New Years keys to success for LA Angels

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.