LA Angels Roundtable: Six Under-The-Radar Key/Bounce Back Players for 2019

2019 should be a bounce back year for the LA Angels, but that will involved bounce back seasons from players, along with some under-the-radar players making big contributions. So we here at Halo Hangout are each bringing you one name we think will be vital in the Halo’s 2019 success.

Kole Calhoun

By Benny Bam (@BennyBamLegacy)

As many directions as this could go positionally from guys like Walsh, Fletcher, Bour, or a Zach Cozart rebound, I will stick with my gut. Short and sweet. Kole Calhoun batted .208 after a .120-or so start to the 2018 season. His career average is much better at .252.

There is no way he starts as bad in 2019, a contract year. In advanced stats he hit .130 on 0-2 counts, and .131 on 1-2; avoiding them requires fixable discipline at the plate. If his defense stays at 98% fielding with twice as many assists as errors, and his batting numbers are more like late 2018, Kole could be one of the most valuable Angels in 2019.

Outside the numbers and statistical likelihood’s, he is a clubhouse leader for the Angels whose grit and determination should bode well with former catcher-turned-skipper Ausmus, just as it was cited in his exit by Mike Scioscia. Add in a new managerial style that will take an analytical approach to where players bat best in the lineup, instead of crossing fingers and hoping for the best, and it could be the best we have seen of the Red Baron.

Of course, this is assuming he stays healthy, which typically isn’t a problem for Kole, since he has played 127, 159, 157, 155, and 137 games the last 5 seasons. Calhoun will be back to contributing at least career averages in 2019, and anything more will only help boost the teams chances in the AL West.

Jared Walsh

By Ryan Falla (@rmfalla)

I know I’ve gone on and on about Walsh this past year and especially this over the course of Spring Training so far. But let’s be real, Walsh presents the opportunity for much-needed dynamics on this team in so many different ways.

If you’ve been watching the handful of Spring games so far you would see how good he is at adjusting himself to the pace of competition no matter where he is. He’s looked good in his few at bats, taking plenty of pitches and seeing a lot of what the competition has to offer while also showing what he can bring to the table.

One of his biggest under-the-radar offensive assets happens to be his excellent base-running skills. He may not be a threat to steal, but with 86 runs scored in 2018 you can see that he poses a serious threat to score.

In yesterdays Spring Training game (2/24/19) Walsh turned a single that barely left the infield into a double, which also sent fellow prospect Jack Kruger from 1st to 3rd  (Walsh scored from 2nd on the next hit).

Walsh is an absolute playmaker in every sense of the word, whether it’s with his bat or his legs. Like I’ve said in many previous articles, Walsh has the power to put himself in scoring position every time he gets on base with his heightened awareness and powerful physical prowess.

We still haven’t seen him pitch this Spring, but if he approaches it with the same strength and fervor that he does hitting and defending he will produce some serious value out of the bullpen. Oh, and lets not forget his brick-wall defense at first.

There is value to be had all over the board with Walsh and on that note I don’t see any scenarios that leave Walsh off the MLB board in 2019. Whether it’s with his defense, hitting, pitching, or all three in tandem there is just too much value to be left on the sidelines. You can guarantee that Walsh will contribute to the Angels in some fashion once the 2019 season speeds off into the summer.

Felix Pena

By David Peng

The Angels are going into Spring Training with a projected starting rotation that includes two guys clearing a full season past Tommy John surgery, two free agents on one-year contracts looking to bounce back from down seasons, and a 22-year-old going into his sophomore season. The one name that hasn’t been bantered about much is Felix Peña — but he shouldn’t be forgotten.

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Pressed into service after another season of rotation injuries, Peña, a middling prospect for the Cubs who the Angels acquired for a PTBNL in October of 2017, came through with a solid season. In 90 innings over 17 games as a starter, Peña posted a 4.00 ERA, with opponents hitting just .242/.304/.375, and struck out over 8 batters per 9 innings.

Though he can touch 95 MPH with a 4-seam fastball, Peña generally sits at 92-93, with an average slider and change-up that the Cubs didn’t deem important enough to keep. In 2018, though, Peña added a sinking fastball. Thrown with the same release point and velocity as his 4-seamer, the sinker gave Peña a deceptive wrinkle that he didn’t have before.

Over the last four months, Peña has gone from not throwing a sinker at all to throwing it nearly 60% of the time. Adding that pitch turned him from a fringe major leaguer into a real contributor last season.

Now, even though the Angels already have five guys projected as rotation starters in front of him, no one believes those five are all they’ll need. A big league season is long, and nobody’s rotation lasts all season. Recent history tells us that the Angels are going to need at least a few more starters. Peña has earned the right to be first in line when the Angels need to reach back for a sixth starter.

Kaleb Cowart

By Grant Avise (@WestCoastBias87)

Kaleb Cowart could have one of the biggest surprise impacts on the Angels this season. Cowart got plenty of chances in the big league lineup with the Angels over the last several seasons. Best known for his glove and more impressive throwing arm. His bat never quite developed the way it was supposed to.

In December, the Angels designated Cowart for assignment and his former Angels general manager and current Mariners GM, Jerry Dipoto picked up his former draft pick. Dipoto saw something in the arm of Cowart and wanted to experiment. An experiment that is making waves throughout baseball. With the emergence and success of American League Rookie of the Year, Shohei Ohtani, other teams are trying to find and develop their own two-way players.

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Seattle would end up releasing Cowart and the Detroit Tigers picked him up, trying to keep him as a two-way player. The Tigers would also end up releasing him. Cowart found his way back home to his original team. No longer as just a versatile defensive hole in the lineup but as a two-way player. If Cowart could be a bullpen piece for the Angels, he could resurrect big league career that was thought to be dwindling.

He could also be one of the biggest cogs to the Angels success in 2019. Angels GM Billy Eppler said that Cowart would work both as a pitcher and position player during Spring Training, focusing primarily on pitching. He already has three pitches to boot. His fastball sits at 91-93mph with sinking action. He has what scouts are calling “a hard slider and a split-finger”. Scouts are liking him more as a pitcher, than as a position player.

If Cowart is able to be a successful pitcher and come in from the bullpen and get an inning or two worth of outs, or come in late to play defense, pinch run or even use his switch hitting bat to pinch hit, he just might be the most versatile player on the Angels. Though, his talents on either end won’t be near where Ohtani’s are; being serviceable at all aspects could still prove to be a huge difference maker for Cowart and the Angels going forward.

Williams Jerez

By Vincent Page (@VincentPage74)

In terms of a player to break out this year for the LA Angels, perhaps the most intriguing candidates lie within the rotation or batting order. However, one name to watch is relief pitcher Williams Jerez.

Jerez came to the Angels last season as part of the package for Ian Kinsler. The left-handed pitcher had yet to make his major league debut, and immediately became a Top 30 prospect for the Halos.Jerez got the chance to make his debut in 2018, and in 17 games posted a 6.00 ERA. He had 15 strikeouts while allowed eight walks and three home runs.

However, if not for a bad three game stretch to end August, Jerez’s numbers look a lot more promising. He allowed six runs (and two of his three homers) in those starts, and without them his season-long ERA drops to 2.77.

While I’m not predicting an ERA south of three this season for Jerez, he is a player to keep an eye on as the only left-handed pitcher in the bullpen for the Halos. The team shipped off lefty specialist Jose Alvarez this winter, and part of that could be their confidence in Jerez to mature into the same role.

The Angels’ bullpen has the chance to be elite this season after some offseason additions. And while the new players in Anaheim will be important, a breakout season from Jerez may be just what the unit needs to join the most elite bullpens in the MLB.