MLB Preview 2015: Los Angeles Angels of Anaheim

Los Angeles Angels 2014 Record: 98-64

Team Overview:

The Angels have to be one of the happiest teams in baseball. They had the best record in 2014 and the best player. Mike Trouts’ first three MLB seasons have been something that can statistically be compared to legends and the scary thing he is he doesn’t turn 24 until August. Most players don’t even enter their prime until they are 24 or 25 so the ceiling is awfully high for him. Behind him in the lineup is the best player of the generation before Trout, Albert Pujols. Pujols can be argued with only Miguel Cabrera as the best hitter of the past ten years. The fears that I mentioned in Miguel Cabrera entering a season at age 32 can be backed by the fact that Pujols has been on a decline in the past three seasons and he is now 35 years old. While Pujols may not be at the top his game, that game is still better than most power hitters out there and he provides a great compliment in run production to Trout. Josh Hamilton is supposed to be a third punch in the lineup but with injuries, and an eventual suspension coming it is tough to project, if anything, what he brings to the lineup. Without Hamilton the team will rely on guys like Matt Joyce and CJ Cron to pick up some slack. The Angels went out and acquired Joyce from the Rays this off-season and a lot of talking heads around the league like the move as a lefty bat. He will likely be in a platoon and won’t play much against lefties and I need to see him being a consistent factor before I can trust him. Cron is a 25-year-old power bat and if all goes right he can be an everyday first baseman. The hope is that Cron can effectively hit fifth against lefties and be a decent commodity lower in the lineup against righties, where Joyce can pick up the slack as a leftfielder and a power bat against righties. This may be a strong lineup when considering Kole Calhoun and Erik Aybar hitting in the top two spots. Both can move around the bases and can consistently get on base. David Freese is a decent option that can display depth in the lineup, and the team has two decent options to sort through at catcher. This entire lineup should be able to produce consistently and be an average to above average defense depending on how much help Trout can get.

The pitching may be a possibility to help in the run prevention, but it will need the health and progression of Garrett Richards. Richards was having a big time breakout 2014 campaign before a freak knee injury sidelined him for the year. While that may be more optimistic than the elbow and shoulder problems most young pitchers face, it still was announced he would not start opening day and that is not the most optimistic news. You still have to plant and push off so it will be interesting to see how he progresses from this. The team has its big names in Jared Weaver and CJ Wilson but neither can be counted on as top tier pitchers at this point to me. Weaver is a good pitcher but doesn’t miss enough bats and relies on producing fly balls that stay in the park, and Wilson has had control issues since he signed his big deal with the Angels. Matt Shoemaker came out of no where to have a good 2014 season and if he can continue off of that it can ease the stress of waiting for Richards. Shoemakers past numbers show regression for this season, but only time will tell as he was able to strike out a 8.21 hitters per 9 innings. Hector Santiago is a veteran who can eat innings and Andrew Heany will be a rookie to round out a hopeful rotation. The bullpen in which is average adds to an average staff that has potential to be above average.

What to Watch For?

The thing to watch for is Andrew Heany Heany is a rookie and is only 23 and was also a top prospect going into 2014. He finished his 2014 season on the Marlins major league roster and then was traded this offseason. His 2014-year was not a breakout season but he now looks to have his first full season and will look to grow into a pitcher. As noted above he may be very much needed given the lack of confidence in others in the pitching staff. If the change of scenery is a good thing and he can become a number 2 or 3 pitcher that would be a significant and fast addition to the Angels. Looking at this team down the stretch and seeing Richards Weaver and Heaney with Wilson and Santiago as lower end guys the rotation may be solid. Only time will tell if he will progress and breakout this season or not but it would be the big difference for the Halos in my opinion.

Where Do They Rank?

With the best record in baseball and Mike Trout only supposed to get better it is tough to think that they will be any worse at all. However with Wilson and Weaver on the wrong side of 30 and the questionable progression in what will come from the youngsters it is tough to get behind the arms the Angels have. They will certainly be competitive again and I think they playoffs are in the future but when looking at the full landscape of the division I have higher hopes for another team and will rank the Angels 2ndin the division.

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