Will Kaleb Cowart Be The Future For The LA Angels At 2B?

LA Angels fans have been hearing about top prospect Kaleb Cowart for the past 2 or 3 years.  Cowart is supposedly the third baseman of the future. However, we have heard this story before, Brandon Wood & Dallas McPherson ring a bell.

So far Cowart has not lived up to the hype, but the LA Angels keep hoping he will finally realize his potential. Cowart has shown the ability to be a slick fielder at both third base and second base.  He also possesses a strong arm.  However, he just can’t seem to hit well when he comes up to the majors.

In 65 games over the past two seasons Cowart has batted 131 times while getting only 23 hits.  This was good for a .176 batting average.  He has hit two homers and driven in 12 runs.  One of Cowart’s biggest issues is plate discipline.  He has walked only five times in 139 plate appearances while striking out 42 times. Not the kind of numbers that give Angel fans or the Angels staff confidence that Cowart can make it at the big league level.

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So during the Winter of 2015 the Angels general manager Billy Eppler went out and made a trade for a reliable third baseman named Yunel Escobar.  Escobar had a great season pushing Cowart down on the depth chart.  In the last six weeks of the season, the Angels released second baseman Johnny Giavotella and called Cowart up.

The team decided to give Cowart a shot at second base, but when he still couldn’t hit once again, Cowart started splitting time with Cliff Pennington. The question moving forward is will the Angels give Cowart one more chance at the second base in 2017 or will they go the free agent or trade route to fill the hole at second.

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At the very least because of his versatility he should be able to secure a roster spot provided he has a decent Spring.  However the competition will be tough as Gregorio Petit has shown the ability to play second, third, shortstop, and outfield.  Cliff Pennington is also in that mix and he can also play shortstop and second.

Next: Can Mike Morin be consistent?

Second base will be one of the more interesting battles during Spring if the Angels do not make a trade or sign someone during free agency.  Let’s hope for the best Kaleb Cowart.

GRADE: D+