Midseason Report: Los Angeles Angels of Anaheim
- Updated: July 14, 2016
The Los Angeles Angels of Anaheim have been playing better lately, so let us take a look at the first half of the season and grade the team.
MANAGER:
Mike Scioscia has done a nice job so far this season, due to the fact that he had to shuffle his players on the field due to the one thing that’s been hurting this team all season, INJURIES! We all know that any team in any sport isn’t going to be totally healthy, but Scioscia has been very frustrated with the rash of injuries and this has a big impact on the way he has had to manage this team. GRADE C+.
CATCHER:
Right now the Angels have only two catchers on their roster, Carlos Perez, and Jett Bandy. The two players have played well, Bandy can hit his .277 batting average is not bad for a young catcher in this league. We also have to remember that he has only played in 24 games in his career. Perez has a little more power and is a solid veteran, but the team is going with more youth over experience. Perez has been excellent in throwing out runners attempting to steal bases, and he ranks third in the majors in this category at 37 percent. Both players have to improve in the area of managing the pitching staff and calling better games for the pitchers.
GRADE C.
INFIELD: FIRST, AND SECOND BASE:
When you have Albert Pujols and C.J. Cron at first base, this isn’t bad combination to have, both have played well so far this season. Cron is a better option over Pujols because of age. Cron’s recent injury has left the door open for Ji-Man Choi to see more time at first base. Jefry Marte has played well when he’s at first, but he lacks power. Second base grade is going to be higher, I really like the job that Johnny Giavotella has done, a solid job when he has played there. He is a good defensive player, but he plays in a division that has great second basemen like Robinson Cano and Jose Altuve. Gregorio Petit has bounced around in several positions on this ball club. He is a very decent defensive player and great teammate. Just don’t trade this guy, if the Angels have any shot of returning to being competitive, Petit should be in the plans. GRADE FOR BOTH B-.
SHORTSTOP AND THIRD BASE:
Andrelton Simmons and Yunel Escobar have to cut down on the amount of errors in the second half of the season. Escobar has 13 and Simmons has 8, both are ranked amongst the major league leaders. Defensively they are below average, but Simmons batting average isn’t bad at .269. As for Escobar, we should see more power displayed, he only has 3 homers for the season and this is very low for a third baseman on any team in the majors. He can hit, .317 for the season is very good.
GRADE FOR BOTH C-.
OUTFIELD:
Mike Trout!!! enough said, he’s the team’s superstar and his play on the field has kept this team together, he deserves an A. Kole Calhoun has proven to be a very solid major league player, great defensively and he has been very reliable at the plate. Other than Cron and Trout, Calhoun has to be the best third option on this team in the clutch. Daniel Nava has been solid as well, he has made a great impact when needed. Todd Cunningham is young and hasn’t seen much time at the plate or in the field, his grade is incomplete.
GRADE B-.
DESIGNATED HITTER:
Albert Pujols and C.J. Cron has done an excellent job. Pujols has been making history and his play at this position has made a true impact when needed. Cron has just been excellent when not in the field as well. Solid play from both players. GRADE A-.
STARTING ROTATION:
The addition of Tim Lincecum was a shot in the arm for the Angels. The problem was keeping this starting rotation healthy, which has been a big problem all season long. With the struggles of Jered Weaver, Matt Shoemaker, Hector Santiago, and Nick Tropeano, this season has been a real challenge. Weaver lead the teams in wins, and Shoemaker leads the team in both ERA and strikeouts. The rotation just needs more stability and consistency. Once again, the injury bug has put this staff in a really bad bind. C.J. Wilson, Garrett Richards and Andrew Heaney are lost for the season and with their absence, this puts a real strain on the starters that are left. GRADE D.
BULLPEN:
The strain on the starting rotation has also impacted the bullpen. There has been some bright moments for the staff, Joe Smith has been up and down all season. Huston Street leads the team in saves, even though he spent a substantial time on the disable list. Mike Morin, Cam Bedrosian, Jhoulys Chacin and Fernando Salas have had the uphill task of keeping the team into game and holding teams in check. No bad, not great, just average.
GRADE C-.
THE WRAP-UP.
The Angels has shown that they have been playing better over the past few games, but that stretch of games in which they lost 12 of 14 games in last June and early July, has proven to be problematic for the team. This was one of the worst stretches the team has seen in years. Houston has been a real problem, the team has struggled against the Astros, only winning once in nine attempts this season. The Angels just haven’t played good against teams they should be able to handle easily. Tampa Bay, Milwaukee, Oakland and we remember the series in New York, which has been a usual house of horrors for the Halos. I have to give the team a C- for the first half of the season. They have looked good in some situations and terrible in others. The game in Boston on July 2, when the team scored 21 runs, you could see a season’s worth of frustration come out on the field at Fenway Park. Before the final series, they played the Tampa Bay Rays, after a heartbreaking loss in game one of the series, the team looked like the Angels we are a custom to seeing most of the time. They finished off the series very strongly, outscoring the Rays 25-8 in the final three games of the series. The second half of the season is going to be tough, as the team has to battle the Oakland A’s to stay out of the division’s basement. I think that the Angels will show signs of improvement and avoid the American League West’s cellar.
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