New Years keys to success for LA Angels

The LA Angels are going into 2018 having embraced the saying “New year, new me” to its highest potential by shoring the frontlines with star-studded talent whilst improving the minor league ranks.

Now that the LA Angels have evolved into a prime-time team there needs to be a plethora of focus among certain elements in order to achieve ultimate, and efficient success. What, exactly, can Mike Scioscia do to ensure long-term success?

Consistent Bullpen Roles

One of the most concerning issues with the Angels in 2017 was the over-abundance of bullpen usage. Mike Scioscia‘s bullpen management wasn’t in the best shape, going so far as to set the single game AL record for most pitchers used with 12 men in total seeing the mound. The bullpen wasn’t exactly filled to the brim with talent, yet the glaring lack of consistency allows for strong concern regarding the comfort level and ease of pitching for these relievers. Allowing guys like Blake Parker to shift into a full-time closer role instead of bouncing him between the 7th-9th inning on a constant basis will do wonders for the longevity of the both individual pitcher and team success.

It will be difficult this season given the abundance of starting pitching; many of the players competing for starting roles will end up finding their footing in the bullpen, requiring both patience and keen player management to allow relievers to slide into whatever role they will blossom the greatest in. On top of the starters who will need work in the ‘pen there are also guys like Luke Bard who will need a greater guiding hand than other established relievers.

No Cleanup Hitting for Pujols

This is for the best for both Pujols’ long-term success and the Angels. Mike Scioscia forces a world of pressure on Pujols with cleanup duties; not only are you giving the struggling vet the biggest load to shoulder, you’re throwing his struggles out into the spotlight and amplifying his troubles. This is the kind of player management that makes me worry for Scioscia’s ability to maintain success in the long-term, guys like Pujols need to be placed in the right spot to allow for maximum levels of success.

Even more so worrisome is the stubborn application of Pujols at cleanup when the Angels are imbued with cleanup capable talent such as Justin Upton. Despite Pujols’ struggles he still pulled 101 RBI’s in during the 2017 season off of 23 HR’s and a .241 BA. Those numbers aren’t so anomalous when you consider the OBP machine in Mike Trout whom hits in front of Pujols. Allow a stud like Justin Upton and his 30 HR capability to man the cleanup spot and the Angels can easily be more than wildcard play-in contenders.

Quick Construction of the Starting Staff

This is probably one of the most important keys to success in 2018. It’s feasible to think that the Angels could have maintained a competitive stance in the Wild Card race until the last day of the season had the Angels not shifted through 10+ potential starters throughout the season. That level of inconsistency cannot be had when the health of guys like Ohtani, Garrett Richards, and Matt Shoemaker is in question. Chaos cannot be a multiplier of success, our LA Angels starting pitchers need to be able to walk into work knowing exactly what will be expected of them and how they can apply themselves to ensure massive success.

When you place constantly shifting grounds under a players feet you only inspire dissatisfaction and unease, a trait that seemed to shine far too bright for the Angels during the 2017 season. This is especially crucial when you have players who require proper application of their talents in the right spots to help guide them to success. Guys like Andrew Heaney, Tyler Skaggs, Parker Bridwell, and to a lesser extent Shoemaker and Richards, shouldn’t be expected to hit the ground running with success. One of the biggest problems last year was the expectation starters had coming into games to “pitch as deep as possible”.

That just isn’t feasible with guys like Heaney, they need to know they can come in and comfortably pitch as many innings as they are able to and be picked up by the bullpen and coaching once they’re gassed. When you force them into the mindset that they’ll have to pitch to a specific minimum you only inspire extreme micromanagement of pitches. Every pitch becomes a stress pitch, and that just won’t do, quick and efficient construction of the starting staff will be the biggest key to success in 2018.

Leadership for Trout

This doesn’t mean what you’d expect it to, the Angels don’t need to ask for more leadership from Trout (as if that’s possible), but provide leadership to Trout. Mike Trout has been the sole team leader for far too long especially, the benign and under performing Pujols is limited in what he can offer due to the examples he provides in his performance.

Trout has been “the guy” for his whole career, but he hasn’t really had a guy to look to for leadership since Torii Hunter. Everyone needs someone to look towards to bear weight off their shoulders, and it doesn’t seem like Trout has had anyone to rely on but himself and the team.

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Yes, I understand that a players support system is their entire team, but realistically it’s hard to imagine the best player in baseball finds leadership in the players surrounding him that he hasn’t already provided.

However, 2018 is bringing a lot of prime leadership to the Angels, players like Ian Kinsler and Zack Cozart can provide many examples of success that Trout hasn’t fully grasped on his own yet. He can learn how to truly cope and recuperate from loss from Ian Kinsler, or how to battle against your own deepest set struggles and come out on top from Zack Cozart.

What Scioscia needs to do in this regard is keep his players in line for success and allow the natural leadership of veterans to kick in. No one wants to see our veterans forced into providing strong leadership through poor circumstance, that’s the easiest way to suffocate the messages of leadership from the veterans to the youth.

All in all, one of the biggest needs of the Angels going into 2018 is an improved sense of player management from Mike Scioscia. If the LA Angels can accomplish this goal as an organization it will spell nothing but success and glory for the team.