The Angels surprised the league this off-season when they convinced 23-year-old Japanese superstar Shohei Ohtani to come play in LA.
Ohtani landing with the Angels was easily one of the biggest storylines of the off-season, as he brings his two-way potential to Los Angeles. The Angels revamped their team this winter as well, adding former Reds SS Zack Cozart who will play 3rd this season, as well as former Tigers 2B Ian Kinsler to round out a lineup that also retained the power OF Justin Upton as well. Chris Carter was also brought in to add some of his power to the lineup, and if veteran Albert Pujols struggles like has the last two season, Carter or Ohtani could steal some at-bats from the aging vet. The 2018 Angels could be one of the best-supporting casts that superstar Mike Trout has ever played with, and gives LA their best chance to win in a long time.
The pitching led by a healthy Garrett Richards should be better this year after the Angels lost essentially their starting rotation to injuries last season. A bounce-back season from Richards, Matt Shoemaker, and Tyler Skaggs, alongside Ohtani makes for a promising rotation, however, it is still not quite elite. Ohtani also has some elbow issues that could lead to Tommy John surgery down the road, which was always a concern when signing the 23-year-old stud, but it shouldn’t affect his growth in 2018.
Angels GM Billy Eppler got creative last season with the bullpen, avoiding the costly ‘elite closers’ and rolling with guys like Yusmeiro Petit and Bud Norris to close out games last year. They’ll go with a similar formula this year leaning on Blake Parker, newly acquired Jim Johnson, Cam Bedrosian, and Keynan Middleton to close out games this year.
Best Case Scenario
The Angels are a team that may take a moment to mesh with how many new parts they are working with, Ohtani in particular. The team will benefit greatly from a healthy full-season from Mike Trout, who would have waltz his way to another AL MVP award had he been healthy. SS Andrelton Simmons showed last season he is more than just a gold-glover, but with Cozart and Kinsler in the infield, this is easily one of the best defensive infields in baseball.
The Angels missed the postseason by five games last season but were 21 games behind the Astros in the division. There’s no way the team can keep up with Houston in the division, but with a healthy Trout surrounded by better hitters in the lineup could be enough to push the Angels into the postseason.
But it will all come down to their pitching and Ohtani solidifying his place as the staff ace. If the Angels pitchers perform to the best of their abilities, there’s no reason this team can’t make the jump into the postseason.
Worst Case Scenario
The Angels losing Mike Trout would be the worst thing for everyone involved in Los Angeles. It almost guarantees Mike Scioscia’s decade-long tenure as the clubs manager comes to end, as his contract is up after this season. It also means the Angels loaded up with complimentary players, only to force them into having to make up for the lost offensive output in Trout.
But the worst thing that can happen would be the Angels rotation falling apart, either to injuries or ineffectiveness. As important as Trout is to the Angels, having Ohtani and Richards struggle this season could honestly be the difference between the Angels finishing with a Wild Card spot or the team finishing 3rd or 4th in their division.
Team MVP
Mike Trout – OF
Trout is the leagues best player, and it showed last season when he went down with his thumb injury, but still lead the league in WAR for almost another month. Having the 26-year-old for a full season with other legitimate hitters protecting him, there’s no reason to not think Trout should win the AL MVP once again. The only player that is a threat to Trout in the MVP race would Jose Altuve and that’s honestly just because he plays for a better team. Trout should produce another 40-40 season for the Angels, and he’ll need to to get his team over the hump and back into the postseason.
Prediction
The Angels’ season comes down to their pitching and whether they can make the impact people anticipate them making. If Ohtani can be the ace and add some on the offensive end, he’ll be everything the team was expecting and some. A Wild Card spot will be tough to grab, with the Yankees and Red Sox likely winning close to 90+ games this year, but the Angels will be in that mix if their pitching competes.