LA Angels Call Up Second Baseman of the Future

The LA Angels have finally made a move that should have been done weeks ago official. The team announced second baseman David Fletcher would join the big league roster for Tuesday’s game against the Mariners.

Ian Kinsler has been on the rise for the LA Angels as of late. He has been hitting .352 over the past two weeks, and has shaken off early concerns from Halo fans. Andrelton Simmons is on the disabled list but is arguably the best shortstop in the game, and should be back soon. Those are David Fletcher’s primary positions, so what do the Halos have in store for the young stud?

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First off, they should be getting him on the field. Until Simmons returns, the Angels should be starting Fletcher at shortstop. He has slashed .350/.394/.559 so far this year in Triple-A. He leads the entire Pacific Coast League in total bases (142), doubles (25), hits (89), and runs (55). He is an all-around player, as he has five triples and six home runs as well.

For reference sake, Fletcher also played well during Spring Training this year with a .308 average.

In the field, his primary positions are second base and shortstop. However, with Kinsler heating up, he’ll most likely be seeing time at shortstop and maybe even third base once Simmons comes back. Zack Cozart has regressed after a breakout 2017, and is hitting just .222 with an OPS of .661. That poor play could land him on the bench should Fletcher impress in his time with the team.

This year, Fletcher’s role with the team will be complicated. Sure he could win a starting spot, but he could also be the first man off the bench. Maybe he takes over the designated hitter role so the team can keep giving him regular at bats. Maybe this is just going to be a short stint with the squad, and he’ll return to tearing up AAA once Simmons returns.

Whatever does happen with Fletcher this season, his role in the organization for the future is clear. He is going to be given the best chance to be their Opening Day second baseman in 2019. Kinsler was a one-year rental to begin with, and given his underwhelming first month of the season, it is obvious he is not the same player from years ago.

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“Ground ball to Fletcher, tosses to Simmons, who fires to first for the double play.”

“Fletcher drives one deep, off the wall for another double.”

Those are just a couple of things Halo fans can expect television announces Victor Rojas and Mark Gubicza to be saying for the upcoming years in regards to the David Fletcher, the Halos’ second baseman of the future.