LA Angels Series Preview: Bringing Tyler Skaggs back home

A Season in Review to Remember

If the Angels are able to make a massive run in the second half and claim an AL Wild Card spot this 2019 Angels season will be one for the history books. It will become a season of legend and lore. The team has battled through different degrees of tragedies all season in the way of unexpected and injury and even death. They started off the year terribly, but somehow kept themselves within striking distance of a playoff spot by improving the roster week by week with a slow infusion of fresh, young talent. On top of all that Mike Trout is having one of his best seasons yet and Shohei Ohtani is on board as a full time hitter alongside Trout. This season is a storied as they come, the only thing that could top it all off would be a spot in the playoffs. Exactly what do the Angels need to do to achieve a storybook ending to this season?

Pitch deeper. This team isn’t in need of a magical formula or some hidden trick yet to be employed, what they need is more reliability from the starting staff. Of course this has been said time and time again by fans of the team and even the team themselves, but it has to be noted that the Angels have been making small efforts to realign this ship with the call ups of Griffin Canning and Jose Suarez. Sure we haven’t seen as much potential out of Suarez as we have Canning, yet the point still stands that moves are being made to improve the ballclub in the ways that it desperately needs improvement. Even if the improvements aren’t immediately taking the team over the top the fact that the team is showing intent and willingness to make the needed moves offers a big world of confidence towards the future of the club.

The only real move the Angels can make in solidifying their ability to pitch deep into games is by swinging a trade for a reliable starter who can anchor the front-end of the Angels rotation. In that vein Madison Bumgarner seems to be the best option as he would provide the Angels with a legitimate leader as well as rotation frontman. It really depends on if the Angels are buying or selling near the trade deadline.

There are a lot of questions waiting to be answered over the course of the long second half for the Angels, but those questions aside for just one more day and really focus on what’s important on this day. It’s not about winning the game, it’s not even about just playing the game, it’s about honoring the memory of an Angel who gained their wings just a little too soon.

This one is for you Tyler Skaggs. May you Rest in Peace and Love.

RIP#45 #We’re Nasty!