Potential Breakout Stars for the LA Angels In 2017

Matt Shoemaker

Matt Shoemaker has been hard to put a finger on during his stint with the LA Angels. His rookie year was easily his best year where he finished with a 3.04 ERA and second in AL rookie of the year voting. His sophomore year in 2015, he posted a 4.46 ERA and was a far cry from his rookie season. However, he was still was good enough to return in 2016 with the Angels starting rotation.

Last season I firmly believe we all got to witness the very best and worst of Shoemaker. The start to his 2016 season was abysmal and he was sent down to AAA at the end of April with an ERA of 9.15. He was called back up a few weeks later and ended up having some really solid outings. His final ERA for the season was 3.88.

With Shoemaker being so inconsistent season by season, it is hard to say exactly what to expect from him this upcoming season. He ended the 2016 season on a high note. I think at the very least we can expect an ERA around 3.50 for Shoemaker.

If Shoemaker is able to continue what his end of the season looked like in 2016, I believe his ERA will be closer to 3.00. If Shoemaker is on his top game, I’d even say there is a chance his ERA goes below 3.00 and he could possibly become the ace in our rotation next year.