.
    I include Syndergaard with Rendon not because I think he's capable of Rendon's potential impact (6+ WAR), but because a healthy season from him gives the Angels a legit #2 or better starter, something they haven't had in years (although Ohtani was close in 2021, but just lacked the innings). We probably shouldn't even hope that "Thor" reclaims peak year of 2016 (6.0 WAR), but a return to 2018-19 (4.2 and 4.3) would give the Angels their first 4 WAR starting pitcher since Garret Richards in 2014 (4.3). They haven't had a 5 WAR starter since 2011, when both Dan Haren and Jered Weaver surpassed that number.
    With both Rendon and Syndergaard, it isn't all-or-nothing. Even reduced performances from them, say 5 WAR from Rendon and 3 WAR from Syndergaard, greatly benefits the team.
    Tier Three: Very Important Players - Sandoval, Suarez, Fletcher, Stassi, Iglesias
    Here we have a group of players whose performance is very important to the team's outlook, but less so than the above quartet. Our eyes will be on Sandoval and Suarez to see if they can build upon 2021 with, if not improvement in quality, at least more quantity (that is, innings). Both performed as middle-of-the-rotation starters, but just in limited innings. If you get them both to qualifying innings (162 IP) at last year's performance level, Sandoval is at 2.8 and Suarez 2.1 WAR. Meaning, a solid #3 and a good #4. 
    Who is the real David Fletcher? The guy who produced 6.5 WAR in his first 283 games, averaging 3.7 per 162 games played, or the mess of a player we saw in 2021, with 0.3 WAR in 157 games? We can hope that we see at least something closer to the former, as the middle infield without the good (or, at least, better than replacement) version of Fletcher is a big weakness in the lineup. The Angels are already potentially carrying the shortstop position in 2022--unless someone emerges from the bag of mixed infielder nuts that is Luis Rengifo, Matt Duffy, Tyler Wade, Andrew Velazquez, Michael Stefanic, and Brendon Davis. Even a solid 2-3 WAR Fletcher would go a long way to stabilize 1/9th of the lineup.
    As mentioned in the intro, the gap between Stassi and the rest of the catching options is enormous. Out of 56 catchers with at least 200 PA over the 2020-21 span, Stassi has quietly been 10th in overall WAR with 3.6. More tellingly, everyone above him on that list has more playing time. If a healthy Stassi means 3 WAR or so, there is no internal option that is likely to produce better than replacement level production, with the lone possible exception being Matt Thaiss, but who is likely to start the year in AAA to work on his catching skills and is buried behind Suzuki, Romine, and possibly Wallach on the depth chart.
    Finally, Iglesias. Of all the players mentioned so far, he both has the fewest questions and also the lowest impact in terms of WAR. But this is also where WAR as a singular barometer breaks down a bit. 2021 was his best year by WAR at 2.0 (though he's had three seasons in the 1.4 to 1.9 range, and was on pace for about 2.5 in 2020), so even if he falls back to his 2019 level of 1.2, we're only talking about a 0.8 loss, far less than the potential loss of an injured Stassi or the 2020 version of Fletcher (both 2-3 WAR). But we cannot understate the psychological importance of having a reliable stopper in the bullpen.
    As an aside to illustrate the importance of relievers, some people like to say wins are wins, no matter when they occur in the season, just as runs are runs, no matter when they occur in the game. But what is true for both, and especially true within the context of a game, is that there's a huge difference between being down 3-2 in the 2nd inning and 3-2 in the 9th. In the former, you have tons of opportunities to make up that one run, while in the latter, just one more chance. Or, conversely--and more relevant to Iglesias--being up 3-2 in the 2nd vs 3-2 in the 9th. This further points to the limitations of WAR in terms of the valuation of relievers.
    Regardless, thankfully this year Raisel will have more help, but he's still a very important player for the Angels in 2022.
    Tier Four: Important but not Crucial - Marsh, Adell, Walsh, Lorenzen, Barria, Canning, Loup
    It is not that these guys aren't important, just less so than the first three tiers. Marsh and Adell are very important for the team's future, but really only need to hold their own in 2022, at least unless two of the three key trio goes down. I'd argue that Marsh gets the edge over Adell, because of his defensive utility.
    Similarly with Walsh who, along with Stassi and Fletcher, only really need to produce more of the same. As nice as his breakout over the last year and change has been, it wouldn't be terribly devastating to lose Walsh's 2.8 WAR at 1B: Matt Thaiss could probably re-produce at least half that, not to mention Stefanic or Davis, or even Upton.
    Lorenzen is in a similar category as Marsh and Adell in that his importance is more about what he could add rather than what he must add. Obviously every starter is important, but one could argue that a 2022 season that sees Lorenzen return to the bullpen is good news for the Angels, as it would mean that the younger starters (e.g. Detmers, Daniel, Canning) emerged to take his place. But Lorenzen is also a player who could be a stealth contributor, whether as a solid starter, good reliever, or hybrid. 
    With Barria, the Angels just need vaguely decent innings out of the 6th spot in the rotation. He doesn't have to make a surprise emergence, just be decent enough to pile up much-needed innings. I would put Canning in a similar category, that he either needs to pitch a quantity of vaguely decent innings or needs to be solid when he returns from injury to give the rotation a bit of help.
    After Iglesias, Loup is the highest upside reliever in the bullpen, and the best candidate to form a strong duo of relievers, something the Angels desperately need. But if he isn't as good as he was in 2021, there are other candidates who could potentially fill his shoes as second fiddle to Raisel. Arguably both Ryan Tepera and Mike Mayers should be in this category, but I wanted to rank them lower than Iglesias and Loup, so put them in tier five.
    Tier Five: Worth mentioning but not as important - Upton, Ward, Rengifo-Wade-Duffy-Stefanic-Davis, Suzuki, Mayers, Tepera, Warren, Buttrey, Daniel, Thaiss, Bachman, etc.
    I won't go through these guys individually, because any one of their individual performances is less importance than that, as a group of depth, bench, and role-players, they are vaguely decent. Or rather, that a bunch of them are decent. The importance of depth is crucial: not that they need to be really good, but that they need to be adequate and in quantity. In a way, it is not as much that you win because of your depth, but that you lose when you lack it.
    Players like Daniel, Thaiss and Bachman shouldn't be relied upon to contribute much in 2022, whether because they're far down the depth chart (Thaiss) or they are unlikely to be ready sooner than late in the season at the earliest (Daniel and Bachman). But they are all players who could have an impact, if they both get an opportunity and make good of it. Meaning, I mention someone like Bachman not because of what he needs to bring, but because of what he could add to the team.
    Here is a list of players from tier 4 and 5 who are the "swingiest" in terms of being able to be significant contributors
    Brandon Marsh Jo Adell Michael Lorenzen Taylor Ward Mike Mayers As I implied above, the pressure is only minor to moderate on Brandon Marsh and Jo Adell: all they really need to do is continue to improve at a modest pace, building upon their "semi-breakthroughs" in 2021. As I and others have mentioned, despite being a below average offensive contributor (86 wRC+) in 2021, Marsh produced 1.0 WAR in 70 games, which is a pace of 2.3 over 162 games. Meaning, he could make a significant impact if he continues as is defensively and on the base-paths, and just reaches average with the bat: A 100 wRC+ over 140 games could yield 3-4 WAR.
    Similarly with Adell: continued improvement with the bat and approaching adequate defense makes him a solid regular. It is not hard to imagine that 90 wRC+ reaching 110 in 2022.
    Michael Lorenzen is a bit of a lottery pick, but is a candidate to put together smatterings of what he's done in the past. He's the type of player who might not attract much notice during the season but, when all is said and done, could add 2-3 WAR through some combination of starting, relief, and even a few at-bats.
    Taylor Ward: the misbegotten child. As much as he's been seen as both a drafting guffaw and no more than organizational depth, he actually hit pretty well last year (.250/.332/.438, 111 wRC+). While he was sub-par in the outfield, he was at least a warm body. I'm starting to Brian Goodwin vibes. Goodwin was a clean peanut pick-up who procued a 106 wRC+ and 1.7 WAR in 136 games in 2019. That is really only a mediocre regular, but it is the type of player you want as depth. Meaning, Ward is a player who could become important if one or both of Adell or Marsh struggle and/or Upton doesn't bounce-back.
    Finally, Mike Mayers. While 2021 seemed like a disappointment after his breakout 2020, which saw him with a 2.10 ERA and 1.0 WAR in 30 IP, he was still solid (0.7 WAR, 3.84 ERA in 75 IP). A middle-ground between those two performances could make him the third best reliever in a good bullpen.
    Honorable Mention: Ty Buttrey. While the Angels aren't relying upon him, if his returned interest in baseball also means a return to 2018-19 performance, all of a sudden the Angels bullpen isn't just good, but deep and strong. 
    Conclusion: The List
    Alright, I'll take a stab at arranging these in order of importance. 
    Mike Trout  Shohei Ohtani  Noah Syndergaard  Anthony Rendon  Patrick Sandoval  Max Stassi  David Fletcher  Raisel Iglesias  Jose Suarez  Brandon Marsh  Joe Adell  Aaron Loup  Jared Walsh Michael Lorenzen  Jaime Barria  One of Luis Rengifo, Matt Duffy, Tyler Wade, Andrew Velazquez, Michael Stefanic, Brendon Davis*  Ryan Tepera  Mike Mayers Justin Upton Austin Warren Taylor Ward Ty Buttrey Sam Bachman Matt Thaiss Davis Daniel A bunch of other guys in the high minors Or something like that. The higher up the list, the more important the player's performance is to the team's overall success.
    *Quick note: I struggled with how to rank these guys. Taken as a single player, none of them are all that important because they come in quantity, but it is pretty important that one of them is at least decent.
  16. Chuck
    Leading Trading Card Company Kicks off 2022 Baseball Card Season with Annual Set

    (New York, NY, February 8, 2022) – The Topps® Company, a leader in sports and entertainment trading cards and a part of Fanatics Collectibles, today announced the launch of its annual, highly anticipated 2022 Series 1 Collection to welcome back the official start of this year’s baseball card season, and to continue its rich heritage in trading cards.
    Available starting on February 16, and boasting a brand-new bordered base card design, the 2022 Series 1 Collection features a 330-card base set including modern day stars, rookies who debuted during the 2021 season, 2021 league leaders, and team cards. Reigning AL MVP Shohei Ohtani, who was voted card number one in the checklist by fans, is doing double duty as this year’s cover athlete, being shown both pitching and hitting on the box and pack wraps. This year, a new wave of young talent including Wander Franco, Jarren Duran and Luis Gil will receive their first Rookie Cards. Collectors can also look for autographs and game-used memorabilia cards featuring Mike Trout, Aaron Judge, Fernando Tatis Jr., and more.
    Angels fans, here's what the Mike Trout card will look like. 

    Here's Topps autographed Baseball Stars card of Mike Trout and Shohei Ohtani.

    “We’re thrilled to deliver another Series 1 collection signifying the start of baseball card season.,” said David Leiner, VP of Global Sports and Entertainment at Topps. “Over the last 71 years of producing baseball cards, we have welcomed collectors and fans of all ages to our Topps family each year, and we’re proud to honor another season of baseball cards with memorable moments, rookie players and groundbreaking all-stars as we continue our commitment to bringing fans closer to their favorite athletes.”
    Within the collection, fans should also look for base card parallels sequentially numbered from 2022 all the way to unique 1/1 cards, along with insert sets including Generation NOW, Diamond Greats Die Cuts and Flashiest Fleet. Topps also honors the 35th anniversary of its iconic 1987 woodgrain design, which makes its return in 2022 Topps Series 1 Baseball featuring current stars and legends of the game.  The Home Run Challenge is back for another year where collectors can rip, flip and predict which MLB Superstars will hit a homerun, all for a chance to win special cards and tickets to the 2023 MLB Home Run Derby.
    2022 Topps Series 1 Baseball will be available online at Topps.com and in local hobby shops and retailers starting February 16th. In addition, Topps will host its first-ever Series 1 Premiere Party on Tuesday, February 15 in Los Angeles, providing guests with an exclusive look at this year’s collection in celebration of its release.
    For more information on Topps collectibles and offerings, please visit Topps.com
    View the full article
  17. Chuck
    He's a hometown home run! Celebrate the roots of the Halos' one-of-a-kind two-way player from Japan to L.A. with this Shohei Ohtani Los Angeles Angels Hometown Bobblehead from FOCO! This exclusive from FOCO portrays Ohtani wearing his gameday uniform in a swinging action pose, ready to launch another blast over the fence. He stands atop a Japanese inspired base that captures some of the elements from his hometown of Ōshū. The Japanese flag stands proud on the back of the bobble, while the base also includes rice paddy fields, with a picture of Shohei and text that says SHO-TIME. Front and center is Shohei’s name in Japanese to make sure nobody forgets who the face of the MLB is.
    The bobble is limited to just 521 individually-numbered units and retails for $60. Each unit stands approximately 8 inches tall and is handcrafted, and hand painted so no detail goes overlooked. So don’t miss your chance to get your hands on the Shohei Ohtani Los Angeles Angels Hometown Bobblehead for your Angels collection! While you’re visiting FOCO, make sure to check out the rest of their Los Angeles Angels Collection!
      
     
  18. Chuck
    By Tres Hefter, AngelsWin.com Columnist
    A slew of late-season promotions continue to shuffle the Angels' minor league deck, but strong performances remain!
    --Pitchers--

    1) Davis Daniel – RHP, Rocket City AA:

    You can sort of Davis Daniel is becoming the Angels’ pitching equivalent of Michael Stefanic; both came into 2021 without much hype, both have performed not only extremely well, but extremely well consistently throughout the season, and both arguably are MLB-ready, even with Daniel yet to appear in AAA. Daniel’s strike-throwing tendencies were on full display over the last week, as the 24-year-old made two starts for Rocket City, striking out 18 in 11 innings while allowing just one walk, three earned runs (2.45 ERA), and seven hits (.175 BAA). Daniel has allowed two or fewer earned runs in 14 of his 18 appearances this year and with 9 starts in each A+ and AA, has essentially matched his production across two leagues – trading a few more walks from A+ for a few more hits in AA. If not for the surplus of R5 eligible arms that were added to the MLB team ahead of him these last few weeks, he’d likely already be in Anaheim.
    2021 (TRI A+/RCT AA): 2.59 ERA, 0.99 WHIP, .193 BAA, with 28 BB, 130 K, 8 HR allowed across 93.2 IP in 18 GS
    2) Ryan Smith – LHP, Rocket City AA:

    Following a couple months in Tri-City, Smith, a 5’11” 23-year-old lefty out of Princeton, was moved up to AA Rocket City and has yet to really be slowed much by much of anything. While his stellar Inland Empire line has dulled a bit as he’s advanced, Smith has still delivered quality innings in all three of his stops this season, and the last two weeks have indeed put an exclamation point on that narrative, as Smith sparkled in two starts, allowing only one ER (0.69 ERA) in 13 innings, with one walk to sixteen strikeouts. Like Daniel, Smith won’t be R5 eligible until the winter following the 2022 season, but his performance might force the Angels to consider the lefty for their major league staff sometime in ’22.
    2021 (IE A/TRI A+/RCT AA): 4.28 ERA, 1.03 WHIP, .222 BAA, with 22 BB, 132 K, 14 HR allowed across 107 IP in 19 G/18 GS

    3) John Swanda – RHP, Inland Empire, A:

    Many have likely forgotten John Swanda, the Angels 4th round selection back in the 2017 draft. In his first three seasons, Swanda, now 22, rarely demonstrated any dominant stuff or positive results, but never really faltered either. At first glance, Swanda’s 2021 season looks pedestrian as well; no gaudy strikeout numbers, middling earned runs allowed, average HR and BB rates, but a closer look would reveal that Swanda’s season echoes perhaps what Cooper Criswell did in 2019; steady, consistent innings that were quietly dominant, punctuated by an occasional poor start. Swanda’s last two starts have been his best, as he limited opponents to just four hits (.089 BAA) and three walks in 13.1 scoreless innings while striking out 16. In his last four games now, he’s earned three wins, allowed a 1.48 ERA and .170 BAA in 24.1 IP with 25 K. Swanda will be Rule 5 eligible this winter, but lacking any high-octane stuff or shiny results should keep him safe from selection, which could work to the Angels’ benefit.
    2021 (IE A): 4.14 ERA, 1.31 WHIP, .250 BAA, with 33 BB, 92 K, 13 HR allowed across 104.1 IP in 20 G/15 GS

    4) Thomas Pannone – LHP, Salt Lake City AAA:

    The Angels had probably hoped for a little more from lefty Thomas Pannone when they signed him to a minor league deal this past winter. Originally drafted by Cleveland in the 9th round and a decent prospect when acquired in trade by Toronto, Pannone had glimpses of promise in two MLB stints in the bigs but has yet to see that continue into his ’21 season with the Bees, a campaign which has been nothing short of a disaster. But Pannone might be showing signs of ending the year on a high note, as he has now strung together four straight decent appearances, including his three most recent starts, two of which were 7 IP efforts. Pannone posted a 2.95 ERA in that time, allowing two walks, 16 hits, and 2 HR while striking out 14. Likely ticketed for minor league free agency this winter, he won’t factor into the Angels future plans much, but could still see himself in the bigs this year should the Halos need a spot starter.
    2021 (SLC AAA): 7.21 ERA, 1.71 WHIP, .196 BAA, with 32 BB, 67 K, 20 HR allowed across 97.1 IP in 20 G/17 GS

    5) Fernando Guanare – RHP, Dominican Rk.:

    Anytime a teenage arm can string up a couple of starts like Fernando Guanare has of late, it will catch some eyes. Posting 12 IP, 11 H, 2 ER, 0 BB, 15 K in his last two starts, Guanare has continued to flash some strong strikeout stuff all season while, perhaps most impressively walking only one to date in his first pro season. Only 18 and listed at 6’1” 140 Guanare is still obviously a ways off, but strong performances tend to earn stateside rookie ball promotions no matter how young the arm. Could be an interesting one to watch in 2022.
    2021 (Dominican Rk.): 2.31 ERA, 0.97 WHIP, .268 BAA, with 1 BB, 38 K, 0 HR allowed across 39 IP in 8 GS

    Honorable mention, pitchers:
    Adam Seminaris (LHP Tri-City A+): 1.74 ERA, .216 BAA with 4 BB, 11 K across 10.1 IP in 2 GS – now sporting a 3.33 ERA in last ten starts, 69 K in 51.1 IP
    Mason Erla (RHP RCT AA): 0.00 ERA, .125 BAA with 0 BB, 9 K across 5 IP in 2 GS –nearly perfect start to pro career. 24 years old, could move fast.
    Janson Junk (RHP RCT AA): 3.12 ERA, .071 BAA with 1 BB, 8 K across 8.2 IP in 1 GS – just missed a perfect game, but got an MLB debut instead
    Luke Murphy (RHP TRI A+): 4.76 ERA, .227 BAA with 1 BB, 10 K across 5.2 IP in 4 G – virtually all damage against came in last appearance, nearly perfect before
    Braden Olthoff (RHP Arizona Rk.): 1.29 ERA, .179 BAA with BB, 14 K across 7 IP in 2 GS – extremely strong start could garner promotion soon
    Tyler Danish (RHP SLC AAA): 1.69 ERA, .220 BAA with 2 BB, 13 K across 10.2 IP in 4 G/1 GS – freshly baked success for @Angels1961 fav
    Dylan King (RHP TRI A+): 4.50 ERA, .200 BAA with 0 BB, 14 K across 8 IP in 2 G – sleeper reliever prospect to watch, 67 K in 42.1 IP.
    Hector Yan (LHP TRI A+): 1.35 ERA, .136 BAA with 8 BB, 14 K across 6.2 IP in 2 G – struck out 21 of 49 hitters since moving to relief – and walked 15.
    Leonard Garcia (LHP Arizona Rk.): 1.04 ERA, .188 BAA with 6 BB, 15 K across 8.2 IP in 2 GS – only 17 and already stateside, arguably could have beat Guanare for #5 on this list
    Brandon Dufault (RHP IE A): 0.00 ERA, .200 BAA with 3 BB, 7 K across 5 IP in 3 G – control issues, but all signs point to solid relief arm in the making
     
    --Position Players--

    1) Michael Stefanic – 2B/DH, Salt Lake City AAA:

    ¯\_(ツ)_/¯
    You can make an argument that with a .340 BA in 101 games, Michael Stefanic leads all minor league baseball in batting average – some lower-level players with fewer PA/G have higher BA are ahead – and he has maintained that .340 BA over the last two weeks, with 16 more hits in 47 AB. Not a true power threat, Stefanic’s SLG did drop slightly as he added only three extra-base hits (all doubles) in the last two weeks, but he maintained his excellent contact/discipline skills, posting 7 BB (one IBB) to 7 K in that time. While a call-up to Anaheim has yet to materialize (to the chagrin of many) it is probably safe to assume Stefanic will find himself placed on the 40-man this offseason given his R5 eligibility, and it could be Minasian is using the majors to determine which of the Mayfield, Rengifo, Wong contingent he wants to keep with Stefanic, and not in place of.
    2021 (RCT AA/SLC AAA): .340/.410/.494/.904 with 18 doubles, 14 home runs, 56 RBI, and 40 BB, 64 K, 5/8 SB attempts in 101 G/441 PA
    2) Orlando Martinez – OF/DH, Rocket City AA:

    It’s been an uneven, but still encouraging, season for the 23-year-old Cuban outfielder, whose strong rebound in August from a brutal July (.606 OPS) continued over the last two weeks, slashing .355/.412/.548/.960 in 8 G/34 PA, adding a double, triple, and a homer to his ledger, drawing 3 BB to 5 K, and swiping three bags in three attempts. Had it not been for his July slide, Martinez would have a very solid .283/.340/.502/.842 slash. The lack of discipline remains Martinez’ biggest obstacle, but his sustained success with strong contact and at least average (if not slightly better) power still hints at an outfielder who has at least platoon-potential in the bigs as a ceiling. Martinez will be R5 eligible this winter, and while outfielders with his skill set typically are not protected as they are common across orgs, he’s also the type of player often selected in R5 to round out a rebuilding club’s bench. As such, there’s a strong chance he’s discussed in trades.
    2021 (RCT AA): .265/.318/.468/.785 with 23 doubles, 2 triples, 16 home runs, 51 RBI, 26 BB, 110, 5/7 SB attempts in 94 G/401 PA
    3) Braxton Martinez – 1B/DH, Tri-City A+:

    The Angels finally promoted the 27-year-old signee out of Indy ball on August 25th, and so far, so good, as Martinez has responded to the next level with little issue, continuing right where he left off by slashing .308/.367/.692/1.059 in his first 7 games at A+, clubbing three homers, a double, and drawing three walks to 10 strikeouts. It remains incredibly unlikely that Martinez ascends in a way that impacts the major league team, but he’s certainly filled a role for the organization’s lower levels this year by posting an MVP-quality season.
    2021 (IE A/TRI A+): .331/.439/.588/1.027 with 28 doubles, 3 triples, 15 home runs, 64 RBI, 59 BB, 62 K in 86 G/378 PA
    4) David MacKinnon – 1B/DH, Rocket City AA:

    MacKinnon suffered a rare cold snap over his last month or so, mustering only a .211 BA from July 23rd to August 22nd, but the disciplined, high-contact first baseman has returned to form over the last two weeks, slashing .310/.382/.621/1.003 over 8 games, tallying three more doubles and two more HR, giving him a new career-high in doubles with 30 and adding to his career-high HR total of 13. Rule 5 eligible this winter, the Angels, like with Stefanic and Martinez, will have some interesting decisions to make, as MacKinnon has proven himself to be a consistent offensive presence across his career. While his power and position might limit his paths to the majors, his contact, discipline, and defense parallel someone like Yandy Diaz, and a team with similar first-base depth issues and budget concerns could have interest in MacKinnon either by way of draft or trade.
    2021 (Rocket City AA): .292/.388/.497/.885 with 30 doubles, 13 home runs, 63 RBI, 48 BB, 75 K in 91 G/392 PA
    5) Adrian Placencia – 2B/SS, Arizona Rk.:

    With Vera advancing to Inland Empire, Adrian Placencia and Werner Blakely will now draw more attention in Arizona, and over the last two weeks, Placencia has done just that. While Placencia’s batting average has yet to shine in any way (he’s hitting only .193 on the season, though a .247 BAbip is partly to blame), he has demonstrated maybe the most balanced offensive approach of any of the Angels young mid-infield prospects, slashing .250/.357/.583/.940 over the last two weeks, adding all sorts of extra-base hits (one double, two triples, one homer) in that time, while also maintaining good plate discipline (4 BB to 8 K) and a bit of speed, with two stolen bases in two attempts.
    2021 (Arizona RK.): .193/.356/.395/.751 with 3 doubles, 3 triples, 5 home runs, 18 RBI, 27 BB, 41 K in 35 G/149 PA
    Honorable mentions, position players:
    Adrian Rondon (2B/SS TRI A+): .321/.387/.464/.851 with 2B, HR, 3 BB, 10 K in 8 G/31 PA
    Jose Rojas (1B/3B/LF SLC AAA): .239/.340/.457/.796 with 2 2B, 3B, 2 HR, 7 BB, 10 K in 13 G/53 PA
    Mitch Nay (1B/3B RCT AA): .259/.394/.444/.838 with 2 2B, HR, 6 BB, 6 K in 8 G/33 PA
    Kyle Kasser (LF/RF/1B TRI A+): .303/.395/.303/.698 with 4 BB, 8 K, 2 SB in 10 G/38 PA
  19. Chuck
    SHOHEI OHTANI NAMED 2021 AMERICAN LEAGUE MOST VALUABLE PLAYER
    First unanimous A.L. MVP since Mike Trout in 2014
    ANAHEIM – Angels RHP/DH Shohei Ohtani today was named the 2021 American League Most Valuable Player in an announcement made by the Baseball Writers’ Association of America (BBWAA). It marks the first career A.L. MVP award for Ohtani, who previously won the 2016 Most Valuable Player Award in Nippon Professional Baseball’s Pacific League.
    Ohtani garnered all 30 first place votes for a total of 420 points in the balloting process, 151 points ahead of second place finisher Vladimir Guerrero Jr. of the Toronto Blue Jays (269 points). Ohtani becomes just the 19th unanimous winner of a BBWAA MVP Award (11th in A.L. history) and the first since Bryce Harper won N.L. MVP honors in 2015. He becomes the second Japanese-born player to receive MVP honors in the Major Leagues, joining Ichiro Suzuki (2001). Additionally, he is just the third starting pitcher to win A.L. MVP in the last 50 years, following Roger Clemens (1986) and Justin Verlander (2011).
    The 27-year-old captures the Angels sixth MVP award in franchise history, following Don Baylor (1979), Vladimir Guerrero (2004) and Mike Trout (2014, 2016 & 2019). The Angels are the first team to win four MVP awards in an eight-year span since San Francisco won five straight with Jeff Kent (2000) and Barry Bonds (2001-04) and the first A.L. team since the Texas Rangers with Juan González (1996, 1998), Iván Rodríguez (1999) and Alex Rodriguez (2003).
    As a hitter, Ohtani ranked in the Top 10 in the American League in triples (8; 1st), extra-base hits (80; 2nd), slugging (.592; 2nd), OPS (.965; 2nd), home runs (46; 3rd), walks (96; 3rd), total bases (318; T4th), stolen bases (26; 5th), OBP (.372; 5th) and runs scored (103; 8th). On the mound, he went 9-2 with a 3.18 ERA (130.1 IP – 46 ER) and 156 strikeouts in 23 starts, while holding opponents to a .207 average (98/473). He led the Majors with a 9.1 bWAR and became the first player in MLB history to record 10+ HR as a hitter and 100+ strikeouts as a pitcher in the same season.
    This summer, Ohtani became the first MLB player to ever be selected to the All-Star Game as both a pitcher and position player and started the game as both the A.L. starting pitcher and designated hitter. Additionally, he was named the American League Player of the Month for both June and July, becoming the first player to win consecutive A.L. Player of the Month Awards since Josh Hamilton (April/May 2012).
    THE HITTER - Ranked in Top 10 in the American League in triples (8; 1st), extra-base hits (80; 2 nd), slugging (.592; 2nd), OPS (.965; 2nd), home runs (46; 3rd), walks (96; 3rd), total bases (318; T4 th), stolen bases (26; 5 th), OBP (.372; 5 th) and runs scored (103; 8th). One of two players in American League history with 45+ HR and 25+ SB in a season, joining Jose Canseco (1998). One of six players in American League history with 45+ HR and 8+ triples in a season, joining Hall of Famers Babe Ruth, Lou Gehrig, Joe DiMaggio, Jimmie Foxx and Jim Rice. Led the Majors with 25 home runs with a 110+ MPH exit velocity. Established new single-season home run record for a Japanese-born player (previously 31 by Hideki Matsui in 2004)
    THE PITCHER - Opponents batted .087 (11/127) against his splitter; lowest batting average for any pitch in the Majors (min. 110 PA)  Allowed two-or-fewer runs in 17 of 23 starts…Took seven no-decisions in starts with 5+ IP and two-or-fewer runs allowed. Led American League with a .818 winning percentage, ranked third with a .207 opponent batting average, was fifth with 10.77 strikeouts per nine innings and ranked 10th with a 28.9% swing and miss rate (min. 125 IP). Was one of four A.L. starting pitchers to reach 100+ MPH with at least 11 pitches this season. Went 6-0 with a 1.95 ERA (78.1 IP – 17 ER) and 93 strikeouts in 13 home starts
    TWO-WAY - Made 14 pitching starts while also holding at least a share of the Major League home run lead o First pitcher to make multiple pitching starts in a season while leading Majors in home runs since Babe Ruth (1919).  First player in MLB history to record 10+ HR as a hitter and 100+ strikeouts as a pitcher in the same season. First player in MLB history with 20+ stolen bases and 10+ pitching appearances in the same season. Batted for himself in 20 of 23 pitching starts; first pitcher ever to hit for himself 3+ times in games where a DH is available
    ALL-STAR - First MLB player to ever be selected to the All-Star Game as both a pitcher and position player. Started the All-Star Game as both the A.L. starting pitcher and starting DH o Earned the win for the A.L. after working a perfect 1st inning. Competed in the Home Run Derby and totaled 28 home runs, including six 500+ ft. HR (most in the Statcast era)
    AWARDS - American League Most Valuable Player. Commissioner’s Historic Achievement Award. Silver Slugger Award. Players Choice Awards: Player of the Year & A.L. Outstanding Player. Sporting News MLB Player of the Year, Baseball America MLB Player of the Year & Baseball Digest MLB Player of the Year. Two-time American League Player of the Month – June & July. Two-time American League Player of the Week – June 14 – June 20 & June 28 - July 4. ESPY Award – Best MLB Player. TIME Magazine 100 Most Influential People in the World. Angels Most Valuable Player & Nick Adenhart Award

    Statements from Mike Trout, Joe Maddon and Perry Minasian:
    Angels OF Mike Trout – “Shohei’s season was nothing short of electric. At times, I felt like I was back in Little League. To watch a player throw eight innings, hit a home run, steal a base and then go play right field was incredible. What impresses me the most about him though, is the way he carries himself both on and off the field. With so much on his plate daily, he still manages to do it with a smile. Congratulations Shohei!”
    Angels Manager Joe Maddon – “Shohei came to the States to play among the best on both sides of the ball and he accomplished that mission on the highest level. Knowing him, this award is going to serve as motivation to exceed his previous accomplishments. I cannot wait to watch how his game helps push us to our goal of playing in the last game of the season and winning it. Congratulations to Shohei and his entire family on this special honor.”
    Angels General Manager Perry Minasian – “Shohei had an outstanding season and his talent speaks for itself. It was a privilege watching him on the field on a daily basis, as well as seeing his commitment to improving his craft. He is a great teammate, works incredibly hard on every aspect of the game and this award is very well deserved.”
  20. Chuck

    The Power of Shohei Ohtani

    By Chuck,


    Blog
    By AngelsWin.com's Chuck Richter, David Saltzer
    When the Angels signed Shohei Ohtani in December, 2017, they knew that they were getting a special player. How special, though, remained to be seen. They knew he had a power arm and a power bat, but no one in a century had combined both in a full season of baseball. 
    This year, Ohtani is having an unprecedented year. Fans are literally seeing history made every night, whether it’s through his hitting or his pitching. Sometimes it’s with both.
    But the power of Ohtani extends far beyond the field. Not only does he have a massive American following, he has the power to draw fans from all over the world.
    One of those fans is gal from Japan that we had the privilege of talking to. She goes by the handle Pikichin on Twitter. She was traveling throughout Africa at the time when she decided to come to see Ohtani play in the states.
    When she first came to see Ohtani, she had heard about his successes, but “I was just rooting for him and didn't have the passion to call myself a fan.”
    All that changed on July 26, the first time she saw Ohtani play. “I was waiting for him to appear at the front of the bullpen, so the first time I saw him was about 3 meters away. I knew he was a great player, so I left it at that. I was amazed at his height, style, small face, and long legs. I was also surprised to see the cheers from the local fans when he appeared in the bullpen.”
    During the game, Ohtani pitched 7 strong innings, striking out 5, and only allowing 5 hits and one earned run. More importantly, he went 1 for 4 at the plate, hitting a homerun. And that got Pikichin hooked! “I was able to see him hit a home run, and I became more and more of a fan when I saw him being cheered on by not only the Angels fans, but also by the fans of the opposing team.”
    So she stayed for another game. And another. Ultimately staying for 19 games, including a doubleheader.
    Throughout her time watching Ohtani, Pikichin brought a sign to every game. It’s been featured during broadcasts and on the Jumbotrons in multiple stadiums and fans have asked her what it means. Since the Olympics were held in Japan, and Ohtani wasn’t on the Japanese National Team, her sign reads “Ohtani san, I'll give you a gold medal.” She wrote that because she said “he had done much better than winning a gold medal at the Olympics in MLB.”
    The response from the fans to her signs has been tremendous. Fans will tell her "Cool! I love it!!” And, because she was often on the Jumbotron everyday, she was often greeted by fans saying “I know you!”
    Her instant celebrity status led to her meeting many people and becoming friends with many more. She ended up going to games with fans that she met, staying in hotels with them, and visiting other tourist destinations in the various cities she visited.
    While Ohtani can dominate on the mound, Pikichin loves watching him hit. “The home run, which is easy for anyone to understand, attracts not only me but also many Japanese who are not so familiar with baseball.”
    Her highlights include seeing Ohtani hit four home runs, numbers 36-39. “Hitting a home run is of course a difficult thing to do, but in Ohtani san's case, he hit the ball as if it was a normal hit, and it became a home run, which was impressive.” Pikichin believes that Ohtani will end up with 48 homeruns for the season.
    There are many small things that Ohtani does that Pikichin loves. For example, she loves how he hands his batting gloves to the ball boy rather than drop them on the ground like other players. She enjoys seeing him being respectful and talking with other players when on base.
    What Pikichin loves most is how Ohtani has been cheered and celebrated by fans across America. When he’s warming up in the bullpen, fans cheer. And, when Ohtani hits a home run, “the whole stadium cheers in unison, friend or foe, and it makes me very happy and excited to see that one Japanese person has excited many Americans.”
    Pikichin believes that Ohtani has one more power that is needed now more than anything. She believes that Ohtani provides hope for the world during Covid. “In Japan, people are wondering, ‘How many people are infected today?’ ‘It's increasing again...’ However, since Ohtani san’s success, we have been hearing things like, "He hit his 40th home run today!! ‘How many more can he hit!?’ The more Ohtani san plays, the more people smile under their face masks.”
    Because of her time following the Angels and Ohtani, Pikichin became familiar with other Angels greats, such as Mike Trout. As she put it, “Japanese baseball fans know very little about players on teams that don't have Japanese players, so thanks to Ohtani san, Trout became known to them. After that, Japanese fans who learned about Trout's success. And said, "If Trout had been here, Angels might have won..." at games where the Angels lost!”
    What Pikichin would like to see most with Ohtani is a showdown with Yu Darvish—a classic battle of two Japanese stars.
    For the season, Pikichin wishes that Ohtani wins the MVP Award. And “I want him to stay injury free and continue to be active in the MLB, and continue to give hope to Japan, a country that has so much dark news.”
    If there is any baseball player who can provide hope to Japan and the world, it’s Ohtani, “the pride of Japan.”
    For our full interview with Pikichin conducted by our own founder & executive editor, please read below.
    AngelsWin.com: When did you become a baseball fan, and a fan of Shohei Ohtani? Was it in Japan or after he signed with the Angels and you watched him play in the states?
    Pikichin: It was when I saw him play in the US. I had heard about his successes, but I was just rooting for him and didn't have the passion to call myself a fan.
    AngelsWin.com: Was it a particular game or play that stood out for you by Ohtani that really made you a big fan of us?
    Pikichin: The first game I watched was on July 26, the day Ohtani san was pitching. I was waiting for him to appear at the front of the bullpen, so the first time I saw him was about 3 meters away. I knew he was a great player, so I left it at that. I was amazed at his height, style, small face, and long legs. I was also surprised to see the cheers from the local fans when he appeared in the bullpen. After that, I was able to see Ohtani san a pitcher and hitter, in person, I was able to see him hit a home run, and I became more and more of a fan when I saw him being cheered on by not only the Angels fans, but also by the fans of the opposing team.
    AngelsWin.com: So, when did you decide it was time to go see Shohei Ohtani in the states? 
    Pikichin: It was June of 2021. I was in Africa at the time, but I saw the news of Ohtani san’s home run on my timeline on SNS every day, and I decided to go to the U.S. because I wanted to see a Japanese person active in the world with my own eyes.
    Due to the time difference, the game was played early in the morning Japan time, so I was impressed by the fact that many people said that their routine was to wake up in the morning and check for Ohtani san’s home run.
    Once I returned to Japan, I would have to go through a two-week self quarantine, and it would be difficult to go overseas again, so I decided to stop by the U.S. before going back to Japan.
    Also, if I was going to go there, I wanted to bring a sign to show my support, so I talked with my friends and followers and decided to bring a sign that said, "Ohtani san, I'll give you a gold medal.”  At the time, the Tokyo Olympics were being held in Japan, and the Japanese baseball team defeated the U.S. to win the gold medal. Although he was not a member of the Japanese national team, I wanted to give him a gold medal because he had done much better than winning a gold medal at the Olympics in MLB.
    AngelsWin.com: How much planning went into the trip?
    Pikichin: I took a one-way ticket from Kenya and planned to return in about two weeks. I bought a flight ticket to go back on August 2nd just after the home game ended, but I couldn't get the format for the PCR inspection required to enter Japan because it was Sunday.
    I was going to stay a few days longer and return home, but a friend in Japan gave me money for a flight ticket to Dallas to support Ohtani san, so I decided to stay longer and go to Dallas. After that, I went back to LA and went to Dodger Stadium, then back to Angel Stadium, and ended up staying there for a month.
    AngelsWin.com: How many games did you attend, and which stadiums did you see Ohtani play in?
    Pikichin: I watched 19 games.
    7/26-8/1 6 games @Angel Stadium
    8/2-8/4 3 games @Globe Life Field
    8/5-8/7 3 games @Doger Stadium
    8/10-15 7 games @Angel Stadium *10th is a double header
    I took a picture in front of the stadium every day. There are pictures in the tree of this tweet.
    AngelsWin.com: What was your favorite city and thing to do outside of watching Ohtani at the baseball park when you were in the states? 
    Pikichin: I did sight-seeing in each city. In Anaheim, I visited Disneyland and Adventure World. In LA, I went to Universal Studios Hollywood, the museum in downtown, Little Tokyo, The Little Bookstore, Huntington Beach, and Santa Monica.
    In Dallas, I dressed up as a cowgirl at the Stockyards and rode the Longhorn Cow.
    I've been to many places, but my favorite is Universal Studios. I went there with a girl who was a fan of Ohtani, whom I met at the ballpark and became friends with. It was much bigger than the Universal Studios in Japan, and there were many attractions that were very powerful, and I couldn't ride all of them, so I would like to go back again.
    AngelsWin.com: What was your most memorable game or moment by Ohtani that you witnessed live during your time in the states?
    Pikichin: I was able to see four home runs, No. 36-39. Hitting a home run is of course a difficult thing to do, but in Ohtani san's case, he hit the ball as if it was a normal hit, and it became a home run, which was impressive.
    When Ohtani-san batted, not only the Angels fans but also the fans of the opposing team cheered loudly, calling him MVP, and the whole stadium cheered for him; he is the pride of the Japanese people.
    AngelsWin.com: Were you able to meet any Angels fans and Ohtani fans from Japan? If so, tell us a little bit about those encounters. 
    Pikichin: When I'm watching the game by myself, fans around me call out to me. What does that sign say? When I explained that it said, "Ohtani san, I'll give you a gold medal.” Many fans complimented me, saying, "Cool! I love it!!” Also, since I was on the big monitors every day, I was often greeted with "I know you!”
    All the fans were kind to me, giving me foul balls and balls that the players threw to me in the inning.
    I was also approached by a woman who was a fan of Ohtani san at the ballpark, and we had dinner together after the game, and she took me to where I was staying, and we became good friends. When we went to Dodger Stadium to watch the game, we stayed in the same hotel room and also went to Universal Studios together.
    I also made friends with other local fans and watched the game with them on different days.
    The staff at the ballpark was also very kind. When I went to the customer center, they asked me about the medal I had around my neck and when I told them I was going to Dallas tomorrow to cheer for the team, they took me to the back room and gave me a giveaway sweatshirt from Ohtani san’s Rookie of the Year campaign!
    AngelsWin.com: What part of Ohtani’s game excites you the most? His hitting, pitching or base running?
    Pikichin: Hitting. The home run, which is easy for anyone to understand, attracts not only me but also many Japanese who are not so familiar with baseball.
    When Ohtani san hits a home run, the whole stadium cheers in unison, friend or foe, and it makes me very happy and excited to see that one Japanese person has excited many Americans.
    AngelsWin.com: Does Ohtani have a big following in Japan from baseball and non-baseball fans alike?
    Pikichin: Every day, there are reports on Japanese TV news that "Ohtani has hit a home run No. XX" and many sports programs feature him. Even Japanese people who are not baseball fans think that Ohtani is an amazing player. In fact, many of my followers were Japanese who were not interested in baseball, but I received replies from them saying, "Thanks to Pikichin, I know he is a great player," "I want to support him," and "I want to actually see him at the stadium.
    AngelsWin.com: What are the fans of his in Japan saying about his 2021 MVP season?
    Pikichin: This is the only "HOPE" for the Covid-19.
    In Japan, people are wondering, "How many people are infected today?" "It's increasing again..." However, since Ohtani san’s success, we have been hearing things like, "He hit his 40th home run today!! "How many more can he hit!?” The more Ohtani san plays, the more people smile under their face masks.
    AngelsWin.com: How many home runs do you think Ohtani will hit this season?
    Pikichin: 48 home runs!
    The Japanese media is featuring  50 of them.
    AngelsWin.com: Your favorite story that you heard of Ohtani from someone in Japan or in the United States that isn’t public knowledge?
    Pikichin: I heard a rumor that Ohtani san wanted to live in a house within walking distance to the stadium, but he gave up because the people around him were very much against it. I thought that's how much he loves baseball.
    I didn't hear any other stories about Ohtani san that hadn't been made public. I think his mysteriousness is one of the reasons for his popularity.
    I'm sure it's public knowledge, but here are some of my favorite episodes of Ohtani san that I saw at the ballpark. Many players drop their bats and elbow guards on the ground after getting a hit, but Ohtani san hands them to the ball boy. Ohtani san is polite enough to hand the bat to the ball boy with the handle facing the ball boy.
    If there is small trash on the ground, he picks it up and puts it in his pocket.
    He was happily chatting with Guerrero Jr. at first base as they battled for MVP.
    The day after the game was off, both Ohtani san and Ippei san had their hair cut, and I think they are really close to each other that they go out and go to the hair salon together even on their days off!
    AngelsWin.com: What do those who you talk to in Japan say about the Angels as a team in general? Do people realize that when Mike Trout is healthy the Angels will essentially have two of the best players in baseball on the same team in the entire world?
    Pikichin: "The Angels have Ohtani, so why are they weak?" they said. In Japanese sports news, after reporting on Ohtani san's success, they report that “Also the Angels lost the game”, so I often hear the word "Nao-e" on SNS. “Also the Angels lost the game." In Japanese, this is “Nao enzerusu ha siai ni yabureta”, the first three letters of which are Nao-e. This word is said to have originated from the phrase "Nao-ma" used to describe Ichiro.
    Japanese baseball fans know very little about players on teams that don't have Japanese players, so thanks to Ohtani san, Trout became known to them. After that, Japanese fans who learned about Trout's success. And said, "If Trout had been here, Angels might have won..." at games where the Angels lost!
    AngelsWin.com: Do you record the games Ohtani plays in while in Japan and watch them at a decent hour when you’re available, or do you watch them all live?
    Pikichin: If I'm awake, I watch the game live on a pay-per-view service that I'm subscribing to. When the game is at about 4:00 in the morning, I am asleep and watch the highlights that the service has put together.
    AngelsWin.com: Between Japanese professional baseball and Major League Baseball in the United States, what are some things that are quite different from your perspective? Both from the players and their talent, game play on the field and the atmosphere in the stands as a spectator?
    Pikichin: What surprised me the most was the number of couples and families in the audience. In Japan, many of the spectators at professional baseball games are men. Many people come after work, so there are a lot of men in suits, but I didn't see any men wearing suits in the MLB. Also, in Japan, the first base side is for the home team and the third base side is for the away team, but in the MLB, there is no such rule, so it was refreshing to see the people sitting next to me cheering for the enemy team.
    The way of cheering is also different. In Japanese professional baseball, people use musical instruments to cheer, so we can't hear the sound of the game, but in MLB, people cheer with their voices and applause, so we can hear the sound of hitting and see the game with a sense of realism.
    Also, the distance between us and the players is much closer in MLB. Angel Stadium, in particular, is very close to the field and there are no steps, so the fan service of the players is wonderful.
    In MLB, I think there are many ways to entertain the audience. There are many ways to entertain the audience, such as having a camera come to our seats and show us the game on a big monitor, singing "Take me to baseball" together, and everyone shouting along to Queen's squirrel.
    At Globe life field in Dallas, there are also events where mysterious three characters race and kids run to get the bases, which is fun and exciting for both kids and adults.
    AngelsWin.com: Tell us a little bit about yourself outside of your interest in Ohtani. What does Pikichin do for work, for fun and in your spare time?
    Pikichin: I was working in Rwanda in Africa last year. I loved Africa so much that I finally realized my dream of working in Africa, but I had to go back to Japan because of COVID-19, and my company decided not to do overseas business, so I resigned at the end of last year and am now unemployed. I had to leave Japan because of COVID-19 and my company decided not to do overseas business. Few months later, I had been traveling around Africa to look for a job because it was boring to stay at home all the time with covid-19 in Japan.
    I was planning to go back to Japan after traveling to Morocco, Egypt, Rwanda, and Kenya, but I decided to go to America to see Ohtani san hit a home run.
    My hobbies are traveling, SNS, and photography. The month I spent cheering for Ohtani was the best time for me to travel and take videos and photos of him and upload them to SNS. Normally, I was an African influencer posting information about Africa, but for the past month, I became an Ohtani san influencer and posted information about the charm of Ohtani san. 
    AngelsWin.com: Any big plans to visit again? What are some MLB stadiums that you hope to see Ohtani play in and states/cities that you hope to visit and go sightseeing in?
    Pikichin: I'd like to come back to the U.S. to manage an Angels Fan and Angels' official Japanese Twitter account, as I'm grateful for the real-time updates on Ohtani san's activities and what's going on at the ballpark. There are many Ohtani fans of all ages and demographics in Japan, and many of them are not good at English, so it would be great if I could make a career out of sending out information about him. 
    In terms of pure game watching, I would like to see a showdown with Darvish, who is as popular as Ohtani san in Japan. I would also like to watch a game at the Field of Dreams corn field stadium. It was covered on a TV show in Japan, and there was an interview with a man who looked for a home run ball that went into a corn field. I would like to find a home run ball in a corn field too. 
    Actually, I haven't traveled much in the U.S., so I would like to visit New York.
    AngelsWin.com: If you could hope for one thing for Shohei Ohtani this season (2021) and beyond this season, what would it be?
    Pikichin: I want him to win the MVP award this season.
    After that, I want him to stay injury free and continue to be active in the MLB, and continue to give hope to Japan, a country that has so much dark news.
  21. Chuck
    Davis Daniel out of Auburn was selected in the 7th round of the 2019 amateur draft by the Los Angeles Angels
    By Tres Hefter, AngelsWin.com Columnist
    As with the position player version posted on Monday, I decided to expand the pitchers up to ten this week as well, in honor of the amateur draft, the Arizona League beginning play, and the rampant trade speculation that will exist over the next two weeks. With a whole bevy of newly drafted pitchers joining the ranks soon, it's time for another look at some of the Angels' top performing minor league arms over the last two weeks...
    1) Reid Detmers – LHP, Rocket City, AA:
    Continuing his dominance over AA hitters, Reid Detmers’ story added a new chapter this past weekend, impressing at the Future’s Game at All-Star weekend where he predictably struck out both hitters he faced. Aside from that, Detmers tallied two more starts over the last two weeks, totaling 9 IP, allowing four hits, three walks, and striking out 15, giving him 45 strikeouts against the last 82 batters faced dating back to his last handful of starts. There really is not much left to say that has not been said prior. Detmers is arguably ready to face big league hitters and figures to have a solid shot at doing so, perhaps within a couple weeks, be it in the Angels rotation or bullpen. 
     
    2021 (RCT AA): 3.60 ERA, 1.16 WHIP, .220 BAA, 17 BB, 91 K, 10 HR across 50 IP in 11 GS
    2) Ryan Smith – LHP, Tri-City, A+:
    Count Ryan Smith as another Angels arm that has had a consistently strong season. Yet to allow more than 2 ER across any of his eleven games this season, Smith has had no problem since earning a promotion to Tri-City. Posting three starts over the last two weeks, the Princeton grad limited opposing hitters to a .169 BAA and 2.84 ERA in 19 IP, while only walking two against 17 strikeouts. Smith has particularly dominated lefties, who have only mustered 6 hits in 62 PA (.107 BAA) while only walking three and striking out 27. At 5’11” and without any clear-cut dominating stuff, Smith will draw some valid questions about whether he has the stature to remain a starter, but he has the savvy to keep hitters off-balance and could open some eyes should he continue his successes when he makes it to AA.
    2021 (RCT AA): 2.12 ERA, 0.75 WHIP, .162 BAA, 12 BB, 85 K, 7 HR across 63.2 IP in 11 G/10 GS
    3) Coleman Crow – RHP, Inland Empire, A:
    One of the Angels’ biggest gets of the 2019 draft was selecting and signing Coleman Crow, a prep arm from Georgia who was seen as a tough sign. Crow, now 20, has started his pro debut sharply, punctuated by two starts in the last two weeks, tallying 11 IP, striking out 13, walking 6, and allowing a 2.45 ERA and .189 BAA. Significantly younger than his competition in Low-A West, Crow will likely wrap the season with the 66ers and depending on his performance, could find himself among the Angels better pitching prospects. 
    2021 (IE A): 3.86 ERA, 1.14 WHIP, .188 BAA, 7 BB, 18 K, 2 HR across 14 IP in 3 G/2 GS
    4) Adam Seminaris  – LHP, Inland Empire, A:
    The 5th round selection for the Angels in last year’s COVID-shortened draft, Seminaris’ pro debut season has been a mixed bag of results to date, but the lefty from Long Beach might have taken a developmental step forward over the last two weeks, posting two of his most impressive starts to date, striking out 18 against 2 walks in 11.1 IP. While he did allow 6 ER, a .464 BAbip against indicates his defense might have let him down a bit. Also of note, after averaging 58 pitches per appearance in June, Seminaris’ last two pitch counts were 86 and 97, a good sign as he works to establish himself as a legitimate SP prospect in the Angels’ thin ranks.
    2021 (IE A): 6.11 ERA, 1.50 WHIP, .307 BAA, 7 BB, 48 K, 5 HR across 35.1 IP in 10 G/8 GS
    5) Davis Daniel – RHP, Rocket City, AA:
    Daniel finished his first (and hopefully only) stint at Tri-City with a flourish, dominating Spokane with a 7 IP, 3 ER, 0 BB, 13 K performance, finally earning him the promotion to AA Rocket City that many Angel fans had been calling for. While Daniel’s Rocket City debut didn’t land with quite the impact as many of his Tri-City performances – 3.1 IP, 5 H, 2 ER, 2 BB, 3 BB – he is one step closer to factoring into the Angels pitching depth charts – be it bullpen or otherwise. 
    2021 (TRI A+/RCT AA): 2.52 ERA, 1.06 WHIP, .177 BAA, 22 BB, 67 K, 5 HR across 50 IP in 10 G/10 GS
    6) Jack Kochanowicz – RHP, Inland Empire, A:
    Here we go. One of the most talented Angels pitching prospects, Jack Kochanowicz’ first pro season started rather poorly, with an ERA of 18.47 after his first three starts and 6 BB to 5 K. Since then, he’s started to right the ship, throwing 32 IP of 4.22 ball, punching out 29, and limiting opponents to a .190 BAA. Over the last two weeks, Kochanowicz earned consecutive wins for the first time and turned in his finest pro start to date, a 7 IP outing against Visalia which saw the 6’6” 20-year-old strike out a career high 8, while only allowing three hits and two walks. The Angels have no need to rush Kochanowicz and now that he’s found a groove over his last seven starts, he could begin to assert his place among the Angels top prospects as the year continues.
    2021 (IE A): 6.57 ERA, 1.49 WHIP, .236 BAA, 22 BB, 34 K, 4 HR across 38.1 IP in 10 GS
    7) Kolton Ingram – LHP, Tri-City, A+:
    Making five appearances in relief and earning himself High-A West Pitcher of the Week is Kolton Ingram, a 5’9” lefty signed last summer following a release from the Tigers organization. After allowing 2 ER on July 2nd, Ingram went on to dominate over his next four outings, throwing 7.2 IP of one-hit, scoreless ball, striking out eleven and walking three. Ingram is now sporting a SO/9 near 14 on the season with time spent at both Inland Empire and now Tri-City. At 24, Ingram is a little advanced for his competition, but strikeouts count just the same in every league, and as one of the true relievers in the Angels lower-levels, Ingram could have ample opportunity to impress in high-leverage situations.
    2021 (IE A/TRI A+): 3.86 ERA, 1.25 WHIP, .194 BAA, 7 BB, 46 K, 2 HR across 30.1 IP in 21 G
     8.) Jack Dashwood – LHP, Inland Empire, A:
    Continuing a strong debut pro season is Jack Dashwood, who added 11 IP in 3 multi-inning appearances closing out games for Inland Empire, striking out 11, walking two and allowing a 2.45 ERA with a .175 BAA. The two walks Dashwood allowed in this span are the most he'd allowed, well, all season, as he had walked only one batter prior. It's too soon to tell what the Angels might have with Dashwood, but the performance has been consistently strong all season, the control has been other-wordly, and a 6'6" lefty will always draw some attention.
    2021 (IE A): 3.15 ERA, 0.96 WHIP, .232 BAA, 3 BB, 56 K, 3 HR across 45.2 IP in 12 G/3 GS
    9) Cooper Criswell - RHP, Rocket City, AA:
    Paired up with two of the Angels most heralded starting pitcher prospects, Detmers and Rodriguez, in the Rocket City rotation, 24-year-old Cooper Criswell continues to be one of the Angels more durable and consistent starters. The 6'6" workhorse of the Rocket City rotation hit the 100 pitch mark for the second time this season and added 12.2 IP of 4.26 ERA ball to his ledger, showing again his strong command of the zone by striking out 15 and limiting opponents to one walk. Criswell might not have the dominating arsenal needed to guarantee a future in the bigs, but the righty has had no issue keeping some of the better AA teams in check at the plate. For teams scouting the Angels as a destination for rentals, Criswell's name could be one that comes up, as he is the perfect lottery ticket-type arm often found involved in such deals.
    2021 (RCT AA): 3.72 ERA, 1.03 WHIP, .236 BAA, 7 BB, 78 K, 8 HR across 65.1 IP in 11 GS 
    10) Alejandro Hidalgo - RHP, Arizona, Rk.:
    Signed at the start of the 2019 international amatuer signing period, 18-year-old Alejandro Hidalgo kicked off his pro career with a couple eyebrow-raising appearances with the Angels' Arizona League team, striking out 8 in his first game across 4.1 IP. Hidalgo did allow a trio of home runs over his first 9.1 IP, as well as 6 ER, but his eleven combined strikeouts and firm fastball were enough to see why some see him as a potential Top 30 prospect in the Halos system already.
    2021 (RCT AA): 5.79 ERA, .282 BAA, 3 BB, 11 K, 3 HR across 9.1 IP in 2 GS
    Honorable mention, pitchers:
    Dakota Donovan (RHP, IE A): 0.00 ERA, .160 BAA, 5 K across 7 IP in 3 G - another 6'6" arm in the lower levels
    Robinson Pina (RHP, TRI A+): 4.50 ERA, .200 BAA, 6 BB, 15 K across 10 IP in 2 GS - showing improved command after being promoted back to Tri-City
    Jaime Barria (RHP, SLC AAA): 3.38 ERA, .268 BAA, BB, 8 K across 10.2 IP in 2 GS - continues to pitch effectively in a strong offensive league. Trade bait?
    Packy Naughton (LHP, SLC AAA): 1.50 ERA, .233 BAA, 5 BB, 11 K across 12 IP in 2 GS - also performing very well in a hitters' league. Trade bait?
    Tyler Danish (RHP, SLC AAA): 1.29 ERA, .208 BAA, 5 K across 7 IP in 5 G - reliever with some MLB experience pitching well in SLC 
  22. Chuck
    Interview Conducted by David Saltzer, AngelsWin.com Senior Writer
    Long-time Angels fans will recognize the IE66ers manager and former Halo, Jack Howell. As an Angels fan, it is great to see him back with the organization where he made it to the majors and played primarily 3B (but also many other positions, such as OF, 1B, and 2B). He even had 2 plate appearances in the 1986 postseason for the Angels, go 0 for 1 with a walk.
    Jack is also the player who made one of the most memorable moments that I have ever seen in a game. Jack hit a broken bat home run in Yankee Stadium in 1987. For newer Angels fans, you can watch a video of that special moment here. More importantly, fans can head out to see the IE66ers play and get a bobblehead immortalizing that moment on September 11th, 2021
    Throughout our interview, Jack and I discuss the Angels philosophy on developing players, what playing “Angels Baseball” means, how the IE66ers are playing, how the 20-second pitch clock is affecting the game, and many more topics that you will want to hear. After spending time with Jack, I can tell that he really cares about developing the next generation of Angels Major Leaguers and is very capable of helping them along their way.
    Fans really should head on out to see the IE66ers play. It is a great and local experience. All the food venues at the stadium are open, the tickets are incredibly reasonable, and you will see some good baseball being played by the next generation of Angels players. There are lots of great promotions in a family friendly stadium. Please click here to check out upcoming games, promotions, and the schedule.
    Please click below to watch our interview with IE66ers Manager Jack Howell.

    Make sure to secure your tickets to the 66ers game on Sept 11th and you'll go home with a Jack Howell broken bat home run bobblehead! 

  23. Chuck
    By David Saltzer, AngelsWin.com Senior Writer
    On December 12th, 2019, the Angels made what appeared to be a quiet move when they selected outfielder Edwin Yon with their 2nd round pick of the Triple-A portion of the Rule V Draft. Originally signed by the Cincinnati Reds on November 5, 2014 as an international free agent out of the Dominican Republic, Yon, a right handed hitting OFer had spent several seasons in Rookie ball in the Reds system before showing some improvement during the 2019.
    After losing a year due to Covid, Yon has been loudly putting up numbers for the IE66ers this year. The power that led to him being signed by the Reds has emerged and the bat is much improved. Yon has been one of the main bats powering the IE66ers offense this season.
    Yon is one of the tallest players in the Angels system, if not the tallest. Now listed at 6' 8", Yon has filled out and is able to transition his power into game-play. AngelsWin.com recently caught up to talk with Yon to learn about his change to the Angels, how his season has been going, and how he made it through Covid.
    66ers play by play broadcaster Steve Wendt tweeted this recently about Yon's poor start with the Low-A affiliate and ultimate turn around. 
    Yon as of today (July 25th) is currently slashing .305/.383/.676, good for a stellar 1.060 OPS with 10 HR and 32 RBI. 
    Here are just some of Yon's majestic home runs this season for the 66ers. 
    Please click below to watch our interview with IE66ers OFer Edwin Yon and then head on out to San Bernardino to go see him play.

  24. Chuck
    By Tres Hefter, AngelsWin.com Columnist
    Some new names, some familiar names, an interesting couple of weeks saw new Angel farmhands continuing to break out and Angel pitchers position themselves for potential MLB call-ups…
    -- Position Players--
    1) Edwin Yon – RF, Inland Empire, A:
    The towering (6’5”? 6’8”?) outfielder hailing from La Romana in the Dominican Republic easily had the hottest two weeks of any Angels farmhand, highlighted by a 2 HR, 9 RBI performance on July 14th. Yon has demonstrated his raw power to an extreme degree in his last ten games, swatting five home runs, driving in 21, and adding a couple of doubles and a triple as well, giving him a slash of .405/.447/.857/1.304 in his last 47 plate appearances. Selected from the Reds’ organization in the minor league phase of the Rule 5 draft, Yon has long drawn attention due to his physicality and raw power potential and while his size will at times expose him defensively and in the batters’ box, his swing can be surprisingly quick and compact for someone with his height, though it can be hard for him to keep his hitting mechanics clean consistently, leading to some streakiness across his pro career. Still, there is a lot to dream on here and the just-turned-23-year-old, in the midst of his best pro season, could be realizing some of the potential scouts have long dreamed on.
    2021 (IE A): .305/.383/.676/1.060 with 5 doubles, 2 triples, 10 HR, 32 RBI, 13 BB, 53 K in 120 PA/28 G
    2) Brendon Davis – SS/3B/2B/LF, Rocket City, AA:
    After posting a .956 OPS in his last 203 plate appearances at High-A Tri City, Brendon Davis earned a promotion to AA Rocket City, equaling the highest level he’s reached professionally – he struggled with Texas’ AA Frisco in 2019 to a .569 OPS in 400 PA. So far, so good. In his first four starts at AA, Davis hit .333 with a double and three homers, giving him a total slash of .422/.449/.822/1.271 in his last ten games at A+/AA, with three doubles, 5 HR, and 4 SB thrown in as well, all while splitting time evenly at four different positions. Davis, a former 5th round pick of the Dodgers and key piece in the Yu Darvish trade, is easily having his best year, having never topped a .720 OPS in any of his prior five pro seasons, and could be actualizing some of the talent that the Dodgers and Rangers once hoped for. AA will be a great test for Davis, and if he plays well, he could factor in the MLB depth chart as soon as 2022.
    2021 (TRI A+/RCT AA): .282/.336/.557/.892 with 18 doubles, 3 triples, 17 HR, 43 RBI, 19 BB, 81 K, 10 for 13 in SB attempts in 68 G/301 PA
    3) Jordyn Adams – CF, Tri-City, A+:
    2021 started so promisingly for Adams, who impressed during a couple brief looks in Spring Training flashing the combo of power, defense and speed that makes him a near Top 100 talent, but things went off the rails for him just days into the minor league season, as injuries robbed Adams of over a month of play and led to a significant slump following his mid-June return. That has changed of late however, as Adams hit .295/.367/.568/.936 in his last eleven games, popping four home runs and stealing six bases in seven attempts. This is a big developmental year for Adams, who is still struggling a bit with plate discipline and contact, but at 21, the Angels can still afford patience as he harnesses his talent in an older league.
    2021 (TRI A+): .214/.293/.366/.659 with 3 doubles, 1 triple, 5 home runs, 19 RBI, 15 BB, 53 K, 11 SB in 13 attempts in 34 G/147 PA
    4) Michael Stefanic – 2B/3B, Salt Lake City, AAA:
    Stefanic continues to do his best David Fletcher impression of late, as the Salt Lake infielder currently boasts a 15-game hitting streak and has not had two consecutive hitless games since June 13th and 14th. In the last two weeks, Stefanic is hitting .408 (20 hits in 49 AB) with three doubles, a home run, and Fletcher-esque BB/K ratios, with three walks to five strikeouts, indicative of Stefanic’s strong contact skills. It will be interesting to see how the Angels handle the 25-year-old, who as an undrafted free agent has already exceeded expectations, seeing that he will be Rule 5 eligible this winter and now has a career minor league slash of .305/.380/.409/.780 with 61 BB to 101 K in 183 G, comparing rather favorably to Fletcher’s .294/.345/.398/.743 with 96 BB to 154 K in 336 G. Could the Angels consider a configuration with Fletcher at SS and Stefanic at 2B? Jack Mayfield may be the lone thing standing in Stefanic’s way currently.
    2021 (RCT AA/SLC AAA): .331/.406/.473/.879 with 13 doubles, 8 HR, 36 RBI, 27 BB, 49 K in 67 G/293 PA
    5 tied) Jose Guzman – SS/2B, Inland Empire, A:
    Another owner of a lengthy hitting streak is Inland Empire’s shortstop, Jose Guzman, who has hit safely in his last eleven games, earning him a .386 BA (17 H in 44 AB) in that stretch, while also mixing in four doubles, a home run, seven walks, and three stolen bases. Guzman is buried in an org filled with intriguing mid-infield options, and while he lacks the ceiling most possess, he might be playing his way into a high floor UT IF type given his strong contact and discipline skills, average speed, solid defense, positional versatility, and doubles power. Only 20, Guzman sort of replaces the organizational void left when Leonardo Rivas was dealt to Cincinnati for Raisel Iglesias.
    2021 (RCT AA/IE A): .262/.339/.405/.744 with 12 doubles, 2 triples, 4 HR, 31 RBI, 21 BB, 56 K, 10 for 12 in SB attempts
    5 tied) Jeremy Arocho – 3B/SS/CF/LF, Inland Empire, A:
    Originally in the Dodgers organization, 22-year-old switch-hitter Jeremy Arocho’s speed, plate discipline and high-contact approach (and maybe some power?) were all on display over the last two weeks as he hit .388/.492/.490/.981 in his last twelve games. Almost exclusively a singles hitter this campaign, Arocho also added four of his only seven extra-base hits on the season in the last two weeks alone and swiped a perfect eight bases in eight attempts as well. Arocho’s skill set favors a future role on an MLB bench if he can continue his advanced pitch recognition and contact as he advances.
    2021 (IE A): .301/.420/.355/.775 with 4 doubles, 3 triples, 37 BB, 35 K, 17 for 20 in SB attempts
    Honorable mention, position players:
    Franklin Torres (C/1B, TRI A+): .310/.370/.571/.941 with 5 2B, 2 HR, 4 BB, 11 K in 11 G/46 PA ­– converted infielder to catcher hitting well, 27% CS% on year
    Braxton Martinez (3B/1B, TRI A+): .304/.429/.522/.950 with 2 2B, HR, 5 BB, 3 K in 6 G/28 PA – still overpowering younger competition, hitting .340/.456/.601 on the year with 43 BB to 32 K
    Adrian Rondon (3B/2B, TRI A+): .333/.364/.564/.928 with 3 2B, 2 HR, 11 RBI, 3 BB, 7 K in 10 G/44 PA – former Rays prospect with some shine, just turned 23, some late-bloomer potential
    Jake Gatewood (3B/SS/LF, SLC AAA): .313/.340/.583/.923 with 4 2B, 3 HR, 12 RBI, 2 BB, 13 K in 13 G/50 PA – former 1st rounder still playing well in UT role at AAA
    Gavin Cecchini (SS/2B, SLC AAA): .382/.447/.471/.918 with 3 2B, 4 BB, 7 K in 11 G/38 PA – another former 1st rounder playing well
    Arol Vera (SS/2B, Arizona Rk.): .333/.414/.500/.914 with 4 2B, 7 RBI, 3 BB, 7 K – consistently producing still in pro debut
    Izzy Wilson (RF, RCT AA): .267/.303/.600/.903 with 2B, 3 HR, 9 RBI, 2 BB, 8 K, 3-5 SB in 9 G/33 PA - .979 OPS in June/July, AAA soon?
    Jo Adell (CF/RF, SLC AAA): .292/.358/.458/.817 with 3 2B, 3B, HR, 10 RBI, 5 BB, 13 K, 2 SB – improving discipline and contact
    Jose Reyes (LF/RF, IE A): .304/.353/.522/.875 with 2 2B, 3B, 2 HR, 14 RBI, 2 BB, 8 K
    D’Shawn Knowles (CF/LF/SS, IE A): .271/.314/.396/.710 with 4 2B, 3B, 3 BB, 16 K, 4-5 SB attempts – first pro start at SS in effort to maximize versatility
    -- Pitchers--
    1) Hector Yan – LHP, Tri-City, A+:
    Yon and Yan atop the lists! Hector continued his turnaround with two more starts totaling 15 IP, striking out 15, keeping walks in check (only 3), and holding the opposition to a .146 BAA and only four earned runs (2.40 ERA), earning him the High-A West Pitcher of the Week along the way. Since a disastrous start to the year that saw him walk 18 and allow a 7.40 ERA through his first 24 IP/6 G, Yan has rebounded nicely, posting a 3.65 ERA over his last 7 G/37 IP, and while he’s still having issues with control (21 BB in that time) he’s limiting damage by keeping opponents to a .206 BAA. On the 40-man, there’s a slight chance Yan gets a limited look in Anaheim this September out of the pen, especially if the Angels tear down their pen. Yan also figures to be a name that comes up in trade talks as well, given how he’s likely been overtaken on the depth chart by names such as Detmers, Rodriguez, and potentially others in AA.

    2021 (TRI A+): 5.14 ERA, 1.40 WHIP, .213 BAA with 39 BB, 66 K, 12 HR allowed in 61.1 IP in 13 GS
    2) Jhonathan Diaz – LHP, Rocket City, AA:
    9 IP, 6 H, 2 ER, 2 BB, 20 K. That’s really all you need to know. Diaz dominated in his first two performances back after missing a month due to injury, as the versatile lefty continues to be a force on a Rocket City pitching staff that has already seen several gaudy pitching performances from names such as Reid Detmers, Cooper Criswell, and Kyle Tyler. Only 24, the former Boston farmhand must be drawing some consideration for a potential Anaheim bullpen audition should the Angels clear some veterans at the trade deadline given his strong performances and peripherals throughout the season.

    2021 (RCT AA): 2.48 ERA, 1.04 WHIP, .211 BAA with 8 BB, 49 K, 2 HR allowed in 32.2 IP in 8 G/4 GS
    3) Reid Detmers – LHP, Salt Lake City, AAA:
    You knew he’d be here again – two more starts, 15 strikeouts in 10 innings, only one walk and one run allowed, and a promotion to AAA. If the Angels part with anyone from their starting rotation this next week, you can almost bet Detmers will be taking their place. He’s ready.

    2021 (RCT AA/SLC AAA): 3.15 ERA, 1.10 WHIP, .215 BAA with 18 BB, 106 K, 10 HR allowed in 60 IP in 13 GS 
    4) John Swanda – RHP, Inland Empire, A:
    That’s right, the Angels 4th rounder from the 2017 draft whose name often was floated as one of the better projected arms in the Angels is finally stringing together some strong performances. Across three starts in the last two weeks, Swanda threw 19 innings, striking out 18, walking two, and allowing only 5 ER (2.45 ERA) with 16 hits (.213 BAA). His season is still a mix of iffy results, but there is still some hope that there’s an MLB-caliber reliever or spot-starter hiding in there.
    2021 (IE A): 4.76 ERA, 1.38 WHIP, .252 BAA with 25 BB, 61 K, 9 HR allowed in 68 IP in 14 G/11 GS
    5 tied) Austin Warren – RHP, Salt Lake City, AAA:
    With Andrew Wantz now in Anaheim, North Carolina product Austin Warren might be the next Angel farmhand in line to make his MLB debut out of the Halos bullpen. Over the last two weeks, Warren, in three multi-inning relief appearances, posted 9 IP, 0 BB, and 13 K, plus a 2.00 ERA and .129 BAA. At first glance, Warren’s 6.19 ERA doesn’t scream that he’s ready for the bigs but diving deeper you’ll find he’s allowed two runs or fewer in 19 of his 22 games, often in multiple innings, of those, zero in 12 of his 22 games. Warren owns a K9 of 11.9 across his minor league career and given that he’s R5 eligible this winter, could be in Anaheim sooner rather than later.

    2021 (SLC AAA): 6.19 ERA, 1.65 WHIP, .292 BAA with 18 BB, 45 K, 5 HR allowed in 36.1 IP in 22 G/1 GS
    5 tied) Oliver Ortega – RHP, Rocket City, AA:
    Perhaps right behind (or maybe even ahead) Austin Warren for the next bullpen debut is Oliver Ortega. Over the last two weeks, Ortega has made four appearances, tallying 5.1 innings, and striking out 10 against zero walks. Dating back to June 12th, Ortega has held opponents to a 2.08 ERA (11 scoreless appearances in 13 games) while walking only 3 to 23 strikeouts.

    2021 (RCT AA): 6.37 ERA, 1.52 WHIP, .292 BAA with 13 BB, 45 K, 3 HR allowed in 29.2 IP in 24 G 
    Honorable mention, pitchers:
    Alejandro Hidalgo (RHP, Arizona Rk.): 2.45 ERA, .190 BAA, 4 BB, 15 K, 1 HR allowed in 2 GS/11 IP – teen continues to post solid starts on a consistent basis in first pro season
    Matthis Dietz (RHP, TRI A+): 1.08 ERA, .179 BAA, 3 BB, 13 K, 1 HR allowed in 4 G/8.1 IP – former Oriole farmhand just signed from Indy team, 6’5”, 25 years old
    Kelvin Caceres (RHP, Arizona Rk.): 0.90 ERA, .171 BAA, 8 BB, 12 K, 1 HR in 2 GS/10 IP
    Cooper Criswell (RHP, RCT AA): 3.86 ERA, .333 BAA, BB, 9 K, 2 HR in 2 GS/7 IP
    Jose Quijada (LHP, SLC AAA): 1.50 ERA, .150 BAA, 3 BB, 8 K in 4 G/6 IP – another potential reliever should the Angels sell
    Emmanuel Duran (RHP, Arizona Rk.): 0.00 ERA, .067 BAA, 7 BB, 7 K in 3 G/4.1 IP – effectively wild
    Robinson Pina (RHP, TRI A+): 4.50 ERA, .250 BAA, 5 BB, 12 K in 2 GS/10 IP – continuing to be effective after being promoted back to Tri-City
  25. Chuck
    Interview Conducted by David Saltzer, AngelsWin.com Senior Writer
    In 2019, UC Santa Barbara tied a school record with 10 players taken in a single draft. The Angels were the first team to select one of the Gauchos when they picked the Saturday Night starter, left-handed pitcher Jack Dashwood in the 12th round (361st overall).
    Between the lost year to Covid, and some injuries, 2021 has been the first year where we have been able to see Dashwood on the mound. And, from what we saw, we were very impressed! Dashwood sat 92-94, attacked the hitters, worked inside and out, and kept the hitters off balance with his breaking pitches. We were not surprised that shortly after this interview that Dashwood was promoted up a level to the Tri-City Dust Devils.
    So far on the season, Dashwood is a combined 3-1 with a 3.77 ERA. He’s posted 70 Ks and only allowed 8 BBs in 62.0 IP. His WHIP is 1.08 and has held opposing batters to a .245 BA. Dashwood is excelling in his command and control, and that could help him be a fast-rising prospect in our organization.
    Please click below to watch our interview with Angels Pitcher Jack Dashwood.

×
×
  • Create New...