Los Angeles Angels of Anaheim: 2016 Fantasy Preview

A.L. West

Los Angeles Angels of Anaheim

Must Own Fantasy Player: Mike Trout

Potential Fantasy Bust: Hector Santiago

Prospect to Watch: Taylor Ward

The Los Angeles Angels were in position to capture another A.L. West crown, but a disastrous end to the season allowed both the Texas Rangers and Houston Astros to surpass them in the standings. Arte Moreno refused to go after any of the big time free agents this offseason, so how does the team shape up heading into 2016?

Mike Trout is easily the best all-around player in the game and that certainly applies to fantasy baseball as well. Even with the monster seasons from Bryce Harper and Paul Goldschmidt, is does not get much safer than taking Trout. The speed dipped and the power climbed last season, with speed down across baseball, the only way he could improve is to get his SB totals back into the 20s. But, that is really the only thing that dings his value.

Kole Calhoun has turned in back to back solid seasons, notching a combined 43 homers in the process. He saw his homers climb by nine last season, and it appeared as though that he traded his AVG which was down 14 points from 2014, in favor for more power. The 60 strike out climb is a little concerning, but with the perfect spot in the order in front of Trout, he should still be a quality mid round OF selection this spring.

The Angels offense has its weak points, but none may bigger than what they intend to use in left field this season. As they sit right now, it looks as though a platoon of Daniel Nava/Todd Cunningham/Craig Gentry, is the plan. Obviously, neither of these candidates deserve fantasy consideration next season.

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The biggest acquisition the club made this offseason was bringing in defensive wizard, Andrelton Simmons, from the Braves. There are very few players in baseball that you would just pay to watch field their position, but the Angels now have two of them including Trout. Unfortunately for Simmons, his defensive wizardry does not correlate into fantasy value.

Since he broke out with 17 homers in 2013, he has only managed a total of 11 HR over the last two seasons. He has traded his power for more contact, but without the homers somewhere in the 10-15 range, his upside is just too limited. Owners can still take a flier on him at the end of drafts this spring, with the hopes that he can emerge offensively once again.

Johnny Giavotella is the definition of a Mike Scioscia kind of guy, as he just comes to the ballpark every day and does all the little things that a manager asks for from. He is not flashy in fantasy terms, but did post a .274 AVG last season, he does not have to be selected this spring but could get hot during the season and become a waiver wire MI add.

The other “marquee” addition for the Halos was bringing in Yunel Escobar from Washington. Escobar made a ton of contact last season and it parlayed into his best offensive season since 2011. He does not offer much power from thirdbase and his career best .314 AVG will certainly dip next season. But, with the potential of being the leadoff hitter in front of Calhoun and Trout, he makes for a nice late round pick this spring thanks to the counting stats he could amass.

The key for the Angels competing in the division, is can C.J. Cron and Albert Pujols produce enough to elongate an otherwise top heavy lineup. Pujols may be on the decline but his power still remains and that was proven through his 40 homer barrage last season. But, he has been hindered by lower half injuries the last two seasons and had to have surgery this offseason on his foot.

He remains optimistic that he could be ready for opening day, but if may be better if he does not rush back unless fully healed up and primed for the long haul of the season. Pujols still can be taken in the mid-rounds this spring, as there is still enough meat on the bone for fantasy owners even during the latter half of his career. This is where Cron has to step in and not only fill in for Pujols if he misses times, but unless further develop into a lineup presence.

Cron had a decent 2015 with 16 homers, but struggled at times and even was sent down to the minors last season. He hit well during his minor league stint, and the power was still apparent. He is going to bat either in the cleanup spot or in the five hole, so the potential to drive in runs will be there, it is just going to come down to if he can become a major league starter or just another dreaded Quad-A type of talent.

Geovany Soto or Carlos Perez may possibly split the catching duties, and neither should be trusted as fantasy options going forward.

The Angels rotation consists of plenty of question marks, but they also has a few established talents. Garrett Richards is a top flight starter and rebounded nicely from his knee injury in 2014, to go one and have a quality 2015. He is more of a fantasy SP2, but he has nice upside and could surprise some by jumping into ace status next season if the K rate increases.

The only other draftable pitching asset may be second year pitcher, Andrew Heaney. Heaney came to the team last season via trade and showed plenty of flashes last season to entice fantasy owners going forward. He will have his bumps along the way, and may not reach the ceiling that some scouts thought, but he has enough talent to be a solid fantasy SP4 or SP5 next season.

It seems sacrilegious to say, but it is finally time to move on from Jered Weaver. With the inability to break a plane of glass with his fastball and the nagging injuries, his peripheral stats finally caught up to him last season. He is still deceptive, but all signs point to Weaver continuing to get hit hard next season, so fantasy owners need to move on to pitching options with higher upsides for 2016.

C.J. Wilson has had back to back rocky seasons with the Angels, and was recently diagnosed with shoulder tendinitis. Even before the injury he could have easily been ignored, but now it is safe to completely scratch him off owners 2016 rankings. Hector Santiago stepped up nicely for the Halos last season and solidified the rotation, but his league leading 29 homers surrendered and 4.77 FIP, should worry fantasy owners that his numbers will regress across the board next season. Steer clear of him next season.

When healthy, Huston Street, has proven to be a reliable big league and fantasy closer. It is hard to expect another 40 SV season again in 2016, but he should be able to get close to the 35 SV mark barring his health. Side-armmer Joe Smith had a rough season as well, but should be able to rebound next season and makes as a solid pick in Holds leagues.

Next: 2016 Fantasy 2B Rankings: 15-11

The Angels farm system is simply, talent barren. They shipped any possible fantasy relevant prospects during the last two offseasons, and they completely lack any premium prospects possibly forcing their way onto the club in 2016. Taylor Ward is a catching prospect out of Fresno State and was their first round pick of the 2015 draft. He already has a solid approach at the plate, and with not a lot of competition in front of him, he could easily ascend the ranks and make an appearance in the majors this season.

Looking for more team previews?

NL West: L.A. Dodgers, San Francisco Giants, Colorado Rockies, San Diego Padres, Arizona Diamondbacks

NL East: Philadelphia Phillies, Atlanta Braves, Miami Marlins, Washington Nationals, New York Mets

NL Central: Milwaukee Brewers, Cincinnati Reds, Pittsburgh Pirates, St. Louis Cardinals, Chicago Cubs

A.L. West: Oakland A’s, Seattle Mariners

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