LA Angels: Is Zack Cozart Finally Getting Hot at the Plate?

While the LA Angels and their fans surely love the fact that a prospect such as Taylor Ward is on the lineup card, the circumstances for his call-up aren’t desired.

The LA Angels didn’t call up Ward because he was on fire in the minors, or because they saw a significant jump in his development. The reason he is with the Halos rather than the Salt Lake Bees is because of Zack Cozart.

Going into the Angels’ game on Saturday in Chicago, the batting average of one Zack Cozart was .033. That’s right folks, Cozart’s batting average wasn’t even old enough to run for president. However, for the first time in forever, Saturday brought a change.

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Cozart had not one, not two, but three hits! That is huge for him, as he literally quadrupled his entire hit total for the season. I mean, how many times has that happened in mid-April? He looked very confident at the plate, and was even able to drive in a run as well.

While I’m not trying to overreact here, but this could be the turning point for Cozart. It seems something might have happened between the time the team swept Milwaukee and first pitch two days later in Chicago. While Cozart failed to collect a hit on Friday in the opener, he looked good in the batter’s box. There seemed to be a newfound confidence.

On Saturday, that translated. After the game, Cozart said “I’ve been grinding and working hard in the cage…hopefully I can build off [today]”.

If Cozart is able to do just that, it would provide a huge boost to this inconsistent Halo offense. While they’ve been playing better recently, there is still a dire need for any additional help until Shohei Ohtani and Justin Upton return.

If Cozart can get a little hot streak going and help supplement that bottom half of the lineup, this offense could become one of the more elite groups in the entire MLB once Mike Trout and the two sluggers mentioned above return.

Overall, one good day at the plate isn’t indicative of future success. However, this is the first time since Cozart has put on an Angels uniform that I have watched him and seen confidence during his at-bats.