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Chuck

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  1. 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!! 
  2. Chuck
    By @Inside Pitch, AngelsWin.com Contributor
    Pitcherpalooza!!!   Two days and 10 rounds into the 2021 MLB draft and we can honestly say it's been a bit of a fun if somewhat "steady" ride...   Day one started off with a bang when the consensus "draft day" first overall pick, SS Marcelo Mayer was passed over for Louisville C, Henry Davis.  So, was it really a surprise when the Angels' pick came up at number 9 and the consensus "pre-season" first overall pick was still on the board?  Yup!  The miraculous actually happened, Kumar Rocker was available!   Angel fans everywhere rejoiced at what they believed was an easy choice, a no brainer ... right?  WRONG!  The Halos brain-trust sent the fanbase into a complete tailspin by selecting Miami of Ohio RHP Sam Bachman. While people everywhere lost their collective minds, the Angels remained resolute that they made the right choice.  Angels farm director Matt Swanson was quick to praise Bachman for his work ethic, elite GB tendencies, and plus/plus two pitch combo that includes a FB that's been clocked as high as 101 MPH and a wipeout slider that scouts have given a 65 or 70 grade depending on the sources. Bachman joins the Angels with some risks, he's had shoulder and hip issues that limited him to 59 innings, but it's what he's done when he's pitched that drove the Angels decision -- 93 Ks, only 17 BBs and 1 HR allowed over 59.2 innings..  When it's all said and done Bachman is exactly the sort of pitcher the Angels needed, a college arm full of upside who at worst profiles as an elite back end RP.  Be happy.   Bachman and Rocker's careers will no doubt he compared to each other if for no other reason because Rocker was a known guy with an impressive resume who pitched for one of college baseball's powerhouses, but if you scratch beneath the surface you'll find plenty of similarities both on the good and bad side. Both guys have performed when they have been on the mound, both guys have lingering questions... But the Angels are banking on Bachman continuing to develop. They are betting the work ethic and dedication to his craft that has transformed him from an undrafted HS pitcher who worked in the upper 80s to lower 90s into the 101 MPH fireballer who was taken 9th in the first round -- he just needs to stay healthy and do exactly what he's shown he can do .. work.

    But wait, there's more... pitchers....
    With their 2nd pick the Angels selected college LHP Ky Bush out of St Mary's College in Moraga CA.  Bush is a giant of a man, 6'6 240lbs. In 14 starts he went 7-5 with a 2.99 ERA and 112 Ks over 78.1 IP,   Bush's FB goes 90-96 typically sitting at 94 MPH and a hard top to bottom breaking slider as well as a curve and the early makings of a change up.  Scouts have been talking up Bush's deception and ability to keep the ball in the park (only 3 HRs allowed in 2021).  There is some projection left in him still.
    The third round was more of the same and yet very different.  With their third pick the Angels selected LSU RHP Landon Marceaux.  The soon to be former LSU Tiger went 7-7 with a 2.54 ERA over 102.2 innings and 116Ks.  Marceaux is less of a power pitcher than either of the Angels first two selections with a FB that routinely sits 90-92, but he makes up for that lack of brute power with 55 grades on his curveball, changeup, and slider.  The curve has been his best pitch since HS,a top down breaker that he can throw for strikes.  He's likely the Angels "safest" pick so far in 2021.   With their fourth pick (#110 overall), the Angels targeted Vanderbilt University RHP Luke Murphy.  Murphy was a 3rd year freshman coming out of the Vandy pen.  Another big bodied pitcher (6'5), Murphy works a 93-96 and can hit 99 with his FB.  He's got a power curve he throws in the mid 80s and a change also in the mid 80s.   Murphy threw 41.1 innings of 2,40 ERA ball with 9 saves, 61Ks .vs 15 BB.  He needs to work on control but he's got high leverage RP ability.   In the 5th (171st overall), the Angels selected RHP Brett Kerry out of South Carolina.  Mostly a RP, the Angels are looking at him as a SP.  Despite being on the smaller side 6'0 213 lbs, Kerry can hit 96 with his FB.  He went 5-1 with a 2.15 ERA and 84 Ks 10 BB over 54.1 innings.  Maybe more importantly, he was at his absolute best when facing the best.  Kerry pitched 11.2 innings of 7 hit, 1 run ball with 16 Ks in the CWS Championship Series.
    In the 6th the took yet another college SP, RHer Jake Smith from the University of Miami.  Smith started the year in the Hurricane's pen then moved into the rotation. He's got a nice three pitch mix, FB that he works in the mid 90s that can touch 98 a mid 80s slider and a changeup with some late movement.  On the season he went 3-1 over 47 IP with 63 Ks.
    In the 7th round the Angels again went after an arm, Arkansas Razorback Ryan Costeiu.  A RP, he sits 93-94 with his FB with a plus change.  There isn't a lot of projection here, but he was seemingly becoming one of the Razorback's go to guys out of the pen as the season wore on.

    Next up...  LHP Nick Jones from Georgia Southern University.  Jones tied the school record with 17 saves, going 1-0 with a 1.48 ERA and 67 Ks in 44.2 innings.  He's a bean pole at 6'6 and only 210 pounds, so there may yet be some projection there.   With their 9th pick the Angels selected RHP Braden Olthoff from Tulane.  6'4'' 248 he's got a workhorse's body.  In 13 starts he went 6-3 with a 3.62 ERA over 78.2 innings with 91 Ks .vs 11 BB.  He doesn't throw hard at all -- topping out at 92 maybe, but he's got great control a really good slider and a change up that darts all over the place.   He's a fun pitcher to watch. 
    With their final selection of day 2 the Angels took Andrew Peters our of the University of South Carolina.  Peters worked exclusively from the pen in 2021 -- he struggles with the command of a FB that can get as high as 97-98 and slider and changeup.   There isn't much in the way of projection left but plenty of room for refinement.   It was a bit of a departure from what we had grown accustomed to in recent years.  No toolsy HS position players.. actually no HS players period.   Perhaps we see that with the 11th pick and in day three but when when everything is said and done the Angels seemingly went about what may have been a difficult draft by making the simplest of choices -- they targeted arms for a farm system that really needs to add depth on the pitching side.
  3. Chuck

    "Turning Points" Part 1

    By Chuck,

    By @mulwin444
    So, I was planning on a bigger piece to kind of encompass everything until 2020 but, with recent suspension of all baseball related activities, I thought this would give something else to discuss...so here's part 1:
    I always find it fascinating to look back into decisions made by the Angels franchise that essentially define its nature, both within the fan base and from the outsider's perspective.  With the franchise closing in on 60 years, we are now starting to get dividing lines in regards to specific eras of its history that take us from the expansionist beginning, the surprise success of '62, the Fregosi-led teams of the mid-to-late 60's and the fight for team identity and relevance,  the trade before the '72 season that brought them Nolan Ryan, "Tanana and Ryan and two days of cryin'", the death of Lyman Bostock, "Yes We Can!" in 1979,, Buzzie Bavasi thinking Ryan was just a .500 pitcher, the veteran-led playoff team of '82, the disastrous game 5 of the 1986 ALCS...
    Lots to review and breakdown but I was more curious as to the turning points, both positive and negative, that have occurred since Arte Moreno's purchase of the franchise in 2003.  With the Angels coming off a World Championship in 2002, and the sale of the franchise note announced until May 15, 2003, Arte didn't really get a chance to make his mark until the off-season.  
    2004 Spending Spree: 
    Fresh off a disappointing 2003 season, Arte opened up the check book and immediately turned the franchise fortunes around by signing Kelvim Escobar, Jose Guillen, Bartolo Colon, and, to the surprise of literally everyone, generational talent  Vladimir Guerrero.  This was a significant change from the Jackie Autry and Disney ownerships of the past decade that envisioned the Angels as more of a small-to-mid market franchise and spent accordingly.  By contrast, Arte brought in legitimate talent in their prime (Escobar at 28, Guillen at 28, and Guerrero at 29) and got himself a top of the rotation starter in Colon.  This season set the tone for the Angels going forward as it announced their intention of being perennial contender for the AL West.  
    Troy Glaus' Departure:
    After two injury-plagued seasons in 2003 and 2004, Troy Glaus was not pursued by the Angels as a free agent option at 3B.  Dallas McPherson tore through AA Arkansas and AAA Salt Lake to the tune of .317 .387 1.057 OPS and was viewed as the heir apparent and, ironically, a supposed answer to the inconsistency at 3B due to Glaus' DL visits.  However, chronic back issues derailed McPherson's career to the point of back surgery and he never reached his potential.  As a result, the Angels attempted to fill in the gap with Chone Figgins, Maicer Izturis,  Robb Quinlan, Edgardo Alfonzo, Shane Halter and Shea Hillenbrand before finally settling on Chone as the permanent starter for the 2009, a year before his departure in free agency.  After that, it was still a mixed bag of fill-ins and disappointments with Alberto Callaspo, Brandon Wood, Kevin Frandsen, Luis Jimenez, David Freese, Yunel Escobar, Luis Valbuena, Taylor Ward and Zach Cozart.  Alternatively, Glaus went on to play 6 more seasons (almost all of 2009 was lost to injury) with Arizona, Toronto, St Louis, and Atlanta while putting up a 15.4 WAR between 2005 - 2008.
    Bill Stoneman Continues to Build Team through Free Agency:
    More representative of an era than a specific date or offseason, Bill Stoneman defined his time as Angels GM as an executive who sought Free Agents to fill in the talent gaps as opposed to trading away his prospect currency.  At the time, there was a lot of evidence to support this approach as the 2002 team, and subsequent playoff teams of the mid-to-late 2000's, were built on a combination of farm talent and free agent signings.  2004 was Molina, Erstad, Anderson, Salmon, Glaus, Lackey, Washburn, Percival, Shields and KRod mixed with the previously mentioned haul in free agency.  2005 saw more of the same as they brought in Steve Finley, Paul Byrd, Orlando Cabrera, and Esteban Yan, 2006 had Hector Carrasco and J.C. Romero, and 2007 saw Gary Matthews Jr, Darren Oliver, Justin Speier before Stoneman stepped down in 10/2007. 
    By leaning heavily on Free Agency, Stoneman was able to supplement the existing roster but ultimately at the expense of the upcoming drafts. So, in 2004, the Angels were able to score big when Jered Weaver fell to them at the 10th due to sign-ability concerns they lost their 2nd and 3rd round pick due to signing Colon and Escobar.  Additionally, in 2005, they lost their 1st round pick due to signing OCab (got a late 1st round supplemental pick for losing Percival, chose Trevor Bell) , lost 2006 2nd round pick for Carrasco signing,  lost 2007 1st and 2nd round picks due to Matthews and Speier signings (got a late supplemental 1st rounder due to losing Kennedy, chose Jon Bachanov), and lost 2008 1st round pick due to Hunter.  So, between 2005 - 2008, they only picked three times in the late 1st round.  This was a gamble because it was absolutely depending on the next wave of talent coming after 2004 to become at least major league regulars and, honestly, it was a mixed bag.  For every success (Ervin Santana, Joe Saunders, Kendrys Morales, Howie Kendrick, Jered Weaver, Erick Aybar, Mike Napoli) there was a missed opportunities (McPherson, Casey Kotchman, Jeff Mathis, Chris Bootcheck, Brandon Wood, Sean Rodriguez, Kevin Jepsen, Trevor Bell) and, by the time 2010 rolled around, the farm was in a sorry state.
    The Mark Teixeira Trade and the 2009 draft
    In 2007, after the Angels had just finished another season which ended in an AL West crown, their third in the past four seasons, and another playoff loss to the eventual World Champion Red Sox, newly promoted GM Tony Reagins attempted to address their rather average offense by signing Torii Hunter to pair with Vlad Guerrero in the middle of the order.  By mid-season, though, despite being 26 games over .500, the starting pitching and bullpen was once again doing the heavy lifting that season.  Casey Kotchman was one of those offensive players that was struggling to find his form with a rather tepid .287 .327 .774 OPS.  While not terrible, it was certainly under what is traditionally expected of a 1B and well under the .296 .372 .840 OPS he posted the season before.  At the trade deadline, Reagins made his move and brought in 1B slugger Mark Teixeira, a legit switch-hitting middle-of-the-order presence to bat in front of Vlad and Torii.  Now, if this felt like an odd occurrence in regards to recent Angels’ history, it’s only because, under Stoneman, a mid-season acquisition usually resembled Alex Ochoa.  Despite the shot in the arm, he gave to the offense (.358 .449 1.081 OPS 181 OPS+ 3.7 WAR), Teixeira was definite risk to be lost to free agency once the season was over and, after the season, the Angels might again be looking for a new 1B.
    Well, the “worst case scenario” came to pass: Teixeira signed with Yankees, giving Arte a case of the “sads”, but, luckily for him, the Angels front office signed a stud Cuban player named Kendry(s) Morales a few seasons prior and all he did was put up .306 .355 .924 OPS 139 OPS+ 4.3 WAR to help lead them to the 2009 AL West.  On top of that, Scouting Director Eddie Bane leveraged the draft picks (1st rounder and a supplemental 1st rounder) from losing Teixeira to draft Mike Trout…yes, THE Mike Trout and Tyler Skaggs.  Additionally, Bane proceeded to draft Randall Grichuk, Garrett Richards, and Patrick Corbin as well for a ridiculous 1st/2nd round haul.  Despite is previous neglect, the Angels’ farm system got a much needed shot in the arm.
    The Death of Nick Adenhart:
    The morning of April 9th, 2009 was surreal.  A post on this message board announced what had happened but the words didn't make sense...it just didn't seem possible and there was no way to really conceptualize it.  I remember refreshing the website over and over again as the news changed from uncertainty to disbelief to stunning realization.  Even over a decade later, just typing the words brings a familiar ache as well as memories of Jered Weaver’s tributes during and after that season, including naming his son after him.   Obviously, a baseball game seems trivial in comparison to life and death but baseball was not going to stop to let the Angels mourn.  After one suspended game, the Angels were back on the field to deal with tragedy both individually and collectively.  They could have folded under the weight of those events but they persevered, using what they could to inspire them to an AL West title, past their playoff nemesis, the Red Sox, only to come up just short against the Yankees in the ALCS.  Whether or not Adenhart would have been a factor in that series is a question but what we do know is, despite a late season acquisition of Scott Kazmir, the Angels didn’t have the arms to compete against the playoff tested Yankees.  Going forward, it also meant the Angels were down one starting pitcher they were counting on to make a contribution for 2010 and beyond and eventually led to both signing Joel Pinera and trading for Dan Haren.   
    Just 2010…All of it
    Where to begin…so the Angels lost the 2009 ALCS to the Yankees and went into the offseason knowing that Vlad Guerrero, John Lackey and Chone Figgins, keys to their recent playoff runs, were likely gone and they were really counting on guys like Kendrys Morales, Bobby Abreu, Juan Rivera, Mike Napoli and Torii Hunter to continue to provide the extra base power, starters like Scott Kazmir and Joe Saunders to stabilize the rotation behind Weaver and Santana, and for players like Howie Kendrick, Erick Aybar, Kevin Jepsen, and Brandon Wood to continue to develop.  That, for the most part, didn’t happen.  Bobby Abreu was feeling all 36 years of age putting up a .255 .352 .787 OPS 1.9 WAR, Juan Rivera saw his production drop to .252 .312 .721 OPS -0.2 WAR, but at least Torii Hunter was solid, despite his penchant for getting thrown out trying to steal.  Lots of struggling…but the gut-punch was Kendrys Morales’ broken ankle jumping on home plate after a game winning grand slam.  Seriously, what the f…?! Hard to remember a time when you went from absolute joy to utter misery within a few minutes.  What that meant was, besides the huge bat out of the line-up and Napoli eventually had to move to 1B.  As for the younger players, Kendrick finally made it through a whole season where he wasn’t injured or demoted but put up .279 .313 .721 OPS 99 OPS+, Aybar’s offensive numbers fell off a cliff to .253 .306 .636 OPS 77 OPS+, and Brandon Wood, highly touted prospect and supposed future franchise 3B, put up a historically brutal .146 .174 .382 OPS 6 OPS+.
    As for the pitching, Joel Pinero was signed to bring some depth to the rotation and on the DL by mid-July and didn’t come back until mid-September, when the Angels were already out of it.  Additionally, Scott Kazmir, who was being counted on to pick up some of the slack after Lackey departed for Boston, was awful.  It was just one mediocre start after another culminating in memorable July start against Oakland which saw him put up a line of:
    5.0 IP 11 H 13 ER 3 BB 2 SO 3 HR
    This prompted a “DL visit” and a search for answers on the Angels’ part.  The Angels answer?
    On 07/25/2010, the Angels sent Joe Saunders, Patrick Corbin, Rafael Rodriguez and a PTBNL (Tyler Skaggs) for Dan Haren…Woof.  While Dan Haren was a definite high-end starter, that was a lot of starting pitching currency to give up even with the move being made with 2011 in mind.  Despite the best efforts of everyone involved, the team never got back on track and the team’s struggles set the tone for the 2010 offseason.
    Part 2...coming soon
        File Manager Pro Free File Converter tool to convert and combine documents FileConvertPro.co  
  4. Chuck
    By Tres Hefter @totdprods AngelsWin.com Columnist
    The pendulum shifted back towards the Angels pitching prospects over the last two weeks, as many arms posted some of their best games yet. With the Angels playoff hopes becoming increasingly cloudy and the trade deadline nearing, a significant number of pending promotions could begin to test some of the strong early results posted by the Angels minor league arms. 

    --Pitchers--
    1) Reid Detmers – LHP, Rocket City, AA:
    It is becoming increasingly plausible that Reid Detmers will not be on these lists much longer. The Angels 2020 first round took his strong AA performance to an entirely new level over the last two weeks, striking out thirty hitters in 12 innings, including an immaculate inning to start one game. There were a couple blemishes as he allowed four HR and 7 ER in this span, leading to an uninspiring 5.25 ERA across these two starts, but that quickly pales in comparison to the 3 walks to 30 strikeouts amassed in that time, and could simply be a result of Detmers burning through the competition without much concern if he allowed a longball or two along the way. Simply put, Detmers struck out more than half of the hitters he faced in June while controlling the zone and limiting damage, meaning there might not be much more to gain in AA, and with AAA’s hitter-friendly confines and arguably lesser quality of opponent, Detmers could find himself in Anaheim perhaps as soon as the July 30th deadline passes.
    2021 (RCT AA): 3.95 ERA, 1.24 WHIP, .237 BAA, 8 HR allowed, 14 BB, 76 K across 41 IP in 9 G/9 GS
    2) Cooper Criswell– RHP, Rocket City, AA:
    While many Angels pitchers have had flashy starts to the year, posting gaudy strikeout numbers and shiny ERAs, Cooper Criswell has flown largely under-the-radar by comparison with steady, effective, workmanlike outings. That changed over the second half of June. In a 6/16 start against Biloxi, Criswell obliterated his previous career-high of 9 strikeouts in a game by whiffing 14 in 6.2 scoreless innings. He then followed that up with a complete game (a what?) against Chattanooga, allowing only two runs. Altogether, Criswell tacked on 21.1 IP of 2.53 ERA ball, holding opponents to a .198 BAA and allowing 2 walks to 25 strikeouts, earning him AA-South Pitcher of the Week honors and elevating his legitimacy as an Angels starting pitching prospect.  
    2021 (RCT AA): 3.59 ERA, 1.01 WHIP, .232 BAA, 5 HR allowed, 6 BB, 63 K across 52.2 IP in 9 G/9 GS
    3) Robinson Pina – RHP, Inland Empire, A:
    Pina’s season started off disastrously, walking 24 hitters in his first 15 innings while with Tri-City, earning a demotion to Low-A Inland Empire at the start of the month. Since then, Pina has looked much more like the pitcher than punched out 146 in 108 IP back in ’19, elevating him into the discussion of the Angels Top 30 prospects. Over the last two weeks, Pina made three starts totaling 17 IP, walking only 4 and striking out 25, all while holding hitters in check (.150 BAA) and keeping runs from scoring (1.59 ERA). Pina has a wide enough array of pitches that the Angels still see him as a starter, but he likely finds himself in relief when all is said and done, especially if he continues to struggle with walks. He’ll need to prove he can translate his success in at least A+ before the end of the year to maintain some fringe Top 30 shine.
    2021 (TRI A+/IE A): 3.58 ERA, 1.35 WHIP, .164 BAA, 2 HR allowed, 30 BB, 52 K across 37.2 IP in 9 G/9 GS
    4) Jose Salvador– LHP, Inland Empire, A:
    Salvador might have had the most encouraging two weeks of any Angels starting pitching prospect. After averaging 69 pitches each appearance – and missing two weeks in May – Salvador took a firm step forward over the last two weeks of June, throwing 13 IP in two starts, holding hitters to a .196 BAA and 1.38 ERA, walking only one versus 17 strikeouts, and most importantly, topping the 90-pitch mark both times. By establishing some endurance and length in his appearances, Salvador’s stock as a legit SP prospect rose significantly over the month, as he had often profiled as an eventual reliever before. Only 21, the Angels won’t need to rush Salvador along yet, but he could find himself in Tri-City should the Angels shuffle their organizational pitching around the trade deadline.
    2021 (RCT AA): 2.82 ERA, 1.17 WHIP, .200 BAA, 2 HR allowed, 17 BB, 52 K in 38.1 IP in 8 G/6 GS
    5) Davis Daniel – RHP, Tri-City, A+:
    A case could be made for Davis Daniel being the Angels’ 2nd-best pitching prospect behind Reid Detmers, at least if one were to weigh MLB-readiness into the equation. Since a rocky debut, Daniel’s first professional season has been essentially perfect, as the righty has rarely found himself in trouble. June has been especially noteworthy for Daniel, as he’s posted a 0.43 ERA and .088 BAA in 21 IP. Daniel had a chance to rank higher on this list, but a June 17th start was limited to 2 IP, and as such, he was limited to only 9 dominant innings in the last two weeks – 4 hits, 4 walks, 10 strikeouts, and one run. It seems only a matter of time before Daniel moves up to AA Rocket City where he could join Detmers, Criswell, Kyle Tyler, and Chris Rodriguez to make up one of the Angels most exciting minor league rotations in years. 
    2021 (TRI A+): 2.04 ERA, 1.06 WHIP, .163 ERA, 1 HR allowed, 20 BB, 51 K in 39.2 IP in 8 G/8 GS
     
    Honorable mention, pitchers:
    Ryan Smith (LHP, TRI A+): 3.27 ERA, .214 BAA, 2 BB, 15 K across 11 IP in 2 G/2 GS – hasn’t missed a beat since being promoted to Tri-City
    Brent Killam (LHP, TRI A+): 2.38 ERA, .118 BAA, 9 BB, 16 K across 11.1 IP in 2 G/2 GS – rebounding after an awful A+ debut
    Hector Yan (LHP, TRI A+): 4.80 ERA, .232 BAA, 11 BB, 18 K across 15 IP in 3 G/3 GS – still struggling with control, but signs of improvement and strong strikeout rates still
    Kyle Tyler (RHP, RCT AA): 4.09 ERA, .171 BAA, 2 BB, 12 K across 11 IP in 2 G/1 GS – slight stumble in first non-start is one of his few blips this season
    Dillon Peters (LHP, SLC AAA): 2.00 ERA, .222 BAA, 1 BB, 11 K across 9 IP in 2 G/2 GS – Peters has an impressive 3.43 ERA and 27 K to 4 BB in his last 21 IP at AAA SLC 
    Andrew Wantz (RHP, SLC AAA): 0.00 ERA, .143 BAA, BB, 5 K across 6.1 IP in 3 G/1 GS – versatile arm making a case for Anaheim pen 
    Cole Duensing (RHP, TRI A+): 0.00 ERA, .067 BAA, BB, 5 K across 5 IP in 3 G – remember him? Showing some success now in relief
     
    --Position Players--
    1) Orlando Martinez – OF, Rocket City, AA:
    When all is said and done, Orlando Martinez might wind up being the Angels prospect who has had taken the biggest step forward in 2021. The 23-year old Cuban has long been lauded for being a natural hitter, but his 2021 performance has included increasingly plus-power and improved discipline, making him one of the more complete hitters in the Angels system. In June, Martinez has hit .320 with an OPS over .900, and more recently. over his last ten games, Martinez slashed .333/.415/.667/1.081 and added three more doubles and three more home runs to his season total, while also drawing five walks against twelve strikeouts. Martinez does struggle somewhat against lefties (.640 OPS with 30 K in 96 PA) and might not walk at an above-average rate, but it’s becoming pretty safe to visualize a player who could be a solid corner outfielder in a platoon role at the MLB level who hits .275 with 15-20 HR in a good year. Should the Angels find themselves having to deal Adell or Marsh for pitching, Martinez may find himself in Anaheim in such a platoon as soon as 2023, once Upton’s contract clears, or he himself could be dealt for a more middle-of-the-road type player. 
    2021 (RCT AA): .282/.332/.518/.849 with 10 doubles, 10 HR, 28 RBI, 2 SB, 13 BB, 57 K in 42 G/184 PA
    2) Mitch Nay – 3B/1B, Rocket City, AA:
    The former supplemental first rounder of the Toronto Blue Jays back in 2012 (Perry Minasian connection), Mitch Nay emerged as a key run producer for Rocket City over the last two weeks, slugging three doubles and half (6) of his season total’s worth of HR in just his last 10 games. This offensive outburst helped give Nay a robust .311/.354/.778/1.132 slash in that span, while also lifting him to a 3rd place tie on the AA leaderboard with 12 HR. Nay will need to continue his hot hitting in order to counter two things working against him; a slow start to the year and his age, 27. Should the Angels promote or trade names such as Jose Rojas or Matt Thaiss, there’s a good chance Nay could find himself in AAA before long, where hitting-friendly environments could boost his numbers further. There’s still time for Nay to become a late bloomer in the bigs, but 4A masher-for-hire isn’t a bad career either.
    2021 (RCT AA): .224/.324/.500/.824 with 7 doubles, 12 HR, 23 RBI, 21 BB, 50 K in 45 G/179 PA
    3) Jose Guzman – SS/2B, Inland Empire, A:
    Where age hurt Mitch Nay, it helps Jose Guzman. The Angels tested the 20 year old middle-infielder early in the year, starting him at AA Rocket City, using him primarily as a defensive replacement and pinch-runner, before bumping him back Inland Empire to face more age-appropriate competition two levels lower. Over the last two weeks, Guzman has responded. Over twelve games and 47 PA, Guzman slashed .279/.340/.512/.852, demonstrating an enticing blend of contact, speed (3-4 in SB attempts) and power (3 doubles, 2 triples, and a HR). Guzman struggled in 2019, his first taste of pro ball stateside, but impressed the year before as a teenager in the Dominican Summer League, posting an .802 OPS at the age of 17. Given his age, there’s a lot to dream on still, but the Angels seem to think highly of him given his early taste of AA ball. In a system heavy with high-upside SS prospects, Guzman could be a sleeper. 
    2021 (RCT AA/IE A): .283/350/.447/.794 with 7 doubles, 2 triples, 2 HR, 7-9 in SB attempts, 8 BB, 32 K in 37 G/118 PA
    4) David MacKinnon – 1B, Rocket City, AA:
    If David MacKinnon were to add catcher to his portfolio, you could argue that he might be the next Yermin Mercedes or Willians Astudillo. But to date, MacKinnon has entrenched himself as a strong defensive 1B (with 1 GS at 2B this year and one inning pitched being the lone defensive exceptions in his career) who just hits and hits and hits – minus the power typically associated with that position. Over the last two weeks, though, was a little different, as MacKinnon hit .400 (14 hits in 35 at-bats) and did add four doubles and two homers to his season, giving him a strong 1.118 OPS in that time. 2021 is a key year for 32nd rounder from the 2017 draft, as injuries cut his 2019 season down to 18 games, and COVID-19 cost him 2020, and he’s responded in a big way, with a .909 OPS in AA and a .322 batting average, good for 10th in all of AA. Jared Walsh has shown that late-round 1B who can hit and field can still make an impact, so maybe lighting strikes twice.
    2021 (RCT AA): .322/.399/.510/.909 with 12 doubles, 5 HR, 24 RBI, 16 BB, 27 K in 37 G/163 PA
    5) Ibandel Isabel – DH/1B, Rocket City, AA:
    Continuing with a theme here is yet another slugging 1B-type at Rocket City. Serving as the primary DH for the Trash Pandas, offseason minor league signee Ibandel Isabel found his power stroke in the last two weeks, slugging .656 with two doubles, a triple, and three HR, while also hitting .250 and drawing 6 BB vs. 14 K, giving him a healthy .250/.385/.656/1.041 slash since June 14th, a mark much more appropriate for a hitter who smashed 28, 36, and 26 HR in his last three full minor league seasons. Only 26 years old, the former Dodger/Red farmhand is likely buried too far down the 1B/DH depth chart to have any foreseeable impact on a future Angels club, but his presence has no doubt allowed the Angels to field perhaps one of their more competitive upper-level minor league teams in years. Isabel’s role as a central run producer also figures to ease the pressure on developing talents such as Orlando Martinez to focus on roles that play to their skillsets, rather than trying to be something they aren’t, and to also allow a talented young rotation to pitch with more confidence that their offense will back them up – something that has eluded many Angel minor league clubs in the past.
    2021 (RCT AA): .212/.325/.445/.770 with 6 doubles, 1 triple, 8 HR, 21 RBI, 19 BB, 61 K in 40 G/160 PA
    Honorable mention, hitters:
    Jeremiah Jackson (SS/DH, IE A): .321/.333/.714/1.048 with 5 2B, 2 HR, 10 RBI, BB, 9 K in 7 G/30 PA – missed a few games, leaving him out of this week’s Top 5 
    Izzy Wilson (RF, RCT AA): .308/.357/.436/.793 with 2 2B, HR, 7 RBI, 3 BB, 6 K, 3-4 SB attempts in 10 G/42 PA – sporting an OPS of 1.058 now in June with a .352 BA
    Anthony Bemboom (C/LF, SLC AAA): .346/.433/.615/1.049 with 2 HR, 4 BB, 2 K in 7 G/30 PA – torching AAA pitching this year, he and Butera are trade candidates too
    Jack Mayfield (SS/2B, SLC AAA): .326/.392/.630/1.023 with 2B, 2 3B, 3 HR, 4 BB, 5 K in 10 G/51 PA – on fire since re-claimed by the Angels, and could be back on the MLB bench soon as a result
    Jose Rojas (3B/LF/2B, SLC AAA): .286/.375/.595/.970 with 4 2B, 3 HR, 6 BB, 10 K in 11 G/48 PA – back to mashing at AAA after a slow start following demotion
    Preston Palmeiro (1B/RF, SLC AAA): .417/.475/.500/.975 with 3 2B, 4 BB, 6 K in 11 G/40 PA – son of Rafael putting together his best professional season
    Braxton Martinez (1B/3B, IE A): .341/.440/.488/.928 with 3 2B, HR, 8 BB, 3 K – former Indy ball masher continues to ruin younger pitching, first innings at 3B 
    Jake Gatewood (SS/3B/1B/LF/RF, SLC AAA): .245/.275/.531/.805 with 2 2B, 4 HR, 12 RBI, 2 BB, 18 K in 12 G/51 PA – officially playing all over the field now, had a 2 HR, 7 RBI game that earned him a spot here

  5. Chuck
    AngelsWin.com interview of GM of Los Angeles Angels - Tony Reagins
    Interview conducted by @Lou - AngelsWin.com Contributor 
    November 17th, 2007
    Prior to joining the Commissioner’s Office as Chief Baseball Development Officer on August 20th, 2020, Reagins held several key roles with the Los Angeles Angels. His unique career path began with a marketing/advertising sales and baseball operations internship with the Angels before transitioning full-time to the baseball side. He served as the team’s Director of Player Development and then became the fifth African-American General Manager in baseball history. As General Manager of the Angels, Reagins amassed a record of 363-285 (.560), averaging nearly 91 wins per season. His highlights included the Club’s consecutive American League West crowns in 2008-09 and its first 100-win season in franchise history in ’08, which resulted in Reagins being named the Rube Foster American League Executive of the Year. Reagins is a native of Indio, California and graduated from California State University, Fullerton in 1991.
    Here are the transcripts of those interviews below. 

    Angelswin.com - First of all, congratulations. Everyone at AngelsWin.com is happy about your promotion and we're looking forward to some good things in the future.

    Tony Reagins - Thank you very much.

    Angelswin.com - So, Tony, what's the journey been like the last 16 years?

    Tony Reagins - It's been a real good experience starting from where I began as an intern working my way up through the organization and working under some very good and talented people as far as ownership groups and general managers, farm directors and scouting directors.

    From the business standpoint and marketing side i've worked with some very talented people that really gave me an opportunity to grow and gave me a chance to advance and 16 years later here I am.

    Angelswin.com - Who would you say were the most influential people, perhaps from both sides - the baseball and the marketing side of the business?

    Tony Reagins - From a baseball standpoint, probably Bill Bavasi and Bill Stoneman. Both of those guys were probably the most influential, taught me different things. From a business standpoint, I learned a lot from many people. John Savano, he gave me a chance and Tim Mead has been good over the years giving advice - just a number of people that took the time when they didn't have to, to give me an opportunity.

    Angelswin.com - What's it like to work under Arte Moreno?

    Tony Reagins - It's been great. Great relationship. He wants to know what's going on as far as the baseball side of things and the business of the Angels in general. He's been a tremendous owner.

    Angelswin.com - You probably have a lot of incredible memories over the last 16 years. What would you say are the one or two that you cherish the most?

    Tony Reagins - Number one was winning the World Series in 2002. That was probably the pinnacle - just going through that whole experience. Other fond memories are to be able to watch Jimmy Reese hit fungos and watch him dialogue with the players and just the relationship he had with everyone. That's a very fond memory. Being able to speak with Mr. Autry. Those guys had been in the business for a long time and Mr. Autry's passion for winning. After winning the World Series you thought about that a lot. Those are some of the fond memories

    Angelswin.com - What do you think you can bring to the Angel organization? How do you see yourself like Bill Stoneman and in what ways do you think you're different?

    Tony Reagins - I think we both really believe in scouting and development. I think one of my strengths that I bring to the organization is that I know our minor league system very well and have a strong belief in developing players and developing players that play for the Angels.

    Angelswin.com - So what's it been like since the press conference announcing you as the new General Manager?

    Tony Reagins - It's been busy. Upbeat. Getting to know the other general managers has been a fun part of the job, getting to know the personalities. I still don't know how all of them work, but getting an idea, especially in this theater because I didn't know a number of them personally. I did have some relationships with some of the guys but when you're at this level that's a little bit different, so that's been great to be a part. Getting to know and talk to these guys and picking their brains and seeing what needs they may have and what needs we might have that may be a fit.

    Angelswin.com - About the job. Is there a lot of communication? Is it constant? Is it an every day thing?

    Tony Reagins - Yes, you talk to clubs every day. At least I've been talking to clubs every day. You'll get calls from other general managers, so yeah, there's been discussions.

    Angelswin.com - On that subject, Bill Stoneman was arguably the best GM in Angel history, yet he was often criticized in the media for not pulling the trigger. Is this something that was his decision? How much influence does Arte Moreno have in this and do you know what it's going to be like during your tenure?

    Tony Reagins - Well, I think Arte allows the baseball people to run the baseball department. When you talk about not pulling the trigger on anything I think you're referencing a deal, for one, it takes two sides to make a deal. I think at the end of the day, what you look for is - does it make your team better? If it makes your team better you move forward. If it doesn't, you don't. The easiest thing to say is no. If it does not make your team better, you don't do a deal just for the sake of saying i did a deal. If it sets your organization back, it probably doesn't make sense.

    Angelswin.com - With the philosophy you mentioned of developing players ...

    Tony Reagins - Yeah, but just in any deal in general you want to make sure it's good for your organization. Hopefully if you make a deal it's a win-win situation where both teams benefit, but our responsibility and my responsibility is the Angels and pushing us forward. Obviously we've had success over the last few years and we want to continue to have success but we just won't do things just for the sake of doing things.

    Angelswin.com - I imagine since you were the Director of Player Development, it gives you an advantage as far as maybe trading away prospects . In that light, there has been speculation and rumors that a player like Miguel Cabrera is available for prospects, namely Brandon Wood, Howie Kendrick and Nick Adenhart. Do you see any scenario where you would include all three of those players in one deal?

    Tony Reagins - Like you said, that's speculation and it's really not smart to comment on speculation. I think if you operate your business guessing, you're going to put yourself in a tough situation, so i think you have to deal with factual information, rely on your scouts, rely on the resources that you have available to you - I'm talking about myself- then you make the best decision for your club. Obviously again, I think one of my strengths is that I know our system and we're looking to improve.

    Angelswin.com - Can you confirm or deny ...

    Tony Reagins - I can't confirm or deny.

    Angelswin.com - Fair enough. Looking forward to 2008, is there a payroll limit that's been set? Is it flexible? If there's a player that's available you think is going to benefit the organization is that something that Mr. Moreno might consider maybe raising it?

    Tony Reagins - At the end of the day, you look to improve your club, which is the bottom line. There's a number of scenarios that can happen that will allow us to improve our club. You want to make a decision that makes economic sense, but more importantly, baseball sense. If you tie those two things together, I think you're moving in the right direction.

    Angelswin.com - Obviously not the most powerful lineup. Good lineup, scored a lot of runs, but based mostly on moving runners over, hit & runs, making contact. Is the power aspect of the lineup something you're looking to improve this year - maybe getting a little protection for Vladimir Guerrero ?

    Tony Reagins - I know it's been said that power, the home run, has been missing from our lineup, but we've been able to score runs, we've been able to manufacture runs, we've been able to steal bases, we've been aggressive on the base paths, we play solid defense, we've pitched well both in the bullpen and our starting rotation. If it was today, I'm real comfortable with what we have right now. If we have a healthy Garrett Anderson, a healthy Vladimir Guerrero and a healthy Gary Matthews Jr. along with the other parts of our club, it's a pretty good club.

    Angelswin.com - What areas are you looking to improve?

    Tony Reagins - We'll look at anything. Obviously if we can add some offensive punch, we'll look at that, but in discussions it's not limited to one specific area. We're just looking at every opportunity we have to make our club better.

    Angelswin.com - If you could label a player as untouchable or a keeper, does anyone on the roster fall into that category?

    Tony Reagins - I don't think anyone is untouchable. I think there's a number of players that you would have to give some strong, strong thought to if you were deciding to move that player, but I don't think any player is untouchable.

    Angelswin.com - What would you consider a successful 2008 ..

    Tony Reagins - - A World Championship

    Angelswin.com- ...offseason ?

    Tony Reagins - Offseason? Being able to acquire or add some offense if we can. But, like I said, if today was the Opening Day of the 2008 season, and I had a healthy club intact that I have right now, I'd be fine going to war with those guys.

    Angelswin.com - Since Bill Stoneman has now taken on the role of Senior Advisor, how much influence is he going to have in the organization as far as potential trades or acquiring players ?

    Tony Reagins - One, I think you can probably speak to him, but I've learned a lot over the years from Bill. I trust his opinion, along with Ken Forsch, Gary Sutherland, Eddie Bane, Abe Flores, Tory Hernandez and Mike Scioscia. All of these gentleman have input. I think it's important to tap into the resources that you have, and Bill is one of those resources. He's going to be around. Probably not as much as he has in the past, but he'll be around and he has a cell phone so I know that I can call him any time I have a question. He'll be a sounding board for me and offer his opinion.

    Angelswin.com - Was there ever a player you thought you were certain would be a solid major leaguer that never quite panned out for whatever reason?

    Tony Reagins - I think when you see youngsters at a very young age, 17, 18, 19 years old, you see potential. Any one specific player? I probably wouldn't comment on a specific player, but just in general you see a player with tools that you think these tools will play out in the major leagues but for one reason or another it doesn't work out that way. There are some examples but I don't want to mention specific names but I thought this player could pitch in the major leagues or play in the major leagues for a long time and it didn't happen.

    Angelswin.com - Was it more mental?

    Tony Reagins - Yeah, I think a couple of things come into play. Development, both mentally and physically, and an injury. You know, it's not easy to get to the major leagues . If it was you'd have however many people in the world playing ...

    Angelswin.com - I'd be playing in the majors

    Tony Reagins - Exactly! It's really an honor and a privilege to play at this level and a lot of things have to go right. You have to be in the right place at the right time and you have to perform at a high level. It's just not easy to do.

    Angelswin.com - On the other end of the spectrum, maybe you can name somebody who's actually exceeded that potential and became a huge contributor either for the Angels or that went on to play somewhere else?

    Tony Reagins - I like stories of perseverance. Guys that continue to just grind it out. A name that comes to mind just off the top is Nathan Haynes, who was probably in the minor leagues for 10 years, had 8 surgeries, had chances to give it up but kept fighting and had a shot to be at the major league level this year. That's a fun story.

    Angelswin.com - And not a bad hitting coach right ?

    Tony Reagins - Yeah !

    Angelswin.com - Ok Tony, tell us a little bit about yourself.

    Tony Reagins - I grew up down in the Coachella Valley in Indio, CA . Grew up there and went to college at College of the Desert then went to Cal State Fullerton. Played baseball when I was younger. I was a good athlete, but was a pretty good football player and basketball player. Injuries probably derailed my sports career and I just thought it was important to get an education and do some things that I wanted to do and an education was part of it. After my college years, got the internship here and you kind of know the rest of the story.

    Angelswin.com - Other than baseball, what's your favorite sport?

    Tony Reagins - I go back and forth between football and basketball. Probably more football.

    Angelswin.com - You probably don't have much time to watch, do you?

    Tony Reagins - No, but I make sure to watch the Dallas Cowboys.

    Angelswin.com - What do you do for fun?

    Tony Reagins - Hang out with my family. That's very important. I have a young daughter that's 22 months now.

    Angelswin.com - Congratulations

    Tony Reagins - Thank you. She's fun . My wife and family's important to me. We have another one on the way that'll be here hopefully in February.

    Angelswin.com - Again, congratulations ! Just in time for baseball season.

    Tony Reagins - Yeah, thank you. I'm wondering how I'm going to navigate through that time period, but I think we'll make it work.

    Angelswin.com - I guess that wraps it up. I had a great time . Thank you, Tony, we really appreciate you taking the time to do this. AngelsWin.com thanks you.

    Tony Reagins - Hey, no problem. I was glad to be able to do it.
      Part II - Tony Reagins First Year Revisited   Interview conducted by @Lou - AngelsWin.com Contributor  November 12th, 2008   So it has been about a year since the last time we hooked up with the General Manager of the Los Angeles Angels, Tony Reagins opened his office for us again to answer a variety of questions ranging from his first year as GM, the Angels direction this off-season, who may contribute in '09 from within, while sharing about Obama and what it means to be just the 2nd African American General Manager in Major League Baseball. With no further ado, Angelswin.com-Lou Garcia with GM Tony Reagins talkin' Angels Baseball and more below.    Angelswin.com: Excellent first season as the General Manager of the Angels, Tony. What was your favorite memory of the year?    Tony Reagins: Well, it's tough because it had a lot of highs and lows. Probably the best memory was clinching the division. That was a fun time just to see the players release that energy after battling through Spring Training and the season so that was probably one of the highlights.    Angelswin.com: Yeah, I don't think some people realize just what a long haul it is to actually get there.    Tony Reagins: Yeah, it is, it's a very long haul and it starts right now in the off-season. This is really a 12 month operation. You don't just show up to Spring Training and roll the balls out and get it done. It's a long process.    Angelswin.com: So what is a typical day for you right now in the off-season?    Tony Reagins: I'm still talking to the other GM's, just kind of feeling out the process. We had a good chance to see one another face-to-face at the GM meetings last week, so that was good to speak face-to-face with some of the guys. You'll go through the process of making some phone calls and trying to prepare the club for next season.    Angelswin.com: What is something you learned going through your first season as General Manager that you weren't really expecting?    Tony Reagins: Just going through the process. It's a process that, having not gone through it, things happen in cycles. So understanding the cycle, understanding the different timelines and deadlines that you have to meet. All of that. I had an idea, but having to be the guy that implements that stuff was, not a challenge, but something that you just hadn't gone through.    Angelswin.com: Do you think that was the most difficult part of the job?    Tony Reagins: I think there's different challenges and different aspects. Relationships with different agents, players, the coaching staff ... there's different challenges.    Angelswin.com: How difficult is it when you're dealing with agents because they have one agenda, you have another, and they do overlap at times but at times they don't.    Tony Reagins: At the end of the day I think both parties have the best interest of the player at heart. So when you understand that, trying to understand their position, I just learned to understand the agent is going to be an advocate for the player and a fierce advocate, and I have to be an advocate for the club and this organization because at the end of the day you just try to make the best situation for both the player and the organization.    Angelswin.com: What's the most enjoyable part of the job?    Tony Reagins: Winning. I think that's one of the things that I have to continue to learn to manage as far as wins and losses . The losses become much more difficult and the wins, they're sweet, but they don't last very long. So just being able to be on more of an even keel.   Angelswin.com: Is it easier to turn the page after a win?    Tony Reagins: The page gets turned quickly whether you like it or not.    Angelswin.com: So what do you think the team's weaknesses are now and as fans, what can we expect for the off-season?    Tony Reagins: You can expect us to, and not just this year, but for years to come, to be competitive and contending. I think the commitment that not only Arte has shown, but also this coaching staff, there's been a commitment to the fans that we're going to put a quality product on the field. As far as what the team is missing, we definitely have interest in Mark and he is very good at what he does and we think he'd be a significant piece in our lineup, but if that doesn't happen we'll go look in other areas.     Angelswin.com: Would you consider him Plan A?    Tony Reagins: I consider him a plan ...    Angelswin.com: Is he a guy you would build a team around?    Tony Reagins: We're not looking to build around any one player. I think you play as a team and win as a team. I think what's important is that you put the pieces together and they flow and they operate as you expect them to operate. I think building a team around any one player ... I just think that this is overstated and I think it's a team concept.    Angelswin.com: What about the way he plays?    Tony Reagins: I think the way he plays has an influence on our lineup. He doesn't give away many at-bats. Normally you're going to get a quality at-bat out of Mark and it's a patient at-bat and sometimes that effects what's ahead of him and what's behind him.    Angelswin.com: Do you think other players have learned from him to perhaps take the walk when it's there?    Tony Reagins: I don't know, in that short span, a month and a half to two months I think he may have had some influence, but I don't know how much.    Angelswin.com: What about the organizational approach ? Seeing him take at-bats like that, do you think that'll have any influence on how it filters down to the minor leagues or even other players on the roster?    Tony Reagins: I don't know if it's one specific player that says, " Hey, you got to take walks" because we've always been an aggressive team, but we think there is a place where seeing more pitches is more important than just the walk. Seeing more pitches and driving that opposing pitcher's pitch count up is important, so seeing more pitches is probably more important than just the "walk".    Angelswin.com: If for some reason you aren't able to re-sign Mark, are there any regrets on the trade?    Tony Reagins: No. You really try not to look back. You make a deal and you make a decision and you have to live with that decision whether it works out or doesn't work out. When we're in that mode, we were trying to win a World Series and again, trying to do everything for not only this organization but for our fans. But we just came up short.    Angelswin.com: On that note, how frustrated do you think the front office and Arte Moreno is losing again not only in the 1st Round, but to the Red Sox again ?    Tony Reagins: Whoever the opposition is, I don't think whether it's the Red Sox or anybody else, when you lose in a short series in the 1st Round it's not fun. I think we're all frustrated because we felt to a man - players and coaches and I think a lot of people in the industry felt that this team was probably one of the best teams in baseball. We didn't play well in that 1st Round and when you don't play well you don't have a long stay in the postseason.    Angelswin.com: Does the A's acquiring Matt Holliday have any influence on the team's decision as to how far you'll go to re-sign Mark?    Tony Reagins: What any other organization does doesn't have any bearing on what we try to do.    Angelswin.com: What about pitching? As it stands now, it looks like you'll be looking for a 5th starter. Is it something that you think can be handled from within the organization or will you be looking outside for another starter?    Tony Reagins: You know, that's a possibility. We have youngsters that are capable of being the 5th starter. Really what we're looking for in a 5th starter is somebody who's going to give us innings and give us a competitive outing each time out and we have pitchers internally that can do that. It remains to be seen whether that materializes in that manner, but we really pride ourselves on pitching well and catching the baseball. Historically we've pitched well and we think we have four real good young pitchers along with Lackey, who's getting a little bit older now. We should be fine in the pitching area.    Angelswin.com: Any chance of looking at a front-line starter as far as a free agent?    Tony Reagins: You never say no on really any opportunity . Some opportunity may present itself that we weren't expecting but makes sense for us, and if that's the case and it materializes we'll act on it.    Angelswin.com: Is there any concern with Nick Adenhart? He struggled up here which most pitchers do when they first come up, especially at his age, but when was sent back down to Salt Lake he was walking a lot of batters. Is there any concern with his control or maybe mentally?    Tony Reagins: I think that's an important aspect. I think most players when they get to this level physically have the tools to compete and compete at a high level. But what separates them is the mental side of it. The mental preparation and being able to execute pitches, throwing the baseball where you want to and at what time you want to in the count. I think those are areas that Nick needs to continue to work on. I like his stuff, like his ability, he's healthy, he just has to put it all together. We haven't given up on him by any means.    Angelswin.com: You mentioned that there were pitchers within the organization that you think can actually step in and contribute. Who else would you consider in that position?    Tony Reagins: Obviously Dustin Moseley has done it before so he could be an option. Shane Loux is an option. Adenhart's an option. Anthony Ortega is an option. Nick Green has struggled in the off-season so he's probably a longshot. Those type of guys are probably capable of doing that role.    Angelswin.com: As far as Frankie's concerned, we really haven't heard anything as far as any kind of negotiations ..    Tony Reagins: That's a good thing.    Angelswin.com: That we're not hearing about it?    Tony Reagins: Yeah    Angelswin.com: With this organization, I guess it is!    Tony Reagins: (laughs) Right    Angelswin.com:... because usually when we hear something it's wrong anyway.    Tony Reagins: (more laughter)    Angelswin.com: Well, if he doesn't come back, do you think Mike's comfortable having Jose Arredondo close or do you think it's something where he would turn to Scot Shields and maybe give him the first crack at it since he's done it before, albeit on a limited basis and he's been here for quite a while?    Tony Reagins: We think both players are capable of getting those last 3 outs at the end of a game, but we haven't turn the page on Francisco yet, so it's just a matter of how this whole off-season plays out as to what the roles will have in the bullpen.    Angelswin.com: Another player we haven't heard much about is Juan Rivera. Is there any chance he comes back? I mean, he's one player we haven't heard anything about, not only from this organization but from the outside looking in.    Tony Reagins: Good player. Healthy he's a real good player. Yeah, there's a chance that he returns. There's a chance that he goes elsewhere. He's going to have the right in a couple of days to shop his services so we'll see how that plays out.    Angelswin.com: Speaking of that, we're reading you're waiting to give Mark Teixeira an offer until he hits the open market. Was this the strategy all along or is it something that just kind of played out that way?    Tony Reagins: We've had discussions with Mark's people and we've just understood how this was going to take place. It's not something we did not expect. The off-season’s still very young.    Angelswin.com: What about Brandon Wood? Is he somebody you're looking at playing the shortstop position or is he more suited to play 3B? Or is it something that you'll just wait and see what happens in the Spring?    Tony Reagins: Well, the good thing about Brandon is that he showed last year that he could come up and play here. I think the more repetitions he gets the better he'll become, but he can play short or third and that gives you some flexibility to do things.    Angelswin.com: So you do think he's capable of handling the shortstop position at the major-league level?    Tony Reagins: Is he capable ? Yes.    Angelswin.com: What about Sean Rodriguez? Where does he fit in?    Tony Reagins: Good player. Versatile. He can move around the diamond, he can play 2nd, he can play short, he can play 3rd, he can play the outfield. In a young player you like that versatility. Again, you saw him last year and when he got a chance to play regularly he did a good job. Defensively he was fine. He struggled a little bit on the offensive side, but he got better later on and drove the ball. So there's good opportunities for him. He's playing Winter ball and doing very well so we'll see how that goes.    Angelswin.com: Staying with the outfield, is there any concern in the organization that it hasn't produced any power-hitting outfielders in quite a while?    Tony Reagins: Power, it doesn't grow on trees. It's like the last tool that shows up and we haven't produced a high-level impact all-star for a while. But I think if you just focus on that area you get kind of shortsighted. I think we need to get good players across the board and continue to try to develop those players that can impact our club in the major leagues in a significant way. So there are some young players that we really like. Whether they have power, that remains to be seen. But there's some that have power potential.    Angelswin.com: What about Kendry Morales?    Tony Reagins: There's one right there.    Angelswin.com: Is he somebody that can maybe move to the outfield?    Tony Reagins: It's a possibility. We know that he can go out there and play either corner. Again, he's playing Winter ball as well.    Angelswin.com: Is that something he's working on?    Tony Reagins: That's something he's going to work on a little bit, yeah.    Angelswin.com: Has there been any kind of decisions made as far as players that will or will not be offered arbitration or is that something that's up in the air ?    Tony Reagins: Yeah, I think it's a case-by-case basis that hasn't taken place yet.    Angelswin.com: OK, that's about it on the baseball side of things. What about inner-city programs? Are the scouts, yourself, the organization involved much in that?    Tony Reagins: Yeah, there's a couple of programs that we're involved in. We're involved in the Buck O'Neill Scouts Association which is really geared to getting not only inner-city kids but coaches an introduction into the game of baseball and giving them a venue to come and express their opinions and dialogue about their struggles. Actually, we're having our meeting this weekend along with the clinic at the Urban Youth Academy in Compton, and that's another area where we try to support and do things, but the game in the inner-cities is important so that's something we've contributed to and find value in.    Angelswin.com: Now I know you're extremely busy, but do you get an opportunity to go out and speak to kids, schools or different organizations? Being an African-American General Manager is a top position and a very well-respected position.    Tony Reagins: Yes, I do. I get a chance to get out in the community and do a lot of stuff back home in the desert. So, yeah, whenever I see an opportunity I like to get out there and talk about the Angels.    Angelswin.com: Recently Barack Obama was elected as the first African-American President, last year after being named the GM of the Angels we now have 2 African-American General Managers in Major League Baseball ... what does that mean to you?    Tony Reagins: It just shows that you can do anything and anything can happen. You just have to work hard and when the opportunity presents itself you prepare yourself for it. In very general terms, it just shows that there's opportunity out there for everyone.    Angelswin.com: Thank you for that. A couple more questions.... What is your favorite Tempe restaurant?    Tony Reagins: Favorite Tempe restaurant.....(laughs) if I tell you that you guys might show up there.    Angelswin.com: Come on, we're not that crazy!    Tony Reagins: City Hall. That's not necessarily Tempe, it's Scottsdale. Where do I go in the city of Tempe?    Angelswin.com: Don't tell me Diablo Stadium hot dogs either.    Tony Reagins: Hmmmm, I never really go eat in Tempe. I usually go to eat in Scottsdale or Chandler.    Angelswin.com: OK, last question... favorite menu item at Del Taco?    Tony Reagins: Favorite menu item? Combo burrito.    That concludes our interview with Tony Reagins. Post your comments and engage in discussions with other Angels fans regarding this interview on our website.
  6. Chuck

    Mike Trout and the High Heat

    By Chuck,


    Blog
    By @Docwaukee, AngelsWin.com Contributor
    There is a lot of anecdotal info and observation in regard to Mike Trout's ability to handle high fastball.   There always has been.  It's been his 'kryptonite' for years.  Yet until recently, he was still putting up hall of fame numbers.  Why now, all of a sudden, is he struggling, and does it have to do with attacking him up in the zone?  How's he performing on pitches up in the zone?  How's he performing on pitches up and out of the zone?  Is he swinging at each of them more than he used to?  
    I think our eyes are telling us that they are, not very good, even worse, and yes.  But do our eyes deceive us? 
    First off, I would like to add that Trout has always had a bit of a complicated setup.  Leg kick.  Hands high.  Lots of timing mechanism to get things in the right place.  But once he does, that swing is a thing of beauty.  Over the years though, we seen have have these streaks where he's working on getting that front foot down on time.  Something he's been quoted on several times.   The swing hasn't changed as of yet.  A little video from 2019 to 2021 to now shows pretty much the exact same setup and trigger points. 
    I've always felt like his approach was sort of the reverse of many in that he made a point to be on breaking balls and off speed while adjusting to the fastball - if you will.  I'm not sure if that has changed. 
    One thing we know for sure is that he's swinging more in general (44.7% of the time in 2023 compared to his career avg of 38.8%) and that's been happening since he returned from injury last year.  Another thing we know is that he's swinging more at balls in the zone (68.2% in 2023 vs. 56.4% career) and he's still  among the top in the league in terms of offering at pitches out of the zone - right in line with his career.  But all of the above is for all pitches.  Not just fastballs.  
    So let's see if a deeper dive can yield any info in that regard.
    First off, lets look at how they're attacking him with fastballs.  A comparison of 2023 to 2019 is in order I think considering 2019 was Mike's most recent MVP season.  
    In 2023, they're throwing fastballs at him 49.6% of the time.  In 2019, they attacked him with fastballs 42.8% of the time.  But where?

    Side by side it 2023 vs. 2019.  
    Up out of the zone 2023: 35.4%
    Up out of the zone 2019: 33.0%
    Up and in the zone 2023: 22.8%
    Up and in the zone 2019: 22.8%
    So pretty damn close here.  
    Is he swinging at them the same amount?  
    Balls up in the zone 2023: 7.8%
    Balls up in the zone 2019: 5.4%
    Balls up out of the zone 2023: 1.5%
    Balls up out of the zone 2019: 0.9%
    Alright, we might be getting somewhere here.  
    And how about the results?
    Balls up in the zone wOBA 2023: 
       
    Balls up in the zone wOBA 2019:

    Not all that compelling...
    How about out of the zone?
    Up and out of zone wOBA 2023: 0.0 but that's 8 results
    Up and out of zone wOBA 2019: 0.0 on 11 results.  
    So he really doesn't make that many outs on fastballs up in the zone in general because he doesn't really offer at that pitch all that much.  Yes he's on pace to do so a few more times this year but by seasons end we're talking like maybe 8 more outs.  Which is still not great but really on 10-12 points of batting average.  
    So he's swinging more.  But why? 
    Is it because he's in more two strike counts in general?  Nope.  Almost the exact same amount.  
    Are they attacking him with fastballs up more with two strikes?  9.8% of the time in 2023 vs. 8.2% in 2019.  It averages out to about 30 more results from pitches up in the zone for 2023 than in 2019.   
    None of the above screams that he would be tanking to the tune of an ops 175 points below his career avg.  And a few things I'd like to leave people with as they contemplate his demise.
    His avg exit velo is higher than the 2019 season.  His hard hit rate is higher than his career avg.  His chase rate is at about his career avg.  His swing and miss rate is higher than his avg but down from last year.  And for all you stat nerds, his xwOBA for contact is .490.  Still elite but off his .513 career avg.  
    His xba is .269 compared to his actual of .252.  His xSLG is .508 compared to his actual of .467. 
    Personally, I just think he's swinging too much.  Yes, there are some signs of decline there, but there's some bad luck too.  Why swing more when your swinging strike rate has gone up?  He used to leave certain strikes alone.  You can't tell me that pitchers have become better at commanding the ball than they did before. 
    Albert Pujols called and he wants his late career approach back.  Let him have it.
  7. 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. 
     
     
     

     
  8. 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.
  9. 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.

  10. Chuck
    Mike Trout has been placed on the 10-day injured list with a right calf strain, the team announced Tuesday.
    His recovery time is estimated to be six to eight weeks.
    The three-time American League MVP leads the major leagues in on-base percentage (.462) and OPS (1.086), has 8 home runs and is slashing .333/.466/.624 so far this season
    Fan reaction on this terrible news here:
     
  11. Chuck
    Arte Moreno answering questions from Geoff Stoddart, AngelsWin.com's Director of Social Media.    TEMPE, AZ - In what was the first ever interview with Arte Moreno from a fan-run website/Blog, the owner of the Los Angeles Angels spoke for just under an hour to a crowd of 125 AngelsWin.com members on Saturday, March 10th, 2012.   The AngelsWin.com staff of writers and contributors put together several questions and presented them to Arte at the Fiesta Resorts Conference Center in what was AngelsWin.com's sixth annual Spring Fanfest. Arte answered questions for about 40 minutes from AngelsWin.com's MC of the night, Geoff Stoddart, AngelsWin.com's director of social media. Arte Moreno at the conclusion of our interview with him elected to ask if those in attendance would like to ask him any questions while the owner stood on stage in front of the podium and mic.   Of course the Angels fans got their money's worth and fired off a bunch of additional questions to the Angels owner, some really good ones in fact. There were some funny moments too, especially the exchange that Arte and Mike Sword (PercySquint) had that you have to see.   Before Arte Moreno fielded questions from the crowd, he showed just how classy and respectful he is toward those close to him both personally and in business, as he asked those who joined him at AngelsWin.com's event to introduce themselves, including the prospects, players in attendance who were sitting at a table in front of the podium. Arte called up to the stage his lovely wife Carole, President John Carpino and his lovely wife, Tim Mead VP of Communications and Jenny Price Sr. Director of Special Events. And as mentioned, the players who were in attendance who were invited to eat dinner with the AngelsWin.com group.   The night was incredible, the time Arte Moreno gave to AngelsWin.com and Angels fans in attendance was amazing. The best owner in professional sports took several pictures with fans and shook the hands of many before he departed some hour and thirty minutes after he arrived. Angels beat writer Bill Plunkett of the Orange County Register who was in attendance -- along with OCR writers Ellen Bell and Jenelyn Russo -- told Chuck Richter that Arte gave AngelsWin.com more time on Saturday than he's ever given him.   I can speak for everyone at AngelsWin.com when I say, Thank You, Arte!   Look for more on the AngelsWin.com Blog from Tim Mead's speech and Q & A on Sunday morning and from Brian Waller who captured the entire weekend's events from AngelsWin.com's 2012 Spring Fanfest. But for now, it's all about Arte and what he shared on that memorable night on March 10th. Click on the video below to watch in HD and share this with every Angels fan you know. You won't get this much of the Angels owner anywhere else on the net or in print.   For those of you who are hearing impaired, or would prefer to read over watching an HD video that could take a bit to load on your PC or handheld device, below is the text transcript of our night with the Los Angeles Angels owner Arte Moreno.    Enjoy!    
    Geoff: My name is Geoff Stoddart. Most of you know me as Spiritof2002. So I would like to start off by introducing the founder of Angelswin.com Chuck Richter.    Chuck Richter: Thank you all for coming and Arte, thank you for being able to come and be a part of this. Arte, I can speak for the entire group here that what you have put on the field over the years, giving us winning teams, that is something that we really appreciate from a fans standpoint. (Applause).  What’s interesting is that Geoff and I were talking earlier and we realized that I put together Angeslwin.com in 2003, the same year you (Arte) purchased the Angels. So I think that’s a good omen.  I can just speak again for all of us that Albert Pujols, CJ Wilson, Jered Weaver, the guys that you put on the field for us going into 2012 is just amazing and we’re still buzzing even now. You can even see that in the sold out crowds, the fans in the stands for these spring training games - that they’re buzzing as well.  Thank you for showing up tonight and we really, really appreciate the product that you put on the field. (Applause)   At this time I would like to bring up Geoff Stoddart as we put together a list of questions from our staff of writers that we would like to ask you tonight and if you can do your best to answer them that would be great.    Geoff: As Chuck mentioned, the writers of Angelswin.com put together a list of about 437 questions. I guess I’ll start with number one.   When you were young, did you play baseball, and if so what was the position that you played?   Arte: I did play baseball all the way through high school and I was a second basemen and later I was a first basemen.  Not good enough anywhere to get passed high school.   Geoff: Who were your favorite players as a kid?   Arte: I like Roberto Clemente a lot. Playing second base, I like Bobby Richardson a lot. But I was one of those fans that liked players from every team so I didn’t have a special player I liked to watch, but by position.    Geoff: When you were thinking about buying a major league baseball team, were you interested initially only in the Angels or were there other teams you were looking to pursue to purchase?   Arte: I started in the minor leagues like a lot of the players did. I started with A team with a bunch of my buddies, my drinking buddies, we bought a Pioneer League short A team and moved it to Salt Lake. That was in 85 I think and had it til 93. Then 95/96 I was one of the original owners of the Diamondbacks so I was a minority partner with the Diamondbacks. In 01 we beat the Yankees in the World Series.  I won 3 championships in the minors and then won with the Diamondbacks. Then in 03, or 02/03, I tried to buy the Diamondbacks first and there were a couple of other teams for sale. There was 4 or 5 teams available.   Geoff:  What drew you to the Angels?   Arte: A couple things. I grew up in Arizona and used to go to Southern California all the time. Not only to the beach and whatever but to catch a ball game. My wife just walked in the back. But anyways, I came from the advertising business and really like the size of my market and we can get into all kinds of argument about the name change and whatever but really the metropolitan. New York is #1 metropolitan area, Los Angeles metro area second largest and really felt that with some kind of development marketing that we could start attracting bigger crowds, generate more revenues therefore being able to put a better product on the field. Not being in a situation where you’re always open to that perfect job in the minor league system but also there was an opportunity to develop the minor league system and being able to invest in free agents.    Geoff: Speaking of free agents, this offseason you got the top hitter, you got the top pitcher on the market along with a new catcher and relief pitcher. This compares to the 2004 season when you got Vladimir, Bartolo Colon, Escobar, how would you compare those two offseasons?   Arte:  A lot of times you want short answer to a long situation. Obviously 02 won a championship, 03 by all star break my wife and I purchased the team in late May, we were out of the race. In our system we lacked outfielders and starting pitching. Originally what we went for we felt that they could make a deal on Guillen even though had a question with temperament, he was a hard hitter and drove in a lot of runs, home runs, and a big arm.  They felt we could make a deal on Escobar, Stoneman was very familiar with Escobar making him from a reliever to a starter. So we started right there. Colon was on the market and looked like he was going to sign with the White Sox at the time but we offered him an extra year which really didn’t work out for us but he did win a Cy Young.  Really on the 25th hour is when Guerrero came up. The McCourts were getting prepared to buy the Dodgers but they hadn’t closed. His brother played for the Dodgers and they could not make that deal baseball was not going to conclude it. So they called Stoneman, Stoneman said if you match the contract the Dodgers are offering we could do that. So for us at the time, we added 2 very good outfielders, 2 starting pitchers that really put us in a position to compete again and made the playoffs in 04. The last 2 years we obviously didn’t make the playoffs. Last year won 86 games, had 25 blown save. Bill Plunkett is here from the Register and can back up my numbers. We made the decision to make changes in the front office, just felt that we weren’t doing a good enough job in our system to let the players coming up weren’t as prepared as we needed to be to compete at a championship level.  When Jerry came in we sat down with the baseball people and talked about our needs. We felt we need a 4 or 5 pitcher, some kind of power bat, but really believe or not focused on third base. Just left a lot of players on base last year and then something in the bullpen. We didn’t feel like we were getting the production at catching. That is what we would call the short list, those 4 positions. The baseball people looked at the menu of catchers and felt we could make a deal with Colorado. So we sent our young pitcher up there for Chris Iannetta. At the same time we were going through hitter available, infielders, outfielders, and pitching. With Albert, Jerry (Dipoto) had a meeting early on with his agent. Felt that it was just the agent shopping around who had interest. But later found out there were more connections that that. The other positive thing, this family had been in Anaheim for the all star game and enjoyed the weather, environment, etc. Mike and our baseball people over a period of time and our fans built a very good reputation in the baseball world about being a good place to play. The American league could potentially extend his career by not day in and day out situations especially as he gets older can transfer and playing DH more often. So I guess sort of kicking the tires. They were kicking our tires, we were kicking their tires but I guess at the 25th hour I probably felt he was going back to the Cardinals. The homegrown Cardinal been there 11 years, the family is a native of Kansas City, he was moved there by his aunt when he was 16. So we ended up just trying to stay in the game at that time.   The same time Jerry had dinner with Mike and Carpino, the agent (Bob Garber) and Wilson up in LA. So we just tried to keep our name in the ring there. As we moved along, kept looking at relievers and saying where we could spend the money and where we would get the best return. My wife and I at the winter meetings were going on, I was talking to the agent and I asked if I could talk to the player which was Albert. So I put my wife and myself to talk about 5 minutes but we ended up talking 30 to 40 minutes and really had a great conversation. His wife was at a Quinciera so she was on the phone. We really felt he was going to make a decision quickly so we positioned our self.  Now I know this is a long answer to a short question.    Also knew that CJ was flying in that night so we knew we were going to have to games going because we had the agent there for Albert and CJ was personally coming in. I started talking to Carpino and Jerry about our position when they happen to be in I think they were in two different towers.    Everybody was sort of running back and forth. When we made the deal with Albert, I made the deal with Albert but at the end of the day you have to dot all the I’s and cross the T’s.  Anytime you have a MVP type player the whole bag of goodies that come. I like to use the excuse like my wife, instead of just getting the wife you also get three families. But we made the deal with Albert started working on all the details with Albert and that night around 2 or 3 in the morning we made the deal with CJ. Both players had better offers from other teams and we felt that our package of where they were going to play, and I think CJ got a little bit of a wind that we already made the deal with Albert he was very anxious to come home.  Ironically Haren and CJ played with each other in college. Apparently Weaver and CJ are all from Southern California. Anytime you get local kids, I think that always help with the fan base.    Geoff: What was it like seeing over 4 thousand fans show up to the press signing conference of CJ and Albert.   Arte: Pretty wild. John told me that early on that people were coming at 6 in the morning and it’s going to be wild out there. It looked more like a Championship celebration. It was a fun day for us and players really enjoyed it. Weaver, Haren and some of the other players showed up, Bobby Grich and some of the coaches showed up.    Geoff: One of the things we like to do on the board a lot is talk to each other about potential trades. Are you like a lot of us fans as the trade deadline nears where you’re away from the other members of the front office and coaching staff. Do you ever put deals together in your mind or thoughts of people you would like to get a how you would go about making those deals happen?   Arte: Are we talking about baseball or something else? I think it was 03 in Chicago at the All Star celebration. The Angels won the championship the year before so Mike Scioscia and his coaches were there for the American league. I think Garrett won the MVP that year. I was out on the field and I think Dusty Baker was on the other side because of the Giants. We were out there talking to Mike saying “Now this is the team I would really like”, really looking at the All Star club. I think when you’re a baseball fan, you always play fantasy baseball and look at the players and who you pitch and how you pitch, when you pull them, when you put them in, what are they throwing. I always tell people we always already know what happened yesterday, if you could tell me what is going to happen tomorrow we would be in really good shape.    Geoff: As you are going through some of these in your mind, do you ever make suggestions to the folks you have running your front office?   Arte: Yeah, I think that’s one of the benefits as owner. From my philosophy it has always been let baseball people make baseball decisions. It didn’t look this way this year, but we do have a budget. This is our ninth season so we’ve had 8 real good years of building the organization so we could compete at the highest level and we were going up pretty good but started plateauing at little bit. We felt on the financial side we needed to make an adjustment in the team. So a lot of times you can look at it as a straight expense and say he’s just spending money or what we are trying to do is position ourselves to go to the next level or the next “x” period of time. People a lot of times get mad at me because I’m always a 3, 5, 7 years in advance from an economic model and looking at players and contracts and mostly anybody else that’s on a sound bite. For us to be highly competitive over a long period of time we have to make investments and decision that are going to reflect on the organization long term.    Geoff: The last 2 years from a marketing stand point have been big opportunities for the team.  There was the All Star game two years ago and last year was the 50th anniversary season. What were the hardest parts for you personally about having those two marketing year events then things on the field where the team didn’t produce as you hoped?   Arte:  I was Mr. lobbyist every time we had an owner meeting trying to get baseball people to commit to bringing the All Star game to Southern California because they just felt it’s important to showcase not only the Angels but Southern California fans, little league, pony league, high school teams, the big universities of Long Beach State and Fullerton. You just have a lot of really good baseball programs and just really felt we should try to showcase the fans, the weather. I always say we do play baseball on the West Coast. We have drawn over 3 million nine years in a row and on our way for a 10th straight year. That was really important. I guess from the negative side we didn’t really realize how much major league came in and it was their show and we got to put some things in but they really controlled the tickets and a lot of the marketing stuff. So we really didn’t get as many of our fans in the park as I would have liked.  But because we had a lot of season ticket holders, a lot of them got the opportunity for them and their families to go.     If I’m ever going to blame somebody I’m always going to say “we”, if anything good happens I always say “me”.  Anyways, the 50th anniversary one of the things we did when we came in was trying to do is put all the little pieces together to show that the Angels have it this year.  We started planning before the games, Autry and his ownership, some of the teams, some of the players, some of the divisions, to really show some of the young generations that the Angels do have this long history of 50 years.  I think our people did a very good job of identifying players, every night we had an alum player throw out the first pitch and they went out and signed.  Really tried to integrate a little bit of our past with what our future is, and that was really positive. The negative is when you make an investment on the team and you really believe you put the pieces together and we as a team don’t perform at the level that the fans expect, that’s disappointing. You get invested not only buying tickets but you also emotionally get invested in the ownership of the team when they don’t perform.  Especially we had a really good team but lost a lot of games right late in the game and some of those things were caused by some inefficiencies and hopefully we corrected those. I’ll tell you in October.   Geoff:  Between buying the team, changing the name, landing Pujols, landing Wilson, have you accomplished all of your goals in making the Angels the number one team in Southern California.
    Arte: Umm..no.  I think it’s really hard when you do that. I think when you win the world series you want to win 2, when you win 2 you want to win 4. But I think it’s a building process. We had the president of the Hall of Fame with me at the game today and stuff we were talking about and spent 3 days there in Cooperstown. If you look at baseball and look at the history, the modern day history, Tim Mead and Plunkett are looking at me at what am I going to come up with.  The way I view modern day baseball is 1900 on. So this is 2012 so we are somewhere in that 112 years into modern day baseball. When you’re looking at a 8 or 9 year period, you’re only looking at a little blip on a long scale. The question is can we take that little blip and open it up so it goes up here and we stay there.  So the real objective for me to obviously I want to win but to be successful, we need to be able to produce at a very high level over a very long period of time.  So when anybody ever comes to our house they know they got to play. Those are the kind of things to me I’m really interested obviously in the younger generations of kids getting the opportunity to come to the ball park as see some of the best players. Get to see first, major league baseball, get to see their players and have part of that experience with their family, or mom, or their dad, brother, etc.  That is very important for us. You go to the marketing stuff or the branding stuff and some of the stuff we try to do and be more consistent with that whole thing we work on 12 months a year.   Geoff:  At the press conference with Albert and CJ, you announced the major of Anaheim as one of the VP’s in attendance.  Does this signify a solid relationship between the Angels and the city and will you look to renew the lease in 2016.   Arte: You’re not paying me enough. I happen to like this mayor. We had a nice relationship; we had lunch 3 or 4 weeks ago. He and his wife are coming in next week. We have a lot of our sponsors coming in for a sponsors weekend.  He and his wife are coming out and we are having a BBQ and get to see what we do here and meet the players and people.  Is that a good political answer?   Geoff:  Where do you go to read information and stories about the Angels?   Arte: I really look at a mix of information. Pretty much scan 4 or 5 newspapers. Tim and his people put the clips together and anything they believe is readable I get. Usually it’s 9 or 10 or 11 in the morning. Out here in Spring Training I’m getting them at 8 in the morning. Really all the staff gets clips from all the articles written good or bad. I happen to be on the band board which is baseball media and look at MLB.com, ESPN.com, I like other sports. The reason I delayed from being here at 6, because my alma mater was playing the PAC 12 Championship. Just got beat by 2 points. All my friends kept saying “have a beer”, I can’t talk normally when you give me a couple beers. I get real honest. I read blogs but a lot of times the same people are going through the same things and you don’t get a mix of information.  A lot of the times you aren’t getting information you should be getting. I should probably have my own tweet or whatever, can you imagine?   Geoff:  One of the things we have done on Angelswin.com is put together a list of the top 50 moments in Angels history. Every year after the season we tend to go through and talk about what happened in the past season and try to identify something that happened that deserved to go onto that list and what item to pull off. One of the big debates we are having on the board is December 8th, and whether or not the signing of CJ and Albert deserves to make the top 50 moment in Angels history.   Arte: I guess I met my wife in Kansas City and their motto is the “Show Me State”.  Maybe we’ll talk about it in October. Over a period you can be very optimistic when you make your investment or your signing, but you have to get production.  There has to be production that is going to help the team, not so much individual stats as much as performance of the whole team. For me I probably would wait and say in October “should that be in the top 50?”   Geoff: Can you tell us what you told Albert when you talked to him on the phone that convinced him to come join the Angels and make them his home.   Arte: I don’t know if it was one thing, I think it was a mix of things. I think when we first started talking of what we had to offer.  He has 4 children, young children 16 and under. I think his youngest boy is 2. To really uproot a family and the wife was born and raised in Kansas City and move them west. Went through our team and how long Mike and his coaches have been here, our commitment to our system minor league, major league, went position by position to show the depth of our organization,  our pitching, our infield, the outfielders, top to bottom, Bourjos and Trout and some of the young players coming through. Talked a lot about the environment weather wise and what kind of field we have. Out of the 30 teams, there are 2 teams that still play of turf, Toronto and Tampa.  Weather is very important because ironically we play our first three games then we go open in Minnesota. So we go from home for 3 days then send us to Minneapolis for 3 days for the first week in April. Then go from there to New York and open New York up. So coming home to the weather is always relaxing and the fans that we’ve drawn much like St Louis in drawing 3 million a year and consistently brought fans in to watch.  There’s no debt on the team and economically we are stable enough to make investments into the team in what we are doing.   Geoff: Two more questions. As you look at the youngsters on the team, what excites you most?   Arte:  You look at a bunch of young players. To me it’s energy, excitement, opportunity. We get a lot of people walking up and saying “Did you really love Moneyball?” Well I said, my partner used to own some McDonalds and used to say “Great for selling, not so good to eat”.  Moneyball to me was the fact that it was probably really good to watch as a movie, but not so great as far as looking at talent evaluation and the measurement of what I call heart, in Español is Corazon. Love for the game and how someone plays. A lot of times you can look at statistical analysis on a computer and got the speed and power and whatever, but really are they gonna want to show up and play every day.  We were trying to design the way we run our games, where people may only come to that game one time, they may be visiting or only saved up enough money to come to one game is like going to a Broadway play. We have to perform from the time you drive into the parking lot and walk into the gates and go to your seat and those players, you know you’ve invested this money to come and you have to give them the best possible product you can. A lot of those things you cannot measure on statistical analysis.   Geoff: Last question is kind of open ended. Is there anything else you would like to say to the Angels fans here tonight?    Arte: I thank you very much. I can tell you are very passionate or you wouldn’t be here. Love the opportunity from me now that we can communicate with each other and speak your mind and talk about your likes and your dislikes and your dreams and wishes and expectations are. I think that media has given us the flexibility for that communication. It’s not always perfect obviously but we don’t always hear everything exactly that you would want to hear it but we are not going to get better unless we get the information. For us to be able to communicate back with you properly… did you hear that Bill (Plunkett)…  Just recently a lot of times I get interviewed and I feel like someone makes a decision of what I’m saying and told him to write something  I said a certain way from what I said so I’m not a real happy camper about that one right now.  Bill got to see that about a week ago. But anyway, I think that is a real important thing because we have such great fans and I really shouldn’t do this but I’m gonna say 4 or 5 of you, 4 or 5 of you, have individual questions you would like to ask me.  If I can answer it, I will do it.   Greg Pero:  First of all, thank you and your lovely wife for being here tonight.  Recently the players association and major league baseball made an agreement of changing the playoff format and addition to that one of the conditions of the new ownership of the Houston Astros move into the AL West, just wondering what your take is on the new playoff format and the addition of the Astros to the AL West?   Arte: I think if you’re a real traditionalist and they keep adding games, sometimes you dilute it. Sometime you’re in a situation where you do have a division that has 3 really good teams because they miss by half a game. I think we found out last year that on the last day of the year two teams lost and two teams won to go to the playoffs and the Cardinals obviously ended up winning the NL wild card with the Cardinals and Tampa ending up on the last day. I think with the sudden death one game playoff as long as it’s not extended too long, you get that sudden death feeling of watching the game and knowing that at the end of the game they’re moving on, that’s A. And D, usually to win that game you have to throw one of your better pitchers or your best pitcher because there is no tomorrow.  A lot of times the wild card team, especially with TV and delaying the start of the playoffs that you get a wild card team that has no arm pitchers and all of a sudden they are in. So if you burn out a pitcher or a bullpen trying to get to the playoffs, a lot of times the team they are playing is not seeing number one. Probably the other thing that you asked me which I probably can’t remember very well…   Greg: Houston going to the AL.   Arte: I was being sarcastic. This is a very, very political business we are in. I really believe that we should be in a situation where within reason you should be able to get in your car and drive and see your competition. Like for a lot of you might be able to drive here and catch a game and/or spend a few days and I think when you’re talking a couple time zones away affect us from a fans standpoint, television standpoint, there are just a lot of things. But I’ve tried to be polite about the situation.   Carlota Komp: I work for Lotus Broadcasting. Yesterday we booted the Yankees and now we are the official Angels broadcast partners. They know I’m a huge fan so they were showing me the contract and running around my office like “We’re Angels now”. The greatest gift I’ve ever gave myself quitting smoking, what is the greatest give you have ever given yourself?   Arte: (Arte turns to his wife). Does anyone have any questions for the players?    Question from Unknown Guest: How much influence did it have being a Latino owner in landing Albert?   Arte: I think objectively there should be 29 or 30 other teams that would love to have a player like Albert. I think as you’re going through the process of what your needs are and who do you have signed and who’s already in that position, I think you go through that process. But you would like to think that you’re looking at objectivity of what that player is going to mean to the team instead of just saying the owner likes this guy and we should sign him. I think anytime that happens I have the old plumber theory.  All you need to do is get a plumber and “it” goes downhill and I feel that way about management. You let them make the decision you have someone to blame.  I was being sarcastic.   Dave Snyder:  On behalf of all of our fans, certainly the people of AngelsWin.com, thank you for what you’ve done for our team.    Eric Moses:  I was just wondering if you could be a little candid with us on what you said to Albert about this whole marketing situation that didn’t sit well with him.    Arte: (Waives John Carpino to the podium)   John Carpino: You know, it’s pretty simple. What we did when we were trying to lay out our marketing campaign, we did what you guys do. We literally googled Albert Pujols nicknames and that was one of them. We put it on there and we handled it internally primarily with Albert. It was done more of a marketing campaign as it relates to “no you’re the man, no you’re the man”, not any disrespect to Stan Musial or anything else like that.  I believe the fans got it, I believe everybody else got it, I believe the media took it to a different level. That’s basically the short story and the long story all in one.  The process is an interesting one.  Arte and I both became pseudo creative directors played around creative for weeks. We go through the whole office like what ideas you have. We did it on the Sports Lodge on Roger Loge the show in the morning on campaign ideas.  We rolled them all out, we stick them on the walls, and see what looks good and what doesn’t look good and we try to narrow it down narrow it down. We’ve had some from my daughter saying OMG to everything.  We just kind of go through the process to keep everyone involved creatively that ideas come from everyone. Try to do a mass appeal, try to not only market to you and make you feel proud of the team, but try to activate passive fans and go OK let’s go to a game, let’s go to 2 games, let’s go to 4 games and then build it from there.  The process is pretty simple but it’s time consuming.  We take our time; we believe it’s real important.  That whole El Hombre thing I think got spun out of control so can say we handled it internally.    Arte:  Albert understood and we sat down and talked to him. He’s fine about stuff. 
    Arte: Love the hat (as Percy stands up). I’m a Vietnam Vet you know; usually we were shooting at them.    (PercySquint slowly sits back down).    PercySquint: I will side with my friend over here and thanking you for your commitment to winning. My question to is that most successful corporations and businesses have a mission statement. What is the Angels mission statement?    Arte: That’s a good one. I would always say you want everyone to have a lot of fun, but at the end of the day you really have a lot of fun when you’re winning. When you put so emphasis on winning all the time that covers everything else up. When Tim said “would you do this?” (referring to the Angelswin dinner), and I said yeah I would love to go see it. You guys are so involved and to me the fans are having a good time and they like the product and they see that we are really working hard to make sure that you’re taken care of and that we’re trying to win. I know not everybody agrees with everything when you do it and how you do it but as a whole we receive high marks from the fans and we try to listen and I appreciate that, thank you.
    I see one more hand back there. I used to always sit in the back of the class never wanting them to call on me but usually the toughest questions come from back of the class.    Cory Hinkel:  My name is Cory from Thousand Oaks California and my question to you Arte is: What’s your personal favorite moment?   Arte: I have lot of them, we had 86 of them last year. I think there’s a bunch of them, 04 making the playoffs, 05 we had a great team knocking the Yankees out then went to Chicago on short rest. Flew all night and won the first game, the second game was you know the (Eddings call), but anyways whatever it was that was a fine year. Really felt we were a few games away.  Thinking every good team you’re gonna go in and play somebody like New York or Boston. In 09 we had a very very good team and swept Boston. I really felt that we turned the corner and went to New York and gave one away minimum. Didn’t play well in the first one, the second one, and still ended up in 6 games. You get real close in getting to the Championship and really felt we were getting to the place from an organization that we were going to compete at a high level. Texas was going pretty hard from the behind and I don’t think we were prepared. Like I said, there were so many of those things that I enjoy and sometimes it’s really nice to walk around the park and everybody is polite and sometimes they tell me what they don’t like.  
    Thank you very much. 
    Here is the video of the interview.
     
  12. Chuck
    Trout earns 10th career All-Star selection and ninth straight as a starter Ohtani makes his second consecutive Major League All-Star Team
    ANAHEIM – Mike Trout (OF) and Shohei Ohtani (DH) have been selected via fan voting to start for the American League in the 2022 Major League Baseball All-Star Game, to be played Tuesday, July 19 at Dodger Stadium. Trout extends his Angels records with 10 overall All-Star selections and nine selections via fan voting.
    Ohtani earns his second consecutive All-Star starting nod at designated hitter and is the first player to win consecutive All-Star starts at DH via fan voting since Nelson Cruz in 2014-15. Trout is the first Major League player to be voted in by the fans as a starter in nine straight All-Star Games since Alex Rodriguez (2000-08). He also becomes the eighth player in A.L. history to earn nine fan elections with one organization, joining Cal Ripken Jr. (BAL, 17), George Brett (KC, 11), Ken Griffey Jr. (SEA, 10), Rod Carew (MIN, 9), Derek Jeter (NYY, 9), Ichiro Suzuki (SEA, 9) and Iván Rodríguez (TEX, 9).
    Entering play today, Trout ranks in the Top Five in the American League this season in home runs (3rd; 23), slugging (3rd; .601), OPS (4th; .968), runs (4th; 53), extra-base hits (42) and total bases (161). He scored his 1,000th career run on May 21 and joined Garret Anderson (1,024) as the only players in Angels history to do so. Additionally, he became the first player in MLB history to hit game-winning home runs in four different games of a series during the Angels trip in Seattle from June 16-19.

    This season, Ohtani is the only player in the Majors with both 18+ home runs and 10+ stolen bases. Additionally, he ranks in the Top 10 in the A.L. with 34 extra-base hits (6th), 53 RBI (8th) and 149 total bases (8th).
    On June 21 vs. Kansas City, he set a single-game career high with eight RBI which are the most in an MLB game for any Japanese-born player. Additionally, he has made 14 pitching starts, going 8-4 with a 2.44 ERA (81 IP – 22 ER) and 111 strikeouts. In his last five pitching starts, Ohtani is 5-0 with a 0.27 ERA (33.2 IP – 1 ER) and 46 strikeouts. In his seven previous All-Star Game appearances, Trout has amassed a .412 average (7/17) with two doubles, one triple, two home runs, four RBI, three walks and four runs scored. He became the first player to win the All-Star Game Most Valuable Player Award in consecutive seasons after winning the honors in 2014 and 2015. His seven All-Star Game hits are the most in Angels history. Additionally, his 17 All-Star Game total bases before turning 28 years old, are tied with Al Kaline and Ted Williams for the most in A.L. history; in the N.L., only Johnny Bench (18) had more by that age. Trout did not play in the 2017 and 2021 All-Star Games due to injury.

    Ohtani, the reigning A.L. MVP, made his MLB All-Star Game debut last season and was both the starting pitcher and starting designated hitter for the American League. He was the first player ever to start at pitcher, start in the leadoff spot and earn the win all in the same game (regular season, All-Star or postseason). He also became the only player ever selected to an All-Star team as both a pitcher and a position player.
    The complete All-Star rosters will be announced on Sunday, July 10th at 2:30 p.m. PT during the AllStar Selection Show on ESPN. 
  13. Chuck
    By Jonathan Northrop, AngelsWin.com Senior Writer
    Part One: The Cycle of Ages - Angels Baseball version
    After the dead-cat bounce of the post-Golden Era (2014-15), the Angels dipped below .500 in 2016 and have stayed there since, with a .465 Win% from 2016-23, which equates with a 75-87 record. In other words, for the last eight seasons, the Angels have been, on average, a 75-win team.
    Without going back into it again in too much depth, the Angels are long overdue for a rebuild, or at least, a shift in the organizational approach of the last decade plus. One could argue that they should have rebuilt way back in 2010-11 but Arte wouldn't accept that the Golden Age was over. What commenced was a serious of blunders that proved disastrous to the franchise for the last 15 years. They had another window in 2015-2016 and didn't take it, for a variety of reasons: they had a promising core of young starters, all of whom went under the knife. Next, they had the Trout Window, and then the Ohtani Window. 
    So we have, ala the Greek/Indian ages, four distinct periods of 21st Century Angels Baseball:
    2002-09: Golden Age - no comment needed. If you're a Millenial or older, you remember. If you're a Zennial, no, it isn't fake news - the Angels really were one of the half dozen best franchises in baseball for the first decade of the new millenium.
    2010-15: Silver Age - At the time it was frustrating, but they won 85+ games in four out of six seasons, and we saw the arrival of the Promised One. Oh, and We Got Pujols; we'll extend Greinke; Hamilton is just so talented, isn't he? 
    2016-20: Bronze Age - Things started looking grim, but we got a smart GM in Eppler. Right? 
    2020-23: Iron (or Dark) Age - This era, despite the gloriousness of Ohtani, was embodied by Trout's injuries and Rendon's suckitude. It was probably the most dismal three-year span since, I don't know, the early 90s. If you want a Darkest Hour of the Dark Age, it is probably either the losing streak in 2022 or the trade deadline last year and what followed. Or possibly Ohtani signing with the Dodgers. But it's over, right?
    Now the ancients had a few different versions of the cycle of ages. One is that the Dark Age eventually led to a new Golden Age. Yeah, right. Another is that the cycles goes back in reverse, and a new "ascending" Bronze Age follows the Dark Age, and then up to Silver and eventually Golden. Seems more plausible - or at least possible. A third is, well, Ragnarok: the Dark Age ends in cataclysm and the world ends.
    Let's hope that the trade deadline, team collapse, and departure of Ohtani is that Ragnarok and that we'll get to start seeing the ascent again. I mean, how much worse can it get?
    Anyhow, the various factors mentioned above kept the Angels brass from doing what long needed doing: taking stock and pushing the reset button. Of course there wasn't much to take stock of, but at least they could have held off on spending more money on mediocre free agents in a lame attempt to kinda compete each year.
    So now Ohtani's gone and the Angels had one of their quietest offseasons in the last couple decades: No big splashes, no long contracts at all, just a handful of gap-fills and somewhat random free agent signings. It was a bit confusing at first, because Minasian's early offseason emphasis on building a stronger bullpen implied that he was going to go big on free agency. But nothing significant manifested -- no new starting position players or pitchers, just a handful of bench and bullpen guys. 
    Barring a last minute Snellsplash, it looks like the Angels are truly--and finally--taking a beat, taking stock, and maybe eventually replenishing the farm a bit (barring contention come trade deadline). And I say, hallelujah! It is long overdue.
    Consider the above as being a summation of my offseason thoughts, with the disclaimer that I've only paid passing attention the last few months and haven't really followed the Cactus League. On to part two...
    Part Two: 2024 - the Year of Stock-Taking 
    Here's the new part, or at least new to me. "Taking stock" implies seeing how good the young guys are. But I think that is somewhat secondary to the Minasian Plan. We know that in 2025 and beyond, the under-25s of Detmers, Silseth, O'Hoppe, Neto and Schanuel will be around - there isn't really a likely scenario in which they don't form the nucleus of whatever this iteration of the Angels morphs into. But what Minasian will really be looking at, aside from whether (and to what degree) Trout and Rendon can salvage their careers, is how the not-so-young guys will do. Meaning, the 25-30 group that includes Sandoval, Canning, Ward, Rengifo, Adell, and Moniak.
    Really, it is all of the above and more - but I wanted to highlight that middle group, because those are the guys who are "on the clock" in one form or fashion. Sandoval and Canning have shown promise but struggled at various points in their career; Ward is coming off a major injury and it remains to be who the real Taylor Ward is; Rengifo is deciding whether he's going to be a quality regular or a bench guy; and Adell and Moniak are fighting for a starting gig, and at least for Adell, whether or not he's an Angel long-term.
    So in summary, we have several groups that bear watching:
    The young pups (under 25): Detmers, Silseth, O'Hoppe, Neto, Schanuel, also Joyce, Bachman, and Soriano (who is 25, but belongs with this group). 
    The mid guys (age 25-30): Sandoval, Canning, Ward, Rengifo, Adell, Moniak, and Suarez.
    The old guys (over 30s): Trout and Rendon.
    The mercs (possible trade fodder): Anderson, Drury, most of the bullpen, especially Estevez, Moore, and Stephenson.
    The last group, the "mercs," are solid players but are ultimately expendable, and the type of guys you dangle in July if you're out of the playoff hunt. Meaning, they only "stock-taking" is whether any of them have value - either for an unlikely postseason hunt in the second half or, more likely, as trade fodder.
    The young guys are here to stay and are the nucleus for the next half decade plus, along with Old Man Trout. The middle guys are the ones whose place on the Angels are most in question - thus my relating the term "taking stock" most especially to them. Minasian will be looking at who is worth keeping and who joins the trade fodder, in the likelihood that the Angels are sellers in July.
    Not sure what to say about the Decrepit Duo that hasn't already been said. The hope is obviously that both have a renaissance of some kind - that Trout returns at least to 2022 form but with better health, and Rendon is at least a solid on-base hitter. I'm guessing that of the two, he team's hopes is 95% on Trout, and anything Rendon produces is viewed as a pleasant surprise.
    All of the above are under the eye of "taking stock" but, I think, the mid guys most especially. So even if the Angels struggle and don't ever really contend, it should be interesting to see how this year pans out.
  14. Chuck
    Interview Conducted by Brian Waller, AngelsWin.com Feature Writer

    Intensity is something you can’t teach. It’s not a pitch you can practice in the bullpen; it’s not a flaw in your swing you can fix in the batting cages. It’s an intangible that doesn’t show in stat lines on the back of baseball cards. It’s a personality trait that is found in winners and leaders throughout baseball’s long history.
    Few men are more intense when it comes to the game of baseball then Larry Bowa. Bowa played 16 seasons in Major League Baseball, 12 of those seasons with the Philadelphia Phillies. Fast feet, soft hands, a quick temper, and unlimited determination characterized Bowa's years as a player in which he was selected to five All-Star games and was the recipient of two Gold Glove awards. The pinnacle of Bowa’s playing career came in 1980 however when he, along with Mike Schmidt, Pete Rose and Steve Carlton beat the Kansas City Royals in the World Series bringing the Phillies their first ever championship. Bowa would go on to play another five seasons before retiring in 1985.   Rather than enjoy retirement, Bowa instead chose to begin a new chapter in his baseball career by becoming the manager of the San Diego Padres in 1987. Bowa’s time in San Diego would be brief however as he and the Padres parted ways in 1988. Following his departure from San Diego Bowa would go on to become one of the great third base coaches in recent history as he would man the coach's box for the Phillies, Angels and Mariners.   In 2001, Bowa became the manager of the Phillies and that same year was named the 2001 National League Manager of the Year. Bowa and the Phillies would part ways in 2004 but his time off would be brief, he again found himself in the third base coach’s box, this time for the Yankees and Dodgers.   After departing the Dodgers in 2010, Bowa became an analyst with the MLB Network. Bowa draws from his years of experience as a player, coach and manager to provide viewers with in-depth analysis like only he can. I was fortunate enough to speak with Bowa recently to get his thoughts on his time with the Halos, their chances this season, and the changes that have occurred in baseball since his playing days.   AngelsWin: Larry, On behalf of Angelswin.com I’d like to thank you for your time this afternoon; I know your schedule is very hectic with the 2012 season approaching. You’ve been associated with the game of baseball in numerous capacities throughout the years, Angel fans though will recall your time with the Halos as a third base coach from 1997-1999, can you talk briefly about your time with the Angels and speak of your fondest memory?   Bowa: I remember how enjoyable it was to go to the ballpark every day. The stadium is beautiful. I recall that at the time the crowds weren’t necessarily what they are today for the Angels (in terms of attendance) and when the Yankees came to town it almost seemed like it was an away game for us. The Angel fans were always great though. It was also great being there around the time that the young outfielders were coming into their own, Salmon, Edmonds and Anderson were outstanding young players and were a lot of fun to watch.   AngelsWin: When you were a coach with the Angels, was there one player that you specifically took under your wing as a mentor? If so who, and what did you see in them that made you do so?   Bowa: Not so much as a mentor, but I really enjoyed Gary Disarcina. He was a terrific player, had a blue collar mentality and came to the ball park to play every single day. He was really the glue that held that infield together and he always seemed to fly under the radar. He was one of my favorite players to coach and watch play on a daily basis. He was a gamer.   AngelsWin: We talked about your coaching days with the Angels, how about opposing the Angels? As a coach, who was the one player wearing a Halo’s uniform that you dreaded facing and why?   Bowa: (Laughs) that’s a good question; I have to think about that one. I do know this, the team we did not like facing when I was with the Angels was hands down the Yankees. It always seemed like we played them close but one thing or another would happen and we would end up losing the game. We always felt we played them close and had a chance to win but it didn’t always work out in our favor.   AngelsWin: What one word would you use to describe yourself as a player? How about as a manager/coach?   Bowa: Intense. I was always intense, from the time I got to the ballpark to when I left, both as a player and coach.   AngelsWin: Can you give us a little insight as to why you were so intense? Where does it stem from and when did it start?   Bowa: I’d say it started in high school. I was actually cut from my high school baseball team and I wasn’t drafted out of college either. I had to work twice as hard and when I played the game I never took anything for granted. I played every game; every out like it might be my last. I think that is where the intensity came from.   AngelsWin: After years of playing, coaching and managing, how is it being away from the field and sitting in a studio commentating on the game? Has it been a big adjustment for you?   Bowa: It hasn’t been really. I get paid to come to work every day and watch baseball and talk baseball. The MLB Network treats us really good here.   AngelsWin: Do you see yourself ever coaching or managing again?   Bowa: If the right situation came along yeah, I do. Like I said, I’m happy with where I am at now but if the right situation comes a long I would be interested.   AngelsWin: You’ve been associated with this game for decades. As a player, coach, manager and now as a commentator, what accomplishment are you most proud of?   Bowa: A personal goal that I am very proud of is getting 2,000 hits. As it pertains to the team, it would be winning a world series in 1980. There is no feeling that tops winning a World Series, I don’t care if you hit .350 in ten straight seasons, it doesn’t compare to being a champion. That is what I am most proud of, being a part of that (Philadelphia) Phillies team and winning the World Series.   AngelsWin: Has the game changed for the better since your playing days?   Bowa: I think so, yes. I am a fan of the playoff format change, it builds excitement in cities around the league and it gives teams incentive to win their division. I am a fan of instant replay as well, every other sport has it and I think baseball should have it too. It’s important to get the call right.   AngelsWin: Some say there has been a power shift in the American League, from the East to the West. Do you agree with that?   Bowa: The AL West is definitely stronger than it’s been in a while. Those two teams (Angels and Rangers) are both very good and I think who goes to the World Series comes down to a battle between those two teams. From top to bottom though I think the AL East still has more depth and better quality teams. I don’t think a lot of people realize how good the Toronto Blue Jays are going to be this seasons. That gives the AL East 4 very good teams (Yankees, Red Sox, Rays and Blue Jays).   AngelsWin: The Angels and Rangers have developed quite a rivalry recently which has made for competitive and entertaining games. If you could pick one game to watch, either the Yankees vs Red Sox or the Angels vs Rangers, which game would you pick?   Bowa: I don’t think you could go wrong picking either of them. For me, it comes down to the (pitching) match-ups. The Angels rotation is very impressive and they have the ability to throw an ace out there on a nightly basis. Again, it’s hard to choose one game so I will base my decision off of the pitching match-ups between the two teams.   AngelsWin: Who do you predict will meet in the 2012 World Series?   Bowa: That’s difficult to say right now, there are some very good teams right now. I see it coming down to the Rangers or Angels for the AL. The Angels rotation is just so strong. The one question mark I think the team has though is Jordan Walden. I think if he can improve on his control then he could easily roll of 45 saves. I also think Detroit (Tigers) are going to be a very good team this seasons as well. As far as the NL, I think it comes down to the (Philadelphia) Phillies and the (St. Louis) Cardinals with the (San Francisco) Giants not far behind.   AngelsWin: Final question, I have got to know something. From a coach and player perspective, what did the team think of the late 1990’s Angels uniform? Were you guys a fan of the winged “A” and the periwinkle blue?   Bowa: (Laughs) You know, they weren’t that bad. I will say this though; they aren’t nearly as sharp as the Angels uniform today. The uniforms today are really nice.   AngelsWin: Again, I just wanted to thank you for your time today Larry. You’ve provided us with some good insight on a lot of different topics. Angelswin.com really appreciates it.   Bowa: It was my pleasure. I hope you guys enjoy the season.   One thing became clear to me while I was speaking with Larry Bowa, the passion he has for the game of baseball hasn’t diminished since he became a commentator. When speaking about the game, Bowa is very sincere and the intensity that he displayed on the field for decades now manifests itself in the form of debating baseball topics. It wasn’t necessarily an interview but more two people just talking baseball. It was truly a pleasure speaking with a man that has accomplished so much in the game of baseball.   *Larry Bowa can be seen regularly on MLB Hot Stove, MLB Tonight and 30 Clubs in 30 Days on the MLB Network.
  15. Chuck
    By @WicketMaiden, AngelsWin.com Contributor
    Cricket is not new to the United States. Indeed, it is a little known fact that the first ever international cricket fixture in the world was played in New York between the USA and Canada in 1844. There was so much interest created at the time that it is believed over $100,000 was wagered on the outcome of the game. An incredible amount of money by 1844 standards, but sadly for those backing the home side, Canada won by 23 runs in a low scoring affair.
    While the game had a good hold in the US in the 19th century, it was around the time of the US civil war that baseball became more prevalent as, unlike cricket, it could be played almost anywhere and didn’t require specially prepared pitches (something quite hard to provide for a marching army). This began a long and slow decline of cricket in the US which was checked for a while by The Philadelphians at the turn of the 20th Century. The Gentlemen of Philadelphia had a fine cricket team in the late 1890’s and early 1900’s, beating the Australian and Ireland national teams and also touring England three times with some genuine success.
    In their final tour, in 1908, one of their bowlers (Bart King - USA’s greatest ever cricketer) topped the English first class charts for bowling averages with a record shattering average that wasn’t bettered for fifty years. Such was the interest in keeping Bart in England to play County Cricket (and hopefully Test cricket for England later on), he was offered a marriage to a rich English heiress that came with an annual income of £7000 per year, an astronomical sum to an insurance clerk like King, but alas for English cricket he returned to the US and never toured here again.
    Bart King was so good that had he been Australian or English he would still be lauded today as one of the best bowlers that ever played the game, and he is widely regarded as being the world’s first genuine swing bowler - a skill that plays an enormous role in cricket today. A truly wonderful legacy, and proof positive of the confluence between cricket and baseball because Bart played both and used his knowledge of pitching curveballs to inform his swing bowling in cricket. Bart changed cricket forever.
    All very nice and all very old, but what is the attraction of cricket today to an American baseball fan? Well, whatever you like about baseball, cricket has it too.
    You like dingers? In cricket it's called a six and scores six runs. In an IPL T20 match you'll typically see around 14 or 15 of those, per game. Want to see your favourite player hit more dingers? No problem, if a batsman hits a 6 in cricket he stays out there to face the next ball. The world record is six sixes from a six ball over (an ‘over’ is a set of 6 balls). Imagine that - Trout hits a pitcher for a HR, then stays there for another, then another, then another… you get the picture.
    Like the running game and great defence? In cricket we catch the ball with our hands, (only the catcher (wicket-keeper) wears gloves), and we get batters out by throwing the ball directly at the stumps (strike-zone), often hitting the equivalent of strikes and getting people out from 100 feet away. In a game which slightly favours the batsman scoring runs, the catches and outs (wickets) in cricket tend to be more spectacular because of their rarity: there are only a maximum of 10 outs per team per game, so they are big events within the context of a match.
    You into pitching and like a fastball up and in to keep the batters on their toes? In cricket you're allowed to hit the batsman as many times as you like, and you can even aim at his head once or twice every six balls too. It's a big part of the game and is why the batsmen wear so much padding, (it still bloody hurts when the ball hits you though).
    Do you like players that are two-way talents? - Cricket is chock-full of them, with two or three on every team who are genuinely good with both bat and ball. Even those players who are in the team just for their bowling skills still have to go out there and try to bat for a while - which can be really good fun when they get it right and hit a few sixes at the end of an innings.
    Enjoy the battle between pitching plans and batting adjustments? This is at the very heart of cricket, and with the variations of pace, line, length and delivery type available to the bowlers, and the different stances, positions and shots in the batsmen’s armoury, bowling plans and batsmen’s adjustments are aplenty. Match-ups are key, as in baseball, but in cricket it’s not one spell of bowling and then you’re done for the game, in cricket the captain can chop and change the bowlers every over if he so chooses, and can bring people back whenever he wants to until they’ve bowled their allotted overs for the match.
    Get annoyed by over-managing from the dug-out? No problem, once the cricketers enter the field of play it’s all on them. The captain chooses the bowlers and sets the field, but the bowlers themselves choose what type of delivery they will bowl, ball by ball (with some input from senior players and the captain). The coaching staff are in the pavilion watching and have to wait for a session or innings to end before they can influence the team’s thinking and strategy.
    Or maybe, it’s the stats that really make a sport come alive for you and if that’s the case, yes, cricket has that covered too. Batting averages, bowling averages, spin, turn, speed, distance, trajectory of the ball into the crowd, and the old favourite the scorecard, which records the outcome of every ball in detail. Cricket loves stats.
    Add to that, excellent umpiring, a brilliant and efficient review system, knowledgeable and passionate fans, and matches that often build to a crescendo with all results still possible right up until the very final ball of the match - in this year’s IPL final, CSK won by hitting a 6 and a 4 off the final two balls of the match, (that’s like hitting a ground-rule double and a HR in the bottom of the 9th with two-outs and two strikes in an 0-2 count off consecutive pitches). It was a brilliant end to a fantastic match in a wonderful competition.
    In short, baseball and cricket are a sporting brotherhood. Two of the finest games the world has to offer and I encourage anyone who loves either one of them to watch the other, because the chances are you’ll soon come to love that one too. There is no better time to get into cricket as an American than now: Major League Cricket begins this year in Texas in July, it’s your first T20 competition and I can’t wait to see how well it does over there. I'm sure it will be a great success.
    https://www.majorleaguecricket.com/about/
  16. Chuck
    Taylor Blake Ward caught up with two young starting pitchers for the Inland Empire 66ers on the eve of game one of the Low-A California League Playoffs. 
    Angels pitching prospect and most recent 2023 eighth-round pick, Barrett Kent, sits down to chat about the draft process and his up-and-down spring that turned into a successful professional debut and then Angels pitching prospect Walbert Urena shares what he believes turned his 2023 season around while utilizing his sinker more effectively and reining in his mechanics, while also sharing a note about touching 102 miles-per-hour.
    Check out our interviews below. Enjoy! 
     
  17. Chuck
    By Jonathan Northrup, AngelsWin.com Columnist
    All of this is highly subjective, so feel free to tell me I'm an idoit. Very simply, a 50 FV prospect projects to be an average regular; everything above that is good or better (55 = good regular, 60 = all-star, etc), and everything below that is worse (45 = fringe regular/platoon, 40 = bench, etc).
    LIKELY means I would be surprised if the player in question wasn't traded. MAYBE means there's at least a 50-50 chance. UNLIKELY means I would be surprised, but it could happen given the right set of circumstances.
    The Players Most Likely to Be Traded (in rough order)...
    Raisel Iglesias - LIKELY, as plenty of contending teams could use him for the stretch run. He's probably worth the most at the deadline and could earn the Angels either a good to very prospect (50-55 FV) or a couple solid ones (45 FV). In a best of all worlds scenario, the Angels get a 55 FV guy and a 45 FV guy, but we shouldn't bank on it.
    Alex Cobb/Andrew Heaney - One of them is LIKELY, either one on their own or both is MAYBE. Kevin Goldstein at Fangraphs called Cobb the "most underrated" trade target; hopefully major league teams agree. Both could be useful for a contender needing a fourth solid starter, so have some value. I think either could get the Angels a prospect in the 50 FV range. Heaney is younger and a perennial tease for being a #2-3, rather than the #3-4 he usually is, so might get the Angels a slightly better return.
    Mike Mayers/Steve Cishek/Tony Watson/Alex Claudio - LIKELY at least one gets traded, MAYBE for each. I think Cishek or Watson would be most likely, with their veteran cred. All of these guys would get no more than a decent Rondon (30-35 FV, maybe 40 FV if they're lucky).
    Jose Iglesias - MAYBE. He could be a useful bench player/fill-in guy on a contender. Won't get them much in return, but maybe an intriguing low level prospect in the FV 40 range.
    Phil Gosselin/Juan Lagares/Kurt Suzuki - MAYBE. Gosselin has played well and might catch someone's eye, to fill a similar role as Jose Iglesias as a bench guy. Similarly with Lagares for a contender wanting a defensive 4th outfielder. Suzuki is less likely, but maybe someone will see the name and think, "I know that guy, he can hit a bit." None will get more than Rondons in return.
    Dylan Bundy/Jose Quintana - MAYBE one, UNLIKELY both. A team might take a flyer on one of these guys, and the Angels would probably take whatever they could get, at least for Quintana. I think both will remain on the team and fill out innings, and either could be re-signed for a very cheap contract as a back-up plan. I don't think either would get more than a 35-40 FV prospect in return, and the Angels might have to pay some of their contract.
    Justin Upton - UNLIKELY. The scenario in which Upton is traded is this: he comes back and resumes where he left off, channeling his 2018 self. Not a star, but a good player who could plug a hole on a contender (gross). Someone wants him, but needs money in return and the Angels have to pay half or more of next year's $28M salary. I don't think they trade him if it is much more than half, though, unless they get a prospect in return. Someone would throw in a Rondon or two.

    Dark Horse 1: Taylor Ward - MAYBE/UNLIKELY. A team wants to fill a hole and acquire a cheap, useful player. Ward fits the bill and is expendable with Thaiss in AAA. The Angels probably wouldn't trade him for less than a solid 45+ FV prospect, but someone might cough that up. As solid as Ward has been, he's expendable and has limited upside (fringe regular, solid bench player). Meaning, he's the type of player that 45 FV prospects are projected to become, so if the Angels can get a 45+ pitcher, it would make sense for them.
    Dark Horse 2: Jaime Barria - MAYBE/UNLIKELY. He got an extra year of options this year, but will have to be on the major league roster next year (I believe), but there's probably no place in the rotation, so he'll end up being a swingman. But someone might see potential here and could offer a decent (45 FV) prospect. If the Angels can get a higher upside lottery ticket for Barria, I could see them trading him.
    Everyone Else - UNLIKELY. The Angels are unlikely to be buyers, so won't trade any of their cost-controlled young players and prospects, unless they're fringy and packaged to sweeten a deal. 
  18. 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. 
     
  19. Chuck
    By @Inside Pitch, AngelsWin.com Contributor
    Interesting numbers..
    https://www.fangraphs.com/leaders.aspx?pos=all&stats=pit&lg=all&qual=0&type=8&season=2021&month=0&season1=2021&ind=0&team=1&rost=0&age=0&filter=&players=0&startdate=2021-01-01&enddate=2021-12-31&sort=20,d

    Everyone who would have guessed Quintana had the best FIP among the SPs, raise your hand?   
    The Babip numbers for some of these guys are what you'd expect for small sample sizes -- all over the place.  As a team they have been totally normal for what you'd expect over a full 162 games (.301) -- but that ranks as the 10th highest in MLB which means compared to the rest of MLB they have been a tad unlucky early on. The HR/FB rates sort of indicate some bad luck or rather, fluke outcomes given what the HR/9 is.   The team K/9 rates are great, the BB/9 rate have been league average, the team GB rate has been elite.   Basically the early indications are that for the most part the pitching is likely to improve and if there is any truth to the thinking that inducing GBs and piling up K totals = future success the pitching staff has a lot going for it.  That HR/FB has basically been the issue.  Im guessing that figure will come down as they face less Astros, Jays and CWS hitters.
    https://www.fangraphs.com/leaders.aspx?pos=all&stats=bat&lg=all&qual=0&type=8&season=2021&month=0&season1=2021&ind=0&team=0,ts&rost=0&age=0&filter=&players=0&startdate=2021-01-01&enddate=2021-12-31&sort=8,d
    Offensively...  A lot to like there.   K rates are low, walk rates are too but again -- the level of competition has been good.   Defensively -- despite the spurt of ugly errors for a couple games there the Angels have 3 defensive runs saved, behind only the Tigers with 5.  (3 teams tied with 3).
    Basically, there really hasn't been anything flukey good early on and there are indications things will get better in some key areas. 
    It's been a fun first 7 games.
  20. Chuck
    On this episode of the AngelsWin Podcast, the guys welcome the television voice of the Angels, Wayne Randazzo!  They discuss Wayne’s first season with the team, what he’s looking forward to in 2024, the differences between the Mets and Angels’ fanbases and much more. 
    Geoff and Chuck wrap up the show with a recap of the AngelsWin 2024 Spring Training Fanfest in Tempe and Chuck’s thoughts about how the team looked.  
    Grab a seat, grab and drink and enjoy Episode 31!  
    If you missed our first interview with Wayne Randazzo last April, you can check that out here: 
     
    Don't miss an episode by following us on YouTube, Spotify, iTunes, iHeart Radio and Amazon Music.
    You can also watch or listen to the audio portion of all of our podcasts on our website here: https://www.angelswin.com/podcast/
  21. Chuck
    By @totdprods, AngelsWin.com Contributor
     
    ZACH NETO: 
    Currently on pace for 24 doubles, 20 HR, 20 SB, 40 BB over 161 G Out of 176 plate appearances on the year, his last 100 of them are looking pretty good: .309/.350/.575/.925 with a reasonable .354 BABip. This is cherry-picking, yes, but I also don't think anyone expected a .900+ OPS from him.  Starting to look a little like the Trea Turner-lite I hoped for. A 20/20 season is in reach. The power and contact have been a little better than expected and will probably come back to earth some. He's striking out a lot (on pace for 160 K) but not unexpected for a 23-year old that almost went straight to bigs.  NOLAN SCHANUEL:
    First 54 plate appearances: .093/.259/.163/.422 Last 118 plate appearances: .287/.328/.426/.754 and a .303 BABip, so not luck-driven. If those last 30 games are a sign of what his actual 2024 output may be, I don't think anyone would complain. Sure, the bat speed, baserunning and fielding have been underwhelming, but the discipline has been well above-average, even if it's not culminating in a ton of walks. Eventually that should change. Maybe the approach to coax more power threw off the mechanics. LOGAN O'HOPPE:
    Despite a tough cold snap over the last month, still above-average offensive slash: .264/.321/.403/.723, 104 OPS+ Baseball Savant still has him well above-average as a hitter, with 75th Percentile or better in Sweet-Spot %, Hard-Hit %, Exit Velocity, and 65th Percentile or better for xwOBA, xBA, and xSLG I'd sacrifice some offense so long as he keeps growing defensively and building a rapport with the pitching staff, and even then seems like he'll be a slightly above-average catcher at that. Maybe has some streakiness in him. JO ADELL: A picture is worth a thousand words (see below)

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