2 Angels players who are already earning more playing time, 2 who deserve less

The Angels are an organization that rides their hot hands and big name players, so the playing time usually works out the way it should when everybody's healthy (a rarity). The Halos, the first place team in the American League West, are currently avoiding further fan controversy by finally playing Kyren Paris every day. All it took was for the 23-year-old to prove that he can lead the league in bWAR in order for Ron Washington to play him more than Kevin Newman.

Washington has some old-school tactics that cause problems with easy solutions, i.e. he sticks with players he shouldn't too long and vice versa. Let's take a look into a couple players he needs to trust more, and a couple he needs to ease off of.

2 Angels players who are already earning more playing time

Brock Burke

Burke struggled in the first two series of the season, but since then has gotten the job done. With Ben Joyce hitting the 15-Day Injured List, Burke should be leaned on more to clean up 7th and 8th innings in tandem with Ryan Zeferjahn. Washington is certainly not overtaxing Burke with only three appearances and 38 total pitches thrown since April 4th. He has faced 11 batters in that span, and his only blemishes were a triple and hit by pitch against the Rays/a single against the Guardians. He has not allowed an earned run in that time.

Burke's 5.1 innings thrown this season are tied with Garrett McDaniels and Ryan Johnson for just 9th most on the pitching staff. In theory, Burke is more important to the Angels' bullpen than those inexperienced relievers, but he is not being used like a set-up/middle reliever right now. He turned things around after a rough couple series to open the season and needs to be cut loose more moving forward without Joyce.

Reid Detmers

According to Stuff+ metrics, Detmers has the third best four-seam fastball, the fifth best slider, and best curveball of all Angels pitchers so far this year. His stuff has always played, and should play even more as a reliever who can turn it up more given the decrease in innings. The strikeout numbers are not exactly ideal right now (12.5% K%), but the stuff speaks for itself and Detmers has shown that the strikeouts will come.

Washington needs to get Detmers more acclimated as a reliever, it helps the organization in both the short and long term. When he is on, he is dominant. For him to be on, he needs more reps coming out of the bullpen. Detmers needs to get his value back.