It was the tale of two seasons for LA Angels Matt Shoemaker

The LA Angels Matt Shoemaker started slowly in 2016, very slowly.  After five weeks of the season going 1-5 with a 9.12 ERA giving up 25 runs in 24.2 innings.  A trip to the minors seemed to wake Shoemaker up & the rest was history.

Shoemaker started pitching better after he returned going 2-1 with a 2.25 ERA for the rest of the month if May when the LA Angels really needed him. As was the theme in 2016 the Angels lost two starters to season-ending arm injuries in Garrett Richards and Andrew Heaney who were the number one and two starters in the rotation.

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Shoemaker did not stop there.  In June Shoemaker put together five quality starts in six outings posting a 2.14 ERA.  The only problem is that he went 0-3 during that stretch.  July was so-so as Shoemaker went 2-3 with a 4.31 ERA including a six-hit complete game shutout with 13 strikeouts on July 17th against the White Sox.

In August Shoemaker went 4-2 with a 3.15 ERA lowering his season ERA to 3.91.  Then disaster struck as Shoemaker was hit in the head with a line drive by Seattle’s Kyle Saeger.  Shoemaker was taken to a hospital with bleeding in his brain and a small skull fracture and just like that his season was done. Shoemaker finished with a 9-13 record with a 3.88 ERA.

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Overall Shoemaker is 32-27 with a 3.75 ERA.  He went 16-4 with a 3.06 ERA in 2014

During the off-season Shoemaker has recovered nicely and should be ready when Spring Training starts in two weeks.  The Angels will need the veteran leadership Shoemaker provides especially in 2017. Shoemaker is slated to be either the number three or number four starter for the Angels in 2017.

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So what do Shoemaker’s projections look like. I believe that Shoemaker will continue pitching well in 2017 and will go 14-10 with a 3.37 ERA with 158 strikeouts and a 1.18 WHIP.  I think he will be one of the key players on the staff.  Shoemaker has been up and down in three seasons with the Angels. Hopefully 2017 will be an up year.