Who will save the day for each MLB team?

Los Angeles Angels: Garrett Richards

The LA Angels are in an interesting spot. They haven’t been relevant for a while, but they may finally be ready to reach the postseason again. The most important player in that effort? Not Mike Trout, not Shohei Ohtani, but starting pitcher Garrett Richards.

That’s right, if the Angels want to contend, they need a healthy Garrett Richards. He’s proven he can be a good, productive major league pitcher. But he hasn’t proven he can stay healthy. In 2016 and 2017, he pitched a combined 62 1/3 innings.

Mike Trout is not only indisputably the best hitter in the league, but maybe the best of all time. The Angels already know what they’re going to get from him. He can’t lead them to the postseason all by himself, though. Shohei Ohtani could end up having a big year, but the more likely scenario is that he’ll need this season to work out some kinks and develop while adapting to the MLB.

For the Angels to really get back on track, they’ll need a full season from Richards. His last two years were a far cry from he did over the 2014 and 2015 seasons. Over that period, he went 28-16 with a 3.18 ERA across 376 innings of work. If he can return to that form, the Angels have a real shot at reaching the playoffs.

They’re not going to beat the Houston Astros in the AL West, but they could make one of the Wild Card spots. Even if they don’t make it further than that, it would still be a big step in the right direction for the franchise. To make that step, though, they’ll need a full season from Garrett Richards.